BRITISH BATTLE TANKS – British Made Tanks of World War II

Osprey Publishing

by David Fletcher

Reviewed by Al Bowie

Summary

FirstRead

David Fletcher MBE is well known to anyone with an interest in British AFVs and continues to add to the available knowledge pool on the subject with his follow-on title devoted to British Tanks.

This one takes up where the last title left off at the outbreak of WWII and covers those British produced Tanks used during World War II. David, in association with the Tank Museum Bovington, has already done many soft cover OSPREY titles on subjects within this timeframe and this new hardcover title again is a compendium of those books in one volume with some additional information.

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Compared to German AFV references on British AFV and Tanks tends to be very limited and patchy regarding some vehicles and it is pleasing to see this title adding to the pool of available reference.

This compendium packs a lot into its 272 pages and will not disappoint anyone with an interest in the British Tanks or the History of Armoured warfare.
 
The book is divided chronologically into ten Chapters:

1. Introduction

2. Matilda Infantry Tank

3. A13 Cruiser tank

4. Crusader and Covenanter Cruiser Tanks

5. The Tanks of the Old Gang

6. Valentine Infantry Tank (By Bruce Oliver Newsome PhD)

7. Churchill Infantry Tank

8. Churchill Crocodile – Also covers Armoured Flamethrower development in detail on other types including the Sherman, Wasp Carrier etc.

9. Cromwell Cruiser Tank – Includes follow ons like the A34 Comet, Avenger TD  Sp AA etc.

10. Other Types – A17 Tetrarch, A25 Harry Hopkins, A33 Excelsior and              A39Tortoise

This book is a study of the main British battle tanks and is broken down into the main types used in roughly the order of appearance on the battlefield. As indicated, it contains a number of previous Osprey New Vanguard titles however it also contains information not covered in those and covers a subject not available as a separate title – the A13 Cruiser.

As with all David Fletcher titles I have read, it is well backed by good research and is in an easily readable style of writing that will satisfy the novice and pedant alike. This is not the be all and end all reference on the subjects and would be considered an excellent overview or primer on the subject until more in depth studies become available. Some chapters cover a lot more than the Chapter subject, particularly the Churchill Crocodile that covers the development of British armoured flamethrowers and their use. It further covers the follow-ons.

The Cromwell Chapter covers associated designs such as the A34 Comet, Avenger TD and I feel this is the one failing of the book. A separate Chapter on the Comet, which was the finest British tank of the war, and the first designed by the users and not self-serving industry, would have really rounded out this book.

This title offers excellent value for money and offers valuable reference for the modeller, historian and the armour enthusiast. Its colour plates are all preserved from the original titles and it also offers the benefit of a hard cover and additional plates.

The Author is an acknowledged authority on British armour and has used his association with the Bovington Tank Museum to the readers advantage providing a quality but budget priced reference on such an important subject in the history of armoured warfare. I cannot recommend this enough particularly as it is a one stop title on British Armour of WWII at a bargain price.

Highly Recommended.

Available online from Osprey Publishing and specialty book shops worldwide  www.ospreypublishing.com