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Vickers A1E1 Independent

1926

Vickers A1E1 Independence History

After the First World War (1914-1918), the military powers of various countries turned their attention to the design and development of "multi-turret" tanks, believing that such a configuration would become a useful supplement for future battlefields. Due to the weapons, hardware, and drives required, these tanks were generally heavy tanks, typified by designs such as the British Vickers Independence, the Soviet T-35, and the German Neubaufahrzeug.

For the British Army, its World War I tanks played an extremely important role in breaking the stalemate in World War I trench warfare, and despite shrinking postwar budgets around the world, the development of like-minded machines continued. Looking to the future, in 1924 the Army began to consider an entirely new concept for the heavy tank and ordered a pilot vehicle with a multi-turret approach.

The design eventually won the title "A1E1 Independent" and was built by the traditional Wickers Group.

The design for The Independent fell into the hands of a certain Walter Gordon Wilson. The approach retains the proven track wheel arrangement, connecting the system to the side of the suspended hull structure that houses the crew, fuel storage and power system. The engine is located at the rear and consists of a gasoline-powered, air-cooled Armstrong Siddeley V12 system rated at 370 hp. It is then connected to a drivetrain with four forward gears and one reverse.

The engines were discharged through a pair of cylindrical muffler systems mounted aft on either side of the fuselage. A main turret was embedded in the front center of the top of the fuselage and housed the then powerful QF 3 lb (47 mm) main gun, which could rotate 360 ??degrees on the fuselage.

Added 4x for this weapon. 303 caliber Vickers machine guns - but these machine guns themselves were mounted on four separate turrets in each corner of the main turret. Therefore, the entire operator (including the gunner) measured 8 people - forcing the integrated intercom system as standard. Armor protection on the vehicle's various fairings ranged from 13mm to 28mm, while dimensions included a length of 25 feet, a width of 8.8 feet and a turret top height of 9 feet - a very large vehicle for the time vehicle.

The weight is a proud 34 tons.

By design, Independence possesses the mobility, protection and firepower required for heavy battlefield classification. It can provide fire support, engage enemy tanks directly, and penetrate enemy defenses while protecting its occupants with armor and weapons.

The vehicle has a maximum road speed of 20 miles per hour (under ideal conditions) and a range of 95 miles. Overland travel is partially aided by a coil-spring suspension system, although interior occupant comfort is limited.

Following completion and initial testing, the pilot vehicle was handed over to British military authorities in 1926 for formal evaluation. However, amid rising costs and shrinking development budgets, the project quickly died. Therefore, only a single prototype car can be completed.

Despite another world war breaking out in Europe, combat service was never seen.

The Independent's story did not end there, however, the design was reportedly stolen by the Soviets, who used the vehicle as their own T-28 medium tank (production 503) and later the T-35 Heavy system (61 produced).. Unlike the British designs, these two Soviet designs were actually in service before WWII (1939-1945). In addition, British officer Norman Bailey-Stuart was sentenced to five years in prison for selling independence plans to Britain's future enemy, Germany. This could explain the arrival of the 26-ton Neubaufahrzeug multi-turret tank, which appeared in five examples between 1934 and 1936.

However, the vehicles served more as a propaganda tool for the nascent Nazi government, although some saw active service during the Norwegian campaign in 1940.

The multi-turret tank concept ultimately proved ineffective, especially in tank warfare operations before and during World War II. The single-turret tank remains the undisputed king of the battlefield and is featured in classic examples such as the German tank type, the Soviet T-34 and the American M4 Sherman.

The multi-turret concept never resurfaced as a viable battlefield device.

The only completed self-driving vehicle that has really stood the test of time (and decades of fighting in World War II and the Cold War) and remains today as a protected museum display under the roof of the Bovington Tank Museum in South West England. Seeing this vehicle in person, one immediately realizes the size of this massive creation - a product of its difficult times, and in many ways a very influential tank design in its own right.