Sorry is that a statement or a question?
Terrain is the answer.
Source is Wiki and here. (By Modified by Dr. Blofeld - http://www.maps-for-free.com/, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14495149.)
Source of photo.
Object description
Knocked-out Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go tanks at a roadblock across the Muar - Parit Sulong road, near Bakri in Malaya, 18 January 1942. Nine tanks were destroyed in this engagement by two 2-pdr anti-tank guns of 2/4th Australian Anti-Tank Regiment. The battle of Muar, which took place around the Gemensah bridge and the Muar River in Johore, was the last major engagement of the campaign.
What was the question? Here is the answer...(Part 1.)
Vickers should have talked to Aberdeen. Or to the United States Navy.Rather than develop a new vehicle from scratch, one of the cheapest, lowest and more reliable chassis was chosen, that of the Valentine infantry tank.
The driver and commander were seated in the front part of the casemate, which had a hinged armored flap and vision slit. The casemate was open-top, multi-faceted, sloped at the front, sides, and rear. The rear part was open, in order to allow the gun shield some traverse (11°) and elevation (-7.5 to +15°).
The 39 rounds carried were stored in the casemate (ready rounds) and inside the hull. The driver remained in his position while the gun was in action, despite the fact that recoil of the gun through the breach block dangerously close to his head.
This was in order to be able to move quickly after the completion of firing. An un-fore-seen side effect to the vehicle’s orientation was the effect of heat from the engine interfering with the gunner’s primary sight. It would also warm the center of the barrel, greatly decreasing the accuracy of the cannon.
Anyway...
Source.
Not ready in time.
What finally was the answer?
Burma has the worst terrain and weather fought over on Earth in WWII. (My opinion, New Guinea and or the Aleutians is second, I guess Italy was a close third?)
But here is the thing...
Sexton
The Canadian Sexton entered service in Sep 1943, a combination of the 25-pounder Gun and the chassis of the Canadian Ram tank. The vehicle was characterized by right-hand drive and modifications to the gun (notably the recoil system) to get the gun properly fitted. They were used widely throughout 21st Army Group after Jul 1944.
The Sexton was open-topped, with 38mm of frontal armour. Some 2,150 Sextons had been built by the time production at the Montreal Locomotive Works ceased in 1945. The Sexton continued in use until the 1950s.
Equipment: Armament - 25-pounder Gun (field sighting gear), 2 machine carbines, 2 Bren Guns, 2 rifles. Observation - telescope, protectoscope. Communiction - No. 19 Wireless Transmitter set, amplifier, loudspeaker, cable for Observation Post, signal pistol. Tools, spares, rations, etc. Armour thickness: upper hull front 3/4", upper hull sides 1/2", upper hull rear 1/2". Lower hull runs 2-1/2".
Aforesaid RAM...
Hi! I'm Canadian and I was never sent anywhere to fight as a tank. I did it as a flamethrower vehicle, OP vehicle and a Kangaroo eventually. I started coming out of the Montreal Locomotive Works shops in November 1941. Bit of bad timing, eh?
Sometimes the right answer is just a wee bit late to the party.