Churchill Mk III CDL - Canal Defense Light - case report

British people!!! 

     I built this model in February, 2011 and would like to show the result for you, guys.

    The Churchill Canal Defense Light - CDL tank is often quoted, but was never photographed ! (It seems the Jagdtiger mit 8,8 cm ...).

    "...Using a carbon arc light the CDL could generate up to 13 million candle power which was made to flicker. This causes the pupil to dilate and contract rapidly, temporarily blinding the viewer.  Churchill, Grant and Matilda tanks were converted to the CDL role." 

font: The Tank Museum site

Graphical reference of existence of  Churchill CDL
cartoon with Sir Winston in pee act..

      In Missing-Lynx Forum, some colleagues have added few more pieces in the history of Churchill CDL.  John Tapsell says;

      " Matilda and Churchill CDLs were always intended as a temporary solution. As I understand it, the M3 Grant was always considered to be the ideal long-term solution. 

      I've never seen photos of a Churchill CDL but I've seen clear reference to them in terms of ordering turrets - '65mm' turrets were designed for the Matilda, Churchill and M3 whilst '85mm' turrets were listed as only being suitable for Churchills. I assume that the 65/85 measurement was the frontal armour of the turret (and differences in weight).

CDL turret (early version)
Note the turret ring, the presence of the cast side hatch (later deleted)
and the absence of the dummy gun next to the Besa machine gun.

      As of September 1942, 290 '65mm' turrets had been delivered of 390 ordered. No '85mm' turrets had been delivered out of 100 ordered.  35th Tank Brigade was issued with both Matildas (49th RTR and 155th RAC) and Churchills (152th RAC) but it is unclear if the Churchills were ever fitted with CDL turrets. So - it was possible (even likely) that some Churchills had CDL turrets but only ever those based at Lowther Castle in Cumbria, where the CDL training took place."

      In the same Forum, Dick Taylor cites:

      "Found a reference recently in the diary of a member of 86 Fd Regt RA, stating that Churchills with searchlights were used on 9th February 1945 near Kranenburg: 

      A Churchill tank carrying a searchlight took up position in rear of our position and at night floodlit the area, pointing its beam over the town. With others in the neighbourhood it turned night into day and our gunners working on the guns were silhouetted against the night sky." 

    In the booklet AFV Weapons profile, n° 20 (Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis), page 26, we found the quote:

    "A few Churchills and at least one Sherman tank were fitted with a specially designed armoured turret housing a searchlight. It was originally planned to convert numbers of Churchill tanks to CDL vehicles, but this was cancelled and the hulls that had been earmarked for this conversion were subsequently converted to Arks. Most CDL conversions involved Matildas or Grants. "

    In the same booklet, we also found, in page 23 (about Churchills ARK):

    "Experiments by the 79th Armoured Division during late 1943 led to the construction of a pilot model (Churchill ARK) of such a device in January 1944. Such was the promise shown by the pilot model that requirements were put forward for 50 similar vehicles, arrangements being made in February 1944 for the firm of Messrs. R. Boby of Bury St. Edmunds to prepare a production design and two prototype vehicles. Design work was completed two weeks later and the production of the superstructure was undertaken by Messrs. T. C. Jones of Shepherd's Bush. The fitting of the superstructure on the Churchill hulls was shared by R.E.M.E. and M.G. Car Co. Ltd. The hulls used for these conversions were Churchills III and IV that had originally been earmarked for conversion to Canal Defence Lights." 

    These quotes are proven by this official British Army drawing of the stowage arrangement on the Churchill CDL. This drawing is the only official graphic representation I know (so far) of the Churchill CDL. I would like to thank our model colleague and friend Louis Wright for providing and allowing the use of this drawing. Thank you very much, Louis!!!

Stowage drawing of Churchill CDL.
Thanks again,  Louis Wright!! You are the man!!!

    As you can see in the drawing above, the hull used features the early, oblong side air intakes, that is, they could represent Churchill hulls of the Mk.I, Mk.II models or even the initial series of the Mk.III model. As the vehicle does not represent the frontal weapon, this qualification is difficult to define. In my opinion, we can use the early standard Churchill Mk.III hulls or even the reworked Mk.III model, with rectangular side air intakes. Well, with these inputs, I could build a CDL Churchill, with no remorse. I redesigned two blueprints, with the possibilities mentioned.

Specs:

Blueprint of Churchill Mk.III - early version,
based in the stowage giagram. Notice the
absence of fenders and the dummie gun.
The main feature is the oblong (early) air filters, in the sides of the hull.

Blueprint of Churchill Mk.III - reworked version.
Notice the presence of the fenders, the dummie gun
and the rectangular air filters, in the sides of the hull.

Churchill Mk III CDL
Type	Infantry tank
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1942-1945
Used by	United Kingdom
Production history
Designer	Vauxhall Motors (A22)
Manufacturer	Vauxhall Motors
Produced	1942  to 1945
Number built	?
Specifications
Weight	38.5 t
Length	7.44 m
Width	3.25 m
Height	2.90 m
Crew	4 (commander, radio operator, driver, co-driver/hull gunner)
Armour	16 to 102 mm
Main  armament	no gun. Turret with carbon light arc - 13 million candle power - one vertical slit
Secondary armament	2 × 7.92 mm Besa machine guns (hull and turret)
Engine	Bedford horizontally opposed twin-six petrol engine - 350 hp (261 kW) @ 2,200 rpm
Power/weight	9.1 hp/tonne
Transmission	Merritt-Brown 4 speed constant mesh epicyclic gearbox
Suspension	coiled spring
Operational range	90 km
Speed	24 km/h
Steering system	triple differential steering in gearbox

The kit:

      I used the amazing Churchill Mk III from AFV Club, as host.

Churchill Mk III AFV Club - an awesome kit !!!!

      And I transformed a CDL Verlinden turret  (the ceiling is flat, wrong) to the correct shape (with slanted ceiling):

Verlinden turret - starting the correction...

Putty...

Adding the rounded edge of the turret - left: Panzerserra turret

            I made a silicone mold and cast other turrets for my future CDL's projects...

Panzerserra Foundry.

       Back to the design of Churchill ...

      According to reports cited above, the Churchill was seen at the end of the war, in a situation similar to that of Grants CDL. Based on this, I decided to characterize my kit as reworked version, with CDL turret with dummie gun. And, based on the cartoon, put some accessories typically in use in the Churchill´s turret, such as the back and side trunks.

Notice the dummie gun in the turret

Gray primer

The CDL Churchill primed

After primer, Archer casting marks

Green in shades...

First layer of deep-green

Tonal variations...

      The markings of my Churchill CDL. The tank displays the markings of the 152nd Regiment - Royal Armoured Corps, 35th Armoured Brigade, B Squadron. As our girl only has one shiny "eye", the name CYCLOPS came up spontaneously, on an irresistible impulse...

      As usual, I made my decals with transparent film and Laserjet Color:

Panzerserra's decals.

        The girl with markings:

          Finally:

Churchill Mk III CDL - 35th Tank Brigade - 152 RAC

Churchill Mk III CDL - 35th Tank Brigade - 152 RAC

Three British night fighters tanks:
M3 Grant CDL, Churchill Mk III CDL and Matilda Mk  II CDL

M3 Grant CDL, Churchill Mk III CDL and Matilda Mk  II CDL

See you soon, lads !!!