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
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.
ReplyDeleteThanks Idahl.
ReplyDeleteReal 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!
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteYou 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.
ReplyDeleteWe 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.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha. 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.