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Morris-Martel Tankette

1927

History of Morris-Martel Tankette

"Tank" is a light tank concept that emerged during the interwar period between World War I (1914-1918) and before World War II (1939-1945). The concept involved a small, lightly armored and armed vehicle, operated by a minimal crew (usually two people), capable of traveling cross-country and harassing enemy forces while supporting advancing Allied infantry.

In the end, the concept proved flawed on the modern battlefield and was eventually superseded by dedicated light tank systems that offered better performance, crew protection and firepower than their smaller predecessors.

This didn't stop the tank tank from gaining a foothold in some of the major armies of the period - Britain, Italy, the USSR and Poland all fielded some form of tank tank, many from the original (or based on) Carden Loyd 1927 Tank Design. While ground forces such as Britain and Italy used tanks as add-on units to their larger, more powerful tank types, more modest, budget-conscious armies were forced to use tanks as their primary front-line solution (as was the case with the Polish army).

In addition to Carden Loyd products, there is the Morris-Martel tank, an evolution of the original design proposed by British Army Lieutenant General Sir Giffard Le Quesne Martel (1889-1958). Design work began in 1925 and involved a rather peculiar propulsion device in which the front end of the vehicle rested on a tank-like track and wheel system that supported the body of the vehicle. At the rear is a steerable two-wheeled appendage - a nod to the original diamond-shaped World War I tank. Above the center is the crew compartment, which features a board-sided armored box for minimal protection from battlefield hazards. A typical operator consists of up to two personnel (one- and two-person variants are considered), and armament consists of a 3-pounder (47 mm) gun as the main gun and a maximum of 4 x .303 in.

Vickers machine guns as the Auxiliary. Power was provided by a 16-horsepower Morris Motor engine, and the hull was mounted on a leaf spring suspension system. Top road speeds are up to 30 miles per hour. Armor protection reaches a thickness of 7.6 mm.

The manufacture of the

design fell into the hands of Morris Motors, and the vehicle was eventually named Martel (hence "Morris-Martel"). At least eight copies were made as prototypes for possible mass production.

In 1927, the vehicles were tested with the Carden Loyd Tankette on Salisbury Plain, but failed to impress the British authorities - who preferred the race.

So the Morris-Martell project was completed in 1928, but before that it received some media attention. Other than that, it's done very little of its own, but still helps to influence future tank creations.

By World War II, the light tank concept officially replaced the tank concept, followed by medium and heavy tanks, and it wasn't until the postwar "main battle tank" (MBT) that they were all shown.