The history and development of

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...

s in the

Royal Canadian Armoured Corps The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC; french: links=no, Corps blindé royal canadien) is the armoured corps within the Canadian Army, including 3 Regular and 18 Reserve Force regimentsThe Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army (Queen's Printe ...

can be broken down into smaller categories: their origin during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

; the interwar period;

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

; the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

; and the modern era.

Overview

Originally formed as the Canadian Cavalry Corps in 1910, Canada's first tank units were not raised until late in 1918. Initially, these units were considered to be part of the Machine Gun Corps and the 1st Canadian Tank Battalion; 2nd Canadian Tank Battalion and the 3e Bataillon de chars d'assaut were all too late to join the fighting in the First World War. However, the 1st Canadian Tank Battalion was still training in Mark V tanks in the U.K. when the Canadian Tank Corps was finally authorized two days after the armistice. The first tanks since the First World War did not arrive until a few Vickers Mark VI light tanks appeared the year before Canada went to war with Germany again. From these modest beginnings, the modern Canadian Armoured Corps began on 13 August 1940. Initially, the Canadian Armoured forces brokered a deal to obtain scrap iron on behalf of the Canadian Government because isolationist laws prohibited the U.S. from foreign arm sales. At the time, there were no tanks available to be acquired from Britain. Therefore, 219 US

M1917 tank The M1917 was the United States' first mass-produced tank, entering production shortly before the end of World War I.Zaloga (Armored Thunderbolt) p. 2 It was a license-built near-copy of the French Renault FT, and was intended to arm the America ...

s, a First World War design, were obtained at scrap prices. They were sufficient to begin some tank training and familiarisation, but were of very limited combat use. Events of the Second World War later thrust Canada into large scale tank production with thousands of Valentine, Ram, and Grizzly tanks and their armoured variants being produced. Canada would also go on to build modern armoured fighting vehicles that served during the

and the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) *Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see als ...

Canadian Tanks

Valentine Tank

After the

fall of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second World ...

, it was decided the nascent Canadian armoured divisions would be equipped by tanks produced in Canada. To form the 1st Army Tank Brigade, Valentine tanks were ordered. This British design was to be built in Canada. Aside from the necessary adjustments to the design to incorporate local engineering standards and available components, the Canadian Valentines used a GMC engine. This engine, being an improvement over the original, was later applied to British production. Even before the loss of the majority of the United Kingdom's tank force in France in 1940 after

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.UK at the start of the war was insufficient and capacity in the US was taken for British needs. So it was necessary that if Canada was to equip with tanks they would have to be manufactured locally. In June 1940 the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

's Angus Shops in Montreal, as the only large firm with spare capacity, had received a contract to produce 300 partially fitted out Valentine tanks for the British; this was followed later with one for 488 complete tanks for Canada. However, the Valentine was an

infantry tank The infantry tank was a concept developed by the United Kingdom and France in the years leading up to World War II. Infantry tanks were designed to support infantrymen in an attack. To achieve this, the vehicles were generally heavily vehicle armo ...

and Canada required a

cruiser tank The cruiser tank (sometimes called cavalry tank or fast tank) was a British tank concept of the interwar period for tanks designed as modernised armoured and mechanised cavalry, as distinguished from infantry tanks. Cruiser tanks were develop ...

for its recently formed armoured division. In the end 1,940 Valentines were produced by CPR most of which were supplied to the USSR. Although the Valentine used a number of American produced parts, its reliance on British components, difficulties in adapting its manufacture to North American methods, and other problems such as limitations to the availability of the right type of armour plate affected Valentine production. In practice, Canada never used most of the 1,400 Valentines they built as they were supplied under lend-lease to the Soviet Union.

Ram Tank

The Canadian Joint Committee on Tank Development concluded in September 1940 that its cruiser tank should be based on a US rather than a British design. This would be quicker and allow it to use components already in production for the US design. In early 1941 the 1st Tank Brigade was sent to Britain and equipped with the

Matilda Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...

. For the formation of two armoured divisions it was expected that 1,200

cavalry tanks The cruiser tank (sometimes called cavalry tank or fast tank) was a British tank concept of the interwar period for tanks designed as modernised armoured and mechanised cavalry, as distinguished from infantry tanks. Cruiser tanks were develop ...

were needed. The United Kingdom was not in a position to supply them, as it had shortfalls in supply for its own needs. This meant that Canada had to develop its own production. To this end a tank arsenal was set up under the management of a subsidiary of a US firm engaged in tank production. This Canadian indigenous tank design would become the standard armoured vehicle for the Canadian army. The result was the Ram cruiser tank, based on the chassis and running gear of the US

M3 Lee The M3 Lee, officially Medium Tank, M3, was an American medium tank used during World War II. The turret was produced in two forms, one for US needs and one modified to British requirements to place the radio next to the commander. In British Co ...

; Rams were produced by the

Montreal Locomotive Works Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer which existed under several names from 1883 to 1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. For a number of years it was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive ...

(MLW) from 1941 to 1943. Except for the Badger flame thrower tank conversion of the Ram tank and other variants that were in action in NW Europe, the Ram tank did not go to war with the Canadian Armoured Divisions. The decision was made to use the new Sherman tank as standard equipment. The Ram's main contribution to the war effort was to fully equip large armoured units formed in Canada and the U.K. with a modern tank it could use to conduct essential tactical training prior to the invasions in Italy and Normandy. The Ram was produced in numerous variants, the most notable being the Kangaroo Armoured Personnel Carrier.

Variants of the Ram Tank

* Tank Cruiser, Ram Mk I:

Ordnance QF 2 pounder The Ordnance QF 2-pounder (British ordnance terms#QF, QF denoting "quick firing"), or simply "2 pounder gun", was a British anti-tank gun and vehicle-mounted gun employed in the World War II, Second World War. It was the main anti-tank weapo ...

/ 40mm gun (171 rounds). * Tank Cruiser, Ram Mk II ** Early production: Mk III

QF 6 pounder 6-pounder gun or 6-pdr, usually denotes a gun firing a projectile weighing approximately . Guns of this type include: *QF 6 pounder Hotchkiss, a 57 mm naval gun of the 1880s; a similar weapon was designed by Driggs-Schroeder for the US Navy ...

(57 mm) gun with 92 rounds. ** Late production: Mk V six-pounder. Auxiliary turret and sponson door removed. Browning .303 in (7.7 mm) machine gun fitted in ball mount. * Badger: A flamethrower equipped tank. The first Badgers were Ram Kangaroos with the Wasp II flamethrowing equipment (as used on the

Universal Carrier The Universal Carrier, also known as the Bren Gun Carrier and sometimes simply the Bren Carrier from the light machine gun armament, is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrongs and other ...

) installed in place of the bow MG. Later models were turreted Rams with the equipment in place of the main gun. * Ram

Kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

: Ram with turret removed to give an

armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

capable of carrying 11 battle-ready troops as well as the two crew. * Ram OP/Command (84): An armoured vehicle to function as a mobile observation posts for the Forward Observation Officers (FOO) of Sexton self-propelled gun units, based on Ram Mk II. The gun was replaced by a dummy, and two

Wireless Set No. 19 The Wireless Set No. 19 was a Second World War mobile radio transceiver designed for use by Armoured warfare, armoured troops of the British Army. First introduced in 1940, the No. 19 began to replace the pre-war Wireless Set No. 11. Two modified ...

radios were fitted with a No. 58 set. Crew of six. They were built from the last 84 Rams off the production line in 1943. * Ram GPO: Like OP but with special equipment for "Gun Position Officers" of self-propelled artillery regiments. Had Tannoy loudspeakers mounted. * Sexton "25-pdr, SP, Tracked": Self-propelled artillery vehicle armed with

QF 25 pounder The Ordnance QF 25-pounder, or more simply 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was the major British field gun and howitzer during the World War II, Second World War. Its calibre is 3.45-inch (87.6 mm). It was introduced into service just before the war s ...

gun in open-topped superstructure. * Ram Ammunition Carrier: Also called "Wallaby", an armoured ammunition supply vehicle, converted as for the Kangaroo but used to carry 25-pdr ammunition for Sexton. * Ram ARV Mk I:

Armoured recovery vehicle An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is typically a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis modified for use during combat for military vehicle recovery (towing) or repair of battle-damaged, stuck, and/or inoperable armoured f ...

created by adding winch gear added to Ram Mark I . * Ram ARV Mk II: ARV based on Ram Mk II. Jibs and earth spade added, turret replaced by dummy.

Grizzly

The M3 was succeeded by the superior

M4 Sherman } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the Military history of the United States during World War II, United States and Allies of World War II, Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman prove ...

. The Allies agreed to standardise on the M4, and MLW began producing the Canadian version, the Grizzly tanks in August 1943. The Grizzly's suspension used 17-tooth drive sprockets and CDP tracks. In comparison, the M4 used 13 tooth drive sprockets. The CDP track was lighter and simpler than the standard US tracks and did not require

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...

, which was scarce since the Japanese advance into Southeast Asia. The Canadian Grizzly tank production halted when it became apparent US production would be sufficient. Instead, MLW produced the Sexton self-propelled gun Mk II. The Sexton Mk II used the Grizzly chassis, with the upper hull modified to carry the Commonwealth standard

QF 25 pounder gun The Ordnance QF 25-pounder, or more simply 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was the major British field gun and howitzer during the Second World War. Its calibre is 3.45-inch (87.6 mm). It was introduced into service just before the war started, comb ...

. The Sexton was the Commonwealth counterpart to the US

M7 Priest The 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 was an American self-propelled gun vehicle produced during World War II. It was given the official service name 105 mm Self Propelled Gun, Priest by the British Army, due to the pulpit-like machin ...

. A small batch of Grizzly medium tank was fitted with an

Ordnance QF 17-pounder The Ordnance Quick-Firing 17-pounder (or just 17-pdr)Under the British standard ordnance weights and measurements the gun's approximate projectile weight is used to denote different guns of the same calibre. Hence this was a 3-inch gun, of which ...

for training but none saw action.

Cougar

Starting with the introduction of the U.S.-designed and built Sherman tank, Canada began a tradition of acquiring U.S., British and then later German made armour to equip the Canadian Army. Often there were revisions to the original specification driven by Canadian requirements. It wasn't until the late 1970s that an armoured vehicle was fielded by Canadian Armoured Regiments that was developed and built in Canada. Although not a Main Battle Tank, the Cougar AVGP - manufactured at GM Diesel Division in London, ON (now part of General Dynamics Land Systems) was envisioned. The AVGP was the first Canadian built AFV in service since the Second World War. The amphibious Cougar was a direct Fire Support Vehicle (Wheeled) FSV(W) variant of the AVGP (Armoured Vehicle General Purpose). It was based on the Swiss MOWAG 6X6 Piranha hull with a 76 mm main gun mounted in a British FV101 Scorpion Tank turret. Cougars entered service in the late 1970s in Canadian based regular and reserve Armoured Regiments. They were intended as a quick air transportable fighting vehicles and used by the CAST Brigade for service in Norway and later with the

1st Canadian Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ''1re Division du Canada'' ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short ...

committed to NATO's CENTAG. They were too light to be effective against MBTs however the end of the Cold War meant they were used in stability operations in Bosnia and Somalia and relegated to training the tank crews in Canada that later received repatriated Leopard C1 tanks from the Canadian Forces in Germany that were disbanded in 1994.

Coyote

The experience gained by the Cougar and AVGP program evolved into the highly successful, made in Canada,

LAV-25 The LAV-25 is a member of the LAV II family. It is an eight-wheeled amphibious armored reconnaissance vehicle built by General Dynamics Land Systems and used by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army. History During the 1980s, ...

and

LAV III The LAV III, originally named the Kodiak by the Canadian Army, is the third generation of the LAV (Canada), Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) family of armored personnel carriers built by General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada (GDLS-C), a London, O ...

armoured vehicles that have been deployed by armies around the world. The Coyote Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle is a Canadian produced eight-wheeled armoured reconnaissance vehicle based on and upgraded version of the LAV-25, 203 entered Canadian service by 1996.

Plan to transition to the Armoured Combat Vehicle

As originally conceived in the early 1990s, the Armoured Combat Vehicle (ACV) was intended to replace the

AVGP Cougar The AVGP (Armoured Vehicle General Purpose), later known as the LAV I, is a series of three amphibious armoured fighting vehicles ordered by the Canadian military in the 1970s. The vehicles, named Grizzly, Cougar and Husky respectively, were ba ...

for the types of missions that it had been called upon to carry out during Operations Other Than War (OOTW) in Somalia and Bosnia. Such a purchase was seen as part of a two-tier equipping strategy - the wheeled 105mm-armed ACV and some other lighter-weight equipment for OOTW and a main battle tank (MBT) and related heavier equipment for warfighting. However, by the mid-1990s elements of the Canadian army were envisioning the ACV replacing both the

and Canada's obsolescent

Leopard 1 The Leopard 1 (also styled Leopard I, before the Leopard 2 simply known as Leopard) is a main battle tank designed and produced by Porsche in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought ...

MBTs as part of a move to a medium-weight wheeled army. In 2003, Canada announced that it would replace its

s with lightweight Mobile Gun Systems. This decision was made although the MGS met neither some of the key capabilities sought in the conceptual Canadian ACV nor the futuristic, high technology (and still-not achieved) requirements for a future ACV that had been highlighted only the year before by the Commander of the Canadian Army to a Canadian Parliamentary committee. Canadian research-wargaming-based operational research studies and other professional public commentators all argued against this move. The biggest concerns were that the ACV's planned weak armour and firepower meant that it could not manoeuvre in the presence of a modern enemy and that it could only use ambush tactics against modern MBTs and AFVs, becoming in effect a death trap if it tried, at all, to fulfil the MBT role. Operational research also looked at the benefits of giving the ACV a through-the-barrel (TBM) as well as the equivalent of 400mm of additional armour. The research found that such improvements gave the ACV MBT-like firepower but still left it unable to manoeuvre in the presence of a capable enemy. Operational research also highlighted an additional, unintended consequence of removing MBTs from the Canadian army. Their loss would also remove the tank-based armoured engineering vehicles and bridgelayers as well as the MBT-mounted mine rollers, mine ploughs, and dozer blades which were all needed to deal with enemy obstacles under fire. The study recommended that none of the envisioned LAV-based armoured engineer vehicles should be procured, as they were inferior to the Leopard tank-based engineering vehicles then in service.

Leopard II

Conventional fighting against the Taliban by the Canadian Army in the Panwayi district of Afghanistan in September 2006 led to a rethinking of the ACV plan. A squadron of

s was rushed out to Kandahar Province in Afghanistan and arrangements were made for the army to borrow modern

Leopard 2 The Leopard 2 is a 3rd generation main battle tank originally developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s for the West German army. The tank first entered service in 1979 and succeeded the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West Germ ...

MBTs from Germany for deployment to Kandahar until Canada could buy used Netherlands'

s to replace its

s. In 2007, Canada abandoned its plan to buy the

Mobile Gun System The M1128 Mobile Gun System (MGS) is an eight-wheeled armored car of the Stryker armored fighting vehicle family, mounting a 105 mm tank gun, based on the Canadian LAV III light-armored vehicle manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems fo ...

List of tanks in the Canadian Army

Notes and references

External links

www.wwiivehicles.comwww.militaryfactory.com
{{Post-Cold War tanks, style=wide Tanks of Canada, Cruiser tanks of Canada World War II armoured fighting vehicles of Canada World War II medium tanks Canadian Armed Forces Military history of Canada