Vickers Medium Mark II
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Vickers Medium Mk.IIA* at US Army Ordnance Museum, Aberdeen |
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| Vickers Medium Mark II | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 5 |
| Length | 5.33 m |
| Width | 2.78 m |
| Height | 2.68 m |
| Weight | 13.2 short tons (12 tonnes) |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | 6.25 to 8 mm |
| Main armament | QF 3-pounder (47 mm) |
| Secondary armament | four 0.303 (7.7 mm) Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun two 0.303 Vickers machine gun |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | V-8 Armstrong Siddeley 90 hp (67 kW) |
| Suspension | helical springs |
| Road speed | 21 km/h |
| Power/weight | 8 hp/tonne |
| Range | 193 km |
The Vickers Medium Mark II was a British tank built by Vickers in the Inter-war period.
The Medium Mark II, derived from the Vickers Medium Mark I, was developed to replace the last of the Medium Mark C's still in use. Production and rebuilding ran from 1925 until 1934. The tank was phased out of service from 1939, replaced by the Cruiser Mk I. It featured several improvements over the Vickers Mark I like a higher superstructure with the driver's vizor on top of it instead of in front of it; an improved suspension protected by armour skirts and Rackham clutches, providing a primitive form of mechanical servo-control. Due to a slightly higher weight its rated speed was somewhat slower than that of the Medium Mark I though, at 13 mph compared to 15 mph.
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[edit] Operational History
The Vickers Mediums equipped the tank regiments until just before World War II. In November 1939 some were sent to Egypt, but these were again phased out before the Italian invasion took place. During the Invasion Scare of 1940 some were reactivated for a short time.
[edit] Versions
- Mark II: the original version of which a hundred were built.
- Mark II*: Fifty-six of the same vehicles with the Hotchkiss machine guns removed, a coaxial Vickers machine gun added and the commander's post shifted somewhat further back as in the original position he had been in a very real danger of being hit in the stomach by spent shells ejected by the main gun's breech block!
- Mark IIA: Twenty vehicles newly built in 1930. The bevel was removed from the rear of the turret and an armoured covering for the ventilator was added on the left side.
- Mark II**: in 1932 the remaining 44 Mark II's were brought to Mark II* standard; in addition a wireless set was fitted in an armoured container at the back of the turret. the weight rose to 13.5 short tons.
- Mark IIA*: the twenty Mark IIA's brought to Mark II** standard.
- Medium Mark II Tropical: in 1928 five tanks were shipped to Egypt. They were modified by fitting insulation against the heat, such as spaced asbestos plates on the upper surfaces.
- Mark IIA CS: the Mark IIA's were later rebuilt as close support vehicles, their main armament replaced by a 15-pounder 3.7 inch mortar, mainly intended to give smoke cover, though in practice some HE shells were carried. Each company was equipped with two of these vehicles. The weight was increased to 14 tons.
[edit] Variants
- Medium II Bridgecarrier: an experimental project to convert any Mark II optionally into a bridgecarrier by fitting the bridge girders to the vehicle together with a contraption to launch the bridge when finished. This proposal was not adopted.
- Medium II Female: Under the command of Lieutenant J.T.Crocker in 1927 two tanks were built for the Indian Government. The turret had no main gun but four Vickers machine guns. Although they were in fact Medium II's and always called that way, their official designation was Tank Light Mark IA Special (L) India.
- Medium II Box Tank: This was a single command tank, converted from a Medium II in 1928, by removing the turret from the fighting compartment and fitting a large rectangular superstructure. Its only armament was a single machine gun in a ballmounting in the front of that armoured box. Two radio sets were fitted: a short range set for tactical communication and a long range one to contact higher levels. The Box tank was first used by a battalion commander and from 1931 by the Brigade Commander.
- Medium Mark II* Special: in 1929 four vehicles were built for Australia with the coaxial machine gun to the left of the main gun and an additional Vickers machine gun in the right side of the turret.
- Medium Mark II* Command Tank: in 1931 another command tank was created for the Tank Brigade by replacing the main armament by a dummy gun, fixing the turret in place and fitting an additional wireless set in the space thus gained.
- English Workman: the nickname given by the Russians to 15 (or 16) Vickers Medium Mk.IIs purchased in 1931. This variant had no cupola, less pronounced turret bevels, and covled ventilation fans on the hull sides.
- Birch Gun: three prototypes built between 1926 and 1929 of a self-propelled gun for the experiments then conducted in the field of mechanised warfare. The Mark II chassis was lengthened and fitted with an artillery piece in a turret on a mounting capable of high elevations.
