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Vickers Medium Mark II

1925 WORLD WAR 2

History of Vickers Medium Mark II

Main battle tanks made their debut on the battlefields of World War I (1914-1918) and proved to be a key component of Allied operations in the last year of the war. British troops relied on their heavy diamond-shaped steel beasts, designed as mobile shelters with weapons, to traverse enemy trenches.

The French, on the other hand, opted for the Renault FT-17 light tank (described in detail elsewhere on this page), which was distinguished by the inherent mobility of its design and its main armament with a turret. At the end of the conflict, the British Army eliminated the earlier "heavyweights", retaining the Mark V and medium Mark C in service.

The government-funded tank design department missed out on the post-war medium Mark D tank, which ultimately failed and was eventually abandoned. The division was subsequently dissolved in 1923, which allowed private companies to display their products for possible sale to the government. What Vickers was interested in for the Army was their medium Mark I with a crew of 5, up to 25mm of armour and a QF 3lb (47mm) main gun in a movable turret. Mobility is a key quality on the modern battlefield, and the mid-size Mark I is powered by an Armstrong Siddeley V-8 air-cooled gasoline engine, while the airframe is suspended from coil spring assemblies.

The Mark I served in the Royal Tank Regiment and several variants emerged from the base design.

The original Mark II had side skirt armor to help protect the upper part of the track, and 100 were standard. The Mark II series was also tropicalized by the 1928 model for the hot, dry Egyptian climate, using asbestos panels as insulators over the heads.

The Mark II* was followed by 56 examples, losing the Hotchkiss machine gun in favor of the coaxially mounted Vickers system. Mark IIA added an armored case to house the fan and counted 20 newly built vehicles arriving in 1930. The Mark II** are 44 Mark II tanks, introduced in 1932, with separate mounts for their 3 pdr and 0 guns.

The 303 machine gun armament and an armored case attached to the rear of the turret contained a radio. The Mark IIA* is a collection of 20 Mark IIA models that meet the Mark II** standard.

The Mark IIA CS is a close support variant converted from an earlier Mark IIA tank, replacing its standard 3-pounder unit with a devastating 15-pounder for long-range ground support. The heavier, bulkier model still provides much-needed smoke smoke capability and can fire high-explosive (HE) shells with equal ease. The 1929 Mark D was a one-off model supplied to Ireland with a Sunbeam 6-cylinder 170 hp petrol engine and 6 pdr main gun.

The product lasted until it was scrapped in 1940.

In addition to these forms, the Mark II was developed into a pure machine gun tank (Medium II female), a bridge (completely experimental), a commando tank (one-off example) and an experimental self-propelled gun system (SPG) Called the "Birch Gun".

In 1931, the Soviet Union purchased a small batch of 15 Mark IIs, these were called "British Workers". They existed mainly as instructors and were also present during the Soviet invasion of Finland (the "Winter War" of 1939-1940).

The Finns managed to capture as many as 6 motor-free specimens in the autumn of 1941 (during the "Continuing War" from 1941 to 1944).

The Mark II, officially considered obsolete during World War II, still has some numbers available in the British Army and is retained as a driver trainer. After the French losses, some tanks were reactivated as frontline tanks and remained there until the threat of an invasion of the British mainland subsided.

Figures were given to the Allies in Egypt to cover losses and increase forces there, some of which were placed on the fixed defensive battlefields of Tobruk and Mersamatru.

The Mark IIs were in significant active duty until 1939, by which time they were officially replaced by the Cruiser Mk I (A9) which appeared in 1938, and 125 of these models were produced. The Cruiser Mk II is a heavier model based on this original design. Cruisers make up half of the British Army's new cruiser/infantry tank combat doctrine, designed to overwhelm enemy positions.

The concept was abandoned after World War II with the advent of the Main Battle Tank (MBT).