Valentine Infantry Tank 1938–45
Valentine Infantry Tank 1938–45

Author: Bruce Newsome

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2016-04-21

Total Pages: 52

ISBN-13: 1472813766

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The Valentine was the most produced and most widely used British tank of the Second World War. The Valentine first saw combat during Operation Compass in November 1941 and remained one of the main medium tanks in British service into 1943. As the Churchill became more prevalent the Valentine was relegated to specialist and tank-destroyer variants, which would remain in service in the Far East to the end of the war. This book describes the evolution of the Valentine design and weighs up its impact on the battlefield. Although widely regarded today as one of the weaker tanks to be fielded during the war, it was exceptionally numerous, with more Valentines produced than any other British tank.

British Infantry Tank MK. III Valentine
British Infantry Tank MK. III Valentine

Author: Dick Taylor

Publisher: Model Centrum Progres

Published: 2013-05-19

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9788360672150

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This is a comprehensive history of the design, development and operational use of the most numerous tanks designed and produced in Britain in W.W.II and its specialist variants. It contains 15 full-color plates showing British, Polish, and Canadian vehicles.

Into the Vally
Into the Vally

Author: Dick Taylor

Publisher: MMP

Published: 2012-02-23

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9788361421368

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The Valentine was unusual, as unlike most British tanks to see service during WW2 it began life as a private venture. That is, it was not designed to a General Staff (GS) specification, but came off the drawing-board with the intention of exciting enough interest within the military establishment to secure an order. The Valentine had the highest production numbers of any wartime British tank, and arguably the most variations. A total of 8000+ Valentines were produced in no fewer than 11 variants. The Valentine tank received its baptism of fire with the British 8th Army in Operation Crusader in North Africa during July 1941, representing just the beginning of a long career, as they would eventually take part in combat in both the European and Pacific Theaters. After the war, Valentines served in several armies as late as 1960. Valentines also saw action with the armed forces of Canada, the Soviet Union, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand. Book contents: Development, Technical Description, Marks Descriptions, Operational Use, Colors and Markings, Variants, Survivors. Author Dick Taylor is a serving British Army officer with wide experience of tank operations, and a history degree. He has written many popular books on British tanks, and has drawn on official and private sources to produce this comprehensive book.

The Life and Death of the Afrika Korps
The Life and Death of the Afrika Korps

Author: Robin Lewin

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2008-02-20

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 085052931X

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Afrika Korps is an illustrated record of Field-Marshal Erwin Rommel and his desert troops that fought in North Africa against British and Commonwealth forces between 1941 and 1943. Using previously rare and unpublished photographs, many of which have come from the albums of individuals who took part in the desert campaign, it presents a unique visual account of the famous Afrika-Korps' operations and equipment. Thanks to an informative caption with every photograph Afrika Korps vividly portrays how the German Army fought across the uncharted and forbidding desert wilderness of North Africa. Throughout the book it examines how Rommel and his Afrika Korps were so successful and includes an analysis of desert war tactics which Rommel himself had indoctrinated. These tactics quickly won the Afrika-Korps a string of victories between 1941 and 1942. The photographs that accompany the book are a fascinating collection that depicts life in the Afrika-Korps, as seen through the lens of the ordinary soldier.

British Infantry Tanks in World War II
British Infantry Tanks in World War II

Author: Dick Taylor

Publisher: Photosniper

Published: 2017-03-19

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9788365437129

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Before the start of the Second World War, British armored doctrine was in a terrible muddle. Opinion had been divided between the proponents of the tank who saw it as the weapon of break-in, using it as an infantry support weapon, and those who saw it as the weapon of breakout, using it to restore mobility and to destroy the enemy's forces behind the frontline. In many ways it was a division between those who saw the tank solely through the prism of the experience of the First World War, and those who saw it a decisive weapon for the future. Britain was also conscious of the continuing requirements for imperial policing, in which small tanks and armored cars had already proved their worth. As a consequence, it was decided that Britain needed three different classes of tanks: Light tanks for the policing role that could also be used for reconnaissance duties in a general war, fast and lightly armored Cruiser tanks for breakout and exploitation, and heavily armored but slow Infantry tanks for the break-in.

Designing the T-34
Designing the T-34

Author: Peter Samsonov

Publisher: Gallantry

Published: 2019-12-27

Total Pages: 92

ISBN-13: 1911658832

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When the German army launched Operation Barbarossa – the invasion of the Soviet Union – on June 22, 1941, it was expecting to face and easily defeat outdated and obsolete tanks and for the most part it did, but it also received a nasty shock when it came up against the T-34. With its powerful gun and sloped armour, the T-34 was more than a match for the best German tanks at that time and the Germans regarded it with awe. German Field Marshal von Kleist, who commanded the latter stages of Barbarossa, called it ‘the finest tank in the world’. Using original wartime documents author and historian Peter Samsonov, creator of the Tank Archives blog, explains how the Soviets came to develop what was arguably the war’s most revolutionary tank design.

Rude Mechanicals
Rude Mechanicals

Author: A. J. Smithers

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 1989-01-26

Total Pages: 367

ISBN-13: 1473817811

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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.

Donald Featherstone's War Games
Donald Featherstone's War Games

Author: John Curry

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2008-07-26

Total Pages: 159

ISBN-13: 1409216764

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Donald Featherstone's classic wargaming book, War Games, was first published in 1962. It was largely responsible for turning a somewhat obscure hobby into a popular pastime across the world. This revised edition includes new material including a foreword by Paddy Griffith, the full version of the Lionel Tarr Modern Wargaming Rules (modern being for Wordl War II) and a timeline of wargaming. It is published as part of the History of Wargaming Project at www.johncurryevents.co.uk

Valentine Infantry Tank vs Panzer III
Valentine Infantry Tank vs Panzer III

Author: Bruce Newsome

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2023-11-23

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 1472857291

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A unique comparison between the two most numerous British and German tank types from 1941 to 1943. Although much has been written about the Panzer III, little attention has been given to the equally prominent Valentine tank. This work compares the respective strengths and weaknesses of these iconic tanks, which frequently went head-to-head in brutal battles across Europe, Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia. It documents the upgrades made to each AFV type over three years, as up-gunned and up-armoured variants – ever more lethal, ever more survivable – arrived in North Africa. Dr Bruce Newsome explores the two tanks' encounters, from the first Valentine vs Panzer III clashes in 1941, to the Axis drive into Egypt, and on to the Tunisian fighting of 1942–1943. Colour artworks include profile, weaponry and gunsight, and battlescene views of both tanks, while maps chart the campaigns in which they met. Each AVF's performance is also covered, along with their technical details, design evolution, and crew histories.