Centaur IV AA (15mm)

[Fitz]

The excellent Mr. Bergman recently released the Centaur IV AA tank, mounting a pair of 20mm Polsten cannon, in 1:100 scale (15mm).

It was not as common in action as the Crusader version, which mounted the heavier 40mm Bofors, but there were a few of them in Normandy. Neither version was much used in its intended role, as the Luftwaffe was not in much evidence in the skies over D-Day and after, but they were very effective at engaging ground targets.

I've shown it here with a few PSC plastic 15mm British paratroops. I haven't yet supplied the vehicle with any crewmen; I'll get around to that one of these days. I printed it on my Ender 3 in eSun PLA+ — the layer lines are much more evident on the turret than they were on my Cromwells, due to all the sloping panels. Nevertheless it will do well enough for a gaming model.

[fred]

Nice model!

I didn’t know these were a thing, but it can’t have been the hardest real world conversion to put the AA turret on the Cromwell rather than a Crusader hull. The Crusader AAs also mounted this turret - does seem a very British thing, to have supplied large amounts of AA tanks once they had air superiority!

They seem to get less mention in the anti-infantry role than the German AA guns - perhaps there was less need for expedient solutions?

[Jemima Fawr]

Lovely model!

Just to clarify the history:  Both the Centaur and Crusader AA tanks came in Bofors-armed  (Mk I) and Twin-Polsten-armed (Mk II) versions.  The Polsten-armed Crusader AA Mk II was the most common, being found (initially, at least) in all armoured regiment HQs in Normandy and later being recycled as a command/OP tank for some SP AT troops.  The Bofors-armed Crusader AA Mk I was found in Corps, Army and Lines-of-Communication AA regiments, as well as a few armoured brigade HQs.  At least one LoC AA regiment in Normandy used the Bofors-armed Centaur AA Mk I.  However, it's not clear if the Polsten-armed Centaur AA Mk II was ever deployed outside the UK.