The Complete Chieftain Tank

Book your TANKFEST 2026 tickets now! https://tankmuseum.org/events/tankfest Chieftain. The world's first main battle tank. An icon of the Cold War, it served the British Army for more than 30 years. Yet, it had something of a Jekyll and Hyde reputation. It was prized for having the best gun in the world but, for the British, it never fired a shot in anger. Loved by gunners. Loathed by mechanics. The Chieftain was often referred to as the best tank in the world as long as it broke down in the right place. But was the gun truly as good as the stats make it out to be? And was the engine really that bad? It’s time to take a dive into the heart of the Iron Triangle to find out. If you're seeing this, why not leave a comment telling us what you think about the Chieftain? 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 https://www.patreon.com/c/tankmuseum Help us restore King Tiger V2 to running condition! Visit our website to find out more: https://tankmuseum.org/support-us/ktv2-fundraiser Or, you can buy exclusive King Tiger V2 merch from our online shop. All proceeds from the sale of these items will be allocated towards our fundraising target – and our goal to restore KTV2 to running condition: https://tankmuseumshop.org/collections/ktv2-king-tiger-v2-restoration 00:00 | Introduction 00:36 | Gun 03:44 | Engine 06:19 | Armour 11:07 | Just Deserts 13:53 | A Tragic Hero This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé. In this film, join James Donaldson as he delves into the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of the Chieftain tank. With a great gun, revolutionary armour, and a misunderstood engine, Chieftain’s service with the British ensured the Cold War never turned hot. And hear from Chieftain veterans, Bob and Steve, as they share their experiences with this iconic tank. Want to learn more about the Chieftain? Here are some of the sources we used to make this film: ‘Chieftain Haynes Owner’s Workshop Manual’, Taylor, 2016 ‘Chieftain’, Griffin, 2001 ‘Chobham Armour: Cold War British Armoured Vehicle Development’, Suttie, 2022 ‘Tankograd – FV4201 Chieftain’, Schulze, 2020 Support The Tank Museum! - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/tankmuseum - Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@thetankmuseum/community - Friends: https://tankmuseum.org/support-us/friends-of-the-tank-museum - Online Shop: https://tankmuseumshop.org/ - Workshops Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TankMuseumWorkshop #tankmuseum