There was a need for high velocity weapons and the 17-pounder was developed to address that. This was a weapon that could destroy German armour. Unfortunately, most British tanks of the 1942-43 period could not mount such a weapon, leaving the Valentine as the only realistic choice. Hence, the Archer was born.
The Archer was a self-propelled gun mounted with a fixed 17-pounder gun on an open-topped structure at the back!
The Archer equipped British units from March 1944 and proved that mounting the gun at the back was not too major a tactical limitation, instead, it allowed the vehicle to withdraw quickly after firing. The Archer proved to be successful despite being originally intended as an interim type.
Tank Museum, Bovington: July 2006
6 comments:
I'm enjoying your photo's tonight... I wanted to thank you for explaining your thoughts on tanks. Now I understand! YOu are perfectly right. But I still find them a bit scary... but I bet at one time people found Knights scary too.
Thanks Idahl.
Real tanks in motion are not unlike, well knights in full armour on horseback. I have seen armoured personnel carriers at speed and felt them. It was quite a feeling. I can't say that I have seen knights on warhorses at full trot. (They weren't performing when I was at the Royal Armouries at Leeds earlier this year!) But I have heard seen and heard knights in full plate armour walking with a poleax a decade ago. It was fearsome. There is certainly a mystique about them.
The book you bought by Janes is probably one on modern tanks. Like tanks from the Second World War, they do have a developmental history and more. The design and engineering rationale of them...
Next week, when I exhaust my stock of photos of World War II photos, I will be placing up those post war ones. You should be seeing familiar ones like those in your Janes' book.
I have three more drawings of tanks to put up. Those were careful and deliberate and they took quite a while to do on paper.
Incidentally, I did my national service in the infantry and I can't say that I like military life. I hated regimentation, the block-headed people in there, the life, etc. Reading is one thing. Living a life like that is another. And of course, it is one based on organised violence ultimately.
I'll look forward to your tank drawings!
I have seen knights jousting and it is an awesome sight...but it would be different if they were real and ready to do real damage, that would be a fearful sight!
I would never fit in a military environment...I would be in trouble all the time:)))
Thanks Idahl. I have been lazy. Dozing in bed with a bed in hand. Actually, a pile of books. And I went taking photos of flowers.
You have seen knights jousting? Will that be at those societies which specialise in historical recreations?
Military environments. I guess some are built for it. I know I'm not as well. I won't get in trouble but I will hate it. I will be resentful.
I have been asked to go back next year for four days. Hopefully, it will simply be just a few talks here and there and not taking to the field with rifles, helmets, etc.
Yes, (historical recreations)and at another place that does jousting and more in a restaurant setting...hard to explain... it's called Medieval Times. They put on quite a show. The one I went to was in Dallas Texas.
We have a medieval fair east of here each fall (Kansas City)and the jousting is done by people who are from all over this area. A funny story, we have a friend that does that and he does jousting... his whole family was at the fair and when his baby was wet he changed his diaper while in a suit of full armor... some lady went by and saw him and said she didn't know how good he was on a horse, but he was a knight in shining armor as far as she was concerned!!
I've learned a lot more about Janes since my last post here...interesting stuff. Ah the things one learns:)))
You've been asked to go back for four days?
Yes, there are indeed a few of these societies of enactors with re-creations of the past. I have heard of this term, possibly this event in the past. It must be quite something to visit one of them.
Hahahaha. Knight in shining armour changing a diaper, that must be quite a sight.
A photo or illustration of that would be really funny. Still, a knight could do with a diaper. After all, how does a person in full plate armour do his or hers business?
I just learned it is a period of 5 days. It's a new unit of people where everyone is about ten years younger than me from what I see. I am not sure what will happen. I think it will mainly be lessons though. Hopefully none of that physical stuff.
This weekend, there will be an exercise where I will have to report to camp for an hour or less.
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