Author: David Fletcher
Published by Schiffer Publishing Limited, 1999.

Although very few, the author's errors cast a shadow over an excellent book.

Photographs

Caption to photograph on Page 162.
A Mark IV Churchill of C Squadron, North Irish Horse on the approaches to the Hitler Line. The instruction not to be stowed on deck suggests that it has only recently arrived but the damaged remains of the track guards suggests some hard usage.
    The caption to the photograph of 'Castlerobin IV' as incorrect:
    1. She is a Churchill Na75 not a Mark IV.
    2. She is not on her way to the Hitler Line, Na75s were not delivered to the regiment until July.
    The photograph was taken during a pause in the assault on the the Gothic Line.
    The 'hard useage' is the result of a nineteen day hard slog down the Armo valley towards Florence.

Caption to the lower photograph on Page 164
Tanks as artillery. Five Churchills NA75s and one with a British 75mm gun firing a concentrated barrage of high explosives.
    The fourth Churchill down is not one equipped with with a British 75mm gun. She is a Mark IV lending
    6-pdr HE support.
    Photograph taken when supporting the Jewish Brigade in its first action.

Caption to the photograph on Page 165
Locals smile and applaud as an unidentified Churchill Mark IV leads a convoy of American trucks through a liberated Italian town.
    This is a Churchill of 'C' Squadron, North Irish Horse, on its way to take part in the Victory Parade, Tunis,     May 1943.

Text

Page 157
A REME officer, writing after the war, explained that the 6-pounder, with a range of 800 yards firing armour piercing and no ability to fire high explosive was no match for the German 75mm and 88mm weapons.
    This is an obvious contradiction of a statement on Page 109 which reads:

"The regiment also put in a strong plea for high explosive rounds for their 6-pounder guns, pointing out that the majority of their targets were anti-tank guns or infantry which were difficult to destroy with armour piercing rounds. Indeed a question still hangs over the logic of fitting tanks that were intended to support infantry with a gun only suited to combating tanks. Their wish was granted. A note in the war diary, dated 13 April 1943, notes that two lorry loads of 6-pounder HE had arrived so in future all tanks would carry 20 HE and just four High Velocity Armour Piercing in the turntable bins."

    It should be noted, when Churchills of the North Irish Horse went into action two months earlier, they had HE on board.

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