Tanks (since 1945) - Great Britain: books - history, types and construction

British Battle Tanks : Post-war Tanks 1946-2016

This book, the last in a four-part series on British Battle Tanks covering the whole history of British armoured warfare, concentrates on those vehicles that have served following the end of World War II up to the present day.
Starting with the Centurion, the title explores those types that equipped the armoured divisions lined up on the German plains to resist any potential Soviet offensive, as well as in Korea and Suez, including the Chieftain and Conqueror, and modern tanks such as the Challenger 2 which are still in service today.

Covering the many variants of these and other tanks in British service as well as their deployments around the world, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, this illustrated volume is a comprehensive guide to the development of British tanks since the Second World War.

Scorpion CVR(T) Manual - An insight into the design, construction and operation (Haynes Military Manual)

The CVRT (Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance Tracked) family of reconnaissance vehicles has been highly successful since its introduction by the British Army in 1972 and it has seen extensive combat from the Falklands War to Afghanistan. Its variants include the lead vehicle, Scorpion, armed with a 76mm gun and the 30mm-armed Scimitar that were both employed in the reconnaissance role with Spartan as an armoured personnel carrier.

Supported by more than 250 photographs and illustrations, Simon Dunstan tells the story of CVRT's development, its anatomy, combat record and how it is operated and maintained by the armies of 16 nations worldwide. The full range of Scorpion variants including Scimitar, Spartan, Striker, Sultan, Samaritan and Stormer are covered, as well several other specialised versions and export models to over a dozen nations.

Scorpion Reconnaissance Vehicle 1972-1994 (Osprey)

The Scorpion reconnaissance vehicle was part of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (CVR) series first devised in the mid-1960s. Designed to be light enough to be carried and parachute-dropped if necessary, the CVR, with the designation 'tracked' added, entered service with the British Army in 1972. Since then the Scorpion and its variants - the Scimitar, Striker, Spartan, Samaritan, Sultan and Sampson - have seen action in many theatres. Backed by numerous photographs and colour plates,

This book examines the development and design of the Scorpion, detailing its firepower, forms of protection, performance in combat and variants.

Contents: Design and Development - Technical Description - Firepower - Protection - The CVR(T) in British Service - Modifications and Variants.

The Royal Armoured Corps in the Cold War 1946-1990 - Rare photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)

The Royal Armoured Corps' composition may have changed dramatically during the four and a half decades of The Cold War but its role in the nation's defence has been predominant.

This highly informative book focuses on the deployment of the British Army's armoured regiments from the end of the Second World War, their vehicles and equipment, the creation of the British Army of the Rhine, NATO commitments and other peripheral missions.

The characteristics and variants of the Centurion, the powerful but short lived Conqueror, the Chieftain and Challenger are covered in expert text and by numerous images. The RAC in the Cold War is a tribute to the men who served in these famous regiment and their stories make fascinating reading.

Chobham Armour - Cold War British Armoured Vehicle Development

Through much of World War II British tanks and armored vehicles were outmatched by the German tanks they encountered and this led to the British Army placing much emphasis on ensuring that the same situation would not arise again if the Cold War turned hot. The task of developing the Main Battle Tanks and supporting armored vehicles to out-range and quickly destroy the Soviet threat fell to the scientists and engineers at the Fighting Vehicle Research and Development Establishment on Chobham Common near to Chertsey, UK. It was the design authority for all British Military vehicles for most of the period.

This is a comprehensive overview of the work of the Military Vehicles Research and Development Establishment on Chobham Common, which provided armored vehicles for the British Army from 1945 to its close in 2004. Military vehicle and equipment expert William Suttie draws extensively on official MOD reports to tell the story of the development of the British Cold War armor, such as the Centurion, Chieftain, Challenger, and many other wheeled and tracked armored vehicles that served the British Army of The Rhine.
The vehicles developed at the Chertsey site were never used for their intended purpose on the plains of North-west Germany, but have proved their worth in British operations in places like Korea, Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as in the hands of other users around the world.