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Armor/AFV: Allied - WWII
Armor and ground forces of the Allied forces during World War II.
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What did the French do with their Centaurs
long_tom
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Posted: Saturday, March 10, 2007 - 05:02 AM UTC
I read in my Osprey book on the Cromwell tank series that the surviving Centaur tanks used by the Royal Marines during the Normandy invasion were given to the Free French Forces, but doesn't say what happened to them after that, and I was unable to find any info on the Net. Does anyone know if and how they were used, were they repainted, etc.?
blackhand
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Posted: Saturday, March 10, 2007 - 05:13 AM UTC
Hi Tom ,there are a couple of photos on this site www.chars-francais.net-sommaire.htm I don't think the french used them in action but you can see french style unit markings applied ,hope this helps Pat
long_tom
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Posted: Saturday, March 10, 2007 - 08:47 AM UTC
Thanks.

I didn't know French armor carried the pale green and grey camouflage as pictured in the color photograph..
Gill-oh-no
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Posted: Monday, March 12, 2007 - 01:21 AM UTC
Hi!
The photo is of a Churchill tank.
The Centaurs were used for training notably in the reforming 3e DB.
HTH
long_tom
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Posted: Monday, March 12, 2007 - 08:35 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi!
The photo is of a Churchill tank.
The Centaurs were used for training notably in the reforming 3e DB.
HTH


Ah, then someone should inform the site owner of this little mistake.

So what color were the Centaur tanks repainted, then? I'm assuming they were done in postwar dark olive drab, but I wanted to be sure. Every other modeller has already done the British Royal Marines version; I wanted to try something different.
Drader
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Posted: Monday, March 12, 2007 - 02:59 PM UTC
Why not get some replacement wheels without perforated tyres and build the tank as a CS Cromwell? Need to leave the dial sight head off as well, as for the French Centaurs. I was taken by the Polish CS Cromwell in the Osprey book and most of the markings for it can be taken from the Tamiya Cromwell, making it a relatively easy project.

Failing that you could look for an AM 6pdr barrel and make a Centaur (or early Cromwell) gun tank.

David
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Posted: Monday, March 12, 2007 - 07:56 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I read in my Osprey book on the Cromwell tank series that the surviving Centaur tanks used by the Royal Marines during the Normandy invasion were given to the Free French Forces, but doesn't say what happened to them after that, and I was unable to find any info on the Net. Does anyone know if and how they were used, were they repainted, etc.?

As far as I knew, the surviving RMSG Centaurs were handed over to the Canadian Army and used by an ad hoc CRA unit to provide support to the Ist UK Parachute Div. The Canadians used up the Centaurs at a pretty furious rate, finally getting down to 2-3 Centaurs and a couple of Sherman OPs within 3-4 weeks. The unit was disbanded at that point and the dregs of the Centaurs passed back to the depots. I'd be very interested to learn that the French got the Centaurs after we were done with them.

Paul
Drader
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Posted: Monday, March 12, 2007 - 08:32 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi!
The photo is of a Churchill tank.
The Centaurs were used for training notably in the reforming 3e DB.
HTH


It's the Churchill IV at Saumur, their Centaur is displayed in an odd sand and green scheme.

David
long_tom
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Posted: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 - 03:10 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

I read in my Osprey book on the Cromwell tank series that the surviving Centaur tanks used by the Royal Marines during the Normandy invasion were given to the Free French Forces, but doesn't say what happened to them after that, and I was unable to find any info on the Net. Does anyone know if and how they were used, were they repainted, etc.?

As far as I knew, the surviving RMSG Centaurs were handed over to the Canadian Army and used by an ad hoc CRA unit to provide support to the Ist UK Parachute Div. The Canadians used up the Centaurs at a pretty furious rate, finally getting down to 2-3 Centaurs and a couple of Sherman OPs within 3-4 weeks. The unit was disbanded at that point and the dregs of the Centaurs passed back to the depots. I'd be very interested to learn that the French got the Centaurs after we were done with them.

Paul


OK, I rechecked the book, and we're both right. Here's what it says on page 23, under the subheading "Royal Marines":

"When the unit was disbanded their surviving Centaurs were distributed to various units, including one special Canadian battery supporting 6th Airborne Division, before being handed over to the French."

On page 42, a chart mentions that France received a total of 71 Centaurs, though presumably most were not from the aforementioned Royal Marines unit.
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