Mark Urban

But it leaves us with some of the problems like Gaza that we face up to today.

And of course, there were battles on the Eastern Front.

Some people say Kursk.

was the greatest tank battle of all time.

And, you know, even to sing the praises of the British Army in the Second World War, when it broke out of the Normandy Bridgehead in September 1944, the advance through the Low Countries, liberating places like Bruges and Brussels, I

I mean, that was astounding.

You know, that was kind of 100 miles a day type of advance.

So there have been other moments, but undoubtedly that May 1940 dash to the Channel was a sort of defining moment, I think, of armoured warfare.

Yes.

I think in the early phases of Barbarossa, you get some very heroic Red Army soldiers who stand come what may.

But of course, they get outflanked.

Yeah, as the Red Army develops its system of war, I think they do do exactly what you say.

And, you know, hearing you talking...

It reminded me of the commanders who faced Napoleon early in the 19th century.

And, you know, one of his favourite moves was what was called the manoeuvre sur les arrières, which is to basically go deep and threaten the lines of communication of the army you're attacking.

And the best response to that was not to panic and to try and nip off the salient and engage it.

And I think that's true with armoured warfare and, of course, what the Red Army did when we look at the opening phases of the Kursk battle.

I mean, they sowed millions of anti-tank mines.

They dug huge anti-tank ditches.

They knew it was coming and they knew roughly where it was coming.