Light Tank Mk II
Indian Pattern.
The light tanks which originated at the
same time as the Carden-Loyd Mark VI were a somewhat better proposition, particularly
for reconnaissance and for fighting lightly armed enemy forces. But they were
only small, two-man vehicles armed with machine guns. As fighting vehicles they
represented, therefore, no advance on the Renault FT. except for being more
mobile. In fact, they were capable of speeds of more than 50 km/h. They were
also simple to operate, relatively reliable and, above all, less expensive than
more effectively armed tanks. This led to them being acquired in considerable
numbers by the major armies which did not, however, require them at the time
for anything more serious than peacetime manoeuvres and training or, in a few
cases, internal security operations. Their use also spread, in small batches,
to smaller armies which through them were able to acquire token forces of
tanks. The first of these light tanks was the Carden-Loyd Mark VII, which was
built in 1929 and which was followed by a series of Vickers Carden Loyd light
tanks produced for the British Army. Similar light tanks, some of them
amphibious, were also built by Vickers-Armstrongs for a number of other armies
and their lead was followed by the design and production of tanks of their type
in a number of countries. These included the Russian T-33, T-37 and T-38,
French AMR Renault Model 1935, German Pz.Kpfw.I and Japanese Type 94 tankette.
From the Mark V of 1935 onwards, British light tanks were improved by being
built with two-man turrets and armed with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun in
addition to the customary, rifle-calibre machine gun. This gave them some
antitank capability, although only against tanks as lightly armoured as
themselves. In spite of this and their other limitations, 1002 of the 1148
tanks produced in Britain up to the outbreak of the Second World War were
lights tanks.
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The Light Tank Mk II was a production
development of the "private venture" Carden-Loyd Mk VII and VIII
tanks, which were supplied to the War Office A4 specification in 1929; these
Carden-Loyd vehicles were built by Vickers (who absorbed the Carden-Loyd
company in 1928) and were designated Light Tank Mk I by the British Army. Five
vehicles were used for trials and various suspensions were tested. The Mk II,
also built by Vickers, had a similar hull to the Mk I, but a larger turret and
Rolls-Royce engine. Horstmann-type suspension was standard with horizontal coil
springs (known as the "two pair" type). The Mks IIA and IIB had
detail improvements, including better engine cooling and re-sited fuel tanks.
The Mk III was a slightly modified version of the Mk II, built by the Royal
Ordnance Factory at Woolwich and incorporating improvements suggested by
experience. These included a higher roomier hull and the later type of
Horstmann suspension with angled coil springs giving a longer
"throw". These were known as "four pair" bogies. Only 36 of
these tanks were built. The other variant in this early series of light tanks
was the Mk II Indian Pattern, built for the Indian Army, which differed mainly
in having a cupola on the turret. Production of the Mks II and III was completed
in 1936 and these types were mainly replaced by later marks by 1939-40.
Remaining vehicles were mostly used for training and instruction until 1942,
but a few Mk IIA and IIB remained in service with tank battalions of the
Western Desert Force in 1940. Mk IIAs and Mk IIIs were also used by a South
African battalion in the Abyssinian campaign of 1941.
The Mk II-III series were two-man vehicles
(driver and commander) with side-mounted engines and of light riveted
construction. They were of negligible tactical value under World War II
conditions.
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