British Tanks

Author: Pat Ware
Publisher: Images of War
ISBN: 9781848845008
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Perhaps the British did not produce the most successful tanks of the Second World War, but they certainly designed an extraordinary range of light, medium and heavy tanks along with many that were adapted for special purposes. This fascinating variety of military machinery is recorded in Pat Ware's photographic history. Using a selection of wartime photographs - supported by some modern photographs of preserved vehicles - the book describes the origins of the tank in Britain during the First World War, looks at British tank development during the inter-war period and contrasts this with advances made elsewhere - in Germany, France, the USA and the Soviet Union. All of the British tanks that saw service during the Second World War are described, among them the cruisers (Crusader, Cromwell, Comet), the infantry tanks (Matilda, Valentine, Churchill) and the US imports (Stuart, Lee/Grant, Sherman). Finally, an extensive section is devoted to the so-called 'funnies' - the tanks developed for crucial tasks like bridge-laying, mine-clearing, flame-throwing and amphibious operation. Pat Ware's photographic survey of these tanks at war is an expert introduction to a key period in the history of British fighting vehicles.

British Battle Tanks

Author: David Fletcher
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472821491
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 282

Book Description
This lavishly illustrated volume details the design, development and operational history of the British-made tanks in World War II. Plagued by unreliable vehicles and poorly thought-out doctrine, the early years of World War II were years of struggle for Britain's tank corps. Relying on tanks built in the late 1930s, and those designed and built with limited resources in the opening years of the war, they battled valiantly against an opponent well versed in the arts of armoured warfare. This book is the second of a multi-volume history of British tanks by renowned British armour expert David Fletcher MBE. It covers the development and use of the Matilda, Crusader, and Valentine tanks that pushed back the Axis in North Africa, the much-improved Churchill that fought with distinction from North Africa to Normandy, and the excellent Cromwell tank of 1944–45. It also looks at Britain's super-heavy tank projects, the TOG1 and TOG2, and the Tortoise heavy assault tank, designed to smash through the toughest of battlefield conditions, but never put into production.

British Battle Tanks

Author: David Fletcher
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472817567
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 238

Book Description
A highly illustrated history of the development and operation of the first British tanks, published to coincide with the 100th anniversary of their introduction in World War I. When British soldiers charged across the Somme in September 1916 they were accompanied by a new and astonishing weapon – the tank. After a stuttering start armoured behemoths such as the Mark IV, Mark V and Whippet played a crucial role in bringing World War I to an end. Marking the centenary of their battlefield debut, this comprehensive volume traces the design and development of the famous British invention during World War I and the increasingly tense years of the 1920s and 30s, from the first crude but revolutionary prototype to the ever-more sophisticated designs of later years. Bolstered by historic photographs and stunning illustrations, author David Fletcher brings us the thrilling history behind the early British battle tanks.

Genesis, Employment, Aftermath

Author: Alaric Searle
Publisher: Helion and Company
ISBN: 1804516163
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
The employment of the first tanks by the British Army on the Western Front in September 1916, although symbolic rather than decisive in its effects, ushered in a new form of warfare - tank warfare. While much has been written on the history of the tank, this volume brings together a collection of essays which uncover new aspects of the history of these early machines. Leading military historians from Britain, France and Germany offer insights into the emergence of the tank before the First World War, during the conflict, as well as what happened to them after the guns fell silent on the Western Front. Based on painstaking research in archives across Europe, each of the chapters sheds new light on different aspects of the history of First World tanks. Two chapters consider why the Germans failed to recognize the possibilities of the tank and why they were so slow to develop their own machines after the first British tank attack in 1916. Two other chapters chart the history of French tanks on the Western Front and after the end of the war. Tank communication, the employment of British tanks on the Western Front, as well as the activities of British Tank Corps intelligence, are also explained. The use of British tanks in Palestine and in the Russian Civil War is examined in detail for the first time. The volume also reflects on the impact of the Battle of Cambrai, both in terms of its psychological impact in Britain and the power it exerted over military debates until the end of the Second World War. The aim of the book is to reconsider the history of First World War tanks by widening the historical perspective beyond Britain, to include France and Germany, and by reflecting on the pre-1914 and post-1918 history of the these new weapons of war.

British Battle Tanks

Author: Simon Dunstan
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472833341
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Book Description
This book, the last in a four-part series on British Battle Tanks covering the whole history of British armoured warfare, concentrates on those vehicles that have served following the end of World War II up to the present day. Starting with the Centurion, the title explores those types that equipped the armoured divisions lined up on the German plains to resist any potential Soviet offensive, as well as in Korea and Suez, including the Chieftain and Conqueror, and modern tanks such as the Challenger 2 which are still in service today. Covering the many variants of these and other tanks in British service as well as their deployments around the world, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, this illustrated volume is a comprehensive guide to the development of British tanks since the Second World War.

M1 Abrams Tank

Author: Henry Wilson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473834236
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 193

Book Description
The Ml Abrams has proved itself to be the finest main battle tank in the World since its introduction into US Army service in 1981. It combines the ultimate balance between firepower, mobility and protection as demonstrated by its superior performance during the two Gulf Wars and in Afghanistan. It routed the Soviet equipment of Saddam Hussein's army and today remains the yardstick by which friends' and foes' MBTs are judged. Its versatility and continual modernisation of weaponry armour and engineering guarantees that the MI Abrams will remain the US Army's spearpoint for years to come. Expert author Michael Green has produced a comprehensive collection of images and highly informed text.

Tanks in the Great War, 1914-1918

Author: John Frederick Charles Fuller
Publisher: London : J. Murray
ISBN:
Category : Armored vehicles, Military
Languages : en
Pages : 396

Book Description
This book presents the history of the British Tank Corps and the history of Great Britain's tanks. The author summarizes the campaigns of World War I emphasizing the role of the tanks during each of the battles.

The Great Book of Tanks

Author: David Miller
Publisher: Zenith Press
ISBN: 9780760314753
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 512

Book Description
This superb reference volume records the history of the most significant tanks that have seen service around the world. The book begins with the World War I era tanks, such as the British Mk 1, that attempted to break the deadlock of the Western Front. It then examines major tanks that emerged during the interwar period. All the celebrated World War II tanks are featured, including the PzKpfw VI Tiger, the M4 Sherman and the T-34. Finally, it surveys the incredible tanks of the postwar era, including the M48, the Merkava and T-54/-55.The text provides succinct information on the design, development, and combat performance of all the tanks featured. Entries are arranged by the year in which a tank first saw service. An introductory chapter presents an in-depth analysis of the development, production, and deployment of tanks.

British Infantry Tanks in World War II

Author: Dick Taylor
Publisher: Photosniper
ISBN: 9788365437129
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
Before the start of the Second World War, British armored doctrine was in a terrible muddle. Opinion had been divided between the proponents of the tank who saw it as the weapon of break-in, using it as an infantry support weapon, and those who saw it as the weapon of breakout, using it to restore mobility and to destroy the enemy's forces behind the frontline. In many ways it was a division between those who saw the tank solely through the prism of the experience of the First World War, and those who saw it a decisive weapon for the future. Britain was also conscious of the continuing requirements for imperial policing, in which small tanks and armored cars had already proved their worth. As a consequence, it was decided that Britain needed three different classes of tanks: Light tanks for the policing role that could also be used for reconnaissance duties in a general war, fast and lightly armored Cruiser tanks for breakout and exploitation, and heavily armored but slow Infantry tanks for the break-in.

British Tanks: The Second World War

Author: Pat Ware
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1783038373
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 251

Book Description
Perhaps the British did not produce the most successful tanks of the Second World War, but they certainly designed an extraordinary range of light, medium and heavy tanks along with many that were adapted for special purposes. This fascinating variety of military machinery is recorded in Pat Wares photographic history. Using a selection of wartime photographs—supported by some modern photographs of preserved vehicles the book describes the origins of the tank in Britain during the First World War, looks at British tank development during the inter-war period and contrasts this with advances made elsewhere—in Germany, France, the USA and the Soviet Union. All of the British tanks that saw service during the Second World War are described, among them the cruisers (Crusader, Cromwell, Comet), the infantry tanks (Matilda, Valentine, Churchill) and the US imports (Stuart, Lee/Grant, Sherman). Finally, an extensive section is devoted to the so-called funnies'—the tanks developed for crucial tasks like bridge-laying, mine-clearing, flame-throwing and amphibious operation. Pat Wares photographic survey of these tanks at war is an expert introduction to a key period in the history of British fighting vehicles.