Mark V (tank)

The Mark V was a British tank from the First World War and a further development of the Mark IV . At least three different versions existed, but they were not precisely classified.

Mark V

British Mark V (male)

The Mark V was initially planned in a completely new form. However, when improved engines and transmissions were available in December 1917, this planned form was abandoned and the Mark IV in a reinforced version was used instead, as was originally intended. A Ricardo machine with 150 HP, improved control mechanics and a planetary gear were installed as new parts . Only one crew member was needed to control the vehicle; on the roof there was a shatterproof cabin for the machine gunner . A total of 400 vehicles were manufactured, 200 each in the male (German male ) and female (German female ) versions . Some of the tanks were converted into so-called hermaphrodites by removing the small stabilization surfaces and installing a single 6 pounder cannon.

Inside the tank there is a starting crank that can be operated by two people sitting opposite each other. Behind the exhaust silencer on the roof there was a sliding, rotating semaphore with two beeper trowels to transmit messages.

Mark V *

British Mark-V * tank - there is a frame on the roof with which the trench crossing capability could be increased

Sir William Tritton developed the so-called tadpole tail in 1917 - an extension of the rear part of the tank to improve the ability to cross trenches. On the British side, this was considered necessary because the trenches of the Hindenburg line would have a width of up to 3.5 meters and would have placed the existing tanks in front of an insurmountable obstacle. When the Central Tank Corps Workshops belonging Major Philip Johnson learned of this project, it was instantly clear that this stopgap measure would mean by the weight gain for the entire vehicle an additional and cumbersome stern-heaviness. It therefore seemed more sensible to him to develop a new type of tank that should simply be longer than the previous one. He cut up a Mark IV and stretched the sheath 6 feet. The vehicle had a longer turret and doors in the sides of the hull. By extending the superstructure, it was possible to transport a train of infantry under armor protection. The Mark V * therefore can be considered the first armored personnel carriers (armored personnel carrier) ( APC apply in the world), as the also British, Mark IX was not armed and can be classified only as armored personnel carriers. The weight was 33 tons. Of the 500 male and 200 female tanks ordered, a total of 645 were delivered.

Mark V **

British Mark V ** tank

By lengthening the Mark V, the equilibrium between length and width was no longer given. When cornering, the lateral thrust increased disproportionately and the turning circle became unacceptable.

For this reason, Major Wilson revised the vehicle again in May 1918, a more powerful engine (225 hp) was installed and the steering brakes for control were reinforced. The driver's cab was connected to the roof cabin (dome), and an additional machine gun hatch was built into the rear of the tank.

750 male and 150 female vehicles were ordered; 197 of these vehicles were delivered.

Mark V ***

Post-war deployment in Russia in 1920

→ Main article : Mark X (tank)

Didn't get beyond project studies. If the Mark VIII project should fail (a production of 2000 pieces was planned for 1919), the plan was to build the Mark V *** with as many parts as possible from the Mark V, including maneuverability Further increase in comfort for the crew. The final name for this vehicle would be Mark X.

Vehicles still in existence

• The Bovington Tank Museum has a Mark V (male) number 9199, the only British owned Mark V that is ready to drive. This vehicle was used in the Battle of Amiens, on the occasion of which the commander of the tank was awarded the Military Cross .
• a Mark V ** (female) - Ol'Faithfull , also in Bovington.
• a Mark V (male), Devil , in the London Imperial War Museum .
• a Mark V (male) - in the United States Army Ordnance Museum , Aberdeen, Maryland .
• a Mark V * (female) - in the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor , Fort Knox , Kentucky .
• a Mark V - in the Kubinka Tank Museum, Russia.
• a Mark V is a monument in Arkhangelsk . It is a British vehicle used during the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War .
• two Mark Vs, (one male, one female) as a memorial in Luhansk , Ukraine ; two more are in storage.
• a Mark V (female) - Kharkiv History Museum , Ukraine.

Web links

Commons : Mark V  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Report from the restored Mark V in Russia

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Anatomy of a tank pr0gramm.com, accessed August 27, 2018.