Rivets and Pins
@rivetsandpins.bsky.social
@peteblanchard.bsky.social 's military history account.
I focus primarily on AFV development/warfare 1915-42.
Warning: may contain humour.
For more detail: https://rivets-and-pins.beehiiv.com/
I focus primarily on AFV development/warfare 1915-42.
Warning: may contain humour.
For more detail: https://rivets-and-pins.beehiiv.com/
I was thinking the same!
November 25, 2025 at 9:15 AM
I was thinking the same!
Definitely a plan for 2026!
November 24, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Definitely a plan for 2026!
I understand Starbucks do some acceptable beverages. Also, the White Hart Hotel has a spa and 2 or 3 very comfy bars for anyone who might not be too bothered by all things tank...
😉
😉
November 24, 2025 at 8:15 PM
I understand Starbucks do some acceptable beverages. Also, the White Hart Hotel has a spa and 2 or 3 very comfy bars for anyone who might not be too bothered by all things tank...
😉
😉
It's a very attractive, historic city. If you get the chance to visit it, do!
November 24, 2025 at 7:51 PM
It's a very attractive, historic city. If you get the chance to visit it, do!
Today, it's still a meeting room and, despite the modern additions, the hotel (well recommended, BTW) has tried to keep the historic theme alive within the room.
Lincoln is a thriving city, but it was good to see recognition and a little preservation of its tank history.
End
Lincoln is a thriving city, but it was good to see recognition and a little preservation of its tank history.
End
November 24, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Today, it's still a meeting room and, despite the modern additions, the hotel (well recommended, BTW) has tried to keep the historic theme alive within the room.
Lincoln is a thriving city, but it was good to see recognition and a little preservation of its tank history.
End
Lincoln is a thriving city, but it was good to see recognition and a little preservation of its tank history.
End
We were staying at the White Hart Hotel up by the cathedral.
On the 1st floor of the hotel, you'll find another piece of history; the Yarborough Room where William Tritton & Major Walter Wilson met in 1915 to work on the design & development of the tank.
Today, it's known as the Tank Room.
4/
On the 1st floor of the hotel, you'll find another piece of history; the Yarborough Room where William Tritton & Major Walter Wilson met in 1915 to work on the design & development of the tank.
Today, it's known as the Tank Room.
4/
November 24, 2025 at 2:27 PM
We were staying at the White Hart Hotel up by the cathedral.
On the 1st floor of the hotel, you'll find another piece of history; the Yarborough Room where William Tritton & Major Walter Wilson met in 1915 to work on the design & development of the tank.
Today, it's known as the Tank Room.
4/
On the 1st floor of the hotel, you'll find another piece of history; the Yarborough Room where William Tritton & Major Walter Wilson met in 1915 to work on the design & development of the tank.
Today, it's known as the Tank Room.
4/
However, if you enter the retail park and walk behind Starbucks (marked 'SB' on the map), you can still see and touch the last remaining wall of the Wellington Foundry.
3/
3/
November 24, 2025 at 2:27 PM
However, if you enter the retail park and walk behind Starbucks (marked 'SB' on the map), you can still see and touch the last remaining wall of the Wellington Foundry.
3/
3/
The area is now the Tritton Retail Park, named after Sir William Tritton, the MD of Foster's.
Little remains of Foster's, though nearby road names recall its tank history - Matilda Road, Valentine Road, Chieftain Way, etc.
And on Tritton Road, you can't miss the Lincoln Tank Memorial.
2/
Little remains of Foster's, though nearby road names recall its tank history - Matilda Road, Valentine Road, Chieftain Way, etc.
And on Tritton Road, you can't miss the Lincoln Tank Memorial.
2/
November 24, 2025 at 2:27 PM
The area is now the Tritton Retail Park, named after Sir William Tritton, the MD of Foster's.
Little remains of Foster's, though nearby road names recall its tank history - Matilda Road, Valentine Road, Chieftain Way, etc.
And on Tritton Road, you can't miss the Lincoln Tank Memorial.
2/
Little remains of Foster's, though nearby road names recall its tank history - Matilda Road, Valentine Road, Chieftain Way, etc.
And on Tritton Road, you can't miss the Lincoln Tank Memorial.
2/
A slight correction if I may; the 'rebel' forces in the Spanish Civil War were those headed by Franco. They had risen against the democratically elected Spanish government.
if Marjorie Spiller flew aircraft to anti-Franco forces, then she was helping the Spanish government, not the rebels.
HTH
if Marjorie Spiller flew aircraft to anti-Franco forces, then she was helping the Spanish government, not the rebels.
HTH
November 24, 2025 at 11:07 AM
A slight correction if I may; the 'rebel' forces in the Spanish Civil War were those headed by Franco. They had risen against the democratically elected Spanish government.
if Marjorie Spiller flew aircraft to anti-Franco forces, then she was helping the Spanish government, not the rebels.
HTH
if Marjorie Spiller flew aircraft to anti-Franco forces, then she was helping the Spanish government, not the rebels.
HTH
Certainly a unique, um, installation!
November 3, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Certainly a unique, um, installation!
Looks like a humble 'bench replacement service'!
November 2, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Looks like a humble 'bench replacement service'!
My guess it the vehicle was abandoned by the Germans after they'd stripped it clean.
Evidence: no tracks on either side, no radio antenna, no turret MG, engine deck open, etc. Even the missing armour plates may have been scavenged to fit to other damaged tanks.
Evidence: no tracks on either side, no radio antenna, no turret MG, engine deck open, etc. Even the missing armour plates may have been scavenged to fit to other damaged tanks.
November 1, 2025 at 4:38 PM
My guess it the vehicle was abandoned by the Germans after they'd stripped it clean.
Evidence: no tracks on either side, no radio antenna, no turret MG, engine deck open, etc. Even the missing armour plates may have been scavenged to fit to other damaged tanks.
Evidence: no tracks on either side, no radio antenna, no turret MG, engine deck open, etc. Even the missing armour plates may have been scavenged to fit to other damaged tanks.
PS I love your example 👍
October 27, 2025 at 5:31 PM
PS I love your example 👍
Yes, I get the impression this expansion was chucking spanners in many directions!
It was all very well mandating an effectively sudden, rapid expansion of the armed forces, but without the ready materiel, manpower, leadership, expertise & training, they're just paper formations.
It was all very well mandating an effectively sudden, rapid expansion of the armed forces, but without the ready materiel, manpower, leadership, expertise & training, they're just paper formations.
October 27, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Yes, I get the impression this expansion was chucking spanners in many directions!
It was all very well mandating an effectively sudden, rapid expansion of the armed forces, but without the ready materiel, manpower, leadership, expertise & training, they're just paper formations.
It was all very well mandating an effectively sudden, rapid expansion of the armed forces, but without the ready materiel, manpower, leadership, expertise & training, they're just paper formations.
The independence of these brigades was short-lived as most were used to form new tank divisions in late 1939.
Why? Doctrine changed. The focus now fell on concentrating tanks in tank divisions to maximise the effectiveness of tanks, much to Guderian's satisfaction.
Why? Doctrine changed. The focus now fell on concentrating tanks in tank divisions to maximise the effectiveness of tanks, much to Guderian's satisfaction.
October 27, 2025 at 5:15 PM
The independence of these brigades was short-lived as most were used to form new tank divisions in late 1939.
Why? Doctrine changed. The focus now fell on concentrating tanks in tank divisions to maximise the effectiveness of tanks, much to Guderian's satisfaction.
Why? Doctrine changed. The focus now fell on concentrating tanks in tank divisions to maximise the effectiveness of tanks, much to Guderian's satisfaction.
Sure. I was talking about organic tank units within infantry divisions which didn't exist.
As you say, in the expansion of tank forces, German doctrine in the late 30s started to allow for independent tank brigades to support the infantry. But these came under the tank arm, & not the infantry.
As you say, in the expansion of tank forces, German doctrine in the late 30s started to allow for independent tank brigades to support the infantry. But these came under the tank arm, & not the infantry.
October 27, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Sure. I was talking about organic tank units within infantry divisions which didn't exist.
As you say, in the expansion of tank forces, German doctrine in the late 30s started to allow for independent tank brigades to support the infantry. But these came under the tank arm, & not the infantry.
As you say, in the expansion of tank forces, German doctrine in the late 30s started to allow for independent tank brigades to support the infantry. But these came under the tank arm, & not the infantry.
Even if doctrine had allowed the infantry to have tanks, the other inhibitor was production capacity.
At the start of WW2, the Nazis couldn't even produce sufficient tanks for their tank divisions (hence the huge numbers of PzKw I & II tanks used up to 1941), let alone make them for the infantry.
At the start of WW2, the Nazis couldn't even produce sufficient tanks for their tank divisions (hence the huge numbers of PzKw I & II tanks used up to 1941), let alone make them for the infantry.
October 27, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Even if doctrine had allowed the infantry to have tanks, the other inhibitor was production capacity.
At the start of WW2, the Nazis couldn't even produce sufficient tanks for their tank divisions (hence the huge numbers of PzKw I & II tanks used up to 1941), let alone make them for the infantry.
At the start of WW2, the Nazis couldn't even produce sufficient tanks for their tank divisions (hence the huge numbers of PzKw I & II tanks used up to 1941), let alone make them for the infantry.
The short-lived Light Divisions were not infantry divisions as such, being merely Panzer Divisions Lite™. The concept was judged to have not worked in Poland so they were converted to tank divisions in 1940.
October 27, 2025 at 1:28 PM
The short-lived Light Divisions were not infantry divisions as such, being merely Panzer Divisions Lite™. The concept was judged to have not worked in Poland so they were converted to tank divisions in 1940.
I'm not familiar with the Italians, but the Germans never had infantry support tank units before or at the start of WW2. That's why the Sturmgeschütz was created.
October 27, 2025 at 1:28 PM
I'm not familiar with the Italians, but the Germans never had infantry support tank units before or at the start of WW2. That's why the Sturmgeschütz was created.
However, the infantry realised they needed armoured mobile guns (for exactly the same reasons the British & French had developed tanks in WW1).
So the Sturmgeschütz concept was born.
So the Sturmgeschütz concept was born.
October 27, 2025 at 1:23 PM
However, the infantry realised they needed armoured mobile guns (for exactly the same reasons the British & French had developed tanks in WW1).
So the Sturmgeschütz concept was born.
So the Sturmgeschütz concept was born.
Infantry divisions had a different role to the tank divisions, often following & mopping up after the tanks. They were sometimes motorised but were mostly on foot with heavy weapons, etc mostly horse-drawn.
The slow infantry therefore were judged not to need fast tanks.
The slow infantry therefore were judged not to need fast tanks.
October 27, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Infantry divisions had a different role to the tank divisions, often following & mopping up after the tanks. They were sometimes motorised but were mostly on foot with heavy weapons, etc mostly horse-drawn.
The slow infantry therefore were judged not to need fast tanks.
The slow infantry therefore were judged not to need fast tanks.
Doctrine. Tanks were the core weapon of German tank divisions, with supporting service arms such as infantry, artillery, engineers, etc all armoured or motorised.
They were fast, meant to break through & envelop enemy forces.
They were fast, meant to break through & envelop enemy forces.
October 27, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Doctrine. Tanks were the core weapon of German tank divisions, with supporting service arms such as infantry, artillery, engineers, etc all armoured or motorised.
They were fast, meant to break through & envelop enemy forces.
They were fast, meant to break through & envelop enemy forces.
That's superb!
October 25, 2025 at 10:51 PM
That's superb!