Introduction to the Controversial Tank Discussion
Okay…. Time to be controversial….
The Bob Semple Tank: Context and Challenges
History tells us that in the world of tanks, the New Zealand “Bob Semple” is the absolute worst tank to ever be designed and built. But I don’t think that title is deserved, as to be fair New Zealand was not an industrialized country when compared to other Commonwealth nations and had zero experience when it came to building tanks. The Bob Semple was a result of using what they had at the time, I mean seriously, the kiwis didn’t have much to work with.
The Valiant Tank: A True Contender for the ‘Worst’ Title
If there is any tank that could be called the “Worst”, then it would have to be the British A38 “Valiant”. Why? Well, while the Bob Semple was built by people who really didn’t know what they were doing, the Valiant was designed by people who really should have known better.
Designed to meet the specification for a lightweight but heavily armored tank for use in the Far East, the Valiant is quite possibly the best example of what NOT to do when designing a tank in general. While the NZ “tank” was slapped together with whatever the country had available, the Valiant had a budget and the designers had the resources to make what should have been a good tank…. But it was a total failure.
The Valiant’s Design Flaws and Performance Issues
Since it was basically intended to kill Japanese tanks in Burma, the Valiant was armed with a single 57mm main gun and weighed just about 27 tons. But despite being a “light” tank, the Valiant was hideously slow with equally atrocious mobility. It only had a top speed of 12 mph, half that of an M4 Sherman that weighed about the same, while it only had an operational range of 80 miles. Nor was it user-friendly, as tank drivers found it to be a real pain to control.
It also didn’t help that certain parts of the tank were actually bolted on, rather than being welded. Which if you didn’t know, is not a good thing for any tank, as bolts could become projectiles if it took a hit. Not to mention, the Valiant had a high profile and despite it supposed to have thick armor, the front of the tank was rather weak.
Yea…. this was from the country that invented the tank and actually made some really good ones. Fortunately, only one prototype was built and ended up being used as an example of what not to do when designing a tank.
~NC
