David Fletcher | Bottom 5 British Tanks | The Tank Museum

Tank Museum legend and Tank Chat superstar David Fletcher couldn’t possibly decide on a Top Five Tanks - so we asked him to pick the five worst!
Feel free to agree in the comments below, as we present David Fletcher’s Bottom Five Tanks
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[@peterdavy6110]

"It's not really bullet-proof. Except from a revolver. For a while. From a distance." Sums it all up, really.

[@iflystuff1]

S&W 500 has entered the chat

[@RaferJeffersonIII]

What about pointed sticks?

[@vksasdgaming9472]

@@RaferJeffersonIII It would have been magnificent for Imperial British Army. You know that which was just a travel agency for oversexed males and whose prerequisite for campaign was that enemy would under no circumstance carry guns.

[@logitimate]

@@vksasdgaming9472 Eh, maybe in some parts of Africa. Plenty of guns among the various enemies of the Raj.

[@7JeTeL7]

but that mustache of his bullet-proof is

[@Geromovie]

"It's armed with a vickers machine gun, which is better than spitting at people but only just" i bursted out laughing at that point 🤣

[@shawnbrennan2583]

I'm still laughing!!!

[@Cervando]

Too true

[@StaffordMagnus]

'It's not bulletproof... except for maybe a revolver, for a while, from a distance' killed me, that understated savagery is why I love this guy!

[@VonRammsteyn]

I did laught hard too when he said that

[@pRahvi0]

I couldn't hold it that far "I was going to say it may have been known as Black Prince to its friend but in never had any friends so I don't see how they could do that. But anyway..." already got me XD

[@matthaught4707]

"It's not bulletproof in any sense of the word, apart from with a revolver, maybe, for a while, from a distance..." Mr. Fletcher is 100% savage and a national treasure.

[@jamesdykes517]

I know right? Just discovered this and it's hilarious

[@kerrydennison7947]

He should get himself a side job doing consumer affairs reviewing auto n other products for consumer research. He would probably be a very Frank and honest person doing this job.🎉

[@matthewsexton5490]

So, what we've learned: 5. You can't have a tank with hopelessly deficient armor. 4. You can't have a tank with hopelessly deficient speed. 3. You can't turn it into a boat. 2. You can't scatter major engine components in all directions. 1. You can't permanently trap your driver inside the tank.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

You can do all those things, but no-one has managed to combine them into one vehicle. There also must be hopelessly deficient weaponry as well. I think .45 ACP is biggest caliber tank needs.

[@mulrich]

@@vksasdgaming9472 Don't be silly, arm the crew with a single 2.7mm Kolibri. That will be more than sufficient.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

@@mulrich For PDWs that certainly is enough. For tank-mounted weaponry .45 ACP is certainly enough.

[@mulrich]

@@vksasdgaming9472 Poppycock! I think you need to look up that gun. The Kolibri. Who needs a gun actually mounted on the tank when you have that! Save that weight!

[@vksasdgaming9472]

@@mulrich If crew lugs that hand-held artillery it does not save any weight. Besides tank is not a tank without mounted weaponry on it. A compromise: belt-fed dual Kolibri mounted on front so the gunner can shoot with it.

[@bradyelich2745]

"If you don't agree with me, then just keep it to yourself" David Fletcher 2018.

[@ulrichkalber9039]

I don't agree that i shall keep this to myself.

[@Akm72]

Yeah, like _that_ was ever going to work!

[@orangejoe204]

He's like the opinionated British Grandpa everybody wishes they had. I could listen to him go on about tanks for hours.

[@philipbossy4834]

I don't think he understands how the internet works.

[@alwayscrabby7871]

@@philipbossy4834 I don't think he cares how the internet works.

[@CommissarWallace]

David Fletcher has spoken. All other tank ranking lists are henceforth invalid.

[@Paciat]

No, they are not. This is a list of the worst tanks in the museum.

[@SnowTheKitsune]

Produced by British

[@lancaster5077]

They might be but apparently we have to keep it to ourselves (what?)

[@themaximus144]

@LocalToast what?

[@lancaster5077]

Good point but how does that related to Einsteins Tache (nose brush).

[@Ling__Ling__]

“It’s known as black prince to its friends, but it never had any friends.” David Fletcher is on fire

[@dorpth]

"The sole Valiant was retained by the School of Tank Technology, where students were treated to an inspection of it at the end of their course and invited to find fault. David Fletcher wrote of this: "One hopes they started early in the morning." " Imagine your mechanical project being such a staggering failure, that they start using it as a teaching aid in how NOT to design something.

[@reedman0780]

thats like, being such a failure that you go down in history, on things that you shouldnt be

[@Jrez]

It's like those terrible movies like The Room, and terrible games Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on Nintendo, abject lessons in exactly what _not_ to do.

[@22beesjustvibin67]

@@reedman0780 That is what happened with Pyrrhus of Eripus The guy that Pyrrhic victory is named after

[@robadc]

Bit late to the comment but this is actually standard practice at my university. They rarely show us successful projects, just horrifically failed ones and tell us "you see this, don't do this".

[@timmorrison4117]

In engineering school, that makes great sense actually. As a project manager of 30 years, if you ask me to describe episodes that taught me the most, they were (at leat initially and maybe permanently) disasters.

[@bl1398]

Probably the biggest flaw with the Charioteer was the clock installed on the turret. This often inadvertently informed the enemy what time it was and gave them the opportunity to attack at the worst times such as the middle of breakfast

[@robertpayne2717]

Or tea time operation Market Garden

[@michaelanderson1859]

Or tea time

[@DrumsTheWord]

An utter shower. The enemy didn't play cricket or bowls. Shameful display.

[@largol33t1]

Oh my god, that's hilarious....

[@daniel3231995]

It's ironic that this td actually performed well in world of tanks

[@The_MightyJingles]

Newsflash! David Fletcher confirms TOG II not worst tank in the world!

[@TheKillercroc6942]

Go home Jingles, you're drunk.

[@MajesticDemonLord]

Rigged! Insider Tanking! Russian Bias!

[@anther4520]

+The Mighty Jingles To be fair Jingles, it was ONLY a top five list. Now if it had been a top SIX list... :P

[@nick4uBB]

It was about tanks and tank destroyers and not about boats or caravans.

[@knallis2969]

Just like the Robin valiant is not the Worst car in the world.... and just cus i not will put shot in my top 5 list of worst way to get killed, dont apply i woud like to get shot.

[@GeorgeKharaishvili]

"Except from a revolver..." ouch. "maybe..." ouch. "for a while..." ouch. "from a distance" oooooouch.

[@Baalaaxa]

Regarding the tank's armament; "It's probably better than spitting at people, but only just". Savage.

[@dylanpalmer5151]

That’s also the crew’s reaction to the tank being shot by a revolver.

[@wesleywoodhouse2831]

"May of been called black prince by its friends but never had any friends so I don't know how that happened." How to roast a tank with David Fletcher.

[@alerojas2952]

May of doesn't exist. Would you care to try to learn proper grammar and come back once you get it right?

[@wesleywoodhouse2831]

Ale Rojas ummm I was quoting him directly. Those aren’t my words, they are a paraphrase at worst. Read the comment before you comment like that. Besides, what is nitpicking grammar like that doing for anyone, what good does it do for anyone?

[@alerojas2952]

@@wesleywoodhouse2831 You misquoted him. Finish school before coming here, please.

[@wesleywoodhouse2831]

Ale Rojas it was a paraphrasing him, meaning i wasn’t doing the quote to the last word, it was a general description from memory. Besides, it was two words, how could that be worthy of insulting me by saying I am uneducated. Besides, answer my question please, why Did you insult me in the first place, it’s just mean.

[@kerriwilson7732]

@@wesleywoodhouse2831 maybe he "never had any friends"? Haha

[@danghostman2814]

A38 "...Only nine inches off the ground..." Is this the only tank in the world in danger of being stopped by those concrete blocks for parking lots?

[@roro4787]

Lol

[@TomasPabon]

That's the saddest thing I've ever heard.

[@mistertree553]

Well, the Italian cv33 probably couldn’t either. Then again the cv33 is a thousand times smaller than the A38

[@TomasPabon]

@@mistertree553 italian tanks don't count as tanks

[@mistertree553]

@TomasPabon what about the M13 and M14 series? They were decent designs! Horribly outdated, but still decent!

[@stevemorrill1524]

In 1967-68 I was driver and everyone else too (manpower shortage) for an American M60A1 that had an engine so clapped out it could not go up a hill. "We only replace them when they reach X miles on the odometer," I was told. Oh, it also leaked pressure in the track tension adjustment pistons so that it often threw a track. On one fine day it threw BOTH tracks. Back in the base, I swapped the cable from the engine hours gauge to the odimeter so that each day, as the tank sat in the motor pool idling while I did routine maintenance, it ran up miles instead of hours. In a few months I had run the tank up to the required mileage without moving it from where it sat. I got a new tank. My company commander - who must have known what I was doing - called me aside and, laughing, said that my average speed (miles driven versus engine hours) was over 50 MPH on a tank with a design speed of 30.

[@benlaskowski357]

And how fast were you REALLY going!?😜

[@fs1541]

Awesome! Lol

[@Flodis]

Lovely story. Thanks for sharing!

[@mahmoodali5043]

You gotta do what you gotta do 😂 Brilliant solution to bureaucracy

[@matheusg.8177]

Going 50 mph on a tank that goes 30 mph Gearbox: my time has come

[@hubertwawszczak9891]

David Fletcher: Valiant, worst tank in the world! Wargaming: What tank can we give to people for free for 10 years of world of tanks..

[@Jeremiah90526]

You mean the free garage slot they gave with some free credits?

[@Handles-Suck-YouTube]

I can't lie,I have had an absolute blast with my Valiant. It's a little bit like a mini-TOG at heart.

[@adammclaughlin845]

In fairness the Valiant seems quite popular. And I didn't bloody get one.

[@SpecialJess2]

All these months later now is my chance! The valiant has dumb good camo rating and binos view range it can actually work late game like a stupid advanced duck tank that can actually hide it is still terrible but funny

[@hubertwawszczak9891]

@@SpecialJess2 if you are top tier ofc X)

[@ganeshk.p.r.s5402]

In love this gentleman, British humour at its best, talking sbout the L1E3, "it's armed with a single vickers machine gun, which is probably better than spitting at people but only just... " Hahahahaha... You sir ...a legend, hats off

[@KC-bg1th]

Cheerio

[@nathancox6249]

That moustache is enough to know this is man who know what he's talking about

[@kimbaro1]

QUITE RIGHT

[@scottyfox6376]

Anyone with the fore thought to have a soup strainer is a smart chap.

[@spawnlordgaming7826]

Lol nice, 😊

[@RoyalFizzbin]

His mustache knows more about tanks than I do.

[@willhighfield6773]

Is it me or is it slightly asymmetrical? Been annoying me for ages😂

[@attentionlabel]

7:44 "It never had any friends" BRUTAL

[@jakewes6642]

Beat me to it. Brutal

[@stevenpilling5318]

Poor, friendless Black Prince!

[@rapierduell]

No, the British know that the Germans lost the war.

[@thomashambly3718]

@moonbeam the tommy cooker was actually the Sherman tank. Also at least we never nuked anyone, yet America nuked 2 civilian-filled cities just because they felt like it. Pretty sure that violates multiple war crimes. Although, you dont seem like an american, so I'm going to assume you're Finnish because you brought up Finland for no reason.

[@Andrew-yl7lm]

@moonbeam *cough*the only world power between June 1940 and June 1941 fighting Nazis*cough*

[@ChristianMcAngus]

You get your foot stuck in the Valiant. "I'll just get a hacksaw then we'll be able to free you". "So you can cut the pedal?" "Um, sure, the pedal."

[@adammclaughlin845]

Literally the only criticism of that comment is that British people don't say "Um, sure". They do in films, but most films seem to be written by or for Americans. Today you learned something special

[@jesspayne5548]

Adam McLaughlin are you implying British people don’t say um or that they don’t say sure. Both of those are false

[@intermenater]

Absolutely sick! Reminds me of the time a bear got my food on a backpacking trip and I had to survive on my own boogers for a week.

[@kyle18934]

@@intermenater i wasn't expecting that lol

[@coaxill4059]

Of course I'm sure you could saw the pedal off. I haven't seen it myself, but I'm having a hard time imagining a pedal with dimensions that would allow you to get your foot stuck, but not have any way to saw.

[@95DarkFire]

6:38 "You're not suppossed to do things like that with a tank. It's silly!" God, I love this man.

[@sxull]

The British should have designed more tanks with armor like Mr. Fletcher's moustache. Look at that angling. I bet that thing would bounce a direct hit from an 88

[@ShadowDrake102]

that thing will tear you to shreds. Jamie, pull that up!

[@spudpud-T67]

Wonder what caliber his mustache is, a KV2 suddenly appears.

[@LostBeaver]

@Deus Vult ergo Mr. Fletcher's moustache can bounce a Schwerer Gustav

[@SeanONilbud]

It is a fleet of microdrone needles. They charge themselves using the heat differential of his upper lip and the local weather. He's great in the desert or ice but useless in mud.

[@BarryChumbles]

His moustache looks it's trying to escape from his face.

[@robin6469]

13:35 "Its not bullet proof in any sense of the word, apart from a revolver maybe, for a while, at a distance"

[@MRayner59]

One of many great lines in this video. I liked the comment at 15:29 about the Vickers machine gun "...which is probably better than spitting at people, but only just."

[@AussieGearReviewer]

... shooting up hill into a stiff breeze.... with your eyes closed

[@redspecial4102]

Number 4. Black Prince was designed by Vauxhall Motors. Number 3... 😁

[@howardfortyfive9676]

Gotta love that *dry British Humor* and YES as a Yank I have spelled *HUMOR correctly....*

[@albro8853]

David's amazing! Makes me laugh so hard with those lines, I could watch /listen to him for hours! Lol

[@TerLoki]

Covenanter: A tank so bad that one company designed Crusader as a replacement just so they wouldn't have to build it.

[@Garethadvertiser]

"You're not supposed to do that with a tank - it's silly" lol

[@gastonbell108]

Ministry of Silly Tanks

[@alfatazer_8991]

@@gastonbell108 I'd like to see a skit like this somewhere within my lifetime.

[@benlaskowski357]

Oh, REALLY!?😄😜😳😎

[@jakedee4117]

“you're not supposed to do things like that with a tank, it's silly” This man is comedy Gold. I don't know if I'm listening to a lecture on tanks or Monty Python😁

[@rubenskiii]

_Monty Panzer_

[@CallanElliott]

A Monty Python lecture on tanks.

[@1IbramGaunt]

@@CallanElliott and now for something completely different...

[@rubenskiii]

Goddamn best show there ever was.

[@T1mbrW0lf]

A candidate for the Ministry of Silly Tanks . . .

[@taofledermaus]

I'd be foolish to disagree with him.

[@Juliet1106Tango]

Never expected to see you here.

[@R4V3-0N]

Though some of his reasoning is a bit broad or generic. Such as his definition of a tank which covers a large number of "tank destroyers" out there, British or not. Also his point on armour when he was talking about the amphibious tank as there are several tanks out there comparable to it for it's time period like the Panzer I which can't handle AT fire either. As far as I know nearly no tank from that period can handle AT fire which is why 37mm AT guns and .50" AT rifles were common.

[@bennettebertz1269]

Omg i love you Taofledermaus....

[@Stikkzz]

Jeff is everywhere

[@gerrynightingale9045]

**'Jesus wept'! You again?**

[@TheAdaoo7]

I love how after every time fletcher describes a way in which the valiant could cause death or severe injury to its crew he finishes with "which doesnt sound that healthy" I love this man

[@northernzeus768]

Boss: Boys! We are going to make an all welded tank! (Clearing throat) um sir... we don’t have any one that knows how to weld. Boss: Boys! We are going to make an all riveted tank!

[@edward9674]

This man is an national treasure.

[@andyalford7487]

amen to that :)

[@SeanONilbud]

A national not an national.

[@catlee8064]

Tank Santa has spoken....let no other speak on this subject!

[@Chilledtim1]

Tank Santa! thats awesome. He must be related to Gun Jesus!

[@lancaster5077]

Tank Walrus more like !

[@m0ther_bra1ned12]

Always thought he was more like tank Eisenstein. XD

[@user-qf6yt3id3w]

He sees you when you're sleeping He knows when you're awake He knows if you've been bad or good So be good because his Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore cannon can engage targets at up to [classified] meters range.

[@lancaster5077]

"So be good because his Royal Ordnance L7 rifled cannon can (effectively) engage targets at up to 2,000 yards range."

[@hyfy-tr2jy]

"Its not bullet proof in any sense of the word...apart maybe for a revolver.....from a distance...for a while" Classic!

[@johnmunro4952]

"if you're designing a tank at home" 😳😂😂😂😂

[@thesleepyweasel3775]

We have a down vote? Nice to know the designer of the A38 Valiant is still alive.

[@albertoamoruso7711]

There are also 18 drivers who lost their feet

[@livinglitchfield6917]

A38 for world of tanks!

[@albertoamoruso7711]

@@livinglitchfield6917 I can already hear: TC: «Our Driver is dead We can barely move!» Player: «F*ck me, I just braked!»

[@khaccanhle1930]

A down vote? Shoot him at dawn!!

[@Trillock-hy1cf]

As of today, there are 81 down votes, so the family, relatives and friends of the designer don't like it either.........:)

[@lalucre1803]

David Fletcher is the David Attenborough of tanks.

[@davewolfy2906]

No. David Attenborough is the David Fletcher of anything else. If I may say so.

[@tedytarrify]

Lol i was just about to day the same thing.

[@Lord-Snowflake]

"if you don't agree with me, then just keep it to yourself" David, you just got yourself a new subscriber.

[@F.S92]

So you like thin skinned people who cannot handle anything remotely resembling a different view?

[@anthonymichaeleardley494]

The world of entertainment would need to have this as a motto when people start complaining.

[@mojotheaverage]

Charioteer designer: 'I want the gun on the really good centurion tank but on the outdated Cromwell chassis' Everyone else : 'why don't we just use the centurion?' Cromwell designer: 'you think too small!'

[@detritus23]

“If you are designing a tank at home...”. Classic words...

[@ANGRYP1R4TE]

*hastily stuffs tank plans behind back*

[@hhale]

Would you believe that I'm watching a lot of these videos in preparation for designing tanks for a sci-fi game? It's like he knew I was watching. I'm going to have to maintain a better sitting posture when I view these in future.

[@evilpandakillabzonattkoccu4879]

"If you don't agree with me, then just keep it to yourself" Not only was that the best way to start a video....it's now how I start every conversation. :-D

[@Bodragon]

So does that mean you want only to have conversations with those whom agree with you? How sad, blinkered and ultimately boring. Glad you're not my friend. I really enjoy a good argument/debate.

[@evilpandakillabzonattkoccu4879]

@@Bodragon comsoderimg that you took an obvious joke seriously, I'm glad we aren't friends either. XD

[@jimmorgan8688]

I don't agree with you! 😃

[@Bodragon]

@@mrazik9365 But he's not joking. If he was joking, it might be funny. Why do you think he is joking? Go on. Throw me a bone here... .

[@KilliKonKarnage]

@@Bodragon lol you spastic

[@hobbitreet]

"It's not really bullet-proof. Except from a revolver. For a while. From a distance." That comment made my day. Thank you!

[@oron61]

Each one of these I look at it and think, 'oh, that don't look so bad. It looks like it could be used as a river scout or a...' and then I hear him describe its internals and my heart sinks again.

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

*The Top Five list we've been waiting for!* Very interesting to see this focus on why some tanks failed from a design and/or production standpoint. Also remembering Operation Think Tank, I've been wondering whether the Valiant would make it up there ;)

[@DC9622]

Military Aviation History, yes I had expected TOG to be in the list, then he explained the amphibian, god its bad. I knew about Valiant it does beg the question with these examples, how in gods names did they design the Centurion?

[@Riceball01]

Hopefully, the next time The Chieftain is there he'll do an inside the hatch on some of these. It would be interesting to learn a little more about them and see what they were like on the inside as well.

[@hart-of-gold]

When they designed the Centurion, they had used all their bad ideas on the Valiant, Only thing they had left was to make the fuel tanks a bit too small.

[@rickansell661]

Remember that completely different teams worked on these vehicles. The Centurion was deigned by the Directorate of Tank Design, part of the Ministry of Supply. One of the benefits they had was that they had had a view of the detail and operational experience of every tank deign the British had produced or used and had quite an open design brief. The Valiant design was begun by Vickers, who at the start focused on reusing everything they could from the Valentine. In the end nothing from that survived in the final design. Design work then passed to the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Waggon Company (who also did locomotives) who had done good work in producing the Cromwell. They then passed it to Ruston & Hornsby who up to that point had been producing Matilda IIs and whose design experience was with Heavy Oil Engines, Industrial Locomotives, Steam Shovels and Steam Traction Engines. A skewed design with compromises relating to the Valentine was then passed to less and less experienced design teams, with, no doubt, disruption and loss of knowledge at each stage. The design was all the time skewed by the design brief, which was for maximum armour at minimum weight for use in the Far East where the infrastructure could not support vehicles as heavy as those used in Europe. In effect it was 'Excelsior, but lighter'. Valiant weighed only 27 tons compared to Excelsior at 40. This required all sorts of compromises which would have been a tough nut to crack for most design teams, let alone a disrupted and, in the later stages inexperienced, one saddled with the legacy of an unnecessary additional design restriction added by Vickers management (the Valentine reuse requirement).

[@parrot849]

Rick Ansell - Thank you Rick for interesting backstory on the design development of the A35. I knew there was some sort of story to tell concerning it’s development but never could find anything about it. One would have to assume individuals of basically average and literate intelligence designed the Valiant, so there must have been something else at play for this mess to be the final product.

[@Twirlyhead]

Note the crumpled front of the amphibian following a small shunt with a Reliant Robin.

[@RWBHere]

It likely did that when it hit some water.

[@RichardTaylor1800]

The Robin, on the other hand, didn't have a scratch.

[@methanbreather]

Caution: Unarmored

[@jackthurgood9614]

*Parked Reliant Robin covered in memory foam.

[@riskinhos]

5: Charioteer 00:52 4: Black Prince 07:06 3: L1E3 Amphibian 12:24 2: Covenanter 16:40 1: A38 Valiant 23:43

[@RYNOCIRATOR_V5]

SPOILERS

[@Alpha0727]

Nick Pallatt Even if you know which tanks are on the list, it shouldn’t matter. What matters is the information and reasoning behind why it is on this list. That, and the amazing stories and humor from David Fletcher.

[@Alpha0727]

riskinhos Thank you for the time stamps.

[@ngw1976]

I thought the Tortoise - an unwieldy behemoth and a mechanic's nightmare with regard to maintenance - would make it on David Fletcher's list; I wonder why he spared it…

[@adammclaughlin845]

The only surprise on this list was the amphibious tank.

[@PDInfantryman]

"It's armed with a single Vickers machine gun, which, is probably better than spitting at people...but only just." Mr. Fletcher pulls no punches.

[@ExUSSailor]

This seems to fit with a very British tradition, self deprecation.

[@caninecarp6022]

Saves everyone else slagging us off dude.

[@shadweller]

@LocalToast because the majority of white countries are prosperous and free, so it's no wonder people from less prosperous and free countries are flooding to get in.

[@sirnooblet2793]

LocalToast Wow are you okay? You do realize the United States of America was made by immigrants? ITS A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS!!! So please, stop leaving propaganda leaflets in every comment and go be on your way...

[@JimFortune]

LocalToast Couldn't you find a more appropriate venue for your blithering?

[@Cancun771]

Well, Fletcher has shat on the A7V elsewhere ;-)

[@Lennart_Jensen]

Fantastic mustache explanation yet again. Every time David Fletcher is on camera. My brain goes silent and builds itself up to something interesant.

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

Fill this man with high caffeined tea and stick a microphone on him. Letting him ramble on about everything.

[@JohnnyZenith]

Tea.

[@ShiroFuun]

Caffeinated Tea

[@Phantom_Aspekt]

@@ShiroFuun Black tea doesn't have that much less caffiene than coffee though 🤷‍♂️ To be honest, me using 2 tea bags (usually Yorkshire or PG Tips) in one mug gives me a bigger buzz than a normal cup of coffee and arguably tastes better

[@MrT67]

@@Phantom_Aspekt Well put. That's exactly what David Fletcher's response would be.

[@Battlemage15]

I very much appreciate Mr. Fletcher's time spent on bringing us this video. Love the sense of humor.

[@russeljohn3471]

David Fletcher.... legend. Nuff said 👍👍

[@robloxdude19]

I have one problem with this video being 30 minutes long, it's not long enough as I could listen to David Fletcher talk about tanks for hours on end and never get bored!

[@paulhennessy5627]

".. Its got all the faults you could hope for..." Flectherisms , you gotta love 'em!

[@EleanorPeterson]

I'm a Brit (English, to be tribally correct), and what makes me so proud about this excellent presentation is the honesty and total lack of nationalistic bullspit (whoops, typo). There's no attempt to put a positive spin on anything. There's no pathetic flag waving, no excuses, no pulling of punches, no jingoism, no justification of incompetence in the name of patriotism. Some countries wouldn't even MAKE a video like this, let alone broadcast it - uncensored - to the world in case certain long-term rivals were watching and might find cause to laugh at them. Yes, you know who I'm talking about. Brits don't give a damn what other people think about them culturally, physically, mentally or militarily. I see that as a strength, not a weakness. ;-)

[@SueBobChicVid]

...it never had any friends.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

#blackprince4everalone

[@jcaliberty8288]

😔😔😔

[@HowLongDoesItTake4Dads2BuyMilk]

This is so sad, Alexa, play Maybach HL230 P45 V12 startup

[@elijahrunov2061]

BOI. What in the fck does this have to do anything with the video

[@markgrehan3726]

Damn, silly I know but I was surprised to see how flipping large the Black Prince is.

[@tacticalultimatum]

Mark Grehan and he’s 7’ 2”

[@Twirlyhead]

"All the faults you can hope for in one vehicle" : priceless.

[@F.ALK_02]

I swear David Fletcher is my favourite i love him. потрясающая работа, мой друг! Так держать!

[@gorazdvahen492]

Clicked LIKE the moment he said: "If you don't agree with me, just keep it to yourself". National treasure this man.

[@digitaIgorilla]

David Fletcher, you are THE man! So entertaining, so informative. Loved this one. Cheers! wot?

[@rdmountford3132]

You could have made an effort with your clothes ye scruffy bugger

[@darthnagus5457]

GG

[@revhead5420]

RD Mountford , That would be Lindy beige , not sure what to make of him ...

[@public.public]

David Fletcher the experts experts expert has spoken. Kneel.

[@Frankovelli]

0:00 OMG He's adorable! Mom! Can we keep him! I promise I'll feed him, walk him, and everything!

[@valentinmarinescu6445]

Out of the 5, I think the Black Prince could've been good. With another engine of course.

[@chuckh5999]

Perhaps Wakanda would want it?

[@pRahvi0]

I'm using my right to agree with the list. I like how they are put in order ranging from "only slightly useful in combat" through "completely useless in combat" and finally "only useful for showing how to NOT".

[@Blanchefort2]

This man is a genius.

[@2A4FIN]

Great presentation! Regarding the Charioteer's history abroad , thou; the Finns didn't consider this thing a tank - but dedicated it into Tank Destroyer Battalions. Later the Finns even looked into the prospect of fitting thenew QF L7 105mm into the Charioteer, but there were no export availability for the gun. The leftover 20 pounders, instead, would have then been retrofitted into our Comet fleet - actually one such tank was buildt for trials.

[@arch758]

oh cool, he brought his own pop filter. A sound guy's dream

[@sarinhighwind]

David Fletcher is always a win.

[@GetFoched]

30 minutes of David Fletcher This is pure gold

[@PolesAreEverywhere]

Or pure amelinimum

[@JamesThomas-zl9er]

I’m always in awe of anyone who has such passion for a subject - I wish I had that enthusiasm for anything, really, anything…

[@pr4442]

I have zero interest in tanks.. but I found this highly watchable. Thanks.

[@doriannritter2615]

Greetings from Rhineland! My grandfather worked for the British Army of the Rhine as a craftsman. He left me some old tools with the imprint "war finish".

[@ProfessorPesca]

No man makes the word ‘silly’ sound so cutting. Never seen that Amphibian - it just looks appalling, like a tracked Citroen 2CV.

[@MrAlumni72]

Not bulletproof from anything except perhaps a revolver.

[@hart-of-gold]

For a while from a distance.

[@richpurslow3283]

a tracked citroen 2cv had me pissing my self. i agree.

[@PobortzaPl]

2CV at least has personality. And personality goes a long way.

[@markfryer9880]

Ah but the Citroen 2CV did meet it's design brief of being able to travel quickly across a plowed field with a basket of eggs in the front seat and not break any. Just WHY you would want to travel quickly across a plowed field with a basket of eggs in the front seat is the part that eludes me.

[@willykaranikolas2391]

"although sometimes they sat a man in there... in supreme discomfort" haha Fletcher has such a way with words it's just too funny!

[@pierretremblay6812]

First time I ever listen to Mr. Fletcher, and, by a huge margin, he is ma favorite narrator/story teller! I particularly like how he makes very funny remarks with a straight face and even tone.

[@adamg7984]

David Fletcher, where have you been all my life? Your British humor is flawless and I love tanks. How didn't I know of you sooner? I'm sure I remember seeing you on some TV shows when I was younger but I'm so happy to have found the Bovington Tank Museum's KZbin channel. Makes me always think of Company of Heroes 2! Every time I order the Sherman Firefly around he says "just like driving around Bovington, eh?"

[@yeefoongphoon8505]

Eyy fellow company of heroes 2 player! I thought i was the only one!

[@foo-foocuddlypoops5694]

Saw the thumbnail preview and I was so happy to see that someone as legendary as David Fletcher shared my love of the Black Prince.... ... *sigh* looks like I'm still on my own then, just like the Prince.

[@joecal97]

Dude I got you. While I agree the engine wasn't powerful enough, it's got nothing really wrong with it otherwise. Armour? Check Firepower? Yep Looks threatening? Hell yes. British? You'd better believe it.

[@Halinspark]

@@joecal97 A good engine and better transmission, and it would be perfectly serviceable.

[@joecal97]

Halinspark Even if it would've had to have been the last of the infantry tanks anyway, I reckon it would've been useful to us (and to whoever we sold then to after their service to us. I guarantee someone would've bought them.

[@alganhar1]

If Tank Santa was right, and its probably safe to assume that he is, an RR Meteor would have gotten it to 22 mph, which was not bad for the time, not the best sure, but it was not bad. Faster would have have been better but 22 mph was a serviceable speed. But yes, replace the engine especially, and probabloy the transmission and BP would have been a useful vehicle.

[@DaGleese]

The Tortoise weighs 30T more, carries a crew of 7 and goes at 12mph. Think of that... You've got a tank that is slower with far less firepower than the Tortoise, and it gets called the 'Black Prince'. I guess it sounds better than 'The Sloth' though.

[@ivankalinic7094]

Whenever I have a bad day... I watch this. It always brightens it a bit. Thank you!

[@griffin3447]

A38 Valiant Driver: *Chuckles* "I'm in danger".

[@shynsly01]

The Valiant looks like a little kid's go-cart version of an IS-7

[@justinpatterson7700]

1944 Valiant A38 Infantry Tank henlo stinky tank, get a better design stinky

[@_chp_]

@@justinpatterson7700 get better name dumbass

[@_chp_]

@@comradef1916 helli my british friend

[@DoddyIshamel]

"If you are designing a tank at home...." genius

[@The.01.]

This guy should be kept as national treasure & saved for future generations !

[@grimsbydavid]

Was in R.E.M.E. as a Mechanic working on Chieftens back in early 70`s. Lovely video and informative. I learnt a lot from this. Good work and just loved the mans style of presentation , plus the unintended black humour.

[@macbrown99]

I imagine St. Peter looks and sounds exactly like this man as he looks over and judges your life at the pearly gates.

[@forbeshutton5487]

If he grew his hair a little longer and mussed it up, he would be the Einstein of armour. The should be his title anyway, "The Einstein of Armour".

[@connorwilliams3451]

He's already been given the moniker "Tank Santa". So now we can be blessed by both Gun Jesus and Tank Santa.

[@Appletank8]

I think he got a haircut recently.

[@loddude5706]

He's a dead ringer for Count von Zeppelin as is! (Tanks & airships - same dog, more gas : )

[@NorrisHistoryCorner]

Or is he the Fletcher of Physics?

[@massaweed420]

Watch the new video on worst foreign tanks, with David Fletcher. He looks exactly as you described him, I think he must have read your comment.

[@purgejmi]

Thank you for passing on your information and history. I love stuff like this.

[@MrKeys57]

It is a real joy to listen to this english gentleman! - and i of course did sub, thankyou sir, for a fantastic presentation! - greetings, Levi from Finland

[@carter1940]

A sincere thank you to Mr. Fletcher. Your knowledge and opinion is greatly valued!

[@ZGryphon]

"They've done away wth the front hull machine gunner, although they sometimes sat a man in there, in supreme discomfort."

[@kolloduke3341]

I love your work , and your considerable effort .I have always liked the funnies , thank you .

[@pastastructure]

All the Tank Museum videos are excellent -- as is this one. David Fletcher's disgust reminds me of a tour I took of the Littlefield collection (just after his death and before it was scattered) -- when the guide was listing the shortcomings of the M551 Sheridan. Can't wait to visit Bovington again. Best tank museum anywhere.

[@ultrablue2]

“Ya see! There you go Fletcher with them negative waves!” Oddball, Kelly’s Heros

[@jeromethiel4323]

Woof woof woof! That's my other dog impression! ^-^

[@jerrygolding1056]

@@jeromethiel4323 Oh man, I only ride them! I don't know what makes them go. My approach to computers!

[@jeromethiel4323]

@@jerrygolding1056 Oddball was my hero after kelly himself. You can't not be a clint eastwood fan, but the actor who played oddball was excellent. Because you had to be a little bit crazy to crew a sherman. The thing was a deathtrap. Not the worst tank, by far, but not the best. The only reason it did as well as it did was numbers. If you can't out tech 'em, or out fight 'em, out produce them. I call it the rabbit strategy.

[@thewomble1509]

@@jeromethiel4323 That man was Donald Sutherland, father of Keifer!

[@HO-bndk]

@@jeromethiel4323 He played a 1940s hippie.

[@Minalkra]

This man is genius and hilarious - I love hearing him speak. I am going to binge everything he's ever filmed.

[@botisaghy3388]

U guys are amazing. The collection, the knowledge, the presentation. If I ever get to UK ur on my top of the list of what to visit...

[@onggi3388]

huge admiration I have for this lovely speaker .... I can sleep on his speech and still dream of extraordinary tanks and such ! in a good sense, ofc !

[@sixstringedthing]

"This thing could only do 11 miles per hour on a good day, with a following wind". So many great quotes. This guy is a national treasure (hence his MBE I suppose). :)

[@SonOfFudge]

I nicknamed his moustache “Alfred the destroyer of worlds”

[@GustavoAlves-iq5pc]

I call it Fletcher's fanny brush, the inflexible.

[@njones420]

the more i look at it, the more i see Boris Johnson...

[@_DixonCider]

It's name is "Nidhogg- Master of Dread and Devourer of Souls." A name that only the most brave have the courage to speak, and only in hushed tones. Weep, for the age of Ragnarok is nigh, and the great silver dragon will rise from its slumber. They say that all you hear before your inevitable demise is the sound of wind blowing through bushy whiskers. Something like that...

[@highonimmi]

please, we must have names for his eye brows!!!!

[@masonsykes2240]

And that's something, coming from Stalin!

[@pinder262]

Man of i could id head out to Bovington and visit this museum just to hear David Fletcher rip on more British tanks, i love watching this

[@gardenislandlimited1372]

"If your designing a tank at home",...well,....I was contemplating doing just that very thing!

[@nigeh5326]

I have been a fan of David Fletcher since first seeing him on TV in the 90s. He is a legend we should all bow at his image 😀

[@connorwilliams3451]

Praise be to Tank Santa for delivering us such fine gifts!

[@alanedwards5069]

Brilliant and humorous commentary .Thank you David 👍

[@dereklucero7832]

I was an m1a1/a2 abrams tanker. This video is AWESOME!