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.

Tanks of the Second World War

Author: Thomas Anderson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473859328
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 225

Book Description
This book lists all the important tanks used in the Second World War, both by the Allied (England, France, Russia and the USA) and Axis Powers (Germany, Italy and Japan). Thomas Anderson, an expert on the history of the Second World War, offers an in-depth volume detailing the vehicles, their use in battle and relevant technical specifications. This comprehensive survey is full of authentic eyewitness accounts as well as being profusely illustrated with many photographs having never been published before.

Axis Tanks of the Second World War

Author: Michael Green
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 147388702X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 337

Book Description
This pictorial history presents an in-depth study of the various tanks built and deployed by the Axis Alliance during WWII. Though Nazi Panzer tanks have become a ubiquitous symbol of Axis Alliance combat, the Japanese Army had more tanks than Germany in 1938. These included the Type 95 light tank and the Type 89 and 97 medium tanks. Other Axis powers, including Italy, Romania and Hungary also built their own tanks. The latter was responsible for the Toldi and Turan light tank series. In this informative collection of wartime photographs, military expert Michael Green discusses how the Axis powers drew on British and French tank designs in the period leading up to the Second World War. The Carden-Loyd tankette suspension was used as a model for the Panzer 1 series as well as the light Italian and Japanese tanks. German engineering talent then produced the ingenious designs of the Panzer II, III and IV series and, later in the War, the Panther Medium and Tiger heavy tanks.

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.

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.

Sherman

Author: Michel Esteve
Publisher: Casemate
ISBN: 1612007406
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 244

Book Description
“A superbly organized, well-written, detailed history of the Sherman tank” with hundreds of photos and diagrams included (Armor Magazine). The Medium Tank, M4, better known to the British as the Sherman, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and western Allies in World War II. Reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and easy to maintain, thousands were distributed to the British Commonwealth and the Soviet Union by the Lend-Lease program. It first saw combat in North Africa, where it outclassed lighter German and Italian tanks. By 1944 the M4 was outgunned by the German heavy tanks, but it still contributed to the fight when deployed in numbers and supported by artillery and fighter-bombers. A detailed insight into the development and deployment of the M4, this book covers the design and construction of the chassis, turret, engine, armaments, and munitions, and differences between the variants of the M4. It covers the difficulties facing the crews who fought in this legendary tank, exploring the training they received and the different combat methods perfected by the Allies, including landing from a landing craft, maneuvering in the bocage of Normandy, and fighting in the snow. Fully illustrated with hundreds of contemporary and modern photographs and detailed diagrams, this complete account provides all the technical details of the construction of the M4, its maintenance and repair, and the logistics required to support it in combat. Whether you are a collector, a modeler, or simply passionate about military history, this book will provide you with an unparalleled insight into the M4. “Period photos, preservation shots, interior details, variant schematics, archival excerpts, armament and ammunition drawings, and more . . . Make it your introduction to this legendary tank family.” —Cybermodeler

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.

M4 Sherman

Author: Pat Ware
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473834449
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 174

Book Description
This pictorial history of the legendary American tank combines color photographs, commissioned illustrations and authoritative information. The M4 Sherman was one of the most famous tanks of the Second World War. Produced in greater numbers than any other Allied tank, it fought on every front, and continued to serve as a front-line fighting vehicle in the Korean War, the Arab-Israeli wars, and the Indo-Pakistani wars. This detailed history of the Sherman covers its design and development, its technical specifications, the many variants that were produced, and its operational role in conflicts across the world. While the Sherman outclassed the older German tanks it encountered when it first went into combat in 1942, it was vulnerable to the later German medium and heavy tanks such as the Panther, Tiger I, and Tiger II. Yet the Sherman was ultimately more effective than these superior German tanks because it was reliable, durable, cheaper to build, and extremely adaptable. The Sherman was converted into a tank-destroyer, an amphibious tank, a recovery vehicle, a mine-flail, a personnel carrier—and, after the Second World War, it was developed to confront more modern tanks in combat. Pat Ware's expert account of this remarkable fighting vehicle is accompanied by a series of color plates showing the main variants of the design as well as common ancillary equipment and unit markings. This is an essential reference work for World War II buffs and armored warfare enthusiasts.

Red Army Auxiliary Armoured Vehicles, 1930-1945

Author: Alexey Tarasov
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
ISBN: 9781526785985
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Book Description
During the 1930s in the Soviet Union a remarkable range of auxiliary armoured vehicles were produced for the Red Army which have rarely had the attention they deserve, and Alexey Tarasov's photographic history is the ideal guide to them. These innovative designs demonstrate the diversity and innovation of the Soviet arms industry. Among them were armoured flails, ambulances, bridge-layers, flame-throwers and amphibious cars which prefigure similar designs made by western engineers during the Second World War. As this selection of rare photographs shows, Soviet designers were in many ways ahead of their time and it was short-sighted internal policy and the shortcomings of Soviet industry which led to the cancellation or postponement of many of these promising projects. As a result, when faced with Operation Barbarossa in 1941 the Red Army lacked the auxiliary armour that would have helped to stem the German advance. Alexey Tarasov's in-depth research and the rare photographs he has assembled give a fascinating insight into a little-known aspect of the history of Soviet armoured vehicles.