first saw these figures, he was dreading painting them...
With a long-standing objection to mass conscription, Britain entered the war in 1939 almost as woefully prepared in terms of manpower as she had been in 1914. Yet, unlike in 1914, the British in 1939 understood what was needed to fight a European war, and had gone a long way to creating a modern motorized force.
As if intentionally mirroring the strategic reality, the British Army's platoons were small but well-equipped. Having been at the forefront of developing modern infantry tactics between 1916 and 1918, the British placed much emphasis on fire and movement, and initiative at the lowest command levels. They will need to embrace this approach and combine it with a well-considered selection of support options to blunt the German advance.