David Fletcher Tank Chats

Doubling up from 2T, as I don't doubt a few here would be interested.

The blessed Mr Fletcher is doing a series of short films for The Tank Museum.
#1 - A13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjacUnmi2iY

 

great...not too short, not too long, detailed pics,etc....thank you

 

Nice.
...The best tank they had at that time.
High velocity gun with poor HE?
Notice the rivets. Did Germany have any riveted tanks at that time?

Did not know it had spaced armour.

 

good question on rivets...? and if Germans used no rivets, why? I mean why not regards to production, not safety..we know humans and ricocheted rivets don't go together...can you say that 3 times fast?

 

2pdr was indeed a fine HV gun, for it's time, the fact it's time was extended rather beyond it's usefulness doesn't take that away from it.

Riveted German Armour? Pz.35 & 38, Leicchtraktor, Grosstraktor, Neubaufahrzeug spring to mind. Sort of depends on what is meant by 'riveted' though.
The Germans had focused on welding as an ideal (though I sometimes suspect largely due to a lack of facility for large castings), and had ploughed research into interlocking plate and decent toughness welding quite early on. If done well, there are obvious advantages to welding, though It's debatable (ad nauseum) how good that German welding actually was, even quite early on in it's application, but that's a different matter.

Everything's a compromise though. Many machines of the period a mix of cast, riveted, welded, bolted, whatever (Sentinel the biggest/thickest single castings? memory fails. Might be M4a1, but I'm sure the Sentinel had a casting claim to fame). My main thought would really be that, other than the potential combat strike 'popping' limitations of riveting (something the British tried to confirm in testing with, if I recall, somewhat inconclusive results) there's a more pressing practical concern: as the armour gets thicker and heavier, the rivet has to become a size suitable for battleships, but a tad too chunky for a tank. Eventually welding or casting starts to appeal more and more. Complex sloping shapes also maybe a bit easier.

 

A very nice video, I look forward to more.

Some other early cast tanks were the Matilda II and the M3A1 version of the Grant. I believe the French made use of castings on the Char B and perhaps on the R35 and H35/39 series as well.

 

Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to more entries on the series. Very informative.

 

#2 - Carden Loyd Carrier:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAKoCR6Ttr0

 

There is a Carden Loyd Carrier sitting out front of the Ft McLeod Legion.
It is small. Surprised it was a useful tool.
The Legion in McLeod could use an infusion. Sometimes money doesn't go where it is intended. There was a kerfuffel there a few years back. Dirty business.

 

I love Mr. Fletcher, he is both informative and (in an understated way) amusing. The adjective "fubsy" comes to mind.

And as for his comments...talk about damning with faint praise!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkIdWRyvni0

 

#4 Vickers E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVP2TPkcufs

 

"One of the most stupid things the British Army ever did, but never mind."

That's why I love Mr. Fletcher.

 

Plus he really rocks the stache!

 

Five Stars for this thread. Nice find.

 

Certainly does.

Seems idiotic to me that his excellent HMSO books are out of print.
I gradually acquired them all, at no small cost, and think they're some of the best writing on armoured things there is.

 

#12
The engine was in front... makes for good protection, Israel did the same thing with the Merkava.
Lessons learned in combat- making their way to the drawing board.

 

CVR(t) series was also front-engined.
S-tank has both engines up front too, along with a few others, but it was never a particularly popular choice for a variety of reasons.
Israel was obsessed with crew survivability, so more prepared to make compromises in that direction.

 

It is a pity that there are not any more. I don't know if there is a plan to develop these further. Capturing the knowledge of experts like David Fletcher is really important. The RA Museum lost a similarly knowledgeable expert who died of cancer without anyone capturing five minutes from him on each Rotunda exhibit.

 

When he commentates at Tankfest, you have the impression that he's speaking without notes, and could give you a decent fifteen minutes of free-wheeling anecdote no matter which vehicle entered the arena.

Funny business isn't it, the 'living treasure'. Nobody wants to offend by asking, but you really hope some remarkable people have very much got their papers in order.