All hope was not lost on the role that the Mk VII tank was set to play in the war for 1941 saw the formation of the British airborne force at the behest of Winston Churchill. Churchill understood the value of airborne elements when witnessing their success through the German takeover of half of Europe using specialized surprise seize tactics from the air. This provided a second life for the small tank as a new glider was designed and developed for the purpose of carrying man, machine, and supplies into combat behind enemy lines - the General Aircraft Hamilcar.
The Hamilcar could fit a single A17 tank (or JEEP-type vehicle) in its hold while being towed by a transport aircraft. Once over the drop zone, the glider went free of its carrier aircraft and used its capabilities to land in an open field (preferably). The tank could then be prepared by its crew and driven off into combat where its speed and armament could shock unprepared, lightly armed foes.
Trials showcasing Hamilcars and vehicles were not conducted until 1944. Once a proven tactic, the Tetrarch was slightly revised for more of a close support role for infantry-minded takeover operations. This included fitting a 76.2mm howitzer in place of the 40mm tank gun which produced the designation of Tetrarch ICS ("Infantry Close Support"). The vehicle would follow ground operations and provide a hefty punch at range, aimed at dislodging enemy forces from their hiding places.
The Tetrarch's next notable service came during the June 6th, 1944 invasion of Northern France through D-Day - "Operation Overlord". The tank was featured in the follow-up wave of airborne drops which were used to secure positions being targeted by initial assault waves. About six Tetrarchs landed near the Orne River as part of the Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment where tanker crews made the most with what the nimble, yet highly vulnerable, light tanks could offer. At the very least they served as a strong defensive tool in the fighting - particularly for airborne forces that were typically ill-equipped and under-armed for prolonged engagements. The Tetrarch's final actions were during the Rhine River crossing of March 1945 through "Operation Varsity". By this time, however, the line had been given up almost exclusively for the American M22 "Locust" airborne-minded light tank.
There was work on several Tetrarch variants before the end of the war - one of which became the "Harry Hopkins" model - named after President Roosevelt's Lend-Lease administrator. This model saw its armor increase to 38mm thickness which sought to improve battlefield survivability. The modification also allowed engineers to rework some of the mechanicals of the vehicle based on combat service and at least 100 of the mark were built as "Light Tank, Mk VIII, Harry Hopkins (A25)".
Still another Tetrarch development entertained before war's end in 1945 was the Tetrarch "Alecto", another airborne-minded model intended for the support role. This mark fitted a 94mm howitzer for close support service but production ultimately yielded a limited batch. Other plans were in the works to fit even larger field guns to the chassis but not much came of this. A non-combat version, fitted with a dozer blade for engineering work, was seen before the end.
Tetrarch tanks remained in the British inventory into the years following World War 2. However, they were obsolete on the modern battlefield and given up for good by 1950 when the British airborne ended their support of the storied Hamilcar glider line. While initially of limited value when the war began, the Tetrarch came to its own rather interestingly by way of airborne forces and also served as Britain's first air-transportable tank.
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