The British 11th Armoured Division was my first force in Flames of War and remains the one I have played the most. I admire the pragmatic way the British approached wartime engineering. For example, when they urgently needed a gun powerful enough to tackle heavy German armor, they took an anti-tank gun that was technically far too big for the Sherman turret and jammed it in anyway. They rotated the breech 90 degrees and welded a special box onto the back of the turret to accommodate the gun's recoil! There are many other examples of this "make-it-work" attitude, which is a big part of why I like playing them.
Known as "The Black Bull," the 11th Armoured Division was one of Britain’s best armored formations in World War II, spearheading key operations including Epsom, Goodwood, Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge. The division was formed in March 1941, drawing inspiration from the pioneering armored warfare theories of figures like Major-General Percy Hobart (whose family crest inspired the famous black bull insignia).
The British High Command designed the 11th Armoured to match the speed and operational flexibility of German panzer divisions, packing heavy support arms to remain largely self-sufficient on the move. In December 1942, Major-General George "Pip" Roberts took command. Having started the war as a captain, Roberts rose rapidly through the ranks to become the youngest major-general in the British Army, proving to be a gifted and aggressive mobile commander.
The 11th Armoured Division in Flames of War:
Infantry support:
A Sherman platoon with a Firefly and M10's in the back:
Stuart Jalopy recon patrol:
Organization of the 11th Armoured Division in Flames of War:
