Vickers Mk II (Light Tank, Mk II)

History of Vickers Mk II (light tank, Mk II)

The British Army maintained various Light tank design. Two light Kaden concepts emerged - the infantry-oriented Kaden-Lloyd tank (detailed elsewhere on this page) and the two-man variant Mk VII equipped with a closed turret structure, revolving around the Royal Tank for the Legion.

The Mk VII was selected by the Army as a pilot vehicle for a new light tank powered by a 60 hp Meadows engine and fitted with a turret. 303 Vickers machine gun.

The Carden Mk VII, now a product of Vickers-Armstrong, was developed into the Mk I light tank, which inherited many features of the original design, including the Meadows engine. A new cylindrical turret was used to accommodate one of the two crew members as well. 303 weapons and armor protection reached a thickness of 14mm. Maximum road speed is 30 mph, down from 35 mph in the original Caden design. Production of the Mk I ended with the completion of five cars, with the successor Mk IA offering slightly different offerings due to enlarged hull construction, improved turret construction and new suspension.

Only five of this model were completed.

With the design of the Mk I in the book, attention turned to a new related form centered on the use of a 66 hp Rolls-Royce engine. This works with the Wilson "preselector" transmission system. The crew is still two - the driver and the commander/gunner.

Added a revised turret layout with a more rectangular shape. That . The 303 machine gun (4000 rounds) removed the shovel grip and added a more practical pistol grip function.

The shutters were removed from the sides of the turret, and the roof hatch became a sliding unit (instead of two folding doors).

Vickers-Armstrong began production of the Mk II in 1929, eventually delivering around 16 examples. 29 were built in the guise of the Mk IIA by the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich to serve India's hot weather, with better cooling, an 85 hp Meadows engine and a "crash" drivetrain.

Another 21 vehicles arrived under the Mk IIB name, again assembled by Vickers-Armstrong. These vehicles have an additional dome on top of the turret, dual-spring suspension and splash guards to prevent bullet jets.

Like the previous Mk I series, the Mk II tanks had a short service life from 1931 to 1933. Newer Mk III models have been on the market since 1934.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

Not available.

Changes