Crawling around in a Comet 1

[Tieleader]

Hey, guys. Time for another tank crawl!
Geez, it is against british tank designer philosophy to come up with a vehicle that you don't have to be a damned hobbit to fit in?! This is about 30% bigger than the Matilda 2 with a turret TWICE as large and it's still a sardine can. I'm not a tall/fat guy but I literally could not fit into the swinging access hatches to the drivers and bow gunner positions. Can't imagine trying to bail out if the tank caught fire...
REALLY makes you appreciate the elbow room in any Sherman. It's like an over sized Cadillac limo comparatively.
Hope you all like.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[fastmongrel]

The loader in a Comet had the luxury of about 18 square inches to stand on. There was a rotary shell bin that held 9 ready to use rounds anything more meant leaning under the gun breech and getting on hands and knees. You have to compare pictures of a Comet next to a Sherman to realise the Comet was considerably smaller. This photo gives a good idea of the size of a Comet

 

[Sid327]

Welcome to the world of having an idea what tank soldiering was like!

As I already mentioned somewhere else on here; you ideally needed to be short, slim, wirey and have universal joints for wrists and even ankles at times (prone to getting caught when the turret traversed relative to the hull and you had to watch out for your feet.
I'm not old enough to be familiar with the Comet, but knew the Charioteer (Comet Hull with 20-pounder box shaped turret). Even the Cent(urion) which was positively roomy in comparison was not for anyone taller than say 5' 9'' and anything more than a modest girth.
The Chieftain wasn't much better; worse in some respects. But at least they both had a Boiling Vessel (BV)!

That Comet (your pic) doesn't even have the 17-pounder fitted which used a much longer cartridge case, so even less interior room.

The Brits were not even issued with head protection, just a beret.

 

[Tieleader]

Welcome to the world of having an idea what tank soldiering was like!

As I already mentioned somewhere else on here; you ideally needed to be short, slim, wirey and have universal joints for wrists and even ankles at times (prone to getting caught when the turret traversed relative to the hull and you had to watch out for your feet.
I'm not old enough to be familiar with the Comet, but knew the Charioteer (Comet Hull with 20-pounder box shaped turret). Even the Cent(urion) which was positively roomy in comparison was not for anyone taller than say 5' 9'' and anything more than a modest girth.
The Chieftain wasn't much better; worse in some respects. But at least they both had a Boiling Vessel (BV)!

That Comet doesn't even have the 17-pounder fitted which used a much longer cartridge case, so even less interior room.

The Brits were not even issued with head protection, just a beret.

Welcome to the world of having an idea what tank soldiering was like!

I can only imagine it would be worse if someone else was trying to kill you as well. Oh, wait...

 

[Sid327]

I can only imagine it would be worse if someone else was trying to kill you as well. Oh, wait...

As if life wasn't difficult enough already. I hear you.
But as a kid (17to 25) you didn't worry about half the things you do as you get some sense in your head later in life. The companionship was a thing to remember, it meant a lot. Tank gunnery was a fantastic experience. Food on exercises was okay, but you were sh*tting bullets as it caused most people to have constipation. And the diesel flavoured cheese and strawberry jam sandwiches were to die for, washed down with tea out of a mug you could probably contract typhoid from.

 

[fastmongrel]

Charioteer (Comet Hull with 20-pounder box shaped turret)

It was actually a Cromwell hull iirc a type E welded hull with side hatches for drivers.

 

[Sid327]

It was actually a Cromwell hull iirc a type E welded hull with side hatches for drivers.

Agreed!
My mistake and thanks for the reminder.

(Christie type suspension on the Cromwell and Charioteer.
Return rollers on the Comet).