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"Taming the Panzers"


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I'm currently reading this book, by Patrick Delaforce, on 3 RTR, and it's throwing up a few interesting points which run counter to common knowledge. I wondered if any here could comment on a few points:

Stuarts are described as not having HE shells for it's 37mm, and earlier reports in France report that HE had not been issued. Taken together, this implies the existance of 2pdr HE.

6pdr armed Crusaders at the time of Supercharge are reportedly equipped with both AP and HE shells.

Could these be accurate, or poor research on the part of the author?

As an interesting aside, one of the excerpts quoting the tankers of 3 RTR praises the Crusader above the Stuart as a light tank, which is faintly surprising.

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I wouldn't be shocked if there were early Stuarts running around without HE, given some of the doctrinal wierdness early in the war. Most of the Sturarts anti-infantry power comes from the 3 MGs. At the same time, I would be surprised if that carried all the way to France rather than just in Africa. Maybe supply problems were to blame? I don't know that 37mm HE would be first on my shopping list after D-Day.

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Originally posted by flamingknives:

6pdr armed Crusaders at the time of Supercharge are reportedly equipped with both AP and HE shells.

NZ Gunners first started recieving the 6-pr in June/July 1942, and propmtly started figuring out how to go about using it for indirect fire :rolleyes: IIRC, 6-pr HE was available through most of 1942, but was subsequently withdrawn for fear of wearing out the barrels. Then someone had a reality check and it was reintroduced it.

It seems that the Recce troops preferred to remove the Stuarts turret to reduce the profile thus creating the Stuart Recce.
They probably kept a mix. The Recce versions were also handy for hauling supplies at or near the front line, and for moving small parties of men around.

It also appears that armoured regiments kept their AA troops up until late July '44
In NWE, yes - the Luftwaffe weren't up to much, and they needed the men. Not sure about Italy.

Regards

JonS

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