Wavell went on to further infamy by being responsible for the fall of Singapore to Yamashita
Churchill didn't help-g- There was huge dilution of effort in the early part of the war. Britain would do well in one place, and best troops and commanders would be rushed off somewhere else, ill prepared, usually to disaster. The original gains would then be lost.
O Conner was doing well until he got captured, Pip Roberts did real well right the way through.
They started off with things like 2 pdr guns up against the 50mm, 75mm, 88mm guns of the Germans. The 88mm A/P's weighed 9 kgs! Must of been a very hard learning experience.
One captured British Tank officer said (looking at a 88) "Such a big gun up against such a little tank, it just isn't fair!
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Pip Roberts was a Major General in charge of Britain's best Armoured Division at the age of 37 ! He was our youngest, most experienced and best Commander of armour in WW 2 yet he is largely unknown. To give him his correct title he was Major General G.P.B. Roberts CB, DSO with 2 bars, MC, Legion of Honour and Croix de Guerre. There is extensive literature on many Panzer leaders and some on Patton but that is all. The outstanding allied leaders of Armoured Divisions were, without question, the British Pip Roberts and the American John P Wood but they are only mentioned in passing as part of the general WW2 literature.
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It will become clear as we examine the records that Roberts understood and practiced German Panzer Division tactics and strategy better than any other Allied Commander of armour.
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