The Tetrarch, a British light tank with a 2-pounder gun, was deployed in the Second World War. Vickers-Armstrongs produced over 100 of them, but the tanks had design flaws and most remained in Britain. Twenty were sent to the USSR as part of the Lend-Lease program. In early 1941 one Royal Armoured Corps squadron used in overseas amphibious operations was equipped with Tetrarchs, and in May 1942 a few joined the British force invading Madagascar. During the British airborne landings in Normandy in June 1944, the 6th Airborne Division used around 20 Tetrarchs, but those not lost in accidents proved to be inferior in firepower and armour to the German armoured fighting vehicles. The tanks were removed from direct engagement with German armour, and all were replaced with Cromwell cruiser tanks and M22 Locusts by December. Tetrarchs did not see any further combat, and the last was retired in 1950. There were several variations on the design, including the Alecto self-propelled gun and the Light Tank Mk VIII, but none of these were used in active service with the British Army.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_Tank_Mk_VII_Tetrarch
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
715:
The papacy of Gregory II began; his conflict with Byzantine emperor Leo III eventually led to the establishment of the popes' temporal power. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Gregory_II
1499:
Thirteen-year-old Catherine of Aragon, the future first wife of Henry VIII of England, was married by proxy to his brother, 12-year-old Arthur, Prince of Wales. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Aragon
1780:
A combination of thick smoke, fog, and heavy cloud cover caused darkness to fall on parts of Canada and the New England area of the United States by noon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England%27s_Dark_Day
1911:
Parks Canada, the world's first national park service, was established as the Dominion Parks Branch under the Department of the Interior. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parks_Canada
1991:
Despite a boycott by the local Serb population, voters in Croatia passed a referendum supporting independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_independence_referendum,_1991
More anniversaries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_independence_referendum,_1991
May 18 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_independence_referendum,_1991
May 19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_19
May 20 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_19
Archive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Selected_anniversaries/May
By email https://en.wikipedia.orghttps://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/daily-article-l
List of historical anniversaries https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_historical_anniversaries
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
front runner: (idiomatic) One of the most likely winners in a contest, election, etc. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/front_runner
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Progress leads to confusion leads to progress and on and on without respite. Every one of the many major advances … created sooner or later, more often sooner, new problems. These confusions, never twice the same, are not to be deplored. Rather, those who participate experience them as a privilege. --Abraham Pais https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Abraham_Pais