Papers of Maj Gen Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart (1885-1957)

References on this page: LIDDELL HART: 15/11

LH15/11 Papers of Maj Gen Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart (1885-1957)

Papers relating to Staff College, Quetta, India, 1926

Liddell Hart: 15/11/1

1926

Papers by Hobart including texts of five lectures on tank warfare at the Staff College, Quetta, India, covering history and development of tanks, use in the field and the influence of armour on warfare. 1 file

Papers relating to command of 1 Tank Brigade, 1935-1936

Liddell Hart: 15/11/2

1935 Mar 18-22

Memorandum by Hobart as Brig of 1 Tank Bde, 'The organisation of Tank and Mobile Troops', including the use of tanks for Imperial policing tasks, and suitability of tanks for duties in India and the Middle East. 1 file

Liddell Hart: 15/11/3

1936 Sep 10

Report by Maj Gen Sir Archibald Percival Wavell on the visit by the British Military Delegation to observe Red Army manoeuvres, in the White Russian Military District, Minsk, including a detailed summary of manoeuvres, equipment and conclusions relating to the readiness of the Red Army for war. The Delegation included Col Giffard (Le Quesne) Martell, Assistant Director of Mechanisation. 1 file

Liddell Hart: 15/11/4

1936 Jun 13-1936 Dec 18

Papers by Hobart including 'Unpreparedness for war, Royal Tank Corps' on shortages of equipment and ability to operate in a future war; 'Tank Gunnery' on the inadequacies of equipment and training, with letter from Gen Sir (William) Edmund Ironside, Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Command, on difficulty in corps recruitment and favourable attitude of FM Sir Cyril John Deverell, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, to mechanised units. 1file

Liddell Hart: 15/11/5

1936 Jun 3

Questionnaire from the Finlayson committee, completed by Hobart, HQ 1 Tank Bde, concerning the military engineering requirements of the first contingent of any future Field Force. 1 file

Liddell Hart: 15/11/6

1934,1936-1937

Papers by Hobart including comments on Army estimates, 1936; proposed programme for training and development of mechanised forces 1934-1937 with notes on commitments in Egypt; proposals for the structure and organisation of a Mobile Corps; 'Army Mechanisation' on action to be taken to improve performance and equipment of mechanised troops; 'The Tank Situation' comparing numbers of tanks with USA, USSR, Germany, France, Italy and Japan; 'The British Army and a European War' on rationalising Imperial commitments to release troops for European service. 1 file

Papers relating to service as Deputy Director of Staff Duties (Armoured Fighting Vehicles), 1937

Liddell Hart: 15/11/7

1937 Sep-Nov

Papers relating to the organisation of armoured fighting vehicles, by Hobart as Deputy Director of Staff Duties (Armoured Fighting Vehicle), including 'Organisation of Units and Formations in the Regular Field Force using Armoured Fighting Vehicles', on plans for mechanisation; 'Armoured fighting vehicle units in the Territorial Army'; 'Organisation of Armoured Cavalry in the Mobile Division', including views on tactics by General Officer C-in-C, Southern Command, Gen Sir John (Theodosius) Burnett-Stuart of Dens and Crichie; memorandum favourably comparing the cost of armoured fighting vehicles with the production of artillery ammunition; 'Armoured Fighting Vehicle points for General Staff Directors Conference', comprising details of the composition of the Tank Bde, Mobile Div and Army Tank Bns. 1 file

Papers relating to command of 7 Armoured Division, 1939-1942

Liddell Hart: 15/11/8

1939 May,1953 Sep 3

'The Armoured Division, Egypt', training report by Hobart, Commanding Officer, Mobile Div, relating to tactical issues and equipment, with covering letter from Maj Gen Gerald Lloyd Verney to Capt Basil Henry Liddell Hart returning the item to Liddell Hart's collection in 1953. 1 file

Liddell Hart: 15/11/9

1940-1941

Papers relating to German invasion of France and the Low Countries, May-Jun 1940 including memorandum by Hobart entitled 'German action in May 1940 illustrating some main principles of modern war' on German use of speed, alternative plans, surprise and manoeuvring; 'General Charles (André Joseph Marie) de Gaulle's conclusions regarding Armoured Divisions' on command problems when in action and opinions on the armoured counter-attack at Abbeville, 17-19 May 1940; booklet entitled Summary of Events, Flanders Campaign 10 May-3 June 1940 (War Office, Sep 1940) including five maps of the campaign. 1 file

Liddell Hart: 15/11/10

1941 Dec 18

Papers relating to 7 Armoured Div in Operation BATTLEAXE, Libya, Jun 1941 including report on action, 15-18 Jun 1941, covering daily accounts of operations, lessons, equipment and tactics and letter to Hobart from Brig Charles (Frederic) Keightley, Commanding Officer, 30 Armoured Bde, returning report, with comments on the need for a 6 pounder gun. 1 file

Liddell Hart: 15/11/11

1941 Nov 18-1942 Jan 31

Account of 7 Armoured Div operations in Libya, compiled by Maj Gen William Henry Ewart Gott, General Officer Commanding, including accounts of the battle of Sidi Rezegh, offensive operations around Bir el Gubi and capture of Benghasi. With appendices including details of terrain, enemy forces, order of battle, with printed map of Egypt and Cyrenaica (War Office, 1938) scale 1:250,000 and six manuscript maps of Cyrenaica, Scale 1:500,000. 1 file

Liddell Hart: 15/11/12

1941 Feb 5-1942 June 23

Papers relating to the Libyan Campaign, 1941-1942, including five sketch plans of dispositions of A Sqn, 2 Royal Tank Regiment, in action at the 'Pimple', Beda Fomm 5-7 Feb 1941; account of action by unknown officer of 10 Hussars; lecture notes entitled 'Operations 7 Armoured Division, Nov-Dec 1941' by Brig Harry Brian Claude Watkins; memorandum on lessons from operations in Cyrenaica; printed map of Libya and Egypt (War Office, 1918, reprinted 1932) Scale 1:3,000,000; printed map of Cyrenaica (War Office, 1942) Scale 1:1,000,000; printed map of Salûm, Libya (War Office, 1941), annotated with dispositions of 4 and 7 Armoured Bdes, scale 1:100,000. 1 file

Papers relating to command of 79 (Specialised) Armoured Division,1944-1945

Liddell Hart: 15/11/13

1944 Jun-Aug

Operational bulletins of 79 Armoured Div on Operation OVERLORD including ten captioned photographs of beach defences and 79 Armoured Div vehicles; reports on effectiveness of equipment; appendices detail landing sectors and individual vehicle action summaries. 1 file, 10 photographs

Liddell Hart: 15/11/14

1945 Jul

'Final Report, 79 Armoured Division' published by 21 Army Group, including details of weapons, tactics and organisation, photographs of equipment and locations in north-west Europe, technical drawings on the use of equipment and detailed plans of order of battle and unit organisation. 1 vol

Papers including correspondence with Liddell Hart,1942-1944

Liddell Hart: 15/11/15

1942-1944

Papers including correspondence with Liddell Hart including draft of 'New defence doctrine'and theories on the invasion of Europe. 1 file

Liddell Hart: 15/11/16

1944

Papers by Hobart including memorandum on armoured unit organisation, paper entitled 'Modern warfare' and note stating Hobart's reasons against a postponement of D-Day. 1 file