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On firing, the gun breech recoiled just shy of the driver's space, with the driver staying in position, in case the vehicle needed to move quickly. The rear mounting combined with its low silhouette made the Archer an excellent ambush weapon, allowing its crew to fire, then drive away without turning
484:
The
Valentine chassis was soon chosen, as it was in production but obsolescent for British use and was also one of the few chassis that could accommodate such a large gun. The engine in the Archer had a higher power rating than in the Valentine. Since the Valentine had a small hull and it was not
491:
German self-propelled guns in appearance, with the gun facing to the rear, which kept the length of the Archer short. The mounting allowed for 11 degrees of traverse to either side, with elevation from -7.5 to +15 degrees.
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was very powerful but also very large and heavy and could be moved about the battlefield only by a vehicle, which made the gun more effective in defence than in the attack. A variant of the
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657:
The illustrated encyclopedia of weapons of World War II : a comprehensive guide to weapons systems, including tanks, small arms, warplanes, artillery, ships, and submarines
855:
523:
Under military doctrines prevalent in
Commonwealth armies at the time, vehicles such as the Archer were "self-propelled anti-tank guns" and operated by the
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531:(RAC). This was the same for two vehicles of US origin, that were initially conceived as "tank destroyers" though not used as such by the British: the
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664:
429:, 655 were produced between March 1943 and May 1945. It was used in north-west Europe and Italy during the war; post-war, it served with the
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round. The first prototype was completed in 1943, with firing trials carried out in April 1943. Vickers were given orders for 800 vehicles.
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461:. Other projects were considered using obsolete tank chassis, including the Valentine for its reliability and low profile and the
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possible to use a turret, the gun was mounted in a simple, low, open-topped armoured box, very much like the early
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433:. This vehicle was unusual in that its gun faced the rear of the chassis instead of the front.
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Production started in mid-1943 and the Archer entered service in
October 1944. It was used in
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armour in 1956. The Archer served with some units of the Royal
Armoured Corps in the
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Key to the Sinai, The
Battles for Abu-Ageila in the 1956 and 1967 Arab-Israeli Wars
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737:. Vol. Vanguard series 19. London: Osprey Publishing Ltd. p. 9.
469:. In development were tank designs using the 17-pounder, which led to the
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418:
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and
National Guard were supplied with 36 ex-British Archers in 1952.
561:
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767:. Combat Studies Institute, Research Survey no.7. p. 40&58.
473:
tank (and its post-war variant the
Avenger SP gun) derived from the
453:—and the US was expected to be able to provide the 76 mm armed
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503:
1697:
British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II
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921:
688:
613:, India. One Archer with a short-barrelled gun minus gun mantlet
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685:
Universal Tank: British Armour in the Second World War - Part 2
20:
1721:
World War II armoured fighting vehicles of the United
Kingdom
386:
141:
front (and direction of driving) to left, engine to right
820:
Self-Propelled 17-Pounder Archer. Rearwards into Action!
520:. By the end of the war, 655 of them had been produced.
1690:, field conversions of vehicles of various origins
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51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
508:An 'Archer' in position at Rafah, Sinai War, 1956.
1736:Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944
939:Light tank Mk I, Mk II, Mk III, Mk IV and Mk V
894:
401:Self Propelled 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer
8:
589:National War and Resistance Museum, Overloon
1307:
1156:
926:
901:
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546:received 200 ex-British Archers after the
122:
643:http://www.onwar.com/tanks/uk/farcher.htm
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
1598:Bedford Cockatrice and Heavy Cockatrice
645:Onwar.com Archer accessed 21 March 2008
635:
735:Armour of the Middle East Wars 1948-78
617:Australian Armour and Artillery Museum
550:. Some were successfully used against
828:British Anti-Tank Artillery 1939–1945
285:4 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver)
7:
575:Surviving vehicles are preserved at
49:adding citations to reliable sources
16:British self-propelled anti-tank gun
659:. London: Amber Books. p. 51.
537:17 pdr Self-Propelled Achilles
533:3 in. Self-Propelled Mount M10
393:off-road: 8 mph (13 km/h)
1587:Australian experimental light tank
954:Light tank Mk VIII 'Harry Hopkins'
912:armoured fighting vehicles of the
425:gun. Designed and manufactured by
381:140 mi (230 km) on roads
139:SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer
127:SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer
14:
369:50 imp gal (230 L)
176:September 1944 - early 1950s (UK)
839:. AFV No. 6. Profile Publishing.
712:British Anti-tank guns 1939–1945
481:conversion of the Sherman tank.
133:
25:
1471:Morris Light Reconnaissance Car
1466:Humber Light Reconnaissance Car
1415:Marmon-Herrington Armoured Cars
603:in the UK, awaiting restoration
36:needs additional citations for
1476:Otter Light Reconnaissance Car
234:
1:
184:United Kingdom, Egypt, Jordan
1726:World War II tank destroyers
1499:AEC Armoured Command Vehicle
60:"Archer" tank destroyer
1410:Lanchester 6×4 armoured car
558:(BAOR) in the early 1950s.
1752:
949:Light tank Mk VII Tetrarch
733:Zaloga, Steven J. (1981).
471:Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger
1701:Tanks in the British Army
1658:
856:The Archer Tank Destroyer
601:The Wheatcroft Collection
556:British Army of the Rhine
289:
160:Place of origin
132:
1436:Rover Light Armoured Car
1431:Rolls-Royce armoured car
1425:Rhino Heavy Armoured Car
758:Gawrych, George Walter.
443:17 pounder anti-tank gun
300:14 - 60 mm (.55–2.36 in)
253:15 long tons (15 tonnes)
151:Self-propelled artillery
830:. New Vanguard. Osprey.
818:Camfield, Christopher.
1442:Staghound Armoured Car
1404:Indian Pattern Carrier
1386:Greyhound Armoured Car
1362:Boarhound Armoured Car
1136:Vickers Medium Mark II
655:Bishop, Chris (2016).
509:
437:Design and development
423:Ordnance QF 17 pounder
331:Bren light machine gun
1593:Basilisk Armoured Car
1558:Experimental vehicles
1370:Coventry Armoured Car
778:Young, Peter (1972).
623:The Royal Tank Museum
548:1948 Arab-Israeli War
507:
477:cruiser tank and the
467:power-to-weight ratio
229:March 1943 – May 1945
1535:C15TA Armoured Truck
1375:Daimler Armoured Car
1036:Centaur and Cromwell
910:British Commonwealth
822:Trackpad Publishing.
619:in Cairns, Australia
529:Royal Armoured Corps
451:"3-inch Gun Carrier"
45:improve this article
1459:Reconnaissance cars
1450:Standard Beaverette
1399:Humber Armoured Car
607:Cavalry Tank Museum
261:21 ft 11 in (6.7 m)
1541:Leyland Beaver-Eel
1231:Armoured personnel
1214:M10 tank destroyer
867:, WWIIvehicles.com
591:in the Netherlands
571:Surviving vehicles
527:(RA), rather than
510:
455:M10 tank destroyer
427:Vickers-Armstrongs
366:Fuel capacity
277:7 ft 4 in (2.25 m)
220:Vickers-Armstrongs
211:Vickers-Armstrongs
203:Production history
1708:
1707:
1576:AC3 'Thunderbolt'
1485:
1484:
1288:Universal Carrier
1225:
1224:
1204:17pdr SP Achilles
1144:
1143:
858:wwiiequipment.com
788:Osprey Publishing
666:978-1-78274-388-0
514:North-West Europe
397:
396:
361:coil spring bogie
343:6-cylinder diesel
121:
120:
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95:
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1490:Armoured command
1394:Guy Armoured Car
1380:Fox Armoured Car
1357:AEC Armoured Car
1329:Humber scout car
1308:
1157:
944:Light tank Mk VI
927:
914:Second World War
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391:20 mph (32 km/h)
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1613:Bob Semple tank
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1546:White Scout Car
1513:Armoured trucks
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1323:Dingo scout car
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786:. Men-at-Arms.
782:The Arab Legion
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595:The Tank Museum
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525:Royal Artillery
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479:Sherman Firefly
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421:fitted with an
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328:
320:
314:
313:QF 17 pounder
311:
303:
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297:
293:
288:
284:
280:
276:
272:
269:9 ft (2.76 m)
268:
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154:anti-tank gun
152:
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115:
112:
104:
93:
90:
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83:
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65:
62: –
61:
57:
56:Find sources:
50:
46:
40:
39:
34:This article
32:
28:
23:
22:
19:
1695:Background:
1694:
1663:
1624:Hillman Gnat
1608:Black Prince
1548:
1444:
1388:
1364:
1340:S1 Scout Car
1277:
1269:
1261:
1253:
1246:Loyd Carrier
1216:
1208:
1176:
1125:
1111:
1101:Medium tanks
1001:Cruiser Mk I
982:
974:
966:
964:M3/M5 Stuart
869:, retrieved
863:
836:
827:
819:
781:
773:
760:
753:
734:
728:
719:
714:Osprey p. 22
711:
707:
684:
675:
656:
650:
638:
574:
560:
541:
522:
511:
494:
486:
483:
440:
400:
398:
350:Power/weight
216:Manufacturer
181:Used by
107:
98:
88:
81:
74:
67:
55:
43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
1688:New Zealand
1525:Bedford OXA
980:M24 Chaffee
931:Light tanks
835:White, BT.
790:. pp.
723:White p. 17
565:Arab Legion
488:Panzerjäger
375:Operational
237: built
197:Suez Crisis
1715:Categories
1672:Australian
1668:lend-lease
1504:Guy Lizard
1420:Morris CS9
1311:Scout cars
1298:Scout cars
1081:Matilda II
1041:Challenger
1021:Covenanter
972:M22 Locust
630:References
611:Ahmednagar
582:museum in
459:Lend-lease
358:Suspension
101:April 2024
71:newspapers
1666:American
1629:Schofield
1619:Excelsior
1520:Armadillo
1192:anti-tank
1152:artillery
1117:Grizzly I
1109:Grant/Lee
1091:Churchill
1086:Valentine
1076:Matilda I
597:in the UK
562:Jordanian
413:Valentine
353:10.1 hp/t
323:Secondary
317:39 rounds
1676:Canadian
1645:Tortoise
1492:vehicles
1283:Terrapin
1241:Kangaroo
1233:carriers
1057:Sentinel
1031:Cavalier
1026:Crusader
871:21 March
683:(1989).
518:in Italy
475:Cromwell
463:Crusader
457:through
341:GMC 6-71
325:armament
308:armament
226:Produced
208:Designer
1731:Vickers
1650:Valiant
1603:Avenger
1123:Sherman
552:Israeli
500:Service
419:chassis
407:of the
345:192 bhp
85:scholar
1680:Indian
1582:Alecto
1209:Archer
1199:Deacon
1182:Sexton
1174:Priest
1169:Bishop
864:Archer
798:
741:
695:
663:
584:Latrun
337:Engine
296:Armour
274:Height
258:Length
87:
80:
73:
66:
58:
1682:, SA
1662:Key:
1640:TOG 2
1635:TOG 1
1530:Bison
1161:field
1046:Comet
922:Tanks
851:OnWar
794:-28.
765:(PDF)
377:range
329:.303
266:Width
92:JSTOR
78:books
1686:, ¶
1678:, §
1674:, ‡
1670:, †
873:2008
796:ISBN
739:ISBN
693:ISBN
689:HMSO
661:ISBN
535:and
441:The
399:The
306:Main
282:Crew
250:Mass
189:Wars
147:Type
64:news
1570:AC4
1565:A20
1300:and
1051:Ram
539:.)
240:655
235:No.
47:by
1717::
1699:,
792:26
691:.
687:.
609:,
195:,
1664:*
1631:¶
1615:¶
1589:†
1578:†
1572:†
1549:*
1537:‡
1478:‡
1445:*
1438:†
1427:†
1406:§
1389:*
1382:‡
1365:*
1342:†
1336:‡
1325:†
1278:*
1270:*
1262:*
1254:*
1217:*
1184:‡
1177:*
1126:*
1119:‡
1112:*
1059:†
1053:‡
983:*
975:*
967:*
902:e
895:t
888:v
804:.
747:.
701:.
669:.
114:)
108:(
103:)
99:(
89:·
82:·
75:·
68:·
41:.
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