The British tank branch is not very extensive, but it is definitely unusual, and the classification of these tanks as light, medium, and heavy is highly debatable. While the developers tried to translate the real tank characteristics closer to the game, British tank design still shows some distinctive features. 

For example, the tier VIII heavy tank Caernarvon makes you doubt whether it's really a heavy tank, and its gun is quite surprising. It's not to say that it's bad, it's just special, and playing with it requires some getting used to.

"The main thing is the turret front, the rest doesn't matter"

Perhaps that's what the designers said to Her Majesty when presenting the tank prototype for trials in 1952. Otherwise, how can you explain the fact that the turret front is 254 mm thick, while the frontal hull detail is only 130 mm thick and positioned at a not-so-steep angle? It's not like the Germans, of course, but it can be penetrated by many same-tier opponents. There's no need to talk about the side armor: 76 mm can be penetrated at almost any angle. 

On this tank, it's strictly forbidden to expose your rhombus. You can only tank with the turret, and even then, you have to be careful because the commander's cupola is quite large and easy to hit. The sides of the turret are protected by additional armor plates, but they only cover half of the projection, so they rarely provide protection against small-caliber rounds.

It's not as bad as it seems

Despite its numerous drawbacks, the tank is still quite playable, thanks to its excellent gun. The British decided to take an unconventional approach by installing a gun with low damage but high rate of fire and excellent penetration. Shooting with the Caernarvon is a pleasure: the dispersion is small, only 0.33; aiming time is a mere 2.21 seconds, and reload time is a record-breaking 6.23 seconds, resulting in an unreal 2,696 damage per minute. 

The value is worthy of some tens. As a bonus to this firepower, it has one of the best gun depression angles, at 10 degrees, surpassed only by the Swedish tanks designed for mountainous terrain. And a very pleasant bonus is the low cost of shells, only 660 credits per round at tier VIII.

A Dynamic Tortoise

This tank combines fast acceleration with an extremely low top speed of 34 km/h. It's easy to make a short burst, but catching up with faster comrades to take advantageous positions is a serious problem. The tank's maneuverability is also below average, so you don't feel comfortable in close combat with it.

Tactical Choices

If you remember the aforementioned drawbacks, playing with it can be quite interesting. The main thing to remember is that the frontal armor is impenetrable, while everything else can be penetrated quite easily. For example, if you position yourself like this:

you will joyfully watch as enemy shells futilely attempt to penetrate 25 centimeters of steel in the front, not even tens can succeed, as can be seen in the screenshot:

Also, positions on the reverse side of hills are quite successful, with the upper frontal part providing excellent ricochets when inclined at such angles. The tank's excellent negative vertical gun angle allows you to engage targets below without endangering yourself.

In general, the tank is good for supporting more heavily armored allies from cover. It's not advisable to rush into the frontlines with it, as even light tanks at tier VII can easily penetrate the Caernarvon's hull.

Upgrades

It is recommended to work on improving its outstanding characteristics because its weak points cannot be upgraded. Critical damage to individual modules is not common, so there's no need to reinforce anything. To make shooting even more enjoyable, install improved turret traverse mechanisms that reduce gun dispersion and accelerate aiming. Of course, a rapid-firing gun cannot do without a gun rammer, so that should also be installed. And the icing on the cake is ventilation, of course.

Crew perks can be distributed according to the standard scheme: Brotherhood in Arms, followed by everything that facilitates shooting, including on the move. There's no need to improve view range; it's already quite good, and coupled with excellent radio communication, you can see everyone you need to see. However, it's still not a reconnaissance tank or an anti-tank installation, so basic improvements will suffice. Camouflage is optional; after all, it's quite difficult to hide such a machine on the front lines.

Most importantly, this tank is excellent for farming credits because every shell fired not only hits the target but also deals damage and even crits the enemy. Moreover, the cost of resupplying ammunition is very low, so even after an average battle without a premium account, the player ends up with a solid profit.