Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Cromwell - a tank that has been picked on by the internet for far too long.
It lacks firepower. It's thin-skinned. Some even say it was obsolete before went into combat.
But that isn't at all true.
Because the Cromwell didn’t just fight its way through Normandy, it was pivotal in the defeat of Nazi Germany.
After that, it held off Soviet expansion in Europe, held ground in Korea, and stayed in British service well into the 1950s.
So how did a tank everyone calls a failure end up doing all that?
In this video, we're going to wade through the hate mail and see if we can convince you that actually the Cromwell did rather well.
If you're seeing this, why not leave a comment telling us what you think of the Cromwell – is all the hate mail well deserved? Or, if you loved the video, give us a like!
Interested in learning about tanks? Subscribe to The Tank Museum and enjoy hours of FREE tank content at your fingertips. And if you're a real Tank Nut, why not consider becoming a channel member or joining our community on Patreon patreon.com/c/tankmuseum
Looking for some amazing gifts for the tank nut in your life? Shop our wide range of tank products at our online shop tankmuseumshop.org
Want something else to watch?
Check out our video on Villers-Bocage: youtube.com/watch?v=o8Gyv5YYwmc
Or head over to The Tank Museum Workshop for a video all about the Meteor engine: youtube.com/watch?v=18RWZS6qyfA
00:00 | Introduction
00:52 | A Dysfunctional Start
04:42 | Built for Speed in a Slow War
09:48 | Failure in the Bocage, Victory in the Breakout
15:44 | The Tank That Wouldn’t Go Away
This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.
In this video, join our historian James Donaldson in defence of the oft-maligned Cromwell. Emerging from troubled development, the Cromwell proved itself in the European theatre as an exceptional reconnaissance tank and continued to be used well beyond the end of the Second World War. It was fast and versatile, utterly devastating when used properly, and stayed in service longer than many of its critics would care to admit.
Want to learn more about the Cromwell? Here are some of the sources we used to make this film:
‘Cromwell Tank: Vehicle History and Specification’, David Fletcher, 1983.
‘British Battle Tanks: British-made tanks of World War II’, David Fletcher, 2017.
‘The Desert Rats: The History of the 7th Armoured Division’, G. L. Verney, 1954.
‘The Great Tank Scandal: British Armour in the Second World War - Part 1’, David Fletcher, 1989.
‘The Universal Tank: British Armour in the Second World War - Part 2’, David Fletcher, 1993.
‘British Tanks of WWII: France & Belgium 1944’, David Fletcher, 2000.
‘British Tanks of WWII: Holland & Germany 1944-1945’, David Fletcher, 2001.
Support The Tank Museum!
- Patreon: patreon.com/c/tankmuseum
- Membership: youtube.com/@thetankmuseum/community
- Friends: tankmuseum.org/support-us/friends-of-the-tank-museum
- Online Shop: tankmuseumshop.org
- Workshops Channel: youtube.com/@TankMuseumWorkshop
#tankmuseum
The Cromwell - a tank that has been picked on by the internet for far too long.
It lacks firepower. It's thin-skinned. Some even say it was obsolete before went into combat.
But that isn't at all true.
Because the Cromwell didn’t just fight its way through Normandy, it was pivotal in the defeat of Nazi Germany.
After that, it held off Soviet expansion in Europe, held ground in Korea, and stayed in British service well into the 1950s.
So how did a tank everyone calls a failure end up doing all that?
In this video, we're going to wade through the hate mail and see if we can convince you that actually the Cromwell did rather well.
If you're seeing this, why not leave a comment telling us what you think of the Cromwell – is all the hate mail well deserved? Or, if you loved the video, give us a like!
Interested in learning about tanks? Subscribe to The Tank Museum and enjoy hours of FREE tank content at your fingertips. And if you're a real Tank Nut, why not consider becoming a channel member or joining our community on Patreon patreon.com/c/tankmuseum
Looking for some amazing gifts for the tank nut in your life? Shop our wide range of tank products at our online shop tankmuseumshop.org
Want something else to watch?
Check out our video on Villers-Bocage: youtube.com/watch?v=o8Gyv5YYwmc
Or head over to The Tank Museum Workshop for a video all about the Meteor engine: youtube.com/watch?v=18RWZS6qyfA
00:00 | Introduction
00:52 | A Dysfunctional Start
04:42 | Built for Speed in a Slow War
09:48 | Failure in the Bocage, Victory in the Breakout
15:44 | The Tank That Wouldn’t Go Away
This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.
In this video, join our historian James Donaldson in defence of the oft-maligned Cromwell. Emerging from troubled development, the Cromwell proved itself in the European theatre as an exceptional reconnaissance tank and continued to be used well beyond the end of the Second World War. It was fast and versatile, utterly devastating when used properly, and stayed in service longer than many of its critics would care to admit.
Want to learn more about the Cromwell? Here are some of the sources we used to make this film:
‘Cromwell Tank: Vehicle History and Specification’, David Fletcher, 1983.
‘British Battle Tanks: British-made tanks of World War II’, David Fletcher, 2017.
‘The Desert Rats: The History of the 7th Armoured Division’, G. L. Verney, 1954.
‘The Great Tank Scandal: British Armour in the Second World War - Part 1’, David Fletcher, 1989.
‘The Universal Tank: British Armour in the Second World War - Part 2’, David Fletcher, 1993.
‘British Tanks of WWII: France & Belgium 1944’, David Fletcher, 2000.
‘British Tanks of WWII: Holland & Germany 1944-1945’, David Fletcher, 2001.
Support The Tank Museum!
- Patreon: patreon.com/c/tankmuseum
- Membership: youtube.com/@thetankmuseum/community
- Friends: tankmuseum.org/support-us/friends-of-the-tank-museum
- Online Shop: tankmuseumshop.org
- Workshops Channel: youtube.com/@TankMuseumWorkshop
#tankmuseum
