Q&A · 48:55-49:14

A 1945 Centurion could anchor an earlier Allied tank standard

Moving the Centurion back to 1939 would make it the likely British standard and encourage an Americanized related design within the next few years.

Question

If the 1945 Centurion were available in 1939, would it become the standard Allied tank?

Short answer

It would likely become the British standard, with an Americanized related design appearing by about 1941-42.

Notes

The counterfactual places a tank shaped by the end of the Second World War at the conflict's beginning. Centurion would probably become the basis of British tank development. American requirements and manufacturing practice would produce a modified related vehicle rather than a literal copy. Such an Americanized descendant could appear by about 1941 or 1942.