British Armour in the Normandy Campaign 1944 (Cass Series--Military History and Policy, No. 15.)

The popular perception of the performance of British armour in the Normandy campaign of 1944 is one of failure and frustration. Despite overwhelming superiority in numbers, Montgomery's repeated efforts to employ his armour in an offensive manner ended in a disappointing stalemate. Explanation of these and other humiliating failures has centred predominantly on the shortcomings of the tanks employed by British formations. This new study by John Buckley challenges the standard view of Normandy as a failure for British armour by analysing the reality and level of the supposed failure and the causes behind it. "The popular perception of the performance of British armour in the Normandy campaign in 1944 is one of failure and frustration. Despite overwhelming superiority in numbers, Montgomery's repeated efforts to employ his armour in an offensive manner ended in disappointing stalemate. Explanation of these and other humiliating failures has centred predominantly on the shortcomings of the tanks employed by British formations. An orthodoxy has emerged that the roots of failure lay in the comparative weakness of Allied equipment, and to a lesser extent in training, doctrine and operational technique." "This new study by John Buckley challenges this standard view, placing the role played by armour in the campaign in context, and by analysing fully the problems and difficulties encountered and the degree with which they were successfully overcome."--Résumé de l'éditeur "The popular perception of the performance of British armour in the Normandy campaign in 1944 is one of failure and frustration. Despite overwhelming superiority in numbers, Montgomery's repeated efforts to employ his armour in an offensive manner ended in disappointing stalemate. Explanation of these and other humiliating failures has centred predominantly on the shortcomings of the tanks employed by British formations. An orthodoxy has emerged that the roots of failure lay in the comparative weakness of Allied equipment, and to a lesser extent in training, doctrine and operational technique." "This new study by John Buckley challenges this standard view, placing the role played by armour in the campaign in context, and by analysing fully the problems and difficulties encountered and the degree with which they were successfully overcome."--Jacket. This book is an innovative study of the Normandy campaign and the perceived failure of British forces there. It is essential reading for all students of military history and general readers with an interest in the subject