The Churchill’s armor improved its longevity but decreased its speed over time. This seems like a logical progression, but there’s a surprising thing about its mobility: it was almost unmatched at crossing difficult terrain. This proved to be key in combat in Africa. It could do certain things that its Axis competitors and even Allied counterparts couldn’t do (the main gun for U.S. Sherman tanks, for example, struggled to break through heavy armor).
As a heavy model that retained decent mobility, it played a key role in the war. As the constant iterations on the original model proved, it was an adaptable design. Variants were kitted out for clearing areas of mines, for instance, and perhaps the most interesting variety was the Churchill Crocodile, of which 800 were manufactured from 1943. This model was equipped with a flamethrower that could reach roughly 120 meters.
The Churchill, as with many tanks of its time, was designed to meet a certain need and evolved as that same need did. Around 5,640 vehicles of the Churchill family were developed, suggesting that, for all its ups and downs, it was incredibly useful.
