Taming the Panzers; Monty's Tank... | Buy

Summary

During the desperate days of May 1940 that ended with the fall of France, the 3rd Battalion Royal Tank Regiment was sent to Calais in support of 30th Infantry Brigade where it played a vital role in the week-long defence of Calais. In helping to stem the inexorable advance by German panzers, the battalion was uniquely praised by Churchill for giving the BEF much-needed extra time for the crucial evacuation from Dunkirk's beaches to be effected.Reformed and refitted by the spring of 1941, 3 RTR returned to Europe to fight the panzers once again, this time in the ill-fated Greek campaign, where it became the only RTR unit to see combat.The surviving officers and men of 3 RTR embarked for Egypt at the end of April where they came under the command of General Montgomery, 3 RTR fought again in all the main North African desert battles, including the major turning point engagements at Alam Halfa and El Alamein.It helped to halt the panzers in the Ardennes and, as the only RTR unit in the British Army to be equipped with brand new Comet tanks, took part in the many river crossing battles on its way to the Baltic - and on to the end of the war in Europe.

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Big Willie (Mother), Little Willie and the Savage Rabbits

(15)

Between the Wars--wearing the Brunswick Green

(6)

Calais--`a terrible way to start a war'

(18)

The Greek Campaign--`The Stukas' Playground'

(22)

The Desert War--preparation for Operation `Crusader'

(7)

Operation `Crusader'--`40 days in the wilderness'

(12)

The Battle of Gazala--Operation `Buckshot'

(17)

Operation `Gamebirds'--Battle of Alam Halfa

(8)

Operation `Lightfoot'--`a most desperate day'

106

(9)

Operation `Supercharge'--`dogged by lack of night training'

115

(5)

First Regimental Armoured Group into Tripoli

120

(6)

Breaking the Mareth Line--`El Hamma or bust'

126

(7)

Mareth to Tunis--`only the two Thirds fighting'

133

(3)

End of the Desert War and a `Wearing of the Green'

136

(6)

Countdown to `Overlord'--`so many of my old friends'

142

(6)

Operation `Epsom'--enlarging the bridgehead

148

(5)

Countdown to Operation `Goodwood'

153

(4)

`Goodwood' Day One--`dark shapes rolled on the ground'

157

(6)

`Goodwood' Day Two--`engaged enemy guns at point-blank range'

163

(4)

Operation `Bluecoat'--`some beautiful stonking'

167

(5)

Breakout across Normandy--`Charge! Go like hell'

172

(3)

Operation `Supercharge II'--the `Great Swan'

175

(4)

Operation `Sabot'--the capture of the vital Boom bridges

179

(4)

The Capture of Antwerp--`the right way to fight a war'

183

(4)

Autumn in the waterlogged Peel country

187

(5)

Operation `Nutcracker', and the brand new Comet

192

(2)

Christmas 1944--3rd Tanks in the Ardennes: `our god-dam show'

194

(7)

Operations `Varsity' and `Plunder'--`reaping the whirlwind'

201

(9)

Heading for the Baltic--`I knew the Third would come'

210

(3)

Envoi

213

(1)

Appendix: Abridged talk by Lieutenant-Colonel H. Pyman DSO, February 1943

214

(1)

Bibliography

215

(1)

Index

216

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