The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22) Churchill was a British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, its ability to climb steep slopes, and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war.
A Churchill Mark IV tank
Churchill tanks of 9th Royal Tank Regiment during an exercise at Tilshead on Salisbury Plain, 31 January 1942. Front tank is a Churchill MK. 1
Close-up of road wheels and tracks of Churchill Mk. VII
Churchill tanks on the Dieppe beach. The Y-shaped pipes on the rear decking are exhaust pipe extensions to allow deep wading.
The infantry tank was a tank concept developed by the United Kingdom and France in the years leading up to World War II. Infantry tanks were designed to support infantrymen in an attack. To achieve this, the vehicles were generally heavily armoured to allow them to operate in close concert with infantry even under heavy fire. The extra armour came at the expense of speed, which was not an issue when supporting relatively slow-moving foot soldiers.
Churchill tanks during the 2nd Battle of El Alamein
British Matilda I tank
Matilda II in the Western Desert Campaign
