The Vickers Mk. I was first used in a Tank with the Mk. I Heavy Tank from 1916 – the first true production Tank. These were crewed by men of the Machine Gun Corps. They were subsequently used in most Tanks up to the Second World War, particularly those built by the Vickers Company.
Great War
Mk. I Heavy Tank
Early tanks came in both ‘Male’ and ‘Female’ versions. The Male was fitted with 6-pounder quick-firing guns, and four Hotchkiss Light Machine Guns. The Female Tank was fitted with 4 Mk. I Vickers MGs in sponsons on each side (two per side), as well as two Hotckiss MGs in the front and rear doors.
Originally provided with a tail to assist in crossing obstacles and steering, which increased overall length to 32 ft 6 in. The first tank to go into action (Sept. 1916).
Mk. II Heavy Tank
The Mk. II was a development of the Mk. I but, for several reasons, was relegated to training purposes only. The weapons arrangements were as for the Mk. I (4 Vickers MGs on the Female variant).
All subsequent Marks of Tank used only Hotchkiss and Lewis guns. It wasn’t until post-Great War Tank developments that the Vickers was reintroduced into Tank use and specific AFV variants were produced.
Inter-war period
Medium, Mark I
Date first in service
1924
Type
Medium, Mark I
Weight in Tons (fully laden)
11¾
Overall
Height
9 ft 3 in
Width
9 ft 1½ in
Length (inc. gun)
17 ft 6 in
Crew
5
Armament
Main
1 x 3-pdr.
Secondary
2 x .303-in. Vickers MGs. Four mountings for Hotchkiss MGs.
Ammunition
Main
90
Secondary
5,000
Engine
Armstrong Siddeley 90 b.h.p. (air-cooled)
Fuel Endurance (road miles)
150
Max. Road Speed (m.p.h.)
18
Armour (max. or max.-min.)
6.5 mm
Remarks
Commonly called the Vickers Medium – and originally designated the Light Tank Mark I. The Mark IA differed mainly in its armour thickness of 8 to 6.5mm. Close support versions of the tanks were armed with a 3.7-in. mortar instead of a 3-pdr. gun.
Medium, Mark II
Date first in service
1926
Type
Medium, Mark II
Weight in Tons (fully laden)
12½
Overall
Height
8 ft 10 in
Width
9 ft 3 in
Length (inc. gun)
17 ft 6 in
Crew
5
Armament
Main
1 x 3-pdr.
Secondary
2 x .303-in. Vickers MGs. Four mountings for Hotchkiss MGs.
Ammunition
Main
90
Secondary
5,000
Engine
Armstrong Siddeley 90 b.h.p. (air-cooled)
Fuel Endurance (road miles)
150
Max. Road Speed (m.p.h.)
18
Armour (max. or max.-min.)
8 mm
Remarks
Close support versions of the tanks were armed with a 3.7-in. mortar instead of a 3-pdr. gun.
Independent
Date first in service
1926
Type
Independent
Weight in Tons (fully laden)
31½
Overall
Height
8 ft 10 in
Width
10 ft 6 in
Length (inc. gun)
25 ft 5 in
Crew
8
Armament
Main
1 x 3-pdr.
Secondary
4 x .303-in. Vickers MGs.
Ammunition
Main
200
Secondary
7,000
Engine
Armstrong Siddeley 398 b.h.p.
Fuel Endurance (road miles)
200
Max. Road Speed (m.p.h.)
20
Armour (max. or max.-min.)
29 – 13 mm.
Remarks
The first multi-turret tank; only one built. The A1E1 specification.
Medium, Mk. III
Date first in service
1930
Type
Medium, Mark III
Weight in Tons (fully laden)
18¾
Overall
Height
9 ft 9 in
Width
9 ft 0 in
Length (inc. gun)
21 ft 5 in
Crew
6
Armament
Main
1 x 3-pdr.
Secondary
3 x .303-in. Vickers MGs.
Ammunition
Main
180
Secondary
5,000
Engine
Armstrong Siddeley 180 b.h.p.
Fuel Endurance (road miles)
100
Max. Road Speed (m.p.h.)
30
Armour (max. or max.-min.)
14 mm.
Remarks
The original version, known as the ’16 tonner’ had twin machine guns in the auxiliary turrets. Only three of these machines were built.
Vickers Light Tank Mk. II
Date first in service
1931
Type
Light Tank, Mk. IIA & IIB
Weight in Tons (fully laden)
4¼
Overall
Height
6 ft 7½ in
Width
6 ft 3½ in
Length (inc. gun)
11 ft 9 in
Crew
2
Armament
1 x .303-in. Vickers MGs.
Ammunition
4,000
Engine
Rolls-Royce 66 b.h.p.
Fuel Endurance (road miles)
150
Max. Road Speed (m.p.h.)
30
Armour (max. or max.-min.)
10 – 4 mm.
Remarks
These were typical vehicles of the light tank series evolved from the Carden-Loyd tankettes. Used in operations in India 1935 – 1939.
Second World War
Vickers Light Tank Mk. VI
Mk. VIB
Date first in service
1938
Type
Light Tank, Mk. VIA & VIB
Weight in Tons (fully laden)
5½
Overall
Height
6 ft 9 in
Width
6 ft 9 in
Length (inc. gun)
13 ft 0 in
Crew
3
Armament
Main
1 x .5-in. Vickers MG.
Secondary
1 x .303-in. Vickers MGs.
Ammunition
Main
400
Secondary
2,500
Engine
Meadows 89 b.h.p.
Fuel Endurance (road miles)
130
Max. Road Speed (m.p.h.)
35
Armour (max. or max.-min.)
14 – 4 mm.
Remarks
Mark VI tanks were used in France and the Middle East in 1940-1941. A later Mark of tank, the Mark VI C differed in having Besa machine-guns, instead of Vickers.
Tank, Light, Wheeled, Mark I (Guy Armoured Car)
The first mark of the Guy Armoured Car was equipped with the .5-inch Mk V and the .303-inch Mk. VI, VI* or VII. The later variants, from the Mk. I* onward, were equipped with Besa machine guns.
There were 50 Mark I light tanks (wheeled) produced and six of these were part of Military Mission No. 10, itself part of Air Mission No. 3, that acted as a liaison and intelligence gathering unit of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940. They were attached to the Belgian Army and all were lost when the German Army invaded.
A full transcript of the War Establishment for Military Mission No. 10 is available as a PDF download.
In August 1940 (notified in Army Council Instruction 1002) Light Tanks (Wheeled) were renamed and considered Armoured Cars.
Cruiser, Mark I (A9, Mark I)
Date first in service
1938
Type
Cruiser, Mark I (A9, Mark I)
Weight in Tons (fully laden)
12
Overall
Height
8 ft 4 in
Width
8 ft 4 in
Length (inc. gun)
19 ft 3 in
Crew
6
Armament
Main
1 x 2-pdr.
Secondary
3 x .303-in. Vickers MGs. (one coaxial and two in auxiliary turrets)
Ammunition
Main
100
Secondary
3,000
Engine
A.E.C. 6-cyl. 150 b.h.p.
Fuel Endurance (road miles)
100
Max. Road Speed (m.p.h.)
25
Armour (max. or max.-min.)
14 – 6 mm.
Remarks
First tank to be fitted with hydraulic traversing gear. Close support version armed with 3.7-in. mortar instead of 2-pdr. gun.
Infantry Tank, Mark I
Date first in service
1938
Type
Infantry Tank, Mark I
Weight in Tons (fully laden)
11
Overall
Height
6 ft 1½ in
Width
7 ft 6 in
Length (inc. gun)
15 ft 11 in
Crew
2
Armament
1 x .303-in. Vickers MG.
Ammunition
4,000
Engine
Ford V8 70 b.h.p.
Fuel Endurance (road miles)
80
Max. Road Speed (m.p.h.)
8
Armour (max. or max.-min.)
60 – 10 mm.
Remarks
The first post-Great War vehicle specifically designed as an infantry tank. Heavily armoured for its day.
Cruiser, Mark II (A10, Mark I)
Date first in service
1939
Type
Cruiser, Mark II (A10, Mark I)
Weight in Tons (fully laden)
13¾
Overall
Height
8 ft 6 in
Width
8 ft 3½ in
Length (inc. gun)
18 ft 1 in
Crew
4
Armament
Main
1 x 2-pdr.
Secondary
1 x .303-in. Vickers MG. (coaxial)
Ammunition
Main
100
Secondary
4,050
Engine
A.E.C. 6-cyl. 150 b.h.p.
Fuel Endurance (road miles)
100
Max. Road Speed (m.p.h.)
16
Armour (max. or max.-min.)
30 mm.
Remarks
Close support version of the tank was armed with a 3.7-in. mortar instead of 2-pdr. gun. The cruiser tank Mark IIA was the firt tank to be armed with the Besa machine-gun and had a crew of 5, and a second Besa machine-gun.
Cruiser, Mark III (A13, Mark I)
Date first in service
1939
Type
Cruiser, Mark III (A13, Mark I)
Weight in Tons (fully laden)
14¾
Overall
Height
8 ft 6 in
Width
8 ft 4 in
Length (inc. gun)
19 ft 9 in
Crew
4
Armament
Main
1 x 2-pdr.
Secondary
1 x .303-in. Vickers MG. (coaxial)
Ammunition
Main
87
Secondary
3,750
Engine
Nuffield Liberty I 340 b.h.p.
Fuel Endurance (road miles)
90
Max. Road Speed (m.p.h.)
30
Armour (max. or max.-min.)
14 – 6 mm.
Remarks
The first Cruiser with Christie suspension. The Marks IV and IVA were almost identical, the main difference being an increase to 30 mm. max in the armour protection of the turret and frontal plating of the hull.
Infantry Tank, Mark II (Matilda)
Date first in service
1939
Type
Infantry Tank, Mark II (Matilda)
Weight in Tons (fully laden)
26½
Overall
Height
8 ft 0 in
Width
8 ft 6 in
Length (inc. gun)
18 ft 5 in
Crew
4
Armament
Main
1 x 2-pdr.
Secondary
1 x .303-in. Vickers MG. (coaxial)
Ammunition
Main
93
Secondary
2,925
Engine
A.E.C. 2 x 87 b.h.p.
Fuel Endurance (road miles)
70
Max. Road Speed (m.p.h.)
15
Armour (max. or max.-min.)
78 – 20 mm.
Remarks
Other models of the tank had a 7.92-mm. Besa MG. which superceded the Vickers. There were five marks of Matilda differing mainly in engine type. It was the first diesel-engined British tank. Close support version with 3-in. howitzer.
The Matilda was the last tank in British service to be armed with the Vickers MG. After this, they were replaced with the 7.92-mm Besa, and subsequently .30-in. Browning MGs.
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Vickers MG Collection and Research Association
This page is published by the Vickers MG Collection & Research Association, a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee, registered in England, Company Registration Number 07855202 – www.vickersmg.org.uk
