It is possible to have bow (hull) machineguns with only one crewmember in the front hull, even when placed in the center. A contemporary of the Centurion like the IS-II did just that, the gun being aimed by the driver. AFAIK this feature was also used in the T-44 and the T54/55. The French Char B1 also had only one crewmember in the front, the driver but he also had a hull mounted MG to play with (as well as a 75mm gun).Panzermacher wrote:cbo wrote:Panzermacher wrote: ok, this is partly my fault for not making a full clarification, when I sighted the Centurion, I did so from (my own stand point) that the Centurion featured almost all of the design characteristics that Modern Tanks have, in other words, sloped frontal Armour, rear transmission & final drive 4 man crew etc
As for the early British designs you have sighted, just to make everyone aware, other than the "Crusader" series these all featured a central drivers position, this obviously does not allow in anyway for the installation of a Bow MG, Radio or Gunner to operate.
But you are right, one will be hard pressed to find a tank made after ca. 1960 with a bow/hull machinegun.
Possibly, the bow/hull MG was abandoned because postwar tanks to an ever increasing degree became predominantly anti-tank weapons, designed to fight other armoured vehicles in mobile battles. The benefits of an unbroken frontal armour plate was just another advantage.
Claus B