[Premium Shop] The Australian Centurion Returns!

The VIII Centurion Mk. 5/1 RAAC saw fierce combat in the jungles of Vietnam, where it supported the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) in the Battle of Coral-Balmoral against North Vietnamese forces.

RAAC Centurions enabled 1 ATF to hold their ground and even launch counterattacks against regimental-strength North Vietnamese army units in what was one of the biggest actions in the war for Australian forces.

Over nearly a month of fighting, with the VIII Centurion Mk. 5/1 RAAC to rely on, 1 ATF inflicted heavy casualties on North Vietnamese forces, forcing them to postpone any planned attacks on Saigon.

What's new about this Centurion?

The VIII Centurion Mk. 5/1 RAAC comes with improved frontal hull armour and higher power-to-weight ratio, making this Centurion even more of a monster to contend with in hull-down position.

Additional features include a large infrared-capable spotlight on the mantlet and improved machinegun. However, these are only cosmetic features in World of Tanks.

Why is this Centurion missing its side skirts?

The difficult terrain of Vietnam caused debris such as vegetation and mud to build up under the side skirts and track guards. That would have slowed down or perhaps even stopped the tank's movement, which meant all supporting units would have had to slow down or stop until it was ready to go again.

Such a unit would have made for an easy target, just the same as any World of Tanks vehicle with tracks broken and repair kit on cooldown.

What's with the huge extension on its back?

That would be its external fuel tank, which could carry up to 100 litres of petrol.