AC Sentinel (tank)
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The Sentinel tank was designed in Australia in World War II in response to a possible Japanese invasion. The AC series of tanks were known as Sentinels, and designed as Cruiser tanks. However, Sentinels never saw action as British and American tanks such as the M4 Sherman were readily available and the Sentinels were used only for training.
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History
The Sentinel was developed initially as a QF 2 pounder gun equipped design in 1943. Fabrication was by Sydney's Chullora Railway Workshops, the premises also being used as a testing ground.
The design used existing parts where available, from other tank designs or from trucks. The hull was cast as a single piece, as was the turret; a procedure not used on any other tanks of the era or since.
The prototype was designed for 2 pounder but initially fitted with 10 pounder in a bid to catch up with battlefield experience. As pre-production models followed a turret was developed having 2,17 pounder guns fitted to assess the vehicle's abillity to mount the QF 25 pounder, the foremost allied anti-tank gun of the day . The tank had a hull machine gun and a second mounted coaxially beside the main gun. Less than forty vehicles had been completed by November 1945. The Australian Armoured Corps requirement for a new main battle tank in the post WWII years saw the Sentinel design discarded in favour of the British Centurion tank. The Sentinel was powered by 3 Cadillac car engines installed in clover-leaf configuration.
Variants
AC I
- 2 pounder gun
AC III
- 25 pounder gun
AC IV
- 17 pounder gun