Fletcher, David. British Armour in the Second World War, part 1: The Great Tank Scandal. London, HMSO: 1989.

141 pages
ISBN: 0-11-290460-2

List of abbreviatons; Introduction; photos; diagrams; index.

Fletcher, David. British Armour in the Second World War, part 2: The Universal Tank. London, HMSO: 1993.

125 pages
0-11-290534-X

List of abbreviatons; Introduction; photos; diagrams; index.

Given the necessity of participating in a one-on-one tank-to-tank duel, and given the chance to choose any World War II tank as your weapon, is there the slightest chance that you would give any consideration whatsoever to a British tank? No, I thought not.

Despite having received credit for inventing the monsters in the First World War, the British fell far, far behind in design and production of armored fighting vehicles during the inter-war period. By the advent of the Second World War, British tanks were dismally inadequate for the job ahead of them.

David Fletcher, librarian at the British Tank Museum in Bovington, does a splendid job of explaining just exactly what was wrong with British AFVs at the outbreak of war, how further development was completely muddled, and why it wasn't until the very end of the war that British armored forces were provided with a machine which could reliably stand up to German panzers. Not only are we given a primer in tank design and engineering, but we're also told about the insane bureaucratic system of tank policy, specifications, funding, and procurement. Fletcher describes tanks being put through their paces on proving grounds and outlines their use on battlefields in every theater of war. His after-action reports explain the reasons for successes and failures in various roles, against various enemies, and in various terrain and weather.

To the uninformed it seemed obvious that the problem [British tanks bursting into flames upon being hit by AT shells] was caused by petrol from ruptured fuel tanks, but on closer examination it became clear that fires were just as common in diesel tanks, while German machines, which were all powered by petrol engines, seldom took fire. Once a tank had been engulfed in flames it was all but impossible for even the most painstaking investigator to tell exactly where the fire started, so a number of damaged tanks were towed out into the desert, stock up with ammunition and fuel and then shot at. The report compiled by the officers concerned makes interesting reading, not least for its anecdotal style, but it also reaches some interesting conclusions. Fires, it seems, could be started by electrical wires being severed and shorting out, or by badly stowed kit like an oil-soaked greatcoat rolled up and stuffed under the driver's seat, which would smoulder and flare up after a piece of shot lodged in it. But the most common and devastating cause proved to be ammunition. Red hot splinters from a penetrating shell would ignite the cordite of a single round and turn the fighting compartment into an inferno in seconds as other stowed ammunition went up. Now it was clear why the problem had not been observed to anything like the same extent in German tanks. They carried their ammunition in lightly armoured bins, so that even if the odd round went off, it did not automatically spread to the rest. When, in time, the British adopted this practice the situation improved dramatically.

More than just tanks, Fletcher includes in his survey armored cars, carriers, half-tracks, specialized armor, and fantastic vehicles like "Nellie", the 131-ton, one-mile-per-hour trench-digging "tank". Much attention is paid to which types of AFVs were used to equip various British regiments at different times, and the roles those units were expected to play with that armor. Covers Canadian, Indian, Australian, and New Zealand AFV designs as well as UK. Detailed schematic drawings are provided for all the important types, and the book is illustrated with photos of hundreds of different varieties of British AFVs around the world; indeed, in addition to the wealth of information here, one of the real pleasures of these two volumes is the incredible gallery of prototypes, homemade armored vehicles, and local improvisations.

Unfortunately for books which convey so much specialized detail, there are no footnotes and no bibliography. Also, it would have been helpful to have included a table listing all the main AFVs, date entered service, production quantities, technical specifications, and regiments which they equipped.

Still, these two volumes are absolute must-haves for anyone studying armor in the Second World War.

Available from mail order booksellers, local bookshops, or direct from HMSO (and its American distributor, Seven Hills Book Distributors).

Thanks to Seven Hills for providing these review copies.