Rude Mechanicals : An Account of Tank Maturity During the Second World War

In this sequel to "An New Excalibur", which examined the development of the tank during World War I and after, Smithers examines the role played by tanks in World War II. At the beginning of the war only the Germans and the Russians had realized the full power of the tank. The British and the Americans were forced to try to catch up. One difficulty was fundamentally a matter of finding the right tool for the right job. In the last year of the war, the Germans relied on the immense King Tigers, which lacked speed and manoeuvrability; while the Allies were confined to Shermans, Cromwells and Churchills, which were incapable of making a heavyweight impact. Each side had some envy for the other. [Elib] Matilda I; Vickers Light Tank Mk VIA, og IVB; A9 og A10; Matilda 2 og Tysk Panzer 2, 1940; Valentine Victrix 1943; TOG 1 og TOG 2, fra 1. Verdenskrig; Nuffield Cruiser A13 og A15 Crusader; Covenanter Mk IV; Cavalier; Azo; Churchill Mk II, III og VI; Sentinel; Grant; Hopkins; Centaur Mk III; Challenger; Cromwell; Straussler; Sherman Firefly; Vickers Tetrarch; Comet; Tiger, Panther, Jagdtiger England, der ved slutningen af 1. Verdenskrig var førende på kampvognsområdet, lod i mellemkrigsårene hånt om kampvognsudviklingen i modsætning til Tyskland og Sovjetunionen, og da 2. Verdenskrig udbrød, var briterne håbløst distancerede både kvantitativt og kvalitativt