Western Desert British tank doctrine

[Freebird]

I thought this was worthy of a new topic.

To me the priorities are
1) Get the doctrine right
2) Adjust the TO&E to optimise the doctrine (all arms).

What doctrine TO E changes do you recommend?

 

[parsifal]

Well, this is one ocasion where straight emulation would have done a world of good. Quite simply we should have copied the germans to the last detail, or perhaps even the Americans with their RCT (Combat Commands) concepts. Basically it meant abandoning every misconception that had grown up in the british doctrine to that point. Tanks were not metal horses, they didnt "charge" things, and they didnt go out their way to engage enemy tanks. The Infantry advanced in front of the tanks, not the other way around. Instead of two regiments of armour to one battalion of Infantry, the ratio should have been at least two regiments of Infantry for every three bns of armour.

Tanks should attack together, and the aim is not the destruction of the enemy, it should be the dislocation of his rear areas, his command and control, logistics and communications networks

A fundamentally different approach, in other words