The Centurion was Britain's first attempt to produce a universal tank and do away with divisions between the infantry tanks, such as the Matilda, and cruiser tanks like the Comet. In 1943, after a succession of unfortunate tank designs, the British War Office commissioned a new specification calling for a tank weighing 40-tons that offered durability, reliability, and the ability to withstand a direct hit from a German 88mm gun. Six prototypes were developed before the end of World War II, all of which arrived too late to take part in the war.

It was soon recognized that the weight restrictions had to be lifted as the original specification could not be achieved within the 40-ton weight limitation. The early vehicles were equipped with a 17 pounder main gun and a 20mm Polsten cannon. They also featured frontal, glacis plate armour to deflect shots, a partially cast turret and a Horstmann suspension. However, modifications to the original design were quickly made and the changes resulted in the adoption of a 20 pounder, fully stabilized main gun and the replacement of the 20mm cannon with a Besa machine gun (thus allowing the turret to be fully cast). These changes resulted in the Mk IV version of the vehicle.

In order to maintain its combat effectiveness, continuing modifications have led to numerous other changes to the main gun armament (most notably the incorporation of a 105mm gun), the addition of fire control equipment and infra-red driving aids, a new diesel engine, and a semi-automatic transmission.

The Centurion first saw action in Korea during 1951 and soon proved itself to be the best performing tank in this theatre of operations, offering excellent cross country performance. It has also been exported to a number of client nations, particularly Israel, which used them with great effect in several of the Arab-Israeli Wars.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a Centurion Mk.3 battle tank that was attached to the Royal Canadian C Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse, then deployed to Alberta, Canada during the 1960s. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 4-inches
Width: 1-1/2-inches

Release Date: December 2012

Historical Account: "Perseverance" - Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (LdSH [RC]) is a regular armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is part of Land Force Western Area's 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. Members of the regiment are commonly called Strathconas or Strats as a short form.

The regiment is currently composed of a regimental headquarters and four primary squadrons: A, B, Reconnaissance ('Recce') and Headquarters. In September 2006, B Squadron deployed to Afghanistan using the Leopard C2, the first NATO deployment of main battle tanks (MBTs) to Afghanistan. Currently, one squadron is deployed as part of the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (1 PPCLI) Battle Group.

Each year the squadron that distinguishes itself with the highest efficiency rating in the regiment earns the title "Prince of Wales Squadron" for the year. The regiment has seven affiliated cadet corps in Alberta and British Columbia.

The main vehicles operated by Lord Strathcona's Horse are the Leopard tank and the Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle. Due to a change in Canadian army doctrine in the early 2000s away from heavy armour to more infantry-centred operations, Lord Strathcona's Horse was for several years the only regular armoured regiment to operate MBTs. This was until the 2006 announcement that the Royal Canadian Dragoons would be re-equipped with a squadron of Leopards.

The regimental motto is Perseverance. The current Commanding Officer is Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Peyton and the Regimental Sergeant Major is Chief Warrant Officer WJ Crabb. The Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment is His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales, while the honorary Colonel of the Regiment is MGen (Ret'd) Ross.