Then youll begin the specialist training you need to become a driver. Yet they were cheap enough to be built in large numbers. The royal corps of transport consisted of a number of different specialist trades. The driver is the most important role of the crew, if the driver goes wrong way, the enemy round pierces your weak armor, ripping your crew bits by bits inside and your tanks engine begins to aflame, burning inside. A tank transporter is a combination of a heavy tractor unit and mating semitrailer, typically of the lowboy type, used for transporting tanks. Jun 05, 20 to help them carry out their duties british military personnel and visiting members of the armed forces have a number of driving exemptions. The driver is responsible for controlling the tank when travelling and, most importantly, for manoeuvring during battle. Reconnaissance troops are an essential element in the gathering of battlefield intelligence. Four ex british army comet tanks were delivered to the irish army in 1959 and a further four in 1960. Driving force a unique insight into the world of a challenger tank. The royal logistics corps the biggest corps in the british army. The second was the persian gulf war era challenger 1, which was the british army s main battle tank mbt from the early 1980s to the mid1990s. The british army were pioneers in tank combat but by 1939 it could be argued they were behind the times in terms of strategy and tactics, their methods based on the trench warfare of world war i.
Tax paying money is being wasted on useless advertisements for the british army. The british army entered world war ii with an array of poor designs and hobbled by poor doctrine. Exemptions to driving rules for military drivers gov. As well as providing a physical advantage, the royal tank regiment plays an important psychological role. Borglum and his father decided it would be fun to start collecting british army vehicles. Jun 02, 2015 british tank crushes german teenage learners car 18yearold german driver drove into a column of british tanks travelling through the small town of augustdorf, but escaped unharmed. They also wanted to buy a platform armored fighting vehicle. Military proficiency, trade, occupation and qualification embroidered cloth patches for sale. The m1 armor crewman is responsible for operating armored equipment such as the m1a2 abrams to destroy enemy positions.
Armoured regiments are responsible for what the british army call shock attack on the battlefield. I type a was used in north west europe during 1945. Challenger 2 cr2 is the british armys main battle tank. As a result of this, when the second world war began in september 1939, the vast majority of the tanks available to the british army were mk vis there were 1,002 mk vi light tanks. In service since 1998, the british army s challenger 2 main battle tank is reaching middle age, and the ministry of defence is looking to extend its life until 2025. The birmingham railway carriage and wagon company was the design parent of the british cromwell tank and the a34 cruiser tank comet.
The comet was armed with a 77 mm hv gun and 2 besa 7. The regiments of the royal armoured corps form the core of the british armys mounted close combat capability. Tank driver in france, 1944 by raf cosford roadshow. In 1914, a british army colonel named ernest swinton and william hankey, secretary of. Find the perfect gulf war british army 1991 stock photo. An order for a further 259 tanks and 9 driver trainers worth. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the british armys 12th armoured. Eventually you can even qualify to command your own tank. They are trained in the art of information gathering by stealth, both from vehicles and on foot, providing information 24hours a day to commanders in all weather conditions. I was in my last year in school and knew i needed to apply for a job for when i left school. The fv4034 challenger 2 mod designation cr2 is a third generation british main battle tank mbt in service with the armies of the united kingdom and oman.
Basically, your weak armored tank is going up against germanys tanks that were engineered to become your worst enemy beside japanese suicide attackers rolling under your tank and priming the explosives. British tank crushes german teenage learners car 18yearold german driver drove into a column of british tanks travelling through the small town of augustdorf, but escaped unharmed. The royal tank regiment rtr is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the british army in 1916 during the first world war. British army reduced to one single tank regiment the.
Bae systems bid provides glimpse into the future of. What was it like to be a tank driver in the british army in. There are a total of 14 korean war tanks 19501953 entries in the military factory. Jun 02, 2015 berlin, germany a young driver had a lucky escape when her toyota car was partially crushed by a tank. The 10 regular and 4 reserve regiments are descendants of the famous cavalry regiments who rode into battle on horseback and of the royal tank regiment, who manned the very first tanks during the great war world war 1. Some also function as tank recovery vehicles, the tractors of which may be armored for protection in combat conditions. Centurion a41 main battle tank mbt military factory. Since the end of the cold war, the british army has been deployed to a number of conflict zones, often as part of an.
The 18yearold german motorist encountered a convoy of british military vehicles in the. Tankdriving grounds of the 51st and 56th army training regiments. The m1 armor crewman 19k is responsible for loading and firing guns, and operating armored equipment to destroy enemy positions. Our fv101 scorpion light tank is our newest addition, having previously served in the british army as an armored reconnaissance tank. A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle designed for frontline combat. The fv432 can be converted for use in water, when it has a speed of 6kmh.
John smith, extank crewman, challenger 2, british army. They are a mainstay of modern 20th and 21st century ground forces and a key part of combined arms combat. Youll get to work in different roles including driver, gunner and loader. The ministry of defence say that they will keep a number of tanks in storage and will be able to regenerate if needed. While the british tanks had crews of up to 12, this one was controlled by a driver sitting in the front and the turret by the commandergunner directly behind him. Some also function as tank recovery vehicles, the tractors of which may be armored for protection in combat conditions used on the road, tank transporters limit the wear on tracks and drive trains of tracked vehicles. These badges are also made in different materials depending on the pattern of. Mariya vasilyevna oktyabrskaya was born into a peasant family on the crimean. The first commander of the tank corps was hugh elles.
One of the biggest challenges in this respect was not being hit by bullets or rpgs. Only five percent of challenger 2 components are interchangeable with its predecessor, which has had more than 150 major modifications including a completely new turret, l30 charm 120mm gun and second generation. Instead, the commander used a series of kicks to relay instructions to the driver seated below him. News uk home news british army reduced to one single tank regiment. This british light tank was designed to be fast and nimble and with a top speed of 51 mph. The corps was created by combining cavalry units and the royal tank. You need to assume a platoon level ranks for four tanks. Browse army roles find your perfect fit british army jobs. It includes small arms, combat vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, artillery and transport vehicles. As part of the tank and armor unit, they are ready to defend our country anywhere in the world. The british army is the principal land warfare force of the united kingdom, a part of british armed forces. The bradley fighting vehicle brings infantry squads to the fight and helps protect them against armored opponents. Desert ubacs new british army under body armour combat shirt. Highlights from the 2016 sullivan cup best tank crew competition, held at ft.
It was up to the driver to, using whatever he had available to him, keep the tank running. The british army did have a very good working environment back in 2012. The boxer armoured vehicle and the british army think defence. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order 1toz. Us army best tank crew competition sullivan cup youtube. It combines speed, momentum, firepower and reconnaissance capabilities with armoured fighting vehicles such as the challenger 2 main battle tank and jackal fighting vehicle. Teen drivers car crushed by british tank in augustdorf, germany. This is a list of regiments within the british army s royal armoured corps during world war ii on the creation of the corps in 1939, just before the outbreak of world war ii, it comprised those regular cavalry and territorial army yeomanry regiments that had been mechanised, together with the royal tank regiment.
Apr 08, 2011 this entry was posted on october 4, 2009 at 12. Located in uvalde texas on the ox ranch we are the only place in the world where you can drive and shoot real tanks, artillery, and machine guns in one location. The tank entered service with the british army in 1998, with the last delivered in 2002. Exarmy tank driver, 42, with 26 different driving licences is turned. 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 rollsroyce meteor, and reasonable armour. Army drivers are trained to maintain, service and drive these. The cr2 is based on the challenger 1 tank, which served with distinction on operations in the gulf war and the balkans. Equipped with challenger 2 or main battle tanks, these. The new face of war in the 1990 s this british tank driver was a member of the 1st armoured division. The main battle tank thus took on the role the british had once called the universal tank, exemplified by the centurion, filling almost all battlefield roles.
What is it like being a tank crewman in the british army. An army tank commander leads a crew of soldiers to operate a tank on the battlefield. This is how hitlers panzerfaust became a world war ii tank. My time at the royal tank regiment british army rtr. Ex army tank driver, 42, with 26 different driving licences is turned down from 790 jobs carl bear randelleyre, 42, served with the armed forces for 23 years he can drive tanks, cranes, trucks. This is the 3rd comet to come off the production line photo. Vintage us army tank recognition blueprint aid design from the 1980s to help soldiers identify tanks and armored fighting vehicles both friendly and enemy on the battlefield with schematic style blueprints of the main battle tanks and other combat vehicles with statistics and description, ideal gift for model makers and collectors of historical and moden war machines and tank. The scorpion saw combat in the falklands and gulf wars. Driver was the primary trade of the rct and as such private soldiers held the rank driver. We enjoyed all of the time that we spent driving the tanks, firing the machine guns and especially for all the time everybody spent answering our questions and telling us all the stories. See what its like to drive a tank and hear from our tank crewmen. A powerful engine, heavy armour, and massive firepower. The royal armoured corp is the modern day version of the cavalry who would have ridden into battle on horseback. The contribution by civilian men and women to the british war effort was acknowledged with the use of the term home front to describe the battles that were being fought on a domestic level with rationing, recycling, and war work, such as in munitions factories and farms, which allowed more young men to join the military.
The tank crews are a unique part of the british army and they have a certain style, often coming across as elitist, eccentric or a walking pamphlet. If you join as a regular soldier over 17 years 1 month, youll do the regular 14week adult basic training. The british mark v tank was an upgraded version of the mark iv tank. British army cloth trade badges are embroidered onto different coloured backings depending on regimental tradition. Theres a small community of collectors in the united states, so the men didnt. The royal armoured corps rac provides the armour capability of the british army. Soldiers are commonly assigned to an armored unit in support of army missions as a loader or driver for an m1 abrams tank. Severe budget cutbacks were to severely harm the service lives of. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. The light tanks were kept in use for training until around 1942. It consists of 77 headquarters squadron, 8 fuel squadron, 91 supply squadron based in aldershot and 19 tank transporter squadron based in bulford. Armoured vehicle driver training training army jobs. The corps saw much action at the battle of cambrai in.
Take your next step towards joining the british army. Great bunch of lads from tank drivers to tank commanders. A british army tank driver descends from a challengers 2. Tanks have heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield manoeuvrability provided by tracks and a powerful engine. The m1 armor crewman is responsible for operating armored. Our driver stops and instantly the rear is a mass of.
I was a lorry driver in civvy street before i joined, which enabled me to become a military driver more quickly than most of my colleagues as there was no licence acquisition involved. Nato has released a video unpacking the kit carried by the british army kings royal hussars, but what to do tankers carry on patrol. Miniarts 5th scale wwi era british military lorry btype miniart continues to build on their wwi and typeb series lines with this a new truck from. But the budget cuts, redundancy brackets along with the hit the economy is currently taking, the british army is at an all time low. Army puts boots on the ground, we back them up with treads. Modern tanks are versatile mobile land weapon system. Browse army roles, soldier, officer and reservist through the role finder to find your perfect fit. The design was somewhat similar in concept to multiturreted breakthrough tanks developed in europe in the 1920s and throughout the 1930s, such as the 1925 british vickers a1e1 independent or the soviet t35 of the early 1930s, albeit on a much more powerful scale. 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. The fv 430 family of armoured vehicles entered service with the british army in the 1960s, but regular maintenance and improvements including a new power train have enabled this old workhorse to remain in service into the 21st century. A tank commander and his driver sit in their ft17 light tank with the hatches open.
The m48 patton medium tank was the most common united states tank to be used during the vietnam war. Your little gunners seat or drivers cab will become your home for weeks on end. As a tank crewman youll drive and operate this amazing vehicle as part of a fourstrong team. In swiss army service, the tank was eventually given up for good for the newer german leopard 2 series. List of royal armoured corps regiments in world war ii. British women in wwii by world of tanks military history. Black overall tank regiment coverall genuine army issue boilersuit, used graded stock. The challenger 2 is the third vehicle of this name, the first being the a30 challenger, a world war ii design using the cromwell tank chassis with a 17pounder gun. Military trade, qualification and occupation badges. Rachael and i wanted to thank you and everybody else for their hospitality on saturday during the drive a tank event. The british developed the tank in response to the trench warfare of world war i.
Combat trousers ripstop soldier 95 style woodland dpm camo trousers new. Driver responsible for general duties and driver tasks. She was the first female tanker to be awarded the hero of the soviet union award. An american army light tank platoon consisted of five vehicles that were a combination of machine gun only and 37 mm cannon gun tanks. It was first deployed in 1918, used in action during the closing months of world war i, and in the allied intervention in the russian civil war on the white russian side, and by the red army, after they were captured. Heavy equipment transportermulti combination up to 110 tonnes to carry the abrams main battle tank a driver driver specialist dvr spec is a soldier who operates and manages army vehicles in combat support and combat service support roles, by day and by night, on all forms of roads including off road as required, carrying a variety of. Typical main battle tanks were as well armed as any other vehicle on the battlefield, highly mobile, and well armoured. Tank crews in wwii who did what in a tank military history. If you join as a junior soldier under 17 years 5 months, youll do a 49week basic military training course at harrogate. British army tank commander stuart hills experienced the panzerfausts power during the initial battles in northern belgium that preceded operation market garden. As the war progressed and further horsed regiments were mechanised, they joined. Watch all the action of a british army armoured vehicle driver training day. The wwi tank that helped change warfare forever bbc future.
Only five percent of challenger 2 components are interchangeable with its predecessor, which has had more than 150 major modifications including a completely new turret, l30 charm 120mm gun and second generation chobham armour. The noise inside a running tank was so loud the commander could not communicate with the driver. The north carolina army national guard tank crew placed 1st. The driver of the tank, a 24yearold british serviceman, wasnt able to bring his challenger 2 tank to a stop in time. In british army service, the centurion eventually gave way to the aforementioned chieftain main battle tank. A new recruits diary on joining the army as a tank driver. Tourists look on openmouthed as a 16tonne british army vehicle is taken for a drive round the streets of london twentyfoot long tank rolled past some of.
British tank crushes learner drivers car in germany bbc. Tanks and fighting vehicles the heavyweight champions of the battlefield. What was it like to be a tank driver in the british army. My time at the royal tank regiment british army rtr challenger 2 average joe airsoft. The four tcs would be slotted as a 1lt as the platoon leader, a sfc platoon sergeant, and two staff sergeants wingmen of the pl and psg. British tank crushes learner driver s car in germany. Armoured fighting vehicles of the irish army wikipedia.
The army relies on a wide range of vehicles to transport soldiers as well as supplies like fuel, ammunition, rations and spare parts. British army leave tank fest in convoy tank fest 2016 duration. Out on operation, the driver didnt have access to the tools, personnel or parts necessary to remedy damage taken during battle. Modern tanks are versatile mobile land weapon system platforms that have a mounted largecalibre cannon called tank gun in a rotating gun turret supp. Armoured vehicle driver training training army jobs youtube.
This wasnt as easy as it sounds, given that the gear setup of a tank in the 1940s was more akin to that of tractor than an automobile. A british army tank driver descends from a challengers 2 tank of the 5th battalion the rifles after the tank and other heavy vehicles arrived by ship at paldiski, estonia. Army tank commanders belong to the royal armoured corp. The fv4034 challenger 2 mod designation cr2 is a third generation british main battle. British tank crushes german teenage learners car telegraph. May 14, 2019 glider elements added another tactical advantage in that they could deliver heavier payloads namely jeeps, supplies and artillery but still there was no better solution in dealing with the new generation of enemy tank. The us army was already using some loaned french army renault ft tanks as well as a few british mk. This is a list of equipment of the british army currently in use. Jun 23, 2015 challenger 2 driver training toby davison. India, iraq, israel, kuwait, new zealand all retired their world war 2era centurions with other comparable modern types. Therefore the british army began looking into a modern airtransportable vehicle in the 1950s which lead to the fv4401.
Each member of the crew contributes to the commanders situational awareness. This is a quick introduction on how i joined the army and chose the regiment of my choice. Be part of a fourman crew who live, work and fight from the british army s most impressive armoured vehicle take on the only role in the british army that allows you to become a tank driver enjoy a varied role and opportunities to travel. As the allies make their final push in the european theatre, a battlehardened army sergeant named wardaddy brad pitt commands a sherman tank and her fiveman crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines.