Vickers Medium Mark I (in translation from English - “Vickers, medium, model I”, also designated as Tank Medium Mark I , Medium Mark I , Medium Mk.I or simply Mk.I ) - British medium tank of the 1920s years . It was created in 1922 - 1923 by Vickers .
| Vickers medium mark i | |
|---|---|
 Vickers Medium Mk I tanks on maneuvers in the UK | |
| Vickers medium mark i | |
| Classification | medium tank |
| Combat weight, t | 11.7 |
| Layout diagram | front engine |
| Crew | five |
| Story | |
| Manufacturer |  Vickers . |
| Years of production | 1923 - 1925 |
| Years of operation | 1924 - 1938 |
| The number of issued, pcs. | A few dozens |
| Key Operators | |
| Dimensions | |
| Body length mm | 6550 |
| Width mm | 2780 |
| Height mm | 2820 |
| Reservation | |
| Type of armor | steel rolled |
| Forehead, mm / city. | 6.5 |
| Board of the case, mm / city. | 6.5 |
| Feed housing, mm / city. | 6.5 |
| Bottom mm | 6.5 |
| Housing roof, mm | 6.5 |
| Tower forehead, mm / city. | 6.5 |
| Board towers, mm / city. | 6.5 |
| The feed of the tower, mm / city. | 6.5 |
| Roof of the tower, mm | 6.5 |
| Armament | |
| Caliber and brand of guns | 47 mm QF 3 pounder Vickers |
| Gun type | threaded |
| Barrel length, calibres | 50 |
| Machine guns | 1-4 × 7.7 mm Hotchkiss M1914 , 2 × 7.7 mm Vickers |
| Mobility | |
| Engine type | V-shaped Armstrong Siddeley 8- cylinder carburetor air-cooled engine |
| Engine power, l with. | 90 |
| Speed on the highway, km / h | 24 |
| Cruising on the highway , km | 190 |
| Specific Power, l s / t | 7.7 |
| Suspension type | interlocked in pairs, on vertical springs |
Initially classified as a light tank ( Eng. Tank Light Mark I ), but later, with the advent of lighter vehicles of this category, it was reclassified to medium.
The first British serial tank with the placement of weapons in a circular rotation tower . Mk.I was mass-produced from 1923 to 1925 , after which it was replaced on assembly lines by the Medium Mark II tank developed on its basis. The exact number of vehicles produced is not known, however, according to reports, a total of 168 tanks of the Mk.I and Mk.II type were produced, most of which were Mk.II. Thus, it can be assumed that the number of Mk.I tanks produced is several dozen pieces (probably about 50). Mk.I tanks were in service with the Royal Tank Forces of Great Britain since 1924 .
The last tanks of this type were withdrawn from service in the UK in 1938
Content
Modifications
- Medium Mark I - basic modification.
- Medium Mark IA - an improved version, with a slightly increased thickness of the armor (up to 8 mm in vertical details) and a number of other small changes (slightly changed form of the driver’s hood, rear of the turret, etc.).
- Medium Mark IA * - modification with the replacement of two tower machine guns with one Vickers machine gun coaxial with a gun, as well as with a new rotary commander’s turret (nicknamed the “ Episcopal Miter ” in the troops).
- The Medium Mark I CS and Medium Mark IA CS are the “ infantry direct support tank ” with the replacement of the 47-mm gun with a 95-mm tank howitzer , based on the Mark I and Mark IA tanks, respectively.
- Light Mark I Special (L) India - an option for use in India , with the armament of the tower of only four machine guns "Hotchkiss." Unlike other modifications, it was not reclassified to a medium tank.
- The Medium Mark I Wheel-and-Track is an experienced wheeled and tracked tank developed in 1926 to increase troop mobility. To ensure wheel running, the tank was equipped with two pairs of large wheels in the front and rear of the tank. The transition from tracked to wheeled was carried out by lifting the tank on the jacks and lowering the wheels below the level of the tracks. The front wheelset was steered. Also, the car was equipped with a slightly modified driver hood . In a similar way, one Mk.I tank was redone and tested, but after unsatisfactory tests it was redone again into a linear one.
Prototypes
- Medium Mark I with a diesel engine - a Ricardo diesel engine with a capacity of 90 hp was installed on one of the tanks and an additional cooling fan.
Where can I see
- In an open area of armored vehicles at the regimental museum of the 1st Battalion of Special Forces , Bloemfontein [1] .
Notes
- ↑ Surviving British Tankettes, Light and Medium Tanks . the.shadock.free.fr (April 28, 2018). Date of treatment June 2, 2018.
Literature
- Semyon Fedoseev. "Vickers 12-ton", aka "Medium" (Russian) // Technology and armament . - M. , 2014. - No. 8 . - S. 35-42 .
- P. Chamberlain, C. Ellis. Tanks of the World 1915-1945. - London: Arms and Armor Press, 1972 .-- 256 p. - ISBN 0-30436-141-0 .
- Leland Ness. Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles - The Complete Guide. - London: HarperCollins Publishers, 2002 .-- 237 p. - (Jane's Information Group). - ISBN 0-00711-228-9 .