When it entered service with the British Army in 1983, the 62-tonne Challenger 1 was the first of a new generation of main battle tanks. Originally intended for use by the Imperial Iranian Army, orders for the tank were cancelled when the Shah was deposed after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and the design was accepted by the British Ministry of Defence as a replacement for the Chieftain.

Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank 1983-2001 (FV 4030/4 Model): An insight into the design, operation and maintenance of the British Army's revolutionary ... Main Battle Tank (Owners' Workshop Manual)

History

Taylor, Dick

Military

Haynes Publishing, UK

When Hitler unleashed Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union in June 1941, the 23-tonne Panzer III was in the vanguard of the German assault. The German Panzer III tank (official designation Panzerkampfwagen III, Sd Kfz 141, abbreviated to PzKpfw III) saw widespread use during the Second World War campaigns in Poland, France, the Soviet Union and the Balkans, and in North Africa with the famous Afrika Korps. A small number were still in use in Normandy (1944), at Anzio (1943), in Norway and Finland and in Operation Market Garden (1944). Some 5,774 were built between 1937 and 1943. Although the Panzer III was conceived to operate alongside the infantry-supporting Panzer IV to fight other tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, the roles were reversed when the German Army came up against the formidable Soviet T-34 tank. A tank with a more powerful anti-tank gun was needed so the Panzer IV with its larger turret ring and long-barrelled 7.5cm KwK 40 gun was used in tank-versus-tank battles, with the Panzer III being redeployed in the infantry support role. Production of the Panzer III ended in 1943, although its dependable chassis provided hulls for the Sturmgeschutz III (StuG III) assault gun, one of the most successful of the war, until the end of the war. Centrepiece of the Haynes Panzer III Tank Manual is the Bovington Tank Museum's PzKpfw III Ausf L, which has been restored to running condition. This tank belonged to the same battalion as the museum's famous Tiger I (the 501st (Heavy) Panzer Abteilung) and is an early production Ausf L, modified for tropical service. It was shipped via Naples to Benghazi in Libya in July 1942 and was issued to the 8th Panzer Regiment, part of the 15th Panzer Division and probably fought in the Battle of Alam Halfa. It was subsequently captured by the British Army and shipped to the UK.The Tank Museum has restored the tank to running order, has repainted it in its original camouflage and markings and is currently replacing many of the ancillary tools and equipment that it carried.

Panzer III: Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. A to N (SdKfz 141) (Owners' Workshop Manual)

Hayton, Michael

Europe

Product Description 
British World War II tanks performed so badly that it is difficult to recall any other British weapon of the period that provokes such a strong sense of failure. Unfortunately, many of the accusations appear to be true--British tanks were in many ways a disgrace. But why was Britain, the country that invented them, consistently unable to field tanks of the required quality or quantity throughout the conflict? This perceived failure has taken on the status of a myth, but, like all myths, it should not be accepted at face value--it should be questioned and analyzed. And that is what Dick Taylor does in this closely researched and absorbing study.\nHe looks at the flaws in British financial policy, tank doctrine, design, production, and development before and throughout the war years which often had fatal consequences for the crews who were sent to fight and to be 'murdered' in 'mechanical abortions.' Their direct experience of the shortcomings of these machines is an important element of the story. He also considers how British tanks compared to those of the opposition and contrasts tank production for the army with the production of aircraft for the RAF during the same period.\nHis clear-sighted account goes on to explain how, later in the conflict, British tank design improved to the point where their tanks were in many ways superior to those of the Americans and Germans and how they then produced the Centurion which was one of the best main battle tanks of the post-war era. 
 About the Author 
Dick Taylor is a well-known and much-published expert on the history of British tanks. His many books include volumes on the Challenger, Chieftain, Matilda, and Valentine. He is a former tank commander and tank gunnery specialist. He is the official historian of the Royal Armoured Corps.

Second World War Tank Crisis: The Fall and Rise of British Armour, 1919-1945

Naval_Institute_Press

The Chieftain was the British Army's Main Battle Tank for twenty years, first entering service with the 11th Hussars in 1966. One of the first true Main Battle Tanks, it was designed to replace both medium (Centurion) and heavy (Conqueror) tanks in front line service and provided the backbone of the British Army's heavy armour at the height of the Cold War. It incorporated a lot of revolutionary design features, although some did not work as well as expected. For example, in order to reduce height the driver lay in a reclining position and changed gear with his foot. The L11 120mm gun used a self-combusting bagged charge instead of a brass cartridge case (the gun proved to be highly successful); and the tank was powered by a multi-fuel engine. The Chieftain was continually upgraded during its service life: later marks were fitted with a laser rangefinder; a computerised fire-control system (IFCS), thermal sights (TOGS) and additional compound armour on the front of the turret and around the driver's hatch (so-called Stillbrew armour). The L60 engine was continually modified and improved to increase its output and reliability. The end result of all these changes was a formidable AFV. The Chieftain hull was also used for a range of specialised AFVs, including armoured recovery vehicles (ARV and ARRV), bridge layers (AVLB) and combat engineering tanks (AVRE). A total of more than 2,200 Chieftains of all types were manufactured by the Royal Ordnance Factories and Vickers Ltd. Some 900 of these served with the British Army while the remaining 1,300 tanks were exported to Iran, Jordan, Kuwait and the Oman. Chieftains saw their share of combat with the Iranian Army in the 1980s when they engaged Iraqi tanks during the Iran-Iraq War, while Kuwaiti Chieftains fought the Iraqi Army during the invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Chieftain gun tanks were withdrawn from front-line service with the British Army during the late 1980s and early 1990s, but Chieftain recovery and combat engineering vehicles served with the British Army during the operations to liberate Kuwait in 1991 (Desert Storm).

Chieftain Main Battle Tank 1966 to present: An insight into the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the British Army's Cold War-era Main Battle Tank (Owners' Workshop Manual)

Challenger 2 (CR2) is the British Army's main battle tank. CR2 is based on the Challenger 1 tank, which served with distinction on operations in the Gulf War and the Balkans. Although a logical development of Challenger 1, CR2 is greatly superior. It is protected by second generation Chobham Armour and features a new digital fire control system that includes a panoramic commander’s sight, a laser range finder and a new version of the Thermal Observation and Gunnery Sight (TOGS II). The turret mounts the high pressure L30 120mm gun that fires conventional APDS-FS, HESH, smoke and depleted uranium projectiles with great accuracy.

Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank Owners' Workshop Manual: 1998 to present - An insight into the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the ... Tank of the 21st century (Haynes Manuals)

This book, Volume 4 in a series of four, completes the story of British Army vehicle colors and markings. This volume covers:Chapter 1 Ground and Air Recognition SystemsChapter 2 Vehicles NamesChapter 3 Miscellaneous Marking SystemsThe book is profusely illustrated with photos, color profiles, and detail drawings. It describes in detail the official paint schemes, the variations often seen in practice, and the individual and unit markings applied to tanks, armored cars, trucks and smaller vehicles, and towed guns. The series will prove invaluable for military enthusiasts and modelers, making sense of a very confusing topic!See:

Warpaint - Colours and Markings of British Army Vehicles 1903-2003: Volume 4 (Green Series)

MMPBooks

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.See:

Into the Vally: The Valentine Tank and Derivatives 1938 – 1960 (Green Series)

This book, Volume 2 in a series of two, completes the story of the uniforms and equipment of British and Commonwealth tank and AFV crews. The evolution of uniforms, and the variations in actual use on all fronts, are described and illustrated, as is the personal equipment of AFV crews. The advantages and drawbacks of all the designs are discussed, in the context of actual front-line operational experience. Illustrated with many photos and drawings, covering all uniform variations and equipment. Vol. 2 contains information on REGIMENTAL INSIGNIA.

Men Inside the Metal: The British AFV Crewman in WW2: Volume 2 (Green Series)

This book explores the fascinating history of tank, anti-tank and self-propelled artillery ammunition used by the British and Americans in World War 2. As well as examining the major ammunition types in detail, the work also explains, for the first time in a book of this type, how ammunition functions and is made to be accurate. The guns and weapons used to fire the ammunition are also covered, as is a comprehensive lexicon of terminology and an extensive list of references. The whole is complemented by stunning artwork showing the ammunition and its associated packaging, with many period photographs of the ammunition in use.

Firing Now!: Tank, Anti-Tank and Self-Propelled Artillery Ammunicion UK & USA 1939-1945 (Green Series)

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.

British Infantry Tanks in World War II (Photosniper)

Kagero

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Taylor, Dick. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Taylor, Dick