Medium Mark C (Hornet)

History

The medium Mark C tank was a promising and particularly mobile armored system, but arrived too late in World War I to see combat action. Although classified as a tank, the system was specifically an "armored fighting vehicle" (or "AFV") designed to support infantry operations and lead a charge to break the stalemate common on the battlefields of World War I. Like many other World War I armor systems, the medium Mark C had a relatively short lifespan (1918-1925) and major wartime contracts quickly disappeared with the armistice.

At the end of the war, only about 36 unfinished systems were availableall of which were eventually completed and put into service. The Medium Mark C is also known as the "Hornet", although this name is rarely used.

The origins of the Mark C medium came from a competition between two former colleagues, Sir William Tritton and Major Walter Gordon Wilson, both of whom were eventually recognized by the British government as co-inventors of the "tank". Triton served in the William Foster Company, while Wilson previously served in the Royal Naval Air Service and is now in the British Army. Tritton continued development of the medium Mark A "Whippet" tank without Wilson, for which Wilson set out to develop an entirely new tank design that would become the Medium Mark B in 1917. In response, Triton challenged his lead designer, William Rigby, to create a competing design for Wilson.

The new design has been completed and submitted to the British Army for review. The British Army accepted the design on April 19, 1918, after which a prototype was built and commissioned in August 1918.

The mid-size Mark C was intended to fill an initial production batch of 200 while the war was still in full swing. This later turned into a top 600 order. However, the war officially ended in November 1918 and all wartime orders for the medium Mark C were cancelled. The 36 unfinished tanks in the factory have all been delivered to the 2nd Armoured Battalion of the British Armoured Forces. Of note are the four medium Mark Cs that participated in the 1919 Victory Parade after the armistice.

The group eventually received an additional 14 newly constructed medium Mark C tanks to strengthen its ranks - many of which were assembled from available spare parts. The tank's capability and "novelty" in design and construction ensured that the UK kept it close to home, so the medium Mark C was not used outside the UK.

The design of the Medium Mark C was typical of the time. The tank is diamond-shaped and has two long-running non-spring rail systems installed on both sides of the hull. The front of the track was raised to deal with battlefield obstacles such as ditches and hills.

Each rail system is attached to a basic fuselage design to which a static superstructure is attached. The superstructure provided a higher profile, but at the same time improved the crew's visibility for engaging enemy infantry through aiming slots and machine gun ports. The tank commander received a rotating turret on the superstructure.

The mid-size Mark C has a long hull and its layout makes it a relatively good off-road negotiator given the European landscape littered with battlefield debris and trench nets the latter is better at navigating than its predecessors. The armor is reported to be 14mm thick to prevent small arms fire.

Access is through double doors on either side of the track.

The mid-size Mark C is powered by a single Ricardo 6-cylinder petrol engine producing 150 hp at 1,200 rpm and mated to an Epicycle transmission system. Top speed is limited to 7.9 mph, while the range is 75 miles.

The engine was installed in a separate compartment in the stern of the hull, which the crew could access from inside the car. The crew consists of the tank commander, driver, machine gunner and mechanic. Crew communication takes place via speakers - which help to eliminate onboard noise from the engines and structures.

Armament consisted of up to five 7.7mm (.303 caliber) Hotchkiss machine guns mounted on ball bearings in the superstructure - two front, two single mounts along the sides and one single mount rear.

WWII tanks generally came in two forms - "male" and "female". This term basically dictates what type of primary weapon each is awarded. The male version is usually equipped with a cannon weapon, while the female version is equipped with a defensive machine gun.

Medium Tank C was produced only in female form, and although male form was planned and designed, it was never put into production. It would have a 6-pounder mounted on its forward superstructure.

The Battlefield Recovery version was also canceled, although there was a time when the existing mid-size Mark C was used to evaluate the new transmission system.

After 1925, the medium Mark C was replaced by the Vickers medium Mark I and Mark II tanks. The last medium, Mark C, did not melt until 1940.

Medium Mark C tanks deployed to Glasgow to quell disturbances during the 1921 strike. This effectively sums up the combat history of the medium Mark C, and if it lasts beyond November 1918, leaves the imagination to the wonders of tank penetration operations in World War I.

Specification

Basic

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Performance

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Armor

Not available.

Changes