Panzerserra Bunker- Military Scale Models in 1/35 scale: maio 2025

Cromwell ARV Mk.I - case report

Time to get stuck in, lads!

Cromwell ARV Mk.I
a little joke with IWM - MH 3665

Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARVs) can be considered the unsung heroes of mechanized warfare since the advent of tanks. The need to recover damaged or bogged-down combat vehicles (friendly or even enemy) from the battlefield quickly and even under fire became apparent almost as soon as the first tanks saw action during World War I.

French army examining a captured German A7V tank - 1918.

German soldiers make preparations to recover a knocked
out a British Mark IV after the Battle of Cambrai - December 1917
Bundesarchiv Bild 104-0941A

German tank A7V MEPHISTO (506) captured by the
26th Australian Battalion, at Monument Wood, near Villers-Bretonneux
France - 14 July 1918.

The early attempts at recovery were improvised, using other tanks or general-purpose tractors, but these methods were inefficient and often put more vehicles at risk. The interwar period saw some targeted efforts, but it was with the advent of massive mechanization and the scale of tank warfare in World War II that the need for dedicated ARVs materialized. Tanks were becoming heavier, more complex, and more important to the tactical development of operations, which created an urgent need for recovery and repair of these machines. Leaving a disabled tank on the battlefield not only represented a significant moral and material loss, but it could also become a weapon for the enemy when recovered and repaired by them. Thus, most major combatants developed their own designs for ARVs, often based on existing tank chassis to ensure commonality of parts and armor protection for the crew. The British, with their vast experience in tank development and deployment, were aware of this need.

The Cromwell tank, a cruiser that entered service in 1944, became an ideal candidate for conversion into an ARV due to its good speed, powerful and reliable Meteor engine, and robust chassis.

Cromwell A-27 cruiser tank from Guards Armoured Division
B Squadron of Welsh Guards Regiment.
early 1945.

The Cromwell ARV, officially designated Tank, Cruiser, Cromwell, ARV MkI, was a relatively straightforward conversion. The turret, with its main armament, was removed. In its place, closing the turret hole, a simple double flat hatch was installed to facilitate the movement of the vehicle's recovery crew.

Cromwell ARV Mk. I - front view
Notice the big double double flat hatch
closing the turret hole

Cromwell ARV Mk. I - front left view
font: IWM (MH 3665)

Cromwell ARV Mk. I - rear right view
font: IWM (MH 3666)

To provide leverage and assist in lifting, a sturdy boom or demountable 'A' frame (jib crane) was carried on the aft deck and could be raised at the bow of the vehicle. This allowed the ARV to lift components such as engines and transmission parts, or to assist in the recovery of overturned vehicles. The Cromwell ARV did not have an internal winch, but instead had a system of pulleys and ratchets that allowed objects to be manually lifted.

Cromwell ARV Mk. I with the A-frame installed
in the nose of the hull.

The crew of a Cromwell ARV consisted of a commander, a driver, and several recovery specialists.

Cromwell ARV Mk.I driver - 7th Armored Division
REME - Villers Bocage, Normandy - 16-06-44.
Notice the 7.92mm BESA machine gun mounted on the front of the hull.
font: IWM A70 49-4

The vehicle was equipped with a variety of tools, spare parts, and cutting equipment to perform on-site repairs or prepare vehicles for towing. Their role was fraught with danger, as they typically operated in forward areas, often under enemy fire, to recover valuable assets.

Cromwell ARV Mk. I towing a damaged Cromwell tank from the

8th King's Royal Irish Hussars in the Normandy hedgerows - 16 June 1944.

font: IWM A70 49-4

Cromwell ARV Mk.I extricating a bogged Cromwell tank of 1st R T R,
7th A D, near Echt - Holland - Operation 'Blackcock'
west bank of the Roer River - January 1945
font: IWM HU99802

Cromwell ARV Mk I from 11th Armored Division
towing a captured Panzer IV tank
8 July, 1944
font: IWM B 6519

Another angle of the same rescue seen above, with a
Cromwell ARV Mk I from 11th Armored Division
towing a captured Panzer IV tank
8 July, 1944
font: IWM B 6518

The Cromwell ARV was typically armed only for self-defense, carrying only its 7.92mm BESA machine gun mounted on the front of the hull. Their primary protection came from their armour, similar to that of the Cromwell tank from which they were derived. The Cromwell ARVs served British and Commonwealth forces from the Normandy landings onwards. They were vital in maintaining the pace of advances, ensuring that disabled tanks could be quickly withdrawn from the roads and battlefields or recovered for repair and return to service. Their speed and manoeuvrability, inherited from the Cromwell tank, allowed them to keep pace with armoured spearheads.

Cromwell ARV Mk.I roaring by in Dongen
1st Royal Tank Regiment - REME
Netherlands - 30 October, 1944
font: IWM A70 187-4

Although not as glamorous as their battle tank counterparts, Cromwell ARVs played a crucial, often unseen, role in the Allied victory, exemplifying the crucial importance of logistics and battlefield recovery in modern warfare.

Specs:

Cromwell V Mk.I with the A-jib stowed on the rear deck

Cromwell V Mk.I with the A-jib raised in front of the hull.

Tank, Cruiser, Cromwell ARV MkI
Type	Armored recovery Vehicle
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1944–1955
Used by	British Army, Polish Army
Production history (standard tank)
Designer	Leyland, then Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company from 1942
Manufacturer	London, Midland and Scottish Railway, English Electric, Leyland Motors, Morris Motors
No. built	4,016
Specifications (ARV)
Mass	20 t (approx.)
Length	6.35 m
Width	2.90 m+.90 m)^[4]
Height	2.04 m (approx.)
Crew	5 (Commander, driver, hull gunner + specialists

Armour	57-64 mm on the hull front 43 mm hull sides 32 mm hull rear
Main armament	none
Sec. armament	1 × 7.92 mm Besa mg with 2.250 rounds
Engine	Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 petrol - 600 hp (450 kW)
Power/weight	30 hp/tonne
Transmission	Merritt-Brown Z.5 gearbox 5 fwd. x 1 rv.
Suspension	Improved Christie
Ground clearance	410 mm
Fuel capacity	530 L + optional 140 L) aux.
Operational range	270 km on road 130 km off road
Maximum speed	60 km/h on road 29 km/h off road

Kits:

For this project I used the following kits: the old (1997) British Cruiser Tank Mk.VIII, A27M manufactured by Tamiya (#35221) and the resin conversion kit Cromwell ARV conversion set from Panzershop (#PS35295), cast in 2021.

British Cruiser Tank Mk.VIII, A27M - Tamiya (#35221)
box art

Cromwell ARV conversion set - Panzershop (#PS35295)
box art

And the two characters of this new challenge, on my workbench, being inspected by our friend Kojak.

Kojak, ready for action...

The Tamiya kit is a classic, one of those kits that are extremely easy and painless to assemble. The Panzershop resin conversion kit requires a little more care, although all of its parts are very well cast in polyurethane resin. Let's start by presenting the instruction manual, which should be followed to the letter, since many resin parts will replace the styrene plastic parts of the Tamiya kit. Let's go...

Panzershop booklet, with parts and construction steps...

A truly Spartan manual, no doubt...but intelligible.

The resin parts...

Well injected, no bubbles. Here, a fractured portion,
but I located the fragment in the bag and glued it...
No problem... just a little frizz.

Some cleaning work ahead, but normal for
this type of conversion kit...

Starting the grafting phase, with the Tamiya chassis
receiving the polyurethane resin rear armor.
The clamps keep the parts aligned during gluing.
rear left view

Rear right view.
The resin part is very well injected and aligned,
without warping or flaws.

Front left view.
The resin part is very well injected and aligned.

Here, the first problem: the piece that supports the rear tow hook seems to have contracted, as the vertical supports do not fit into the rear shield. I will solve this by cutting the vertical anchoring eyes of the rear shield and repositioning the two eyes more internally, to allow a perfect fit.

The part that supports the rear tow hook appears to have contracted.

Cutting the vertical anchoring eyes of rear armour.
The new positions marked with pencil.

The vertical anchoring eyes of rear armour
glued with superglue in the new internal positions.

The problem solved!!!
Adding Tamiya details...

The vast majority of vehicles I saw in my research did not have the front fender portions. So, let's cut those portions off my Cromwell Tamiya, with my beloved and irreplaceable Dremel motor tool!!

Surgery in my the front fender portions, like the real ones.
front left view

Surgery in my the front fender portions.
front right view

Building the main pulley assembly of the Cromwell ARV:
resin parts and PE parts, very well built...

The big hatch and rear right toolbox in position

The stability of the toolbox is complicated, as only 6 PE legs
keep it in position. Be careful when handling the kit...

The vehicle has a flattened appearance, like a cockroach... Very cool!!!
Tool racks are quite fragile. Right rack installed.

Tool racks are quite fragile. Left rack installed.
Notice the wood plancks in the right rack

I decided to build the kit with the big flat hull hatches closed,
as the Tamiya kit has no interior details.

To build the jerry can racks, after making the folds correctly, I soldered the joints between the metals with an electronic soldering iron. The use of a flux paste and a good quality solder are essential. Note that the locking rods of the racks have a difference (red arrows, below). The correct shape, in my opinion, being the one with fenestrated hole, to fit a butterfly screw or something like that (which unfortunately is not provided by Panzershop... what a shame!)

Jerry can racks in PE...

...and glued in position.

To save space in the display case, I decided to build the A-frame
on the rear deck of the tank, disassembled.

The two jib booms are aligned on brackets to the left of the large flat hatch.
Note the wooden planks installed on their supports on the left fender.

The vehicle, even though it is an engineering and support vehicle,
has an aggressive and impressive appearance, like a badass!

I'm really enjoying this project!!!

Cromwell ARV Mk.I, under construction - left side view

Continuing with the construction of the kit, it was time to install the steel cables. I chose not to use the braided polyester wires provided by Tamiya, but the excellent steel rope lines made with dark braided copper wires manufactured by R.M.G. resin models, from Portugal. The threads have a simply fantastic braiding, with a malleability that seems to be made with polyester threads and not with metal threads. Extremely ductile, they allow to be cut, glued and folded in the most convenient positions. I started with the threads of 0,8mm of diameter, 0.8mm diameter, using original Tamiya plastic terminals.

Steel ropes from R.M.G. Resin Models.
I will fit the metal wires into the original Tamiya plastic terminals.

Keeping the original Tamiya plastic terminal stable to glue
with superglue the copper wires from RMG Resin Models

Making the long single cable and the double cable with
the original Tamiya plastic terminals and the copper wires from RMG Resin Models

Coupling detail: simply fantastic. Well done, RMG Resin Models!!!

And installing the cables in their places...

The cables flex wonderfully!!!
Very good indeed!!!

And since we are talking about metal, let's continue applying
the PE details: toolbox locks!!

The kit is both simple and sophisticated...

Easy and quick to build...

...and now, ready to be painted.

As always, whenever possible I make a guide profile with the colors and markings to be used. Our model does not reproduce a specific vehicle, but I confess that the Cromwell dragging the Panzer IV in the photos of the historical description above influenced me a lot. My girl will be a Cromwell ARV Mk.I belonging to the 11th Armoured Division, the famous Black Bulls. A recovery tank serving the vehicles of the 15th/19th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, The King Royal Hussars, C Squadron, fighting in France, in September 1944.

Panzerserra colors & markings profile

As always, after washing and drying the vehicle, a coat of Green primer and application of the basic colors:

Shades of green...left front view

Shades of green...right front view

After Pledge, decals from Black Bulls, Recce Regiment!!

Front view

Right view

Rear view

The Allied Star decal was applied using Microset and Microsolv,
from Microscale Industries, to soften the film.
The damaged areas will be retouched later with a brush.

The Allied Star decal retouched with attenuated white paint
with a minimum amount of gray.

After painting the rubber tires of the suspension wheels and the Tamiya tracks (in vinyl, very good), I installed the tracks in their places, simulating their weight by gluing the links to the upper portions of the wheels, with superglue. I used pieces of popsicle sticks to keep the tracks in their positions.

Applying weight to the tracks. Popsicle stick technique.
Something extremely sophisticated...
right side view

Applying weight to the tracks. Popsicle stick technique.
Purists have convulsions seeing these images...
left side view

Painting the wooden planks with a brush and freehand. A boring but rewarding job. Note the presence of butterfly screws holding several parts of the cargo racks together: leftovers from other projects (again, shame on you, Panzershop!)

Final touches...Notice the two logs of trees in the rear deck:
straight Pomegranate (Punica granatum) branches.

The radio antenna is an acupuncture needle...

And with the application of some final details, our girl was ready for another hard day's work: Meet our Cromwell ARV Mk.I belonging to the 11th Armoured Division. A recovery tank serving the vehicles of the 15th/19th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, The King Royal Hussars, C Squadron, fighting in France, in September 1944.