▁host ilities . ▁ ▁Re quire ments ▁were ▁raised ▁by ▁Lieutenant ▁General ▁Sir ▁G iff ard ▁Le ▁Qu es ne ▁Mart el . ▁ ▁These ▁types ▁were ▁joined ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁war ▁by ▁requirement ▁for ▁a ▁heav ier ▁Ass ault ▁tank , ▁and ▁eventually ▁the ▁Universal ▁tank ▁expected ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁Cru iser ▁and ▁Infantry ▁t anks . ▁ ▁Ne ither ▁entered ▁production . ▁ ▁Light ▁t anks ▁had ▁mostly ▁been ▁disc ount ed ▁by ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁all ▁roles ▁except ▁air bor ne ▁( gener ally ▁replaced ▁with ▁the ▁Car rier ). ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁British ▁w art ime ▁tank ▁production ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁Cru iser ▁and ▁Infantry ▁types . ▁ ▁R oles ▁and ▁respons ib ilities ▁Prior ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁tank ▁design ▁and ▁production ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁the ▁Master ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁Or dn ance , ▁who ▁appointed ▁a ▁Director ▁of ▁Mechan isation . ▁ ▁The ▁Director ▁of ▁Mechan isation ▁led ▁the ▁Mechan isation ▁Board ▁who ▁represented ▁the ▁various ▁user ▁arms ▁combined ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁t anks ▁and ▁vehicles . ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁Master ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁Or dn ance ▁post ▁( and ▁its ▁holder ▁- General ▁Hugh ▁Ell es ) ▁had ▁been ▁replaced ▁by ▁H ore - Bel ish a , ▁the ▁War ▁Minister , ▁and ▁Director ▁General ▁of ▁Mun itions ▁Production . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁this ▁post ▁was ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Supp