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100-761: In connection with the Defence Act of 1958 , the Riksdag decided that eight armored brigades with new combat vehicles should be organized within the Swedish Army , a decision that for economic reasons changed in August 1960 to include only seven armored brigades. Which infantry regiment would receive the 7th Brigade was a battle that came to an end between the North Scanian Infantry Regiment (I 6) and Älvsborg Regiment (I 15). Given that

200-654: A Covenanter tank cost the British Government £12,000, a Crusader tank cost £13,700, a Matilda tank cost £18,000, and a Valentine tank £14,900; in 1967 a Chieftain tank cost between £90,000 and £95,000, and in 1984 a Challenger 1 tank cost £1.5 million. In 1955, Sir Edward Boyle (the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Supply ) told the House of Commons that "the cost of

300-630: A Rover -built Rolls-Royce Meteor engine, as used on the Comet and Cromwell , the new design would have excellent performance. But even before the Outline Specification of the A41 was released in October 1943, these limits were removed, and the weight was increased from 40 tons to 45 long tons (50 short tons; 46 t), because of the need for heavier armour and a wider turret (too wide for

400-593: A QF 77 mm gun and a driver-operated hull machine gun. Prototypes of the original 40-ton design, the Centurion Mark I, had 76 mm of armour in the front glacis , which was thinner than that on the then current infantry tanks (the Churchill ), which had 101 mm or 152 mm on the Churchill Mk VII and VIII being produced at the time. However, the glacis plate was highly sloped, and so

500-473: A Swedish nuclear weapon also played a role. For Swedish Armed Forces , the defence act meant an investment in quality over quantity, which meant a minor reduction of the Swedish Army while there was a strong redistribution of resources from Swedish Navy to Swedish Air Force , where attack aircraft would take over the tasks of the larger ships. At the same time, the defence budget for each year would be upgraded automatically by 2.5 percent. The defence act

600-407: A basic load of 62 rounds of 20 pounder shells, 4,000 rounds of .50 cal and 9,000 rounds of .30 cal machine gun ammunition for the tank commander's machine gun as well as the two coaxial machine guns. They were equipped with petrol engines, which necessitated the use of an extra externally mounted 100-imperial-gallon (450 L) fuel tank, which was attached to the vehicle's rear. In 1965,

700-457: A fully automatic stabilisation system for the gun , allowing it to fire accurately while on the move, dramatically improving battlefield performance. Production of the Mk 3 began in 1948. The Mk 3 proved substantially more capable than prior variants, resulting in the earlier designs being removed from service as soon as the new Mk 3s became available, and existing tanks were then either converted into

800-509: A half years of combat operations, 58 Centurions had served in country; 42 had suffered battle damage with six beyond repair and two crewmen had been killed in action. The Centurion crews, after operating for a few weeks in country, soon learned to remove the protective armoured side skirts from both sides of the tank, to prevent the vegetation and mud from building up between the track and the mudguards. Each Centurion in Vietnam normally carried

900-653: A handful of Mk I Centurions had been produced when the Mk II replaced it on the production lines. Full production began in November 1945 with an order for 800 on production lines at Leyland Motors , Lancashire the Royal Ordnance Factories ROF Leeds and Royal Arsenal , and Vickers at Elswick . The tank entered service in December 1946 with the 5th Royal Tank Regiment . Soon after

1000-399: A heated nine-minute skirmish. This marked the first occasion South African tanks had been sent into battle since World War II. Throughout Operation Moduler, South African forces typically dispersed into an "arrowhead" formation, with Olifants in the lead, Ratel-90 armoured cars on the flanks, and the remainder of the mechanised infantry to the rear and centre. Three Olifants were abandoned in

1100-435: A larger hull by replacing the long-travel five-wheel Christie suspension used on the Comet with a six wheel Horstmann suspension , and extending the spacing between the second and third wheels. The Christie suspension, with vertical spring coils between side armour plates, was replaced by a Horstmann suspension with three horizontally sprung, externally mounted two-wheel bogies on each side. The Horstmann design did not offer

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1200-533: A mandatory arms embargo on the country, forced South Africa to purchase the hulls without turrets or armament. OMC upgraded each Centurion with a 29-litre Continental turbocharged diesel engine and a new transmission adopted from the M60 Patton . The refurbished Centurions were also armed with a South African variant of the Royal Ordnance L7 105 mm main gun. They were accepted into service with

1300-753: A match for the M47 and M48 Pattons . On the other side, when Pakistani Army armoured division primary composed of M47 and M48 Pattons, they proved to be able to penetrate only a few of the Centurion tanks, as witnessed in the Battle of Chawinda in the Sialkot sector. A post-war US study of the tank battles in South Asia concluded that the Patton's armour could be penetrated by the 20-pounder tank gun (84 mm) of

1400-585: A minefield during Operation Packer and subsequently captured by FAPLA, while another two were damaged beyond immediate repair by mines but successfully recovered. A number of others suffered varying degrees of track and suspension damage due to mines or Angolan tank fire, but were able to keep moving after field repairs. In the early 1990s, the Olifant Mk1A was superseded by the Olifant Mk1B, which incorporated major improvements in armour protection,

1500-946: A month after the war in Europe ended in May 1945. It entered combat with the British Army in the Korean War in 1950 in support of the UN forces. The Centurion later served on the Indian side in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , where it fought against US-supplied M47 and M48 Patton tanks, and it served with the Royal Australian Armoured Corps in the Vietnam War . Israel's army used Centurions in

1600-671: A regiment of Centurions to Germany to support the Canadian Brigade. During the Suez Crisis , British ground commander General Sir Hugh Stockwell believed that methodical and systematic armoured operations centred on the Centurion would be the key to victory. The Egyptians destroyed Port Said's Inner Harbour, which forced the British to improvise and use the Fishing Harbour to land their forces. The 2nd Brigade of

1700-526: A result of maintenance problems compounded by parts shortages and a tendency to overheat in the hot African climate. In 1972, the South African Army retrofitted some of its Centurions with the engines and transmission of American-made M48 Patton tanks in an attempt to improve technical performance. The upgraded Centurions were designated Skokiaan and proved unpopular due to their high fuel consumption and poor operating range. Tanks reentered

1800-553: A slightly more powerful engine, a double armoured floor for protection against mines, and a torsion bar suspension. At the end of the Second World War, it was clear that the mix of tanks in service with the Swedish Armed Forces was not just obsolete but also presented a large logistical problem. Kungliga Arméförvaltningens Tygavdelning (KAFT, the weapons bureau of the army administrative service) conducted

1900-563: A squadron of Australian Centurion tanks to South Vietnam. The 20-pdr armed Australian Centurions of 'C' Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment landed in South Vietnam on 24 February 1968, being headquartered at Nui Dat in III Corps (MR3). Colonel Donald Dunstan , later to be governor of South Australia , was the deputy task force commander of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) in South Vietnam. Dunstan had quite possibly been

2000-543: A strong element that were not being used. Besides adding a great deal of firepower, Dunstan stated, he "couldn't see any reason why they [the Centurions] shouldn't be there". His foresight enabled 1 ATF to kill approximately 267 soldiers from the 141st and 165th North Vietnamese Army Regiments during the six-week-long Battle of Coral–Balmoral in May 1968, as well as capturing 11 prisoners, 36 crew-served weapons, 112 small arms, and other miscellaneous enemy weapons. After

2100-444: A study that concluded that the most cost-effective alternative would be to purchase the newly developed Centurion Mk 3, which, while quite modern, was judged to also have upgrade potential for future requirements. A purchase request was sent to Great Britain, but the reply was that no deliveries could be made before the needs of the British Army had been satisfied, which it was estimated would take between five and 15 years. Thus, in 1951,

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2200-546: A total of 385 tanks. In Sinai, Egypt had 30 Centurion tanks. All 30 Egyptian tanks were destroyed or captured by Israel during the conflict. Israel also captured about 30 Jordanian Centurion tanks from a total of 90 in Jordanian service. 25 tanks were abandoned in Hebron by the 10th Jordanian Independent Tank Regiment. All Sho't tanks were upgraded with the more efficient Continental AVDS-1790-2A diesel engine (also used in

2300-580: Is of red moiré with a narrow yellow stripe on each side. The regiment has a number of monuments erected. At the old training area in Ljungbyhed , on 10 May 1923, a commemorative stone was erected in memory of the regiment's time in Ljungbyhed. In 1919 a stone was erected in the cemetery at Riseberga Church, in memory of the detention camp at Ljungbyhed. On 19 October 1920, a stone was erected on Bonnarp's heath for two killed airmen who were officers of

2400-582: Is widely considered to be one of the most successful post-war tank designs, remaining in production into the 1960s, and seeing combat into the 1980s. The chassis was adapted for several other roles, and these variants have remained in service. It was a very popular tank with good armour, mobility , and a powerful main armament. Development of the Centurion began in 1943 with manufacture beginning in January 1945. Six prototypes arrived in Belgium less than

2500-621: The 1982 invasion of Lebanon . During the war, 21 Centurion tanks were knocked out, of which 8 were destroyed. The Israelis started to retire the Sho't Kal during the 1980s and they were completely retired during the 2000s. Most of them were converted to Nagmasho't, Nagmachon , and Nakpadon (heavy armoured personnel carriers or Infantry Fighting Vehicles ) and Puma armoured engineering vehicles . Fifty Centurions were purchased by Jordan between 1954 and 1956 and by 1967 about 90 Centurions were in service. The Jordanian Army used its Centurion tanks in

2600-699: The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards were also involved in the Second Battle of the Hook where they played a significant role in repelling Chinese attacks. Centurions of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment participated in the Third Battle of the Hook repelling the PLA and also were involved in the Battle of the Samichon River in 1953. In a tribute to the 8th Hussars, General John O'Daniel , commanding

2700-599: The Golan Heights in the 1973 Yom Kippur War . 105 Sho't Kal tanks of the 7th Armoured Brigade and 20 Sho't tanks of the 188th Brigade defeated the advance of some 500 Syrian T-55s and T-62s and the Sho't Kal became emblematic of Israeli armour's prowess. During the entire war, 1,063 Israeli tanks were disabled (more than half of them Centurions), about 600 of which were completely destroyed or captured. Some 35 Israeli Centurions were captured by Egypt, dozens more were captured by Syria, Iraq and four by Jordan. On

2800-490: The Korean War (1950–1953) to the Vietnam War (1961–1972), and as an AVRE during Operation Desert Storm in January–February 1991. The development cost of Centurion did not exceed £5 million. The cost of a Centurion tank was £35,000 in 1950, but had risen to £38,000 in 1952. Of this, "the gun control equipment costs £1,600, and the actual gadget that works the stabiliser only £100." By comparison, during World War II

2900-684: The Lusaka Accords , which effectively ensured a ceasefire between South Africa and Angola, these Olifants were placed into storage and the tank crews rotated out. The collapse of the Lusaka Accords and the subsequent launch of Operation Moduler in late 1987 led to the Olifant squadron being reactivated on the direct orders of South African State President P.W. Botha . On 9 November 1987 the Olifants destroyed two Angolan T-55s during

3000-625: The M48 and the M60 tanks) and an Allison CD-850-6 transmission from 1970 to 1974. The upgraded version was named Sho't Kal Alef, and was later followed by three additional sub-variants called Bet, Gimel and Dalet according to the upgrades added. The upgrades included thicker armour, new turret rotating mechanism, new gun stabiliser, improved ammunition layout with more rounds, and increased fuel capacity. A modern fire control system , an improved fire extinguisher system, better electrical system and brakes, and

3100-645: The Royal Australian Armoured Corps ' (RAAC), 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) Squadron transferred to "A" Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment in South Vietnam . Although they successfully conducted combat operations in their areas of operations, reports from the field stated that their lightly-armoured M113A1 armoured personnel carriers were unable to force their way through dense jungle limiting their offensive actions against enemy forces. The Australian government, under criticism in Parliament, decided to send

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3200-772: The Six-Day War . In 1967, the 10th Independent Tank Regiment was equipped with 44 Centurion Mk.V tanks armed with 20pdr guns, but was initially deployed on the East Bank. Later, the unit was moved urgently to the Hebron area, in West Bank, in order to link with the supposed Egyptian advance. Some Centurion tanks were destroyed and about 30 captured by the Israeli Army. Israelis entering Hebron captured 25 Jordanian Centurion tanks. The Royal Guards Brigade had one regiment that

3300-559: The South African Border War . The Centurion became one of the most widely used tank designs, equipping dozens of armies around the world, with some in service until the 1990s. During the 2006 Lebanon War , the Israel Defense Forces employed modified Centurions as armoured personnel carriers and combat engineering vehicles . South Africa still operates over 170 Centurions, which were modernised in

3400-561: The US 1st Corps , stated: "In their Centurions, the 8th Hussars have evolved a new type of tank warfare. They taught us that anywhere a tank can go, is tank country: even the tops of mountains ." However, the lack of pintle-mounted machine guns on the turret meant that the Centurion was only able to fire in one direction and so was vulnerable to infantry attacks. By early 1952, with the Cold War heating up, NATO needed modern heavy tanks to meet

3500-523: The Warsaw Pact led to extensive redeployment in the early 1960s. The increased threat of nuclear weapons entailed demands for increased proliferation, mobility and protection. A nuclear war was judged to lead to a surface war without clear fronts and a higher pace of combat. For the army, the defence act meant that a new modern tank would be added. Prior to the defence act, three different alternatives were developed for further studies: Alternative S

3600-786: The 1967 Six-Day War , the 1973 Yom Kippur War , the 1978 South Lebanon conflict , and the 1982 Lebanon War . Centurions modified as armoured personnel carriers were used in Gaza , the West Bank and on the Lebanese border. Jordan used Centurions, first in 1970 to fend off the Syrian incursion within its borders during the Jordanian Civil War and later in the Golan Heights in 1973. South Africa deployed its Centurions in Angola during

3700-666: The 1980s and 2000s as the Olifant (elephant). Between 1946 and 1962, 4,423 Centurions were produced, consisting of 13 basic marks and numerous variants. In the British Army it was replaced by the Chieftain . In 1943, the Directorate of Tank Design, under Sir Claude Gibb , was asked to produce a new design for a heavy cruiser tank under the General Staff designation A41. After a series of fairly mediocre designs in

3800-605: The A series in the past, and bearing in mind the threat posed by the German 88 mm gun , the War Office demanded a major revision of the design requirements, specifically: increased durability and reliability, the ability to withstand a direct hit from the German 88 mm gun and providing greater protection against mines. Initially in September 1943 the A41 tank was to weigh no more than 40 long tons (45 short tons; 41 t),

3900-677: The American-built tanks of the Pakistani Army and the Indian Army's mixture of Soviet T-55s and British Centurions. Casualties were heavily skewed against the Pakistani force, with 46 tanks destroyed. The first country which bought Centurion tanks was Egypt. The first tanks were received in 1950. Israel's formerly British Centurions were first delivered in 1959. Differing varieties of the Centurion were bought by Israel over

4000-475: The Battle of Coral-Balmoral, a third Centurion troop, which included two tankdozers, was formed. By September 1968, 'C' Squadron was brought to its full strength of four troops, each equipped with four Centurion tanks. By 1969, 'B' Squadron, 3rd Cavalry; 'A' Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment; 'B' Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment; and 'C' Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment, had all made rotations through South Vietnam. Originally deployed as 26 Centurion tanks, after three and

4100-434: The Centurion armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) Mark 1 for use by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers or upgraded to Mk 3 standard. Improvements introduced with the Mk 3 included a more powerful version of the engine and a new gun sight and gun stabiliser. The 20 pounder gun was used until the Royal Ordnance Factories introduced the 105 mm L7 gun in 1959. All later variants of the Centurion, from Mark 5/2 on, used

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4200-429: The Centurion (later replaced by the even more successful L7 105 mm gun on the Mk. 7 version which India also possessed) as well as the 75 mm tank gun of the AMX-13 light tank. In 1971, at the Battle of Basantar , an armoured division and an armoured brigade of the Pakistani I Corps confronted two armoured brigades of the Indian I Corps, which had Centurion tanks. This resulted in a substantial tank battle, between

4300-412: The Centurion tank has been coming down recently as production has settled into its stride." On 14 November 1950, the British Army's 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars , equipped with three squadrons (64 tanks) of Centurion Mk 3, landed in Pusan . The first recorded Centurion kill occurred near Seoul against a North Korean captured Cromwell tank. Operating in sub-zero temperatures, the 8th Hussars learnt

4400-452: The Centurion's introduction, Royal Ordnance finished work on the 84 mm calibre Ordnance QF 20 pounder tank gun. With this, the Centurion went through another upgrade to mount the 20-pounder. By this point, the usefulness of the 20 mm Polsten had been called into question, it being unnecessarily large for use against troops, so it was replaced with a Besa machine gun in a completely cast turret. The new Centurion Mark III also featured

4500-505: The Centurions had a midlife renovation and modification (REMO) done, which included among other things night vision equipment, targeting systems, laser range finders, improved gun stabilisation, thermal sleeves on the barrel and exhaust pipes and reactive armour developed by the Swedish FFV Ordnance. Around 80 Strv 102 were upgraded with Continental diesel engines and Allison gearboxes in the early 1980s, becoming Strv 104 . The Swedish Army gradually phased out its Centurions and Strv 103 during

4600-516: The Crown Prince Carl Gustaf presented a new colour. The colour was lowered by the regiment on 23 June 1994, and then deposited with the Scania Dragoon Regiment ( Skånska dragonregementet , P 2), which from 1 July 1994 adopted the name North Scania Dragoon Regiment ( Norra skånska dragonregementet , P 2), furthering the regiment's traditions. In 1994, the Norra skånska regementets (P 6/Fo 14) minnesmedalj ("North Scanian Regiment (P 6/Fo 14) Commemorative Medal") in silver (NSkånregSMM). The medal ribbon

4700-406: The Department of Tank Design. A high top speed was not important, while agility was to be equal to that of the Comet . A high reverse speed was specified, as during the fighting in southern Italy, Allied tanks were trapped in narrow sunken roads by the German Army. The modified production gearbox had a two-speed reverse, with the higher reverse speed similar to second gear. The Department produced

4800-467: The Horstmann units. These upgraded vehicles were called the Tariq. After retirement from service with the arrival of ex-British Challenger tanks in the late 1990s, several Tariqs were converted into heavy APCs ( Dawsar ). In 1972 during Operation Motorman in Northern Ireland, 165mm-armed Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVREs) with dozer blades were used to destroy barricades set up by the IRA in Northern Ireland. The 165mm demolition guns were pointed to

4900-408: The Jordanian Army were refitted with the diesel engine and transmission of the M60A1 tank in place of the original Meteor petrol engine, Belgian SABCA computerised fire-control system, which incorporated a laser range-finder and passive night sight for the gunner, Cadillac Gage electro-hydraulic turret drive and stabilisation system and a new Teledyne Continental hydropneumatic suspension in place of

5000-490: The Jordanian army. In 1972, Centurion tanks were reequipped with 105 mm guns. During the Yom Kippur War, the Jordanian 40th Armoured Brigade was deployed in the Golan front to support Syrian troops and show King Hussein 's concern for Arab solidarity. The 40th Armoured Brigade moved northward towards Sheikh Meskin, but its counterattack was uncoordinated and largely ineffective as the Israelis were in prepared defensive positions. In 1982–1985, 293 surviving Centurions of

5100-399: The L7. Design work for the Mk 7 was completed in 1953, with production beginning soon afterwards. One disadvantage of earlier versions was the limited range, initially just 65 miles (105 km) on hard roads, hence external auxiliary tanks and then a "monowheel" trailer were used. But the Mk7 had a third fuel tank inside the hull, giving a range of 101 miles (163 km). Additionally, it

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5200-587: The Middle East or Anglophone Africa. The Centurions were procured specifically because they were compatible with Commonwealth tank tactics and pre-existing British armoured formations. Following South Africa's withdrawal from the Commonwealth in 1961, its priorities shifted toward internal security and diversifying national arms procurement outside traditional suppliers such as the United Kingdom. To that end, 100 Centurion Mk 3s and 10 Centurion-based recovery vehicles were sold off to Switzerland in 1961. The remaining Centurions were largely relegated to reserve roles as

5300-412: The North Scanian Infantry Regiment which was reorganized into an armored regiment was largely due to the Älvsborg Regiment not suitable for combat vehicle training. Thus, the North Scanian Regiment (P 6) was formed on 1 April 1963. From the beginning, it was intended that the Scanian Brigade ( Skånebrigaden , IB 37) at the North Scanian Infantry Regiment should be reorganized into armored brigade and given

5400-414: The North Scanian Regiment (I 6) and Kristianstad Regiment (I 36). The Defence Act of 1948 introduced brigades throughout the army, which resulted in the army being streamlined into two brigade types, infantry brigades and armoured brigades. However, in the North Scanian Regiment, only one field regiment came to be reorganized into infantry brigade, when Kristianstad Regiment (I 36) was disbanded. At that time,

5500-417: The Parachute Regiment landed by ship in the harbour. Centurions of the British 6th Royal Tank Regiment were landed and by 12:00 they had reached the French paratroopers. While the British were landing at Port Said, the men of the 2 RPC at Raswa fought off Egyptian counter-attacks featuring SU-100 tank destroyers . After establishing themselves in a position in downtown Port Said, 42 Commando headed down

5600-432: The Shari Muhammad Ali, the main north–south road to link up with the French forces at the Raswa bridge and the Inner Basin lock. While doing so, the Marines also took Port Said's gasworks. Meanwhile, 40 Commando supported by the Royal Tank Regiment remained engaged in clearing the downtown of Egyptian snipers. Lieutenant Colonel Norman Tailyour arranged for more reinforcements to be brought in via helicopter. In 1967,

5700-482: The South African Armoured Corps as the Olifant Mk1A in 1985. South African expeditionary forces clashed with FAPLA T-54/55 tanks during Operation Askari in late 1983 and early 1984; however, due to the enormous logistical commitment needed to keep the Olifants operational so far from conventional repair facilities, they were not deployed. At length the South African mechanised infantry, bolstered by Eland and Ratel-90 armoured car squadrons, succeeded in destroying

5800-413: The South African government was obliged to finance the creation of a new private sector enterprise, the Olifant Manufacturing Company (OMC), to refurbish the Centurions. During this period South Africa managed to restore its tank fleet to its original size by purchasing a number of surplus Centurion hulls from Jordan and India. The passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 418 , which imposed

5900-483: The T-34 versions with the Warsaw Pact countries, and to deter Soviet forces by stationing them with the BAOR in West Germany, where the French had just the light AMX-13 , and the Germans had none. America was keen to have Centurions supplied to Denmark and the Netherlands under the Mutual Defence Assistance Program, as production of the M48 Patton would not start until April 1952. A Mk 3 cost £31,000 or £44,000 with ammunition. The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps deployed

6000-536: The act meant that the share of the defence budget was reduced from 18 to 12 percent. This was planned to be implemented by gradually replacing the large surface vessels with anti-submarine warfare capability with a larger number of smaller attack vessels. At the same time, submarines would have a greater area of responsibility and increased efficiency In other words: a transition to a light fleet. The size of these new attack vessels did not allow them to be equipped with systems to locate and combat submarines. Through

6100-460: The army was named Stridsvagn 103 ) were delivered and distributed within the armoured troops. Within the army, it was further decided that five infantry brigades would be disbanded in 1958 and that one armored brigade was reorganized into infantry brigades. In the years 1957–1963, three regiments were also organized as armoured infantry . For the Air Force, the defence act meant a smaller decommissioning of flotillas, but through this cut, there

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6200-446: The badge of former Kristianstad County , an erazed head of a griffin gules, with open crown azure carrying five plums - red, argent, red, argent, red - and arms azure. The shield surmounted two arms in fess, embowed and vambraced, the hands holding swords in saltire, or." When the regiment was reorganized into an armoured regiment, the regiment's colour from 1866 continued in use. However, it came to be replaced on 11 September 1971, when

6300-437: The barracks area. A total of 130 buildings were built. When the regiment was disbanded, the entire area was sold in 1993 to the National Swedish Board of Public Building ( Byggnadsstyrelsen ), and in 1994 the area was completely abandoned. Since 1995, Kristianstad University has been housed within the former barracks area. The regiment's managed three training areas : Näsby, Ripafältet and Ravlunda. The regiment's anniversary

6400-463: The brigade was the only brigade of the regiment and was named IB 26, and was organized according to the unit types of IB 49, IB 59. In connection with the brigade becoming an armoured brigade in 1963, the new designation was PB 26. The brigade was disbanded together with the regiment on 30 June 1994. The 2nd Mechanized Battalion ( 2. mekaniserade bataljonen ) at the brigade was transferred to the South Scanian Brigade ( Södra skånska brigaden , MekB 7) after

6500-583: The bulk of India's tank fleet was older M4 Sherman tanks, but India also had Centurion Mk.7 tanks, with the 20 pounder gun, and also AMX-13 and M3 Stuart light tanks. The Centurion Mk.7 at that time was one of the most modern western tanks. The offensive of Pakistan's 1st Armoured Division was blunted at the Battle of Asal Uttar on 10 September. Six Pakistani armoured regiments were opposed by three Indian armoured regiments. One of these regiments, 3 Cavalry, fielded 45 Centurion tanks. The Centurion, with its 20-pounder gun and heavy armour, proved to be more than

6600-433: The capability of installing reactive armour completed the modifications. They had American radios and either the original 7.62 mm calibre MG on the commander's cupola or a 12.7 mm calibre HMG . The Sho't Kal could be distinguished from the Centurion by its raised rear deck, to accommodate the bigger engine. The Sho't Kal version of Centurion earned its legendary status during the Battle of " The Valley of Tears " on

6700-446: The church grounds in Kristianstad, stones have also been erected by the regiment. Defence Act of 1958 (Sweden) The Defence Act of 1958 ( Swedish : Försvarsbeslutet 1958 , FB58) was a defence act passed by the Swedish Riksdag on 4 February 1958. It was made with Prague Coup , Korean War and Hungarian Revolution of 1956 as a background, where the threat of nuclear weapons , adaptability and possible acquisition of

6800-404: The country were fighter, attack and reconnaissance aircraft and consisted of the aircraft types: In addition to investing in new aircraft, it was also decided that the Air Force would be provided with an additional 31 bases for a total cost of 250 million and that the total number of air bases would amount to 70 within the Bas 60 system. The bases would be of three different types: For Navy ,

6900-403: The defence act, Marine Plan 60 was added. A naval plan that came to guide development within the navy throughout the 1960s. Projects that were added through the defence act included the submarine class Sjöormen -class submarine . Centurion (tank)#Sweden The FV4007 Centurion was the primary British Army main battle tank of the post- World War II period. Introduced in 1945, it

7000-421: The designation PB 37, and that a 4th Armoured Brigade in Scania would be designated PB 26. However, the proposal fell due to that the Scanian Brigade's mobilization area was east of Ringsjön , too far from the regiment in Kristianstad. No 4th Armoured Brigade was ever raised, but it was Kristianstad Brigade (IB 26) that was reorganized into the armoured brigade PB 26. The reason why the brigade did not become PB 6

7100-423: The disbandment. The Swedish Army School of Photography ( Arméns fotoskola , FotoS), nicknamed the Ökenfortet ("Desert Fort"), was a school within the army that was formed on 1 April 1957. The school annually trained about 20 photo technicians and 40-50 army photographers. The school's conscripts belonged to a peace-time unit that raised a war-time unit which included photo groups or photo sections. On 30 June 1974,

7200-624: The early 1920s, a new barracks establishment was erected in Kristianstad. The establishment was erected after the 1901 Defence Reform's building program after the Barracks Building Committee's ( Kasernbyggnadsnämnden ) second series of type establishments for the infantry. The regiment moved into the barracks area in October 1920, and ceremony was held on 18 May 1923. After the regiment was reorganized into an armored unit, several new buildings were erected in connection with

7300-517: The effective thickness of the armour was very high—a design feature shared by other effective designs, such as the German Panther tank and Soviet T-34 . The turret was well armoured at 152 mm. The tank was also highly mobile, and easily outperformed the Comet in most tests. The uparmoured Centurion Mark II soon arrived; it had a new 118 mm-thick glacis and the side and rear armour had been increased from 38 mm to 51 mm. Only

7400-606: The first delivery in April 1953. In 1955, Sweden ordered a batch of 160 Centurion Mk 5 (also designated Strv 81 ), followed by a batch of 110 Centurion Mk 10 around 1960 (designated Strv 101 ). The Centurions, together with the Stridsvagn 103 , formed the backbone of the Swedish armoured brigades for several decades. The Mk 3 and the Mk 5 were upgraded with a 105 mm gun in the 1960s, becoming Strv 102. Between 1983 and 1987,

7500-556: The last Australian to use tanks and infantry in a combined operation during the Second World War, (as part of the Bougainville campaign ), and the first since the war to command Australia's tanks and infantry in combat. When he temporarily took over command during Brigadier Ronald Hughes 's absence, he directed that the Centurions be brought up from Nui Dat to reinforce firebases Coral and Balmoral , believing that they were

7600-458: The limit for existing Mark I and Mark II transport trailers and for a Bailey bridge of 80 ft (24 m) span. The British railway loading gauge required that the width should not exceed 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) and the optimum width was 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m), but, critically, for the new tank this restriction had been lifted by the War Office under pressure from

7700-563: The mainstream of South African military doctrine in 1975, following Operation Savannah , which saw the lightly armoured South African forces in Angola threatened by large formations of Soviet tanks supplied to the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) and their Cuban allies. Operation Savannah was followed by further modifications and trials under Project Semel , and

7800-604: The operation. South Africa ordered 203 Centurion Mk 3 tanks from the United Kingdom in 1953. The South African Centurions entered service between 1955 and 1958, and included about 17 armoured recovery vehicles. South Africa's major strategic priorities at the time revolved around assisting the British Armed Forces and other member states of the Commonwealth of Nations during a conventional war in

7900-507: The other hand, 2,250 Arab tanks were disabled (including 33 Jordanian Centurions, 18 of them destroyed ), 1,274 of them were destroyed or captured (643 tanks were lost in the north and 631 were lost in the south ). After the war, to replace Israeli losses, the United States delivered 200 M60 and M48 tanks and the United Kingdom delivered 400 Centurion tanks to Israel. Sho't Kal tanks with Blazer reactive armour package were used in

8000-470: The rear and covered up. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, 12 FV4003 Centurion Mk5 AVREs were deployed with 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment as part of British operations during the campaign . Three were lost in training in two separate incidents involving vehicle fires and detonation of munitions. One AVRE was destroyed on 5 February 1991 and two were destroyed in a second incident the next day. Four minor injuries were sustained. No AVRES saw action during

8100-746: The regiment's staff was carried out. On 1 July 1993, only parts of the regiment remained, such as the defence district staff. On 30 June 1994, the North Scanian Regiment was disbanded. And on 1 July 1994, the Scanian Dragoon Regiment ( Skånska dragonregementet , P 2) was reorganized from a training regiment to a defence district regiment ( försvarsområdesregemente ), and was given the overall mobilization responsibility within Kristianstad Defence District ( Kristianstads försvarsområde , Fo 14), which

8200-465: The regiment. On 13 September 1947, a stone was erected south of the chancellery building in memory of the personnel who served with the regiment during the World War II . On 5 May 1973, a stone, which was unveiled on 18 May 1973, was erected in memory of the 50th anniversary of the barracks establishment. On 3 July 1976, a stone was unveiled at Herrevad Abbey , over the units that operated there. At

8300-523: The rigors of winter warfare: their tanks had to be parked on straw to prevent the steel tracks from freezing to the ground. Engines had to be started every half-hour, with each gear being engaged in turn to prevent them from being frozen into place. During the Battle of the Imjin River , Centurions won lasting fame when they covered the withdrawal of the 29th Brigade , with the loss of five tanks, most later recovered and repaired. In 1952, Centurions of

8400-500: The same ride quality as the Christie system, but took up less room and was easier to maintain. In case of damage by mines , individual suspension and wheel units could be replaced relatively easily. The hull was redesigned with welded, sloped armour and featured a partially cast turret with the highly regarded 17 pounder (76.2 mm/3-inch) as the main gun and a 20 mm Polsten cannon in an independent mounting to its left. With

8500-921: The school was disbanded. The Mechanics School ( Mekanikerskolan , MekS) was an army school and part of the unit's technical department. The school was built in Kristianstad in August 1984 and was located in the schoolhouse, or building 130. The school was organized in four educational programs, the Combat Vehicle Program, the Turret Program, the Telephone Program and the Vehicle Program. The Combat Vehicle Program trained conscripts, technical officers and workshop personnel on Stridsvagn 104 and Pansarbandvagn 302 . The Turret Program trained conscripts (from P 4 , P 6, P 10 and P 18 ), technical officers and workshop personnel on

8600-408: The tank to be transported by rail) with a more powerful gun. The new version carried armour equal to the heaviest infantry tanks , while improved suspension and engines provided cross-country performance superior to even the early cruiser tanks. The War Office decided it would be wiser to build new trailers, rather than hamper what appeared to be a superb design. Historian David Fletcher states, "But

8700-564: The tanks on their own, although severe delays were encountered due to their lack of adequate anti-tank weaponry. Morale also suffered when inexperienced armoured car crews were ordered to take on the Angolan T-54/55s in their vulnerable vehicles. Criticism in this regard led to the deployment of a single squadron of thirteen Olifant Mk1As to the Angolan border, where they were attached to the 61 Mechanised Battalion Group . Following

8800-608: The vehicle bureau of KAFT was set to develop a Swedish alternative project, E M I L . Parallel with this, negotiations were initiated with France about buying the AMX-13 . The British stance altered in early December 1952, due to the economic necessity of increasing exports to earn scarce foreign currency. Britain offered to sell the desired Centurions immediately. Minister of Defence Torsten Nilsson arbitrarily placed an order of 80 Mk 3, with Swedish Army designation Stridsvagn 81 ( Strv 81 ), around new year 1952/1953, with

8900-452: The weapon systems of Stridsvagn 104, Pansarbandvagn 302 and firearms. The Telephone Program trained conscript mechanics in the entire Southern Military District . The Vehicle Program was located at Wendes Artillery Regiment in Norra Åsum, and trained conscript mechanics (from A 3 , I 11 , I 12 , Ing 2 , Lv 4 and P 6) on all types of off-road vehicles. 1970s 1990s In

9000-456: The years from many different countries or captured in combat. Following their acquisition the Israelis quickly upgraded the tanks with British 105 mm L7 instead of the original 20-pounder main gun and renamed them Sho't ("scourge" or "whip"). When the Six-Day War broke out in 1967, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had 293 Centurion / Sho't tanks that were ready for combat out of

9100-722: The Älvsborg Regiment has since 1949 trained armored infantry for both the Älvsborg Brigade ( Älvsborgsbrigaden , PB 5) and the Skaraborg Brigade (PB 9), the regiment should have been closest at hand. However, on 9 January 1962, the Chief of the Army , Lieutenant General Thord Bonde announced that the North Scanian Infantry Regiment would be reorganized into an armored regiment, and that PB 5 should be disbanded as an armored brigade by 1968. That it became

9200-496: Was 13 September, and went by the name Döbelnsdag ("Döbeln's day"), and was celebrated in memory of Battle of Jutas , which was a battle in Finland in 1808 between Sweden and Russia. The Swedish forces were led by Georg Carl von Döbeln , who became North Scanian Infantry Regiment 's first regimental commander. The regiment's motto "Honor, duty, will" was von Döbeln's own. The coat of arms was used from 1977 to 1994. Blazon : "Or,

9300-457: Was Centurion, after all, a Universal Tank? The answer has to be a qualified negative." The design mockup, built by AEC Ltd , was viewed in May 1944. Subsequently, twenty pilot models were ordered with various armament combinations: ten with a 17 pounder and a 20 mm Polsten gun (of which half had a Besa machine gun in the turret rear and half an escape door), five with a 17-pounder, a forward Besa machine gun and an escape door, and five with

9400-428: Was a broad political majority agreement. The assessments behind the act were not entirely dominated by defence policy considerations, but were also motivated by factual factors such as socio-economic development and the financial situation. The defence act also meant prioritizing the initial force over endurance. The development of Soviet nuclear weapons and the introduction of tactical nuclear weapons into NATO and

9500-561: Was also equipped with Centurions. After the 1967 war, the army was rearmed and more Centurion tanks were purchased. In September 1970 ( Black September ) Jordan used Centurions of the 40th Armoured Brigade against invading Syrian T-55 tanks. Jordan lost 75 to 90 tanks out of 200 involved. Most of them were destroyed by Syrian tank fire at ar-Ramtha, while others were destroyed by the PLO in Amman . Palestinians used captured Centurion tanks against

9600-497: Was because that designation was already occupied by the Blue Brigade (PB 6). The disbandment of the regiment began on 1 July 1992. Between 31 January 1993 and 1 February 1993, the regiment attended its last Royal Guards at Stockholm Palace . On 14 May 1993, a farewell parade was conducted through Kristianstad, which was followed in the same month with the last military discharge . In the summer of 1993, an acknowledgment of

9700-474: Was found possible to put the Centurion on some European rail routes with their larger loading gauges. The Centurion was used as the basis for a range of specialist equipment, including combat engineering variants with a 165 mm demolition gun Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE). It is one of the longest-serving designs of all time, serving as a battle tank for the British and Australian armies from

9800-468: Was marked with the new name North Scanian Dragoon Regiment ( Norra Skånska dragonregementet , P 2/Fo 14). Kristianstad Brigade ( Kristianstadsbrigaden , PB 26) was formed in 1949 as an infantry brigade and originated from the field regiment raised by the Defence Act of 1942. When the infantry regiments were raised as field regiments, the North Scanian Regiment organized two field regiments (war units),

9900-446: Was room for modernization and improvement of the remaining parts, including the introduction of the aircraft Saab 32 Lansen and Saab 35 Draken . The idea with the defence act was to have the opportunity to meet an attacker at a longer distance and thereby the air force came to be prioritized due to its operational mobility. This prioritization took place at the expense of both the army and the navy. The types of aircraft that existed in

10000-468: Was the proposal that won the procurement, this due to the Swedish neutrality policy and to some extent also the labour market policy. In order to appear credible as a neutral state, they chose to develop their own carriage. This also led to the creation of jobs in the defence industry. The first prototypes of the S-wagon were ordered for delivery in 1961. In the years 1967–1971, 290 wagons of Tank S (which in

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