Tanks

Awesome... we'll have an international tour giving network.
Except you have to take the DMZ tour alone. I'm not allowed in there.
 
Come over I will give you a tour. I actually work there(sort of)

Love to, the logistics will take some sorting out we have been looking at heading to Turkey at some point (more than likely to correspond with ANZAC day) and then a short visit to both Egypt and Jordan so it would make sense to attach Israel onto that.
 
Would or could anyone answer a question for me? Was the Comet tank available in late 1944 or were they only available in 1945?

I've read contrary opinions on this question and if they were available in 44, what month and in what actions?
 
Would or could anyone answer a question for me? Was the Comet tank available in late 1944 or were they only available in 1945?

I've read contrary opinions on this question and if they were available in 44, what month and in what actions?

The information I have is that the first unit equipped with the tank was the British 11th Armoured Division, in early December 1944 and that they were still refitting when the Ardennes Offensive began but were recalled to the front using its old tanks.

In early January 1945 the unit was again withdrawn for refitting and training with the Comet and returned to the front on 17th Feb 1945 to support the Rhineland invasion, the 11th Division was the only division to have all it's units re-equiped with the Comet.
Other regiments first received them after the Rhine Crossing in March 1945.

Sources:
The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979



So the answer to your question is that the Comet was available in numbers in September 1944 but never saw action in numbers until early 1945.
 
The information I have is that the first unit equipped with the tank was the British 11th Armoured Division, in early December 1944 and that they were still refitting when the Ardennes Offensive began but were recalled to the front using its old tanks.

In early January 1945 the unit was again withdrawn for refitting and training with the Comet and returned to the front on 17th Feb 1945 to support the Rhineland invasion, the 11th Division was the only division to have all it's units re-equiped with the Comet.
Other regiments first received them after the Rhine Crossing in March 1945.

Sources:
The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979


So the answer to your question is that the Comet was available in numbers in September 1944 but never saw action in numbers until early 1945.

Thanks for clearing some of this up for me. One of the sources i had stated the Comet was put into action piecemeal from Autumn to Winter 44. Another source said none of them saw action until early 45. Its quite a discrepancy. Your answer states the Comet was available in numbers in September 44. Did you mean to type December instead of September?
 
Thanks for clearing some of this up for me. One of the sources i had stated the Comet was put into action piecemeal from Autumn to Winter 44. Another source said none of them saw action until early 45. Its quite a discrepancy. Your answer states the Comet was available in numbers in September 44. Did you mean to type December instead of September?

Nope I meant September, the problem is that those vehicles were spread out between the factories in Britain and the rear depots in France, it wasn't until early December that they had concentrated enough vehicles and parts in France to start reequiping and training a unit (11th Armoured).

I imagine that between June 1944 and the end of the war space on vessels crossing the channel was always prioritised with consumables and day to day needs of the front at the top with and vehicle projects or "non-essentials" filling up whatever space was left over.

I certainly wont say that no Comet saw action earlier than 1945 as I imagine they would have pressed everything they could find into action during the battle of bulge but the first "official" use of the Comet was by the 11th Armoured Division in support of the Rhineland Operations.
 
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