The infantry tank was a concept developed by the British in the years leading up to World War II. They were generally more heavily armoured compared to the lighter cruiser tanks, which would allow them to operate in close concert with infantry to help them break through heavily defended areas in the enemy lines. Once they had opened a gap, the cruisers were expected to exploit their higher speed and longer range to range far behind the front in order to cut lines of supply and communications. In more conventional terminology, the infantry tank was essentially a heavy tank, while the cruisers were either mediums, lights, or even armoured cars. Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military dead: 8,000,000 Civilian dead: 4,000,000 Total dead 12,000,000 World War II (abbreviated WWII), or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict... Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets or shells, protecting the soldiers inside from enemy fire. ... The cruiser tank (also called cavalry tank or fast tank) was a British tank design concept of the inter-war period. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ... Tank classification can be done either by weight or by role. ... Tank classification can be done either by weight or by role. ... The US M1A1 Abrams tank is a typical modern main battle tank. ... Military armored cars A French VBL reconnaissance vehicle. ...

The split between the infantry tank and cruisers had its origins in World War I division between British heavy tanks and the faster Whippet Medium Mark A and its successors the Medium Mark B and Medium Mark C. During the interbellum British tank experiments generally followed these basic classifications, which were made part of the overall war doctrine with the work of Percy Hobart and Basil Liddell Hart. Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Franz... A Mark I tank on 26 September 1916 (moving left to right). ... General characteristics Length: 20ft/6. ... General characteristics Length 22 ft 9 in, 6. ... General characteristics Length: (25ft 10in) 7. ... An interbellum is a period between wars. ... Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart (14 June 1885-19 February 1957) was a British military engineer and commander of the 79th Armoured Division during World War II. He was responsible for many of the specialised armoured vehicles (Hobarts Funnies) that took part in the invasion of Normandy. ... The military historian Basil Liddell Hart. ...

Since the infantry tanks were to work at the pace of the infantry units, which would be attacking on foot, high speed was not a requirement and they were able to carry heavier armour. The first two purpose-designed infantry tanks, the Mark I "Matilda" and Mark II "Matilda" were armed with a machine gun and 2 pounder anti-tank gun respectively. They were followed in by the Valentine and Churchill designs. This "split" in intended role between the infantry and cruiser designs lasted for most of World War II. General characteristics Length 4. ... The Tank, Infantry, Mk II, Matilda II (A12) (sometimes referred to as Senior Matilda or Matilda II) was a British tank of World War II. In a somewhat unorthodox move, it shared the same name as the Tank, Infantry, Mk I (A11). ... The QF 2-pounder gun was a British anti-tank gun. ... The most numerous British manufactured tank of World War II, the Infantry Tank III Valentine was known mainly for its inexpensive cost and high reliability. ... The Infantry Tank IV Churchill was a heavy British infantry tank of the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military dead: 8,000,000 Civilian dead: 4,000,000 Total dead 12,000,000 World War II (abbreviated WWII), or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict...

In practice, although able to resist hits from tanks and anti-tank guns, and designed for good, albeit slow, cross country performance, the separation of tank functions into specialised areas such as infantry and cruiser types was not effective. Invariably the cruisers ended up meeting enemy tanks in combat, while the infantry tanks were the only ones present when a breakthrough was accomplished. Although the Churchill was successful in its area, the infantry tank idea faded as tank design progressed during the war. It was eventually replaced outright with the introduction of the first "Universal Tank", the Centurion, which had the armour and firepower of the infantry tanks, along with the mobility and speed of the cruisers. Every new design since the introduction of the Centurion have been generalists in this regard. The Centurion was the primary British Main Battle Tank of the immediate post-war era, and considered by many to be one of the best British tank designs of all time. ...

The concept was also employed by the two largest tank-producing nations in the 1930s: the Soviet Union, as exemplified by the T-26 light, and the later KV heavy, infantry tank; and France that built the R 35 and the Char B1. This is best seen as a parallel development caused by the fact neither nation had an independent Tank Weapon. Germany had its separate Panzerwaffe (mainly for political reasons to emphasise that it had freed itself from the "Dictate of Versailles" forbidding the possession of any tanks) and the German Infantry used phased out Panzerkampfwagen I's in its Independent Tank Brigades. This is often seen as reflecting some explicit doctrine; in reality it was caused by a simple lack of budget, tank production not having any priority. When more money became available the Sturmgeschütz III was taken into use by the Artillery, in its original role of infantry close support vehicle the counterpart of the allied Infantry tanks. General characteristics Length: 4. ... The Kliment Voroshilov (KV) tanks were a series of Soviet heavy tanks, named after the Soviet defense commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov. ... In 1934 requirements were sent out for a tank to replace the FT-17. ... The Char B1 was a French heavy tank manufactured before the Second World War. ... The Palace of Versailles, where the treaty was signed. ... The Panzer I was a light tank produced by Germany in the 1930s, intended as a training tank, but also used extensively in the Spanish Civil War and early World War II. The Panzer I went by many names and designations, with the most common official designation as the Panzerkampfwagen... The Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) assault gun was Germanys most produced armored fighting vehicle during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the Panzer III tank. ...

Despite being an instance of the general economic principle of division of labour in mechanisation, during World War II its application in mechanised warfare proved to be hugely inefficient in terms of technical development, production, maintenance, logistics and — worst of all — tactical flexibility. During the war it was abandoned by all nations. Division of labour is the specialization of cooperative labour in specific, circumscribed tasks and roles, intended to increase efficiency of output. ... Mechanization refers to the use of powered machinery to help a human operator in some task. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

See also

• History of the tank