The Universal Tank

The Universal Tank. British Armour in the Second World War

David Fletcher continues his narrative from where The Great Tank Scandal left off with the débâcle on the beaches of Dieppe in August 1942, taking forward to 1945 the story of British and Commonwealth armoured fighting vehicle development with The Universal Tank.

For much of the war, the flawed system of British tank design and production had resulted in second-rate tanks that were mechanically unreliable, under-gunned and lacking sufficient amour. When General Montgomery took command of the Eighth Army in 1942, the ideal of a universal tank was first discussed. He could see that if one tank could be designed to fulfil most roles, it would simplify matters considerably. Yet it was to take until 1945, when the war in the West was almost won before Britain began to redeem itself as an inspired, tank-designing nation.

Supported by a comprehensive selection of more than 100 contemporary photographs and technical drawings, David Fletcher draws on a variety of original archive sources to illustrate his compelling narrative, including the Regimental War Diaries of the Royal Armoured Corps, which have enabled him to get up close to the subject.

Book Data

Author: David Fletcher MBE
ISBN: 9781916355941
Language: English
Pages: 192
Photos: 100+. Plus drawings & technical tables
Physical: Softcover, 245x173mm, portrait

Contents

• Introduction
• Tunisia, The Churchill Redeemed
• One Tank for Italy
• The Next Generation
• The New Enemy
• The American Saga
• Consolidation
• Liberation
• Final Analysis
• Index

About the Author

David Fletcher MBE is a military historian specialising in the history of armoured warfare. He has held a number of posts at The Tank Museum at Bovington. From 1982 to 2012, he was Librarian and is now the museum’s Historian. In a long and distinguished writing career, his publication list is extensive, with regular contributions to military journals and more than 30 books to his credit.