AC Thunderbolt

I have been watching a series on Tank battles recently on youtube and quite randomly when doing some reading on wikipedia I found this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolt_tank





The AC Thunderbolt developed in 1942 by Australian engineers (I am Australian and I had previously never heard of this tank). It was apparently capable of firing a 17 pounder or a 25 pounder and due to its sloping armor at the front of the tank was pretty good when it came to deflecting shells fired from other tanks or anti-tank weapons.

On paper at least it looks like it would be a match to the Sherman tank, maybe even the Sherman Firefly given that it has the same gun as the firefly so I thought I would ask people here who have a lot more knowledge than I do about how you all think this tank would have gone if it was put into production in late 1942 and saw action, either in the Pacific or in the European theatres of operation? How do you think it would have gone on and after D-Day compared to how the Sherman or Cromwell went, would it be more or less effective?

Also any more information on the AC Thunderbolt would definitely be appreciated as well as I find this tank quite interesting.

Thanks,

 

Some musings on these Aussie Cruiser projects here, with passing reference to the twin-gunned & 17pdr efforts:
WW2Talk - Cruiser Mk III (AC3) Tank
Don't think I've ever heard it called the Thunderbolt.

Sentinel was by all accounts a fine vehicle, and that cast hull was an impressive bit of engineering. All overtaken by easier supply from elsewhere and changing needs.

 

Wikipedia says it has HVSS suspension. Was the suspension any good? Any insights as to how the suspension compared to the Shermans vvss? I'm assuming it was at least marginally superior or why use it over, one might assume, the more available vvss?

 

This guy is pretty good and he covers a bit more armour then my site.
His list of Aussie armour is located on the left.

http://moderndrawings.jexiste.be/WW2Drawings/Files/Site.htm

 

Thank you young man for the "Salute", but that is what we are here for and I can remember all the help and advice I received when I first started posting on these types of boards around twelve years ago and how people would try their best to find info to solve my many questions.