Churchill Tanks

British Army, Northwest Europe, 1944–45

Dennis Oliver

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN:
  9781526710079
• Print ISBN:
  9781526710888

This fully illustrated study of these iconic WWII tanks will be "of great interest to history buffs and an inspirational aid to modelers" ( Toy Soldier & Model Figure).
Designed as a heavily armored tank which could accompany infantry formations, the Churchill Tank's ability to cross rough ground and climb seemingly unassailable hills became legendary. The tank first saw action in 1942 and the basic design was constantly reworked and up-gunned, culminating in the Mark VII version which was capable of taking on the heaviest German tanks.
In this volume of the TankCraft series, Dennis Oliver uses archive photographs and thoroughly researched, vividly presented color profiles to tell the story of these fearsome British tanks. A full color section features available model kits and accessories as well as aftermarket products. In addition to the color profiles there is a gallery of expertly constructed and painted models.
A separate section explains technical details and production modifications giving the modeler all the information and knowledge required to recreate an authentic reproduction of one of the tanks that contributed so much to the British effort in the battles for Normandy and the liberation of Europe.

THE ARMY TANK BRIGADES

The organisation of the tank brigades differed from the armoured brigades, officially at least, in not containing an integral infantry battalion. In June 1944 the tank brigades operating in Normandy, or waiting in England to be transported to France, were all equipped with Churchill tanks while the armoured brigades, were armed with the American Sherman. The single exception to this rule during the campaign in northern Europe was 22nd Armoured Brigade of 7th Armoured Division which was equipped, for the most part, with the Cromwell tank, the penultimate design in the Cruiser series. Unlike the armoured brigades, the Churchill squadrons of the tank brigades contained five troops and each squadron headquarters was allocated two close support tanks armed with the 95mm gun. The regiments of both types of brigade contained light tanks in their reconnaissance units and a number of anti-aircraft tanks, many of which were transferred to infantry formations as the campaign progressed. Some armoured brigades were attached to armoured divisions, but the mission of the independent formations was essentially the same, conforming to the doctrine of the Infantry Tank where regiments, squadrons and even troops were allocated to support infantry formations as the need arose. In late January 1945 a new organisation replaced the existing structure throughout the army and all brigades made up of units of the Royal Armoured Corps were from that time officially referred to as Armoured Brigades. These brigades could be either a Type A, which contained an infantry motor battalion and was permanently attached to a division, or a Type B which was independent and had no infantry element. The reader should note that when regiments or battalions are first mentioned I have endeavoured to use their full and correct titles as they were during the 1939-45 period. Subsequently they are referred to by generally-accepted abbreviations. As sources sometimes differ, I have employed the names given in Regulations for the Clothing of the Army, published in 1936 and amendments including that of October 1939. In the case of units raised during the war I have referred, wherever possible, to regimental histories.

6TH GUARDS TANK BRIGADE

Formed in September 1941 at the same time as 5th Guards Armoured Brigade, it was originally intended that these two formations form part of a Guards Armoured Division. It was very quickly realised, however, that the two-brigade armoured divisions were far too unwieldy and 6th Guards Armoured Brigade was detached and initially subordinated to 15th (Scottish) Division (1). This was in line with experimentation carried out during 1943 with mixed divisions with the view that each infantry division would eventually contain an armoured brigade. The scheme was dropped in September of the same year and the brigade was reorganised as an independent formation and renamed 6th Guards Tank Brigade.

The brigade was made up of 4th Battalion Grenadier Guards, 4th Battalion Coldstream Guards and 3rd Battalion Scots Guards. Unlike other armoured units, battalions of the Guards that had been converted to an armoured role maintained their infantry traditions by referring to squadrons by numbers and not letters. That is, No.1 Squadron contained Troops 1-5 while No.2 Squadron was made up of Troops 6-10 and Troops 11-15 were with No.3 Squadron. The exception to this was 3rd Scots Guards, which instead used the terms Right Flank Squadron, ‘S’ Squadron and Left Flank Squadron (1).

Churchill Mk IV tanks of 4th Grenadier Guards operating near St. Pierre-Tarentaine, a small town on the road from Vire to Villiers-Bocage, on 3 August 1944. In the original print of this photograph a name is just visible, although largely indecipherable, on the air intake of the nearest tank. It may be Finchley which is known to have been used, possibly by 5 Troop, from the account of Lieutentant Robert McCallum an officer of the battalion who served in France. The photograph on the following page was taken from the same series and shows Fulham, the third tank in line here, confirming that these vehicles are from the battalion’s 1st Squadron.

Notes

1. Some accounts suggest that the Guards brigade was never officially attached to 15th Division, however, a number of photographs exist where the division’s unit insignia is clearly marked on Churchills of the Grenadier Guards battalion during training in England in 1943.

Taken from the same series as the image reproduced on the previous page this photograph shows a Churchill Mk IV (75mm) of A Squadron, 4th Grenadier Guards. The tank’s name, Fulham, is clearly visible on the hull air Intake and although the squadron sign has been covered in what appears to be mud the shape and Troop number are still evident. This tank is also shown and discussed on page 25 of the illustration section.

In early 1943 the brigade was equipped throughout with the Churchill tank. Despite its later successes these early vehicles had been hurriedly developed and rushed into production and the Guardsmen found a good many faults with their new tanks. In fact it was necessary to introduce over seventy design modifications before the brigade fired its first shot in anger. The return figures for June 1944, which probably represent the numbers submitted as being on hand when the Guards prepared to land in France, show that the brigade was equipped with 182 Churchill tanks including 18 Mk V and Mk VIII models armed with the 95mm close-support gun. A full listing for each brigade for June and December 1944 is given on page 2.

An interesting account states that prior to the invasion the brigade’s workshops had fitted most, if not all, the 6pdr-equipped tanks with the 75mm gun that was standard on the Churchill Mk VII which was just then coming into service, the resulting conversion being referred to as Churchill Mk IV (75mm). When the 21st Army Group commander, Lieutenant-General Montgomery, learned of this he ordered that the original armament be replaced immediately and despite appeals from the brigade commander, Brigadier Lloyd-Verney, to both HM King George VI and the Prime Minister, it seems that Montgomery prevailed as 164 conversion kits were reported as being on hand in June 1944, presumably just before the brigade left England (2). The suggestion that the time taken to reverse the 75mm conversions meant that 6th Guards Tank Brigade could not take part in the initial landings, as some accounts suggest, is difficult to believe. The D-Day invasion was meticulously planned months in advance with, in some instances, individual tanks being allocated specific objectives.

The brigade arrived in Normandy on Thursday, 20 July 1944 and ten days later was in action near Caumont l’Éventé, between Villiers-Bocage and St Lo, in support of the 15th (Scottish) Division. It was here that British armoured units first encountered the German Jagdpanther when three of these powerful tank destroyers managed to knock out eleven Churchills of 3rd Scots Guards in a fierce firefight that lasted less than two minutes.

Despite these losses the battalion held its position and was reinforced during the hours of darkness by which time the 4th Grenadier Guards, with fresh infantry support, had managed to push on to the south and take Montchauvet.

Notes

1. In some accounts the battalion titles incorporate the word ‘Tank’ for example 4th Tank Battalion Grenadier Guards although a number official wartime documents refer to 4th Grenadier Guards (Tank Battalion). While I feel that the former is probably correct I will allow the reader to choose.

2. Montgomery had little regard for the Churchill or the concept of an infantry tank, regarding the Sherman as a ‘universal tank’ capable of providing both infantry support and taking on the enemy’s armour. Gerald Lloyd-Verney, a descendant of Henry VII, had a personal connection to the Royal Family having served as a court official during the First World War.

A Churchill Mk IV of 4th Grenadier Guards, 6th Guards Tank Brigade photographed in Le Tourneur with infantry of The Royal Scots Fusiliers, passing a destroyed German PzKw IV tank. The regiment’s arm of service sign of a green square with a white bar indicating Army level troops and white 152 unit serial number is clearly visible on the lower hull. The light coloured circle on the right-hand side is a bridge classification marking. The brigade’s formation badge, which was usually painted on the armoured plate next to the hull machine gun, appears to have been covered.

A Churchill Mk IV of 4th Grenadier Guards with infantrymen of The Royal Scots Fusiliers photographed on 3 August 1944 between Vire and Villers-Bocage. The brigade’s formation badge is visible on the left rear hull and a red, 1st Squadron sign enclosing a white troop number, has been painted onto the rear of the blanket box. The turret is almost completely covered in lengths of spare track, a process that would extend to much of the hull as the campaign continued.

Churchill tanks and crews of 4th Grenadier Guards, 6th Guards Tank Brigade with troops of the 10th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry from 15th (Scottish) Division photographed on 28 October just prior to the assault on Tilburg, east of Breda near the Dutch-Belgian border..

On Wednessday, 2 August 1944 the brigade commander, Brigadier Lloyd-Verney, left to take command of 7th Armoured Division which had so far, in Montgomery’s eyes at least, failed to live up to its illustrious reputation. In early August the brigade took part in the attacks on Estry, north-east of Vire, in support of the infantry regiments of 15th Division with a number of Churchill Crocodile and AVRE tanks from 79th Armoured Division. Several fierce actions took place here including a duel between a German Tiger and a Churchill of No.2 Squadron from the Grenadier Guards commanded by Lieutenant Lord Charles Oliver Fitzroy which only ended when the 21-year-old Fitzroy was killed by a sniper as his tank backed away. The village was eventually occupied on 12 August when the German defenders simply withdrew, almost a full week after the initial assault.

Also at this time elements of the brigade supported the Guards Armoured Division in Operation Grouse, an attempt to capture the high ground between Tinchebray and Condé-sur-Noireau around Mont de Cerisy, approximately 20 kilometres south-east of Vire. The Coldstream Guards, with the support of the Shermans of 2nd Battalion Irish Guards, quickly reached the village of Chênedollé which they found to their surprise to be unoccupied. Elsewhere, however, progress was slow and although the Vire-Vassy road was secured by the end of the first day British units were ordered to halt and consolidate their positions.

On 16 August 1944, the very day the Canadians took Falaise further narrowing the gap through which the Germans could retreat, the acting brigade commander, Sir Walter De Stopham Barttelot, was killed. His place was taken by Brigadier Walter D. C. Greenacre who commanded the brigade until the end of the war (1).

The brigade took part in the battles in Holland in September and October 1944, notably at Overloon were the Coldstream Guards acquired a German Panther in running order which after some repainting remained with the battalion. Christened Cuckoo by its new owners, the tank served with the battalion headquarters during the assault on Geijsteren castle, north of Venlo, in November 1944 and in the capture of Waldenrath in January 1945 during Operation Blackcock. The Guards were particularly impressed with the accuracy of the Panther’s 75mm gun and its ability to negotiate the ice-covered roads which many of the battalion’s Churchills found impassable. During the battles in the Reichswald in early 1945 the Panther’s fuel pump was irreparably damaged and lacking any spare parts, Cukcoo had to be abandoned. Of this period Brigadier Greenacre wrote to his wife: ‘Our battle goes slowly, we are meeting many mines and they take time to clear. The weather has been foul and so wet that most of the ground is too soft for tanks.’ These conditions would continue for some time.

Notes

1. Although referred to as a Brigadier in many accounts Barttelot had in fact been promoted from Major to temporary Lieutenant-Colonel and acting Brigadier to take the place of Lloyd-Verney when he left the brigade.

After the fighting for Overloon the brigade was involved in the capture of Venraij and Meijel, less than 20 kilometres from Venlo and the German frontier. The Scots Guards lost twenty-three tanks here to mines and the other battalions experienced similar losses. Although the battles in this area continued for some time the brigade was withdrawn from the frontline, moving to Helmond, west of Eindhoven, to rest and refit. On 2 February 1945 the brigade was formally renamed 6th Guards Armoured Brigade and classified as a Type B brigade which signified an independent formation without an attached infantry battalion. This was essentially a change in name only.

On 8 February 1945 the brigade took part in Operation Veritable, often referred to as the Battle of the Reichswald, a major offensive designed to breach the German defences along the Siegfried Line and trap the enemy units situated between the Maas and Rhine rivers. Once again supporting 15th (Scottish) Division the brigade’s tanks were to advance from Nijmegen and take the town of Kleve, an important road junction on the Rhine through which any German reserves would have to pass. Setting off in driving rain the Churchills of 4th Coldstream Guards, with the infantry of 46th Brigade carried in...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• The Army Tank Brigades
• Camouflage & Markings
• Model Showcase
• Modelling Products
• 1st Assault Brigade, Royal Engineers
• Technical Details and Modifications
• Appendix
• Product Contact List