Chapter Two
The British light tank was derived from the Carden-Loyd one-man tanks, or tankettes, dating from 1926. The Mk VI was effectively the final iteration of the original series although, in reality, it was obsolete even before entering service. Following the withdrawal from France in 1940, many of the Mk VI tanks that remained in service were reserved for training duties, although the type also saw some service in Greece and North Africa in 1941.
The much-improved light tank Mk VII, also known as the Tetrarch, was put into production between 1940 and 1942 and actually saw action on D-Day, whilst the later Mk VIII, or Harry Hopkins, was manufactured between 1942 and 1944. Both were built in small numbers by the now-renamed Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company, which had been a part-owned subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrongs since 1919. Although no match for German armour of the period, both were considered suitable for the support of airborne operations, albeit that the Harry Hopkins was never used in anger.
No new light tanks were considered for production after 1944–although it is worth pointing out that the aluminium-armoured Alvis CVR(T) (combat vehicle, reconnaissance, tracked), development of which started in 1960, is often described as a light tank.
Light Tank Mk VI
Produced by Vickers-Armstrongs, the three-man light tank Mk VI entered service in 1936, with production continuing until 1940. It was similar in design to the earlier Mk V, with a maximum 14mm riveted hull, but with the turret redesigned to provide space for a Number 7 radio set. Power came from a Meadows ESTL or ESTB six-cylinder engine producing 88bhp, mounted alongside the driver and driving through a five-speed Vickers-Meadows manual gearbox to the front sprockets. There were malleable cast-iron tracks supported on four rubber-tyred road wheels, mounted in pairs on bell cranks with double-spring Vickers-Horstman suspension units. These suspension units, which had appeared on most of the Vickers light tanks up to Mk VI, had been designed by Sydney Horstman, the son of a German watchmaker who had settled in Bath in 1854, changing his name from Horstmann after the end of the First World War.
With a length of just 155in and an overall width of 81in, the 5.2-ton machine was extremely compact, and was capable of a top speed of 30mph on improved surfaces, and 25mph across country, with a range of 130 miles.
The main armament was a Vickers 0.5in machine gun, and there was a co-axial .303in water-cooled machine gun, together with a .303in Bren gun for anti-aircraft defence. Purpose-built anti-aircraft variants had a power-operated turret carrying a bank of four 7.92mm Besa air-cooled machine guns.
On the Mk VIA, the circular commander’s cupola was replaced by an octagonal design with two vision slots. The Mk VIB was similar, but reverted to the circular cupola and was simplified in various ways to aid production; it was also produced in the so-called ‘India pattern’, without the cupola but with a commander’s periscope. The Mk VIC omitted the commander’s cupola altogether and incorporated co-axial 15mm and 7.92mm Besa machine guns in place of the Vickers guns of the earlier versions; the track width was increased and the engine was also upgraded to increase the top speed to 35mph.
Following their withdrawal from combat, a number of Mk VI light tanks were converted to forward observation posts and some were garrisoned on the island of Malta. The type was also widely used for training.
Light Tank Mk VII (A17)–Tetrarch
Designed by Vickers-Armstrongs as a speculative venture in 1937, the light tank Mk VII was shown to the army in 1938 as a possible cavalry tank. Initially known as Purdah, but eventually dubbed Tetrarch, it was approved for further development as a possible reconnaissance vehicle. This took rather longer than had been anticipated and it was not until July 1940 that a finished prototype was supplied for trials, with the first production example delivered in November 1940.
The three-man vehicle had a completely new hull design–still of riveted construction, but larger and with a maximum armour thickness of 16mm, it measured 162in in length, with a width of 81in. Power came from a horizontally-opposed twelve-cylinder Meadows Type 30 engine producing 165bhp, driving the rear sprockets through a five-speed gearbox. There was also improved suspension using the long-travel Christie system which combined swinging arms with long coil springs. The tracks were carried on four equal-sized road wheels, which also served as track-return rollers. Despite the weight increasing to 7.6 tons, it was capable of a top speed of almost 40mph on the road, and 25mph across country.
However, perhaps the most significant change was the use of a larger main gun–a Vickers 2-pounder (40mm) weapon was fitted to the prototype in place of the 0.5in machine gun used on previous light tanks; some vehicles were equipped with a Littlejohn adaptor which provided a squeeze-bore effect. There was also a co-axial machine gun and a .303in Bren gun for anti-aircraft use. The close-support variant (light tank Mk VII CS) was fitted with a 3in howitzer.
At least one Tetrarch was fitted experimentally with a wading screen and Straussler duplex-drive, allowing amphibious operation. Successful trials of this system on the Tetrarch led to its adaptation for Valentine and Sherman tanks.
A total of 177 examples were constructed during 1941/42, and a number were used during the invasion of Madagascar in 1942. Some were supplied to the Soviet Union where they saw action in 1942. The remainder were put into reserve, and the small size and relatively low weight of the Tetrarch made it suitable for airborne operations, with six or so vehicles carried in a modified version of the Hamilcar glider during the invasion of Normandy in 1944. A number were also deployed during the crossing of the River Rhine in spring 1945 and, surprisingly, the type remained in service until 1949.
Light Tank Mk VIII (A25)–Harry Hopkins
Prototyped during 1941, the light tank Mk VIII–or Harry Hopkins–was the last of the British light tanks, and was a logical development of the Tetrarch. The length of the hull, which now incorporated both riveted and welded elements, was increased to 168in, and the width to 107in, whilst the frontal armour was redesigned and increased in thickness to 38mm. The turret was also redesigned to improve its ballistic performance. These changes increased the weight to 8.5 tons and, retaining the twelve-cylinder Meadows Type 30 engine of the Tetrarch, the maximum speed on the road was reduced to 30mph. The five-speed transmission and the warp/manual steering systems were also carried over from the Tetrarch, although hydraulic assistance was provided for the steering systems, which had previously required considerable physical effort. Testing of early production machines revealed weaknesses in the suspension, possibly due to the increase in weight, and this led to some delays in production while a solution was found.
As with the Tetrarch, the main gun was the 2-pounder (40mm), which in some cases was also fitted with the Littlejohn adaptor to increase muzzle velocity. There was also a co-axial 7.92mm Besa machine gun.
By the time the Harry Hopkins went into production it was effectively obsolete and, with the airborne role assigned to the Tetrarch, none saw any action. A number were handed over to the RAF as airfield defence vehicles and, in 1945, a small number of Alectos, a self-propelled gun variant of the Harry Hopkins, were converted to tank ‘dozers for the Royal Engineers, with a hydraulically-operated blade fitted in place of the gun.
Production was once again entrusted to the Vickers-owned Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company, with a total of ninety-nine vehicles constructed between 1942 and 1944, against an initial anticipated requirement of 1,000.
Production of the light tank Mk VI ended in 1940, by which time around 1,700 units had been constructed. Continued development led to the production of the Mks VIA, VIB and VIC, of which the Mk VIB was the most numerous. The Mk VI saw action in France in 1940, and was deployed in Libya, Greece, Iran/Iraq (Persia) and Egypt, but was easily out-gunned by heavier German and Italian tanks; there were also anti-aircraft variants based on the MK VIA and VIB chassis. (Warehouse Collection)
Dating from 1932, the A4 light tank Mk IV was used for training in the early years of the Second World War. This example is fitted with the so-called ‘India pattern’ turret with a cupola. (Warehouse Collection)
The track-return roller of the light tank Mk VIA was moved from the front bogie unit and mounted on the hull side between the two bogies, whilst the circular commander’s cupola was replaced by an octagonal design with two vision slots. (Warehouse Collection)
The British Army did not purchase any purpose-built tank transporters until 1938/39 and tanks were carried on flat-bed trucks or trailers. This is another Mk VIA light tank, with the octagonal commander’s cupola. (Warehouse Collection)
The light tank Mk VII–better known as Tetrarch after the Greek word for a ruler–was an unusual machine, much improved on previous light tank designs. Although there was no immediate need for the machine, a production contract was placed, with initial production taking place at Vickers’ Elswick factory near Newcastle, before being transferred to the Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company’s works. The Tetrarch was the only airborne tank to see action during the war. (Warehouse Collection)
Steering the Tetrarch was achieved by turning all four of the armoured-steel road wheels, effectively warping the tracks; tight turns and turns made at low speeds were accommodated by the use of manual track brakes, thus inducing skid turns. (Warehouse Collection)
Rear stowage sketch for the Tetrarch light tank Mk VII. (Warehouse Collection)
The Harry Hopkins (light tank Mk VIII) was named after one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s closest advisors, who was unofficial emissary to Winston Churchill. By the time it went into production it was effectively obsolete–in a bold, but ultimately futile, gesture a Harry Hopkins tank was selected for trials as part of the Carrier Wing project. This proposed that light tanks could be fitted with wings and launched from transport aircraft in support of parachute and glider-borne troops–the plan was abandoned when the prototype crashed after take-off. (Warehouse Collection)
The Harry Hopkins chassis was adapted to provide the basis for the Alecto self-propelled gun, which mounted a 95mm howitzer low in the hull, and was intended to provide close support for airborne troops. A few of these were operated by armoured car regiments in the immediate post-war years. In the same way, later versions, Alecto III and IV, were planned to be fitted with 25- (88mm) or 32-pounder (159mm) guns respectively, but none were actually constructed. (Warehouse Collection)