The Bizarre Bishop Tanks of World War 2
TLDRDuring World War II, the need for self-propelled artillery that could keep pace with fast-moving armored units became apparent. The British developed the Bishop, a self-propelled howitzer based on the Valentine infantry support tank, to address this need. However, the design was flawed, with a bulky appearance, reduced speed, and limited gun elevation. The Bishop's top speed was only 9 mph, and its range was a mere 3.5 miles, making it impractical for mobile warfare. Despite attempts to improve its capabilities, such as using earthen ramps to increase gun elevation, the Bishop was ultimately replaced by more effective designs like the British Sexton and the US Priest. Less than 150 Bishops were produced, and they were phased out of frontline service the following year, leaving a legacy of an underwhelming attempt at mobile artillery innovation.
Takeaways
- 💥 World War I demonstrated the tactical value of long-range artillery in static warfare.
- 🌩️ Blitzkrieg, Germany's mobile warfare tactic, revealed the need for self-propelled artillery to keep up with fast-moving forces.
- 🚂 Towed artillery was too slow for the rapid advancements of armored units, highlighting a need for innovation.
- 🇩🇪 Germany's first attempt at self-propelled artillery involved converting captured British tanks with limited success.
- 🇬🇧 The British developed the Bishop self-propelled howitzer in response to the need for mobile artillery in North Africa.
- 🛠️ The Bishop was based on the Valentine infantry support tank, replacing its gun with a large superstructure housing a 25-pounder artillery piece.
- 📏 The 25-pounder gun was a modern, effective weapon, but the Bishop's design had significant drawbacks.
- 🔍 The Bishop's height and bulky appearance made it an easy target on the desert terrain.
- 🚗 The vehicle's power-to-weight ratio was poor, resulting in a low top speed and limited range.
- 🚫 The gun's elevation was restricted, reducing the effective range of the Bishop in comparison to towed artillery.
- 🛤️ Some crews attempted to increase the range by using earthen ramps, but this was impractical in fast-paced combat.
- 🔄 Less than 150 Bishops were made, and they were replaced by more effective designs like the Sexton and the US Priest.
- ⚙️ The Bishop was eventually used for training purposes, but it did not live up to its potential as a frontline innovation.
Q & A
What was the tactical value of long-range artillery demonstrated during World War I?
-The tactical value of long-range artillery during World War I was its ability to fire on distant targets with devastating effect, especially in the context of a very static war where enemies often adopted fixed positions for extended periods.
What was the term used to describe Germany's revolutionary type of mobile warfare during World War II?
-The term used was 'Blitzkrieg,' which is literally defined as 'lightning war.' It relied on rapid advancement to overwhelm enemy forces.
Why was towed artillery considered inadequate for the fast-moving armored and mechanized formations of the German forces?
-Towed artillery was too slow and inflexible to keep up with the fast-moving armored and mechanized formations, which was a significant issue during the North African campaign where quick mobilizations over vast battlefields were crucial.
What was the first attempt at self-propelled artillery by Germany during World War II?
-Germany's first attempt at self-propelled artillery involved converting captured British Vicar's M6 light tanks by mounting a 105 millimeter field gun onto the chassis.
What was the British self-propelled howitzer that entered service in the summer of 1942 known as?
-The British self-propelled howitzer that entered service in the summer of 1942 was known as the Bishop.
What was the main drawback of the Bishop's design in terms of its ability to keep up with tank units?
-The main drawback was that the Bishop's gun could only be elevated by 15 degrees, limiting its range to about half that of a standard towed version of the 25-pound gun, resulting in a very underwhelming range of three and a half miles.
What was the top speed of the Bishop self-propelled howitzer?
-The top speed of the Bishop was just 9 miles or 15 kilometers per hour.
How many Bishop self-propelled howitzers were manufactured in total?
-Less than 150 Bishop self-propelled howitzers were manufactured in total.
What were the more suitable and flexible designs that replaced the Bishop in frontline service?
-The Bishop was replaced by more suitable and flexible designs such as the British Sexton and the US Priest self-propelled howitzers.
How was the Bishop utilized after it was phased out of frontline service?
-After being phased out of frontline service, the Bishop was used for a short while to train future British self-propelled gun crews for the newer models of support tank.
What was the legacy of the Bishop in British military history?
-The Bishop retained an unexceptional legacy of service in British military history, as it never truly lived up to its hype as a game-changing frontline innovation.
Outlines
🚀 The Emergence of Self-Propelled Artillery in WWII
The paragraph discusses the evolution of warfare tactics from World War I to World War II, highlighting the shift from static trench warfare to the dynamic blitzkrieg strategy employed by Germany. It outlines the limitations of towed artillery in keeping pace with fast-moving armored divisions and the need for self-propelled artillery. The British Bishop, a self-propelled howitzer based on the Valentine tank, was developed to address this need. However, the design was flawed, with a bulky appearance and limited speed and gun elevation, making it impractical for mobile warfare.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Blitzkrieg
💡Self-Propelled Artillery
💡Valentine Infantry Support Tank
💡25-Pounder Artillery Piece
💡North Africa Campaign
💡Matilda Tanks
💡M3 Stuart
💡M4 Sherman
💡Bishop Self-Propelled Howitzer
💡Sexton and US Priest
💡Static Warfare
Highlights
The tactical value of long-range artillery was demonstrated during World War I, particularly in static warfare.
Blitzkrieg, or 'lightning war,' was a revolutionary mobile warfare tactic introduced by Germany in World War II.
German towed artillery was found to be too slow for the fast-paced blitzkrieg tactics.
North Africa's vast battlefields highlighted the need for self-propelled artillery to keep up with mobile forces.
Germany's first attempt at self-propelled artillery involved converting captured British tanks in 1940.
The British developed a self-propelled howitzer in response to the need for mobile artillery in North Africa.
The Bishop self-propelled howitzer was based on the Valentine infantry support tank.
The 25-pounder artillery piece was a modern and effective weapon used in the Bishop.
The conversion to a self-propelled howitzer significantly raised the height and weight of the Valentine tank.
The Bishop's design was poorly suited for mobile warfare, with a top speed of only 9 miles per hour.
The gun on the Bishop could only be elevated by 15 degrees, limiting its effective range.
Crews attempted to increase the Bishop's range by building earthen ramps, but this was impractical in battle.
Less than 150 Bishops were manufactured and were replaced by more suitable designs like the Sexton and the US Priest.
The Bishop was used for training purposes after being phased out of frontline service.
The Bishop failed to live up to its potential as a frontline innovation and holds an unexceptional legacy in British military history.
Transcripts
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