This exhibit is on display off-site at Pima Air & Space Museum.
The Comet tank or Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34) was a British cruiser tank that first entered combat in late 1944 during the allied invasion of Germany. The Comet was developed from the earlier Cromwell tank with a lower profile, partly-cast turret mounted with the new 77 mm (high velocity) gun. This smaller version of the 17-pound anti-tank projectile was extremely effective against heavily armored German Panther and Tiger tanks.
Comet tanks were manufactured by a number of British firms led by Leyland, including English Electric, John Fowler & Co., and Metro-Cammell. Nearly 1,200 Comets were manufactured between September 1944 and the war’s end. There were two comet hull versions, and seven variants produced. The Comet was fast and dependable; its’ performance was the best all-around British tank produced during World War II. It was introduced far too late to have an effect on tank versus tank combat.
In the post-war era the Comet served alongside the heavier Centurion tank, a successor introduced in the closing days of the Second World War on an experimental basis but too late to see combat. The Comet remained in British service until 1958, when the remaining tanks were sold to foreign governments; up until the 1980s, it was used by the armies of various nations such as South Africa, which maintained several as modified recovery vehicles. Two Comets were being held in reserve by the South African Army as late as 2000.
