British Armoured Divisions - origins, development and deployment (1920-1945)

Despite being a pioneer nation on tank development, the British were late in creating Armoured Divisions. In this video I will analyse the origins, development en deployment of the British Armoured Divisions prior and during World War II (1920-1945).
Consulted sources:
Richard Doherty, British Armoured Divisions and their Commanders, 1939-1945 (Pen and Sword 2013).
David Fletcher, British Battle Tanks: World War I to 1939 (Bloomsbury Publishing 2016).
J.P. Harris, Men, Ideas, and Tanks: British Military Thought and Armoured Forces, 1903-1939 (Manchester University Press, 1995).
Roger Salmon, The management of change : mechanizing the British Regular and Household Cavalry Regiments 1918-1942 (University of Wolverhampton 2013).

[@JohnBurrows42]

This is an excellent and informative video. Thank you; it helped me decide which Armoured Division to paint my wargaming project.

[@ArmiesAndBattles]

Great to hear! Actually there was a development which I later found out, namely the battlegroups: czcams.com/video/HwxpR-MWkBk/video.html

[@MrDraco20034]

Great Video! Keep doing what you are doing, I really love your videos.

[@russellmarriott9396]

Very clear description of the way these divisions were organised. My great uncle served in 6th Armoured in North Africa and Italy originally on 25 pounders and finally on Priest self propelled guns. He was sadly killed during the crossing of the Po in May 1944 just before the German surrender at Cassino.

[@mikesmith2905]

Very good overview. If you fancy a challenge you could do something similar for the Indian Army, I have just made a set of soldiers for a youngster, his dad is a Sikh and his mum is a Moslem, so it had to be 4th Indian Div in Africa (a few light tanks but a lot of Indian pattern carriers and armoured cars). Finding information on Indian units in general and artillery and tanks in particular proved very difficult.

[@ArmiesAndBattles]

Thanks for the feedback. I will look into it.

[@merdiolu]

8th Armored Division assigned in 8th Army in North Africa in 1942 , did not see any combat either. It was dismantled and its brigades and battalions were added to 1st , 7th and 10th Armored Divisions which made up X Corps or Corps d'Chasse and later dubbed as reserve corps of General Montgomery (who knew and understood value of reserve units kept during an operation against unexpected , like emergency funds in a bank) during Second Battle of El Alamein in October-November 1942. 6th British Armored Division had a lot of success too in Tunisian Campaign in Africa in 1943 , cut across Tunisia and Hammamet and played an important role later in final breakout of German defences and destruction of German Army Group C during Po River Campaign in Northern Italy April 1945.

[@jmaccsarmiesofmiddleearth]

Fantastic vid

[@ArmiesAndBattles]

Glad you enjoyed it! Any suggestions for new content is welcome.

[@themodernwarfarehistorian825]

Very informative video!

[@ArmiesAndBattles]

Glad you liked it

[@anthonyjones1545]

Very interesting..my grandfather was a sergeant major in the Scots Grey's..fought in Africa Italy and Europe

[@ArmiesAndBattles]

Thank you! I worked very hard on this one. I will soon post an update with some new findings on the development of the Guards Armoured Division unit structure in 1944.

[@steveswitzer4353]

nice v informative

[@ArmiesAndBattles]

Thank you!

[@teronaumanen7944]

Hi. Do you know did 79th armored division also include stadard sherman and firefly tanks? i find only information that it had so called funnyes...AVREs and o on

[@ArmiesAndBattles]

It did not include standard Shermans and Firefly Shermans, only funnies.

[@ArcticTemper]

Nice vid, although I'm not sure Op. Goodwood is regarded as a failure, just a costly partial-success. Ground was permanently gained, German units were crippled, it just fell short of its potential.

[@nacionaldelacapital]

For Queen and country !

[@potatosinnato1767]

You should list your sources

[@ArmiesAndBattles]

I will do that this week.

[@Wallyworld30]

The British tankers had a higher casualty rate then the American tankers during WW2 because their tankers wore those berate's instead of helmets the Americans used.

[@lkchild]

I’m calling bollocks on this one. Brits had tank helmets, and both British and American tank helmets were soft in nature until the introduction of the British metal tank helmet later in the war. The latter shows the difference between protecting your head from bumps inside the vehicle, and protecting you head from bullets and shrapnel while you or your head are exposed.

[@nickdanger3802]

USA Helmet "The outer crown and rear neck guard shells were constructed of a durable fiber resin, similar to the earlier tank helmets. The interior of the helmet featured a suspension system consisting of felt pads, leather pad retainers, and waxed cotton cords. This suspension system held the helmet in proper position on the wearer's head and absorbed much of the shock when a bump was encountered."
www.big-red-one.org/M1938%20TANK%20HELMET%20INFO%20PAGE.htm

[@philstaples8122]

It may have something to do with the fact that the British fought for a few more years than our American Allies

[@BroadHobbyProjects]

@@philstaples8122 Also the British and Canadian army groups faced around 70% of all armour in the Western theatre, with the intent of Montgomery wanting to reign the armoured bull of the Germans at us as the American forces swung around without as much armoured mobile opposition. Which worked.

[@MrOllievirus]

They also fought more Panzer Divisions than the Americans.