iser ▁tank ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁second ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁A 1 3 ▁specification . ▁ ▁The ▁Cr us ader ▁and ▁C oven anter ▁were ▁parallel ▁designs ▁for ▁a ▁che aper ▁cru iser ▁tank ▁than ▁the ▁A 1 6 ▁design ▁proposed ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁Cru iser ▁Mark ▁IV . ▁Both ▁designs ▁were ▁ordered ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁The ▁first ▁t anks ▁were ▁delivered ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁C oven anter ▁never ▁achieved ▁combat ▁read iness , ▁and ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁training ▁in ▁the ▁UK . ▁ ▁Cr us ader ▁was ▁used ▁extens ively ▁in ▁North ▁Africa , ▁but ▁suffered ▁from ▁problems ▁with ▁reli ability ▁and ▁ins u fficient ▁numbers ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁be ▁field ed , ▁many ▁returning ▁to ▁work sh ops ▁for ▁serv icing . ▁ ▁Works ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁Cr us ader ▁continued ▁in ▁Britain , ▁but ▁when ▁its ▁success ors ▁were ▁delayed ▁the ▁Cr us ader ▁was ▁modified ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁ 6 ▁p ound er ▁gun . ▁ ▁In ▁parallel , ▁Britain ▁started ▁to ▁look ▁at ▁US ▁made ▁t anks ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁Cru iser ▁requirement , ▁initially ▁request ing ▁the ▁US ▁to ▁build ▁Cr us aders . ▁ ▁This ▁request ▁was ▁denied ▁as ▁the ▁US ▁tank ▁programme ▁was ▁foc uss ed ▁on ▁producing ▁their ▁own ▁t anks ▁of ▁similar ▁class , ▁the ▁M 2 ▁medium . ▁ ▁This ▁fitted ▁the ▁same ▁ 3 7 mm ▁weapon ▁as ▁the ▁M 3 ▁light ▁tank ▁( St u art