Testing continued into 1940 with the two promised pilot vehicles. Hulls were appearing as expected though there were delays in obtaining completed turrets. The Covenanter was therefore delayed into service and those that emerged were given to British Home Guard units and relegated to training roles. Production eventually yielded 1,700 examples though none were actually sent into combat. By 1943, the line was considered obsolete by virtue of its armor protection and small-caliber armament, especially when compared to the variants of German Panzers appearing. As it stood, the Covenanter never fully resolved its engine cooling issues and was now an under-armored and under-armed combat tank with little battlefield value as the war went on. Second-line models continued on in service into 1945, some even seeing service during the Pacific Campaign with Australian armored forces.
Despite its rather non-existent combat career, the Covenanter appeared in many notable variants during its service life. Covenanter Mk Is were original production marks with the Covenanter Mk I CS serving as a close-support model armed with a 3-inch howitzer. The Covenanter Mk II was an Mk I with additional radiator-mounted coolers and the Covenanter Mk II CS was its close-support version. An OP ("Observation Post") variant was brought along with additional communications equipment and a "dummy" main gun armament. A similar Command Vehicle also emerged. The Covenanter Mk III introduced some clutch changes, twin oil coolers for the engine and mufflers were relocated rearwards. The Covenanter Mk III CS was its close-support form. The Covenanter Mk IV borrowed some clutch changes from the Mk III and the Covenanter Mk IV CS was its close-support variant. The Covenanter ARV Mk I was an Armored Recovery Vehicle form sans the Covenanter's turret though only one pilot vehicle was completed during 1942. The Covenanter AMRA Mk IC was an "Anti-Mine Roller Attachment", mine clearance vehicle. The Covenanter Bridgelayer was just that, a bridge-laying variant featuring a 34-foot span bridge hinged as two halves. These managed extended war-time service lives even after the main Mk V combat forms had been removed from service.
The Mk V became the first British cruiser tank to be named (other offerings were simply known by their "marks" as Mk I, Mk II and so on). The "Covenanter" name was derived from the British Isle Scots encountered during the "Wars of the Three Kingdoms", this conflict encompassing the nations of England, Ireland and Scotland. The wars were fought from 1639 to 1651.
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