The heavy five-turret tank AT Independent was the symbol of British tank building in the years between the two world wars. This vehicle became the object of close attention of specialists from many countries and, no doubt, served as a prototype for the creation of the Soviet T-35 heavy tank and the German Nb. Fz
As you know, the British began building tanks during the First World War. To its end, they had numerous and organizationally designed tank troops - the Royal Armored Corps (RAC) - the Royal Armored Corps.
In the next 20 years, British tank building was almost at the "freezing point". There were several reasons for this. First of all, in Great Britain there was a prolonged discussion about the role and place of tanks in modern warfare. Uncertainty on this issue among the military hampered the development of relevant tactical and technical requirements and the issuance of orders to industry. The geographical feature of the state also played a role - the British were not going to attack anyone, and for a long time they did not have a real enemy in Europe.
This situation led to the fact that during this period of time the British industry produced only a few hundred tanks, the design of which can hardly be called innovative. The most interesting ideas of their creators were either embodied in experimental and experimental samples that remained unclaimed, or simply did not find application in their homeland.
The end of disputes in the USSR and Germany about the role of tanks and the ensuing massive deployment of tank forces in these countries forced the British military to come out of hibernation. Since about 1934, the development of armored vehicles in Great Britain has intensified dramatically.
By this time, the views of the military leadership on the tactical use of tanks were mainly determined. In accordance with them, in England, tanks were divided into three classes: light, infantry and cruising. Moreover, the concept of cruiser tanks was formed later than others. At first, their functions were to be performed by light combat vehicles - high-speed and maneuverable. The main task of the infantry tanks was the direct support of the infantry on the battlefield. These vehicles had limited speed and powerful reservations. Sometimes it reached the point of absurdity: the gearbox of the infantry tank "Matilda I", for example, had only one speed - it was believed that this was enough.
In 1936, the British considered it sufficient to arm tanks with machine guns only. Common sense, however, soon prevailed, and first on cruiser and then on infantry vehicles, a 2-pounder gun appeared. Its capabilities, however, were very limited - there were no high-explosive fragmentation shells in the ammunition load.
The Dunkirk disaster forced the British to reconsider their views somewhat. Only reconnaissance functions were now assigned to light tanks, and even then they were gradually transferred to armored vehicles during the war. The role of infantry tanks, the only ones that proved themselves well in battles on the continent, practically did not change, and efforts to improve them were reduced to increasing the power of weapons and armor protection.
At the same time, the unfolding hostilities in North Africa revealed the huge need of the army for a reliable and full-fledged tank for independent armored formations. HVi, one of the cruiser tanks that were then in service with the British army, did not fully meet these requirements. It remains only to be surprised that the country, which built excellent ships, airplanes and cars, for several years could not achieve the necessary operational reliability of tank engines and chassis elements. The British were able to resolve these issues only by 1944. By this time, the importance of infantry tanks and their share in tank units had significantly decreased. The cruising tank was becoming more and more universal. Soon after the end of World War II, the British abandoned the division of tanks into classes according to their purpose.
Leading developer and manufacturer of armored vehicles in Great Britain in 1930 - 1940 vols. was Vickers-Armstrong Ltd. With her participation, almost half of all British tanks that participated in World War II were created. In the photo - Polish tanks Vickers in the workshop
Assembly of cruiser tanks Mk II in the workshop of the BRCW plant, 1940. In the foreground - stands for the assembly of towers
Manufacturing of the hull of the Mk V "Covenanter" tank in the workshop of the LMS plant
Cruising tank Mk V "Covenanter" in
The prototype of the A43 Black Prince tank, 1945 This vehicle, developed on the basis of the Churchill infantry tank and armed with a 17-pounder cannon, is an attempt to create a full-fledged British heavy tank
For the 1940s, the design and assembly technology of British tanks cannot be considered progressive. Hulls and towers (if the latter were not made solid) were assembled using bolts on frames or frameless method ("Valentine"). Welding was used extremely limited. Armor plates, as a rule, were located vertically, without any angles of inclination. The tanks of Great Britain, especially in the second half of the war, could not compete with the Germans in terms of armor protection or firepower.
Lagging behind real needs and the pace of tank production on the eve and during the Second World War. For example, by December 1938, industry was supposed to supply the army with more than 600 cruiser and about 370 infantry tanks. However, the first were produced only 30, and the second - 60. A year later, only 314 tanks of all types entered the army. As a result, Britain entered the war with just over 600 tanks, of which more than half were light. In total, during the war years, the British produced 25,116 tanks, about 4,000 self-propelled guns and anti-aircraft guns. Moreover, a significant part of the latter was made using the chassis of obsolete and decommissioned vehicles. Speaking about the production of tanks in the United Kingdom, it should be borne in mind that a significant part of the combat vehicles produced during the war period did not reach the front and were used for training purposes.
