The History of Armor LTC Oakland McCulloch

Outline Why Tanks Interwar Years – Swinton, Fuller, Hart, Guderian, Soviets – How Budgets & WWI experience Impacted Armor Development World War II – Blitzkrieg – Combined Arms – Organization Armored Vehicles of World War II and Beyond

World War I Tanks and Tactics Why tanks No man’s land Massive casualties A replacement for Cavalry for exploitation of success An answer to the technological advances in artillery and machinegun Break the stalemate The History of Armor

World War I Tanks and Tactics 1915 Little Willie given road trials in September Mother Tank approved for development Major-General Sir Ernest Swinton Coined the name “Tank” First attempt to develop a Tank was in 1912 An Infantry support weapon – moving pillbox The History of Armor 1916 Tank Corps created – never more than 20,000 Armor plate developed & Short barreled 6 pound gun 20 Mother tanks tested & 50 new ones ordered

World War I Tanks and Tactics 1918 First American Offensive at Cantigny Germany Surrenders 1917 Disastrous British and French attacks Outbreak of French Mutiny Introduction of Hutier offensive tactics on Eastern Front Battle of Cambrai and the first use of Tanks Marginal success due to terrain & lack of cooperation The History of Armor

Mother Tank The History of Armor Little Willie AV-7 Schneider

Armor in the Interwar Years Major-General J.F.C. Fuller A Tank Army B.H. Liddell Hart Expanding Torrent Theory Armor used against Artillery, Headquarters & Log Centers General Heinz Guderian Put Hart’s ideas into practice - Blitzkrieg Combined Arms Warfare Organization of Armored Force The Soviet Model Operational Maneuver Groups & Deep Attacks The History of Armor

The Impact of Budgets & WWI Experience on Armor Development Britain and France Existing Armored Forces & Tactics Appeasement United States No money for the military Use of tanks as an Infantry support weapon Reverts back to horse Cavalry Germany and the Soviet Union No existing Armored Forces & no pre-determined ideas Worked together in secret to develop new vehicles and tactics

The History of Armor Armored Forces in World War II Germany A well designed Armored Vehicle Organization of Armored Divisions Combined Arms Warfare Armor, Motorized Infantry, Artillery, Aviation, Logistics Blitzkrieg Radio and Command & Control Everyone Else in WW II Inferior Armored Vehicles Poor organization Poor command & control Poor tactics

The History of Armor Char B1 Matilda II PzKw IV Panzer Tiger T-34 Sherman Panther

The Evolution of Modern Armor

The History of Armor Questions ?