Lot 1059

The Littlefield Collection

Centurion Mk 13 Main Battle Tank (MBT)

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$92,000 USD | Sold

United States | Portola Valley, California

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Identification No.
JML9000
Addendum: PLEASE NOTE: This lot is being sold on Bill of Sale only

Weight: 57-tons (51,819-kg)

Length: 32' 4” (9.85-m) including main gun overhang

Width: 11' 2” (3.39-m)

Height: 9' 9” (3.01-m)

Crew: 4

Armor:

Armor up to 6” (152-mm)

Weapons:

-Primary

1x 105-mm ROF L7A2 cannon

-Secondary

1x .50-cal L21A1 co-axial ranging machine gun

1x 7.62-mm L8A1 co-axial machine gun

1x 7.62-mm L37A1 anti-aircraft machine gun

-Ammunition

70x 105-mm

600x .50-cal

4,750x 7.62-mm

Engine: Rolls Royce Meteor Mk IVB gasoline, 650-hp

Power/weight: 11.4-hp/ton

Fuel Capacity: 273-USG (1,037-l)

Range: 118-miles (190-km)

Speed: 21-mph (34-km/h)

The tank being offered, Centurion Mk 13, is in original and unrestored condition. It is in its original British green and black camouflage. The interior and exterior paint needs to be cosmetically restored. The wheels and tracks are in good shape. The bazooka skirt armor is present. It runs and drives very well on fuel from its own gas tanks. The driver's and gunner's controls appear to all be present and complete. The turret traverses under power. The radio powers up, but it is not known if it transmits or receives. All driver's controls function normally. A turret-mounted searchlight is included, but is not installed on the tank. A near complete set of pioneer tools and other equipment is included, such as a new bore brush and ramming staffs. Overall, this is a very good tank as is. This lot includes search lights, brackets and related parts.

The Centurion was designed during World War II to provide a tank that could do the work of both the Infantry and Cruiser tank classes. It was designed to have firepower and protection that would allow it to survive with the latest German types of tanks and self-propelled guns seen during the war. The first Centurions entered service too late to see action in World War II. Initially, they were equipped the 17-pdr (76.2-mm) cannon which was one of the best tank guns used by the Western Allies during the war. By the time Centurions saw combat in 1950 during the Korean War, they had been upgunned to the more powerful 20-pdr (83.4-mm) cannon. This remained the standard gun on Centurions until the early 1960s when they were upgunned with the 105-mm L7 cannon. The Centurion is powered by the famous Rolls-Royce Meteor engine - the ground variant of the famous supercharged Merlin used in the Spitfire and Mustang fighter planes.

The 4 man crew of the Centurion was well protected with armor up to 6-inches (152-mm) thick. Stowage bins mounted on the turret sides provided standoff protection from HEAT rounds, while skirts along the suspension helped protect against anti-tank rockets. Various upgrades throughout the years allowed the Centurion to stay in service with many countries well into the 1980s. The Centurion has been exported to numerous countries including Canada, Denmark, Israel and South Africa. They saw action in numerous wars including the Indo-Pakistani Wars, Arab-Israeli Wars, the 1956 Suez War, and various conflicts in southern Africa between South Africa and Cuban forces.

Please note, this lot is a registered Destructive Device. Bidders for this lot must meet certain qualifications; please review the BATFE guidelines posted at Aucitonsamerica.com/littlefieldDD.

Transport Cost to Storage: $6,072