The successor to the Crusader tank in the British cruiser series was the crusier tank mark VIII A27 Cromwell. The Cromwell was intended to use the powerful Rolls Royce Meteor engine which was derived from the famous Merlin aircraft engine. However, due to shortages of these powerplants, an interim version of the A27 design was approved for production using the Liberty engine from the Crusader series. These vehicles were named A27L Centaur and a contingency plan was developed so that when Meteor engines became available, they could easily be retrofitted in place of the Liberty powerplant. Many Centaurs received the engine upgrade and were renamed Cromwell III, with the remainder being used as training vehicles, AA tanks, ARVs, OP tanks and dozers.

The Centaur dozer was developed by the F wing of the 79^th armoured division due to the need for an armoured bulldozer design that could keep up with the fast moving crusier tanks. The Centaur turret was removed, dozer blade added along with a winch, jib and side frames which allowed the blade to pivot. The first unit to use this vehicle was the 87th assault dozer squadron which had previously been operating Churchill AVREs in N.W. Europe. The squadron was trained in the use of the dozer equipment while in Belgium and was essential in clearing lanes and removing rubble in German towns after the Rhine crossing. The Centaur dozer remained in service for a number of years after the second world war.

The Kit

The Cromwell Centaur Dozer kit comes packaged in a sturdy box and is well packed to prevent shipping damage. The instructions are very clear and are printed on 3 two sided 8-1/2" x 11" sheets. The drawings in the instructions include scale drawings for placement of some of the more critical parts and also include photographs of actual Centaur dozer details. The kit is molded is a light cream resin and is of a very high quality with no airbubbles or flash. The instructions state that the conversion is meant for the Tamiya Cromwell kit, but the new Tamiya Centaur could easily be used as well. Photographs of Centaur dozers show both perforated and standard wheels, so the use of either Tamiya kit is easily justified. The main casting is for the upper hull which replaces the corresponding Tamiya part. This is an impressive piece and my example was perfectly straight with no imperfections whatsoever. The use of a dedicated upper hull casting will save plenty of time and anguish as the Tamiya upper hull is completely replaced and does not need to be hacked apart and modified.

The dozer blade itself is very impressive and nicely done as are all the fittings necessary to mount the blade. This includes some delicately detailed side pivot arms and jib assembly. While the conversion is not overly complicated and the instructions are very straightforward, care will have to be taken when installing the side pivot arm mounting points to follow the dimensions outlined in the scale plans. The drivers vision hatch and the engine access hatch can both be installed in the open position.