Quotulatiousness

March 16, 2021

The horrors of British & US Logistics in WW2

TIK
Published 15 Mar 2021

The Allies may have had a lot of resources, manpower and industry, but that didn’t mean that their logistics weren’t inefficient or a disorganized mess. Today, we’re going to look at how the British railways were disaster during WW2, how the Americans ran out of fuel on the way to Germany, and why Montgomery called the planning for the invasion of Sicily a “dog’s breakfast”.

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📚 BIBLIOGRAPHY / SOURCES 📚

Dunn, W. The Soviet Economy and the Red Army, 1930-1945. Praeger Publishers, 1995.
Garvey, J. Operation Husky: The Untold Story of the logistics of the Sicily Invasion. Farm Publications, Kindle 2019.
Hazlitt, H. Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest & Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics. Three Rivers Press, 1979.
MacDonald, J. Supplying the British Army in the Second World War. Pen & Sword Military, Kindle 2020.
Molony, C. The Mediterranean and Middle East, Volume V, The Campaign in Sicily 1943 and The Campaign in Italy 3rd September 1943 to 31st March 1944. The Naval & Military Press LTD 2004, first published in 1973.
Wolmar, C. Fire & Steam: How the Railways Transformed Britain. Atlantic Books, Kindle 2007.

British Government, Railways Act 1921, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/…​

Full list of all my sources https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/…​

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ABOUT TIK 📝

History isn’t as boring as some people think, and my goal is to get people talking about it. I also want to dispel the myths and distortions that ruin our perception of the past by asking a simple question – “But is this really the case?”. I have a 2:1 Degree in History and a passion for early 20th Century conflicts (mainly WW2). I’m therefore approaching this like I would an academic essay. Lots of sources, quotes, references and so on. Only the truth will do.

This video is discussing events or concepts that are academic, educational and historical in nature. This video is for informational purposes and was created so we may better understand the past and learn from the mistakes others have made.

July 28, 2020

Tank Chats #76 Tetrarch Tank | The Tank Museum

Filed under: Britain, History, Military, Weapons, WW2 — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

The Tank Museum
Published 31 May 2019

Tetrarch tanks were flown over on D-Day, 6th June, 1944, for the invasion of France during WW2. Find out more with David Fletcher.

Originally adopted by the British Army as a light tank it became the first British airborne tank.
Many thanks to Vitaly Kuzmin for providing the image of the Tetrarch at Kubinka https://www.vitalykuzmin.net

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July 10, 2020

“Primo Victoria” – The D-Day Landings – Sabaton History 075 [Official]

Filed under: Britain, France, Germany, History, Media, Military, USA, WW2 — Tags: , , , , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

Sabaton History
Published 9 Jul 2020

On D-Day, 6th June 1944, Operation Overlord began. The Western Allies unleashed their gigantic amphibious landing on the coast of Normandy. Preluded by a nightly airborne attack and supported by a massive armada of bombers and fleet artillery, their landing-craft reached the fortified beaches. Against a hail of machine-gun bullets, the Allied soldiers stormed the beaches and overran the German bunkers and trenches. A new front was opened and the battle for France began.

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Sources:
National Archives NARA
Bundesarchiv
US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Imperial War Museums: IWM H 39183, H38244 IWM, 1944_B5234, 944_TR1631, IWM A70 31-1, IWM A70 31-2,EA25734, B 5218, 1944_MH9509, IWM A70 29-1-2, B5225, B5089
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July 3, 2020

The History of: The British 1942 Battle Jerkin & Skeleton Battle Jerkin | Uniform History

Filed under: Britain, Cancon, History, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

Uniform History
Published 24 Mar 2020

The start of another two parter, in this one we cover the British Battle Jerkin family as it helped inspire the US Normandy Assault Vest’s creation.

Music by: https://www.juliancrowhurst.com/

June 23, 2020

Defending Britain with a Bayonet | Hobart’s Pike | The Tank Museum

Filed under: Britain, History, Military, Weapons, WW2 — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

The Tank Museum
Published 24 May 2020

Director Richard Smith looks at Percy Hobart and the incredible weapon he was issued on joining the Home Guard at the start of WW2; a bayonet welded to a pole. Major General Percy Hobart commanded the 79th Armoured Division and gave the revolutionary, specialised tanks used on D-Day their nickname “Hobart’s Funnies”.

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June 8, 2020

D-Day – The Last German Holdouts

Filed under: Britain, Cancon, Germany, History, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

Mark Felton Productions
Published 6 Jun 2020

Some German coast defences managed to survive on D-Day and fought on behind Allied lines. One was the massive Douvres Radar Station bunker complex between Juno and Sword Beaches. It held out for 12 days after D-Day, and required a special operation to knock it out.

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May 5, 2020

Killer Tanks – The Cromwell

Filed under: Britain, History, Military, Weapons, WW2 — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

gusty9053
Published 12 Jul 2014

Confusingly, the tank shown in the thumbnail isn’t a Cromwell, and many later tanks are shown in footage that is supposed to be from the Dunkirk evacuation during the Battle of France in 1940 (including wrecked Churchill tanks on the beach at Dieppe in August 1942). The video covers the genesis of the tank in WW1 and the British interwar neglect of tanks, but almost completely ignores light tanks and infantry tanks to concentrate on “cruiser” tank development. Wikipedia has a useful summary of the Cromwell family of tanks:

The Cromwell tank, officially Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell (A27M), was one of the series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second World War. Named after the English Civil War leader Oliver Cromwell, the Cromwell was the first tank put into service by the British to combine high speed from a powerful and reliable engine (the Rolls-Royce Meteor), and reasonable armour. The intended dual-purpose high velocity gun could not be fitted in the turret and the medium velocity dual purpose gun fitted proved inadequate. An improved version with a high velocity gun became the Comet tank.

The name “Cromwell” was initially applied to three vehicles during development. Early Cromwell development led to the creation of the A24 Cavalier. Later Cromwell development led to the creation of the competing Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Centaur (A27L) design. The Centaur tank was closely related to the Cromwell, both vehicles being externally similar. The Cromwell and Centaur tanks differed in the engine used; the Centaur had the 410 hp Liberty engine, the Cromwell had the significantly more powerful 600 hp Meteor.

The Cromwell first saw action in the Battle of Normandy in June 1944. The tank equipped the armoured reconnaissance regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps, in the 7th Armoured Division, 11th Armoured Division and the Guards Armoured Division. While the armoured regiments of the latter two divisions were equipped with M4 Shermans, the armoured regiments of the 7th Armoured Division were equipped with Cromwells. The Centaurs were not used in combat except for those fitted with a 95 mm howitzer, which were used in support of the Royal Marines during the amphibious invasion of Normandy.

[…]

Post war

After the war, the Cromwell remained in British service, and saw service in the Korean War with the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars.

Cromwell Tanks were used by Czechoslovakia and Israel.

Fifty-two Centaur I tanks were donated in early 1946 to the Greek Army, during the opening stages of the Greek Civil War but they were kept in storage due to the lack of trained personnel. In 1947, the first Greek officers returned from training courses in the United Kingdom and training of tank crews began. In April 1948, the Centaurs were organised in three Centaur tank companies initially numbered II, IX and XI, but a year later were renumbered 381, 382, 383 and temporarily attached to Reconnaissance Regiments 391, 392, and 393. The Centaurs saw limited service in the war because battles were fought mainly on mountainous areas, but proved useful in supporting infantry units and in defence of inhabited areas. After the end of the war, in October 1949, the three Centaur companies were organised into the 391 Tank Regiment. The Centaurs were replaced by US built M47s and in 1962 were sold and scrapped. One Centaur is preserved in the Greek Army Tank Museum.

The British army, Austria and Jordan used the upgraded Charioteer version of the Cromwell post-war. Jordanian vehicles saw action in conflicts in the Middle-East.

January 10, 2020

Tank Chats #58 Buffalo & Weasel | The Funnies | The Tank Museum

Filed under: Britain, History, Military, Pacific, WW2 — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

The Tank Museum
Published 28 Oct 2018

Another episode in the Tank Chats Funnies Specials, with David Fletcher looking at the weird and wonderful vehicles of 79th Armoured Division led by Major General Percy Hobart, known as “Hobart’s Funnies”.

The Buffalo, or Landing Vehicle Tracked IV (LVT), is a lightly armoured tracked amphibious carrier. British “Buffaloes” were used in Northern Italy during WW2 and were issued to the 79th Armoured Division in Northwest Europe where they played an important role in the crossing of the Rhine, in 1945. This particular Weasel is amphibious and was used in muddy and wet conditions, rather than directly in water.

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January 2, 2020

Tank Chats #57 Churchill AVRE | The Funnies | The Tank Museum

Filed under: Britain, History, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

The Tank Museum
Published 20 Sep 2018

Another episode in the Tank Chats Funnies Specials, with David Fletcher looking at the weird and wonderful vehicles of 79th Armoured Division led by Major General Percy Hobart, known as “Hobart’s Funnies”.

The Churchill AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers). The Churchill was the basis for a number of Funnies. David Fletcher looks at the Fascine, Bobbin, Small Box Girder bridge, Bullshorn plough, Conger, the Churchill ARK and Bridgelayer.

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December 1, 2019

Tank Chats #56 Sherman DD | The Funnies | The Tank Museum

Filed under: Britain, History, Military, Technology, USA, WW2 — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

The Tank Museum
Published 7 Sep 2018

Another episode in the Tank Chats Funnies Specials, with David Fletcher looking at the weird and wonderful vehicles of 79th Armoured Division led by Major General Percy Hobart, known as “Hobart’s Funnies”.

The Sherman DD, or Duplex Drive, was a term applied to Sherman tanks modified for amphibious operations. DD tanks were used by American, British and Canadian forces in WW2 on D-Day, 6 June 1944; by the Americans again in the south of France and by the Americans and British during the Rhine crossing.

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November 26, 2019

Tank Chats #55 Churchill Crocodile | The Funnies | The Tank Museum

Filed under: Britain, History, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

The Tank Museum
Published 18 Aug 2018

Another episode in the Tank Chats Funnies Specials, with David Fletcher looking at the weird and wonderful vehicles of 79th Armoured Division led by Major General Percy Hobart, known as “Hobart’s Funnies”.

The Churchill Crocodile was a British flamethrower tank and a variant of the Churchill Mark VII tank. The Crocodile was developed in time for the D-Day landings and used during the Allied invasion of North-West Europe.

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October 13, 2019

Tank Chats #52 Sherman Crab Flail | The Funnies | The Tank Museum

Filed under: Britain, History, Military, Technology, WW2 — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

The Tank Museum
Published on 15 Jun 2018

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Another episode in the Tank Chats Funnies Specials, looking at the weird and wonderful vehicles of 79th Armoured Division led by Major General Percy Hobart.

The Flail tank was designed to clear mines and flails were operated in the 79th Armoured Division after D-Day.

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September 23, 2019

M4 Sherman – The Workhorse of D-Day

Filed under: History, Military, USA, Weapons, WW2 — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

Real Engineering
Published on 21 Sep 2019

Watch over 2,400 documentaries for free for 30 days by signing up at http://www.CuriosityStream.com/realen… and using the code, “realengineering

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Thank you to AP Archive for access to their archival footage

August 27, 2019

The Secret Invention That Made D-Day Possible | INTEL

Filed under: Britain, France, History, Military, Technology, USA, WW2 — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

Forces TV
Published on 7 Jun 2019

As much as the success of D-Day was down to the bravery of soldiers … it was made possible by inventions and new machines. These Mulberry Harbours were a real World War 2 engineering victory.

More Mulberry: https://www.forces.net/d-day/mulberry-harbours-how-allies-floated-concrete-win-d-day
Forces Net D-Day Hub: http://forces.net/dday

June 7, 2019

The almost-forgotten 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion on D-Day

Filed under: Cancon, History, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 03:00

Colby Cosh reminds us that Canadian troops landed in Normandy in at least one other location than on Juno Beach:

From left to right, Regimental Sergeant-Major “Knobby” Clark, Company Sergeant-Major Norbert Joseph and Company Sergeant-Major Outhwaite of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion getting ready to leave Carter Barracks for their D-Day transit camp, May 1944.
Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / e002852749

Col. C.P. Stacey’s 1946 history of 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in Normandy describes the expectations of high command chillingly. For the purposes of the invasion, the Canadians operated as a component of the British 6th Airborne Division, assigned to blow up bridges, seize crossroads and establish advance observation posts deep in enemy territory. The War Office estimated, Stacey wrote, “that the wastage for the first month would be at the double intense rate, i.e., 50 per cent of War Establishment for officers and 40 per cent for other ranks.”

With regard to the Canadian airborne, this accounting proved largely accurate: 541 men from the battalion left England to be dropped into the battle of Normandy, the enumerated casualties for June 6 alone were two “presumed killed,” 18 dead, six wounded, and 81 taken prisoner. The unit lost no more to capture after the first day, but by June 17, when the battalion was removed from the front line for the first time, the other categories had swelled to 48 killed and 113 wounded. Stacey’s calculation of the actual “wastage” rate is that it was 59 per cent for officers and 39 per cent for other ranks.

If you have read about the paras, it is perhaps not the casualty figures that strike you so much as the unique Gothic horror of their particular experience of D-Day. The Americans’ use of parachute attacks in Sicily had taught planners that putting soldiers right on the intended drop zone never went as well as in training. Pilots who were comfortable flying slow and at suitable height over Fort Benning inevitably found themselves less cool over enemy terrain dotted with anti-aircraft guns and small arms.

In some cases evasive manoeuvres flung the airborne infantry out of the hatch without warning. Meanwhile, flat areas that had looked like green fields in photos turned out to be algae-covered swamps, some intentionally flooded by the Germans. Anyone who had volunteered for the paratroops in the hope of avoiding drowning could be in for a dreadful surprise. The historian Dan Hartigan, son of a 1st Battalion vet of the same name, describes a close shave for Sgt. W.R. Kelly, later killed in the Battle of the Bulge. “One man found Sergeant Kelly hanging upside down with his head in the water, from a huge deadwood tree. … The canopy had caught on a limb and suspended Kelly so he was submerged from the top of his head to his neck.” Kelly was rescued by a nearby comrade, but some soldiers in similar predicaments dropped alone and were not so lucky. In darkness and confusion, others landed badly, broke limbs, and were out of action at once.

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