British Armour in the Second World War: The universal tank PDF Download

Author: David Fletcher
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780112904601
Category : Tanks (Military science)
Languages : en
Pages : 141

View

Book Description

Author: David Fletcher
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Tanks (Military science)
Languages : en
Pages : 152

View

Book Description

Author: David Fletcher
Publisher: Stationery Office Books (TSO)
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 136

View

Book Description
Picking up from where The Great Tank Scandal (published by HMSO in 1989) left off, roughly in the winter of 1942/43, The Universal Tank carries the story of British and Commonwealth Armoured Fighting Vehicles forward to 1945 and the end of the second Great War.

Author: Dick Taylor
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
ISBN: 1399003550
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 240

View

Book Description
British Second World War tanks performed so badly that it is difficult to bring to mind any other British weapon of the period that provokes such a strong sense of failure. Unfortunately, many of the accusations appear to be true – British tanks were in many ways a disgrace. But why was Britain, the country that invented them, consistently unable to field tanks of the required quality or quantity throughout the conflict? This perceived failure has taken on the status of a myth, but, like all myths, it should not be accepted at face value – it should be questioned and analyzed. And that is what Dick Taylor does in this closely researched and absorbing study. He looks at the flaws in British financial policy, tank doctrine, design, production and development before and throughout the war years which often had fatal consequences for the crews who were sent to fight and to be ‘murdered’ in ‘mechanical abortions’. Their direct experience of the shortcomings of these machines is an important element of the story. He also considers how British tanks compared to those of the opposition and contrasts tank production for the army with the production of aircraft for the RAF during the same period. His clear-sighted account goes on to explain how, later in the conflict, British tank design improved to the point where their tanks were in many ways superior to those of the Americans and Germans and how they then produced the Centurion which was one of the best main battle tanks of the post-war era.

Author: David Fletcher
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472821521
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 258

View

Book Description
The idea of British soldiers using American tanks was not viewed with a great deal of enthusiasm by the British Army. They perceived American tanks as being crudely made, mechanically unsophisticated and impossible to fight in. However, once British crews got used to them and learned to cope with some of their difficulties, such as limited fuel capacity and unfamiliar fighting techniques, they started to see them in a far more positive light, in particular their innate reliability and simplicity of maintenance. This book, the last in a three-part series on British Battle Tanks by armour expert David Fletcher, concentrates on World War II and studies American tanks in British service, some of which were modified in ways peculiar to the British. It shows how the number of these tanks increased to the point that they virtually dominated, as well describing some types, such as the T14 and M26 Pershing, which were supplied but never used in British service.

Author: Christian Mark Dejohn
Publisher: Schiffer Military History
ISBN: 9780764352508
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 456

View

Book Description
This remarkable story exposes the Sherman tank scandal of World War II, involving some of the biggest American names and stretching from the White House and Pentagon to factories and battlefronts. Outgunned by more powerful German opponents, the inferiority of American tanks led to some of the worst setbacks of the war, prolonging it in Europe. US tankers ultimately prevailed, but over 60,000 armored division soldiers were killed and wounded; their preventable sacrifice inspired the Hollywood movie Fury. Included are striking images of the Sherman's adversaries (photographed exclusively at the National Museum of Cavalry and Armor), along with original equipment, documents, period propaganda, and vintage photos of Sherman tanks in action. As a German officer noted, "I was on this hill with six 88mm antitank guns...Every time they sent a tank, we knocked it out. Finally we ran out of ammunition, and the Americans didn't run out of tanks."

Author: David Fletcher
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781916355965
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

View

Book Description

Author: David Fletcher
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780967977
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 50

View

Book Description
The Covenanter (which never saw active service) and Crusader Cruiser tanks were developed between 1939 and 1940. The Crusader first saw action in the North African desert in June 1941: its speed and sleek design made it a hard target to hit, and the tank was well-respected by the Afrikakorps for its velocity in combat. But its hurried development prior to World War II also made it prone to mechanical failure. This book examines the Covenanter and the many variants of the Crusader tank, detailing the designs, developments and disappointments of these infamous World War II tanks.

Author: J. F. C. Fuller
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 250

View

Book Description
"Tanks in the Great War, 1914-1918" by J. F. C. Fuller provides a comprehensive look at the role of tanks during World War I. Fuller's meticulous research and storytelling offer readers a detailed account of the development and deployment of tanks on the battlefield. This book is a valuable resource for history enthusiasts and those interested in the evolution of military technology during one of the most significant conflicts in history. It sheds light on the pivotal role that tanks played in shaping the outcome of the war.

Author: Belton Y. Cooper
Publisher: Presidio Press
ISBN: 0307415007
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 394

View

Book Description
“An important contribution to the history of World War II . . . I have never before been able to learn so much about maintenance methods of an armored division, with precise details that underline the importance of the work, along with descriptions of how the job was done.”—Russell F. Weigley, author of Eisenhower’s Lieutenants “Cooper saw more of the war than most junior officers, and he writes about it better than almost anyone. . . . His stories are vivid, enlightening, full of life—and of pain, sorrow, horror, and triumph.”—Stephen E. Ambrose, from his Foreword “In a down-to-earth style, Death Traps tells the compelling story of one man’s assignment to the famous 3rd Armored Division that spearheaded the American advance from Normandy into Germany. Cooper served as an ordnance officer with the forward elements and was responsible for coordinating the recovery and repair of damaged American tanks. This was a dangerous job that often required him to travel alone through enemy territory, and the author recalls his service with pride, downplaying his role in the vast effort that kept the American forces well equipped and supplied. . . . [Readers] will be left with an indelible impression of the importance of the support troops and how dependent combat forces were on them.”—Library Journal “As an alumnus of the 3rd, I eagerly awaited this book’s coming out since I heard of its release . . . and the wait and the book have both been worth it. . . . Cooper is a very polished writer, and the book is very readable. But there is a certain quality of ‘you are there’ many other memoirs do not seem to have. . . . Nothing in recent times—ridgerunning in Korea, firebases in Vietnam, or even the one hundred hours of Desert Storm—pressed the ingenuity and resolve of American troops . . . like WWII. This book lays it out better than any other recent effort, and should be part of the library of any contemporary warrior.”—Stephen Sewell, Armor Magazine “Cooper’s writing and recall of harrowing events is superb and engrossing. Highly recommended.”—Robert A. Lynn, The Stars and Stripes “This detailed story will become a classic of WWII history and required reading for anyone interested in armored warfare.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[Death Traps] fills a critical gap in WWII literature. . . . It’s a truly unique and valuable work.”—G.I. Journal