A veteran of the North Irish Horse, who trained Canadians in Algeria, says that in spite of Dieppe Canadians liked the Churchill tank.
Why then, we must ask, did the Canadian tank brigades switch to Shermans and not stay with Churchills?
My provisional answer - and I would like the opinion of anyone else, and especially if it is backed up with facts and references- is that the Canadians switched from the Churchill to the Ram II tank in early 1943 and then to Shermans for Husky - see Item Number 132 in the list at
http://www.dnd.ca/hr/dhh/history_arc...q_e.asp?cat=1.
This happened in April 1943. As it was in the throes of switching from Churchills into Rams, 1 Canadian Army Tank Brigade and 1 Canadian Infantry Division were chosen to replace 33 Tank Brigade and 3 British Infantry Division in Operation Husky.
33 TB and 3 BID had been in 3 Mixed Division together, and 33 TB had then been equipped with Churchills. It had only recently re-equipped with Shermans for Husky. This was because Monty insisted on his tanks having 75-mm, which of course was not fitted on either the Ram or on the Churchill (at that time, it was later).
So 1 CATB gave back its Rams and took over 33 TB's Shermans.
I guess that all the Canadian Tank Brigades switched from Churchills to Rams and then to Shermans because of the need for the 75-mm D-P gun. It is this last point that is speculation based on what is known to have happened to 1 CATB.
Any comments?