Sorry, this entry is only available in French.

Auteur: Miah999

Extrait de : http://blog-of-normandie.blogspot.fr/

The British: May 1940:

The British doctrine of infantry support tanks led to many designs sacrificing armor for higher speed and maneuverability. This however, would leave the majority of British armor venerable to German anti-tank weapons and the new Panzer IV. The only light tank that truly could withstand enemy fire was the relatively new Matilda II.

The Matilda was only available in limited numbers with only 23 serving in the BEF. Due to its heavier armor the Matilda was near impervious to German anti-tank fire, however the Germans quickly learned to turn their 88mm anti-aircraft guns on the British tanks, halting their advance. During the British evacuation the remaining Matilda IIs were abandoned.

Another more common tank on the field of France was the Cruiser MK IV (also called the Crusader) The MK IV was very traditional infantry tank, and while it had the same fire power as the Matilda II, it lacked the armor that made the Matilda II so effective. However it was considerably faster than its heavier cousin, but not much faster then the German tanks it would be facing.

posted by gduprez the [02/09/2015]