The first variation Crusader I tank entered service in 1941 and although manoeuvrable, it was relatively lightly armoured and under-armed. The Crusader III variant was fitted with an Ordnance QF 6 pounder (57mm) main gun and was more than a match for the mid-generation German Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks that it faced in combat. More than 5,000 Crusaders were manufactured and they made important contributions to the British victories during the North African Campaign.