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from the if-it's-silly-but-it-works,-it's-not-silly dept.
Here's a story of the interestingly designed tanks that helped the Allies win on the D-day beaches of Dieppe. Tanks designed by an unconventional thinker (but who wants to think conventionally?). This is the story of 'Hobart's Funnies'. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160603-the-strange-tanks-that-helped-win-d-day
On 19 August 1942, Allied armies put their plan for an invasion of Occupied Europe to the ultimate test – by landing troops on the beaches and trying to capture a French port [Dieppe].
The landings were a disaster.
In less than 10 hours, more than 60% of the 6,000 British, Canadian and American troops who landed on the beach were either killed, wounded or captured. All of of the 28 tanks which came ashore alongside them – essential if the troops were going to be able break through the German strongpoints – were knocked out. Many were stranded, unable to move on the loose shingle, and picked off by anti-tank guns.
The failure of the Dieppe landings provided many lessons. Trying to capture a heavily defended port was likely to fail, commanders realised. Troops would have to land on sandy beaches, and their tanks would have to be able to make their way across these beaches and punch holes through the seawalls or other concrete obstacles the Germans had built up.
One man, it turned out, had a solution. And two years later, his fleet of highly specialised – and often bizarre-looking tanks – would be one of the major reasons why the D-Day landings were a success.
My personal favourite: the Sherman DD swimming tank. Or as the Americans discovered, the Sherman submarine.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 08 2016, @08:23PM
Great story. More please.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Wednesday June 08 2016, @11:30PM
One of the best shows i've seen is the BBC's/James Burke's show 'Connections'.
One episode is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v9WoIB_XQE&list=PLA50AB7N5S7f0KKWIQ-OIRlbuI40Ggao- [youtube.com] (it seems the BBC is doing a lot of 'take downs' on this series, especially the 1st series/season (the best, in my opinion).
Worth watching every episode, one way or another.
He takes you through history, from one discovery/invention/action to another, piecing together the puzzles of need and science.
(How did we get to the point where we can fly 200 tons of cargo anywhere in the world? Because Timothy J. Buttfrack in Eastern-South Nowhere found a stone that left a mark of THIS colour when gold is rubbed against it, which told you the gold you are being given in trade for your cow is REAL gold, not a gold/silver amalgam. From there, .......square sail/lateen sail...... pine tar/coal tar/copper bottom ships...... compass....... a 'glory' as seen from the top of Ben Nevis........)
Totally brilliant, IMHO.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 09 2016, @02:58PM
You can get all three Connections series, plus The Day The Universe changed from Netflix if you have their DVD-by-mail subscription. One of the first things I did after I got mine. Each series is 5 DVDs or so, but totally worth it if you're a fan.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 09 2016, @01:23AM
Yes, thank you. This tank history nicely compliments the novel I've been reading -- Nevil Shute, "Requiem for a Wren". Much of the story is a flashback, to the southern coast of England in the buildup before D-Day. The characters see all sorts of odd tanks, a wide variety of landing craft, and repair different kinds of ordinance. Excellent read, like all Nevil Shute books, although the language of the period might offend tender minds.