Churchill (Tank Power Vol. LXXVI - 315)

During the Second World War the units sent to the frontline included not only armoured divisions but also independent armoured brigades and regi­ments, as well as tank brigades and regiments. This organisational structure expressed the doctrine of armoured forces use, which had been accepted in Great Britain as early as in the I930's. According to this doctrine, the armed forces should include not only big units equipped with tanks, but also smaller ones supposed to accompany infantry units in the battlefield. These tasks were fulfilled mainly by tank brigades and regiments, because the indepen­dent armoured brigades armed with manoeuvrable American medium tanks type M4 "Sherman" were usually entrusted with tasks emphasising rapid action, not the firepower and armour strength.