A look at the likely new equipment for the British Army next year and new arms entering development.
Light Tank Mk VI Tetrarch I CS (A14): Armed with 3.7in howitzer
Cruiser Tank Mk V Crusader (A15): Developed by Nuffield from late 1937 as an improved A13 Mk II the A15 utilises Nuffield’s Liberty up-rated to 340hp with a revised Christie suspension system with a new hull and an all-welded turret. A crew of five is carried and the armament consists of the new Ordnance 6pdr QF Mk III gun with a co-axial .303in MG and another in the front hull. Armour is 40-7mm thick and the Liberty powers the A15 to 27mph on roads and 15mph cross country and range is 100 miles although an external tank can increase this to 127 miles. Fording depth is 3.3 feet and trench crossing is 8.5 feet.
L1E3 Light Amphibious Tank: designed by Vickers, attached to hull are two buoyancy tanks. The modified Hortstmann suspension has drum road wheels for improved buoyancy, two propellers driven from sprocket drive and moveable shrouds give directional control. Turret with one .303in Vickers, two crew, powered by a 88hp Meadows ESTB, 4mph in water, 4.4 tons, 15ft x 7ft 8ins x 7.ft ins.
Daimler Armoured Car: Development began in 1938 on a scaled-up Dingo. Carries turret of the Tetrarch light tank, has no chassis, drive via a fluid flywheel torque converter and pre-selector gearbox, has disc-brakes. Power is provided by a 95hp Daimler petrol engine for a maximum speed of 50mph and a range of 205 miles. Armour is 16-6mm thick and weight is 7.5tons.
Karrier Armoured Car: This is the Guy Wheeled Tank built by Karrier Ltd. Due to other commitments Guy could not build more than the first 100 ordered and so the Rootes Group was given the production rights. Guy builds the bodies and supplies them to Karrier who mounts them on their Karrier KT4 artillery tractor chassis. The turret is also unchanged. The armour has been improved to 30-4mm thick and the engine is a 90hp Rootes petrol engine for a speed of 45mph and a range of 250 miles. Weight has increased to 6.85 tons.
In 1938 the Infantry Carrier No.1 Mk II will enter service armed with two Vickers ‘K’ LMGs and radio equipment.
Vickers: 256" British - 6.5x50SR
Bullet weight in grains: 139
Muzzle velocity: 2,500fps
Energy: 1,930 ft/lbs
Enfield Lock: .280" British - 7x43
Bullet weight in grains: 139
Muzzle velocity: 2,530fps
Energy: 1,986 ft/lbs
Rifle No.5 Mk I & II; developed as a trials type for a new semi-automatic rifle. Development began in early 1938 and both marks are different.
Vickers’ No.5 Mk I rifle is not unlike the Rifle No.3 but with a gas-operated system, ten-round clip for the 6.5x50SR bullet and a large conical flash hider. The rifle is 3ft 8.3ins long (barrel is 21.5ins long) and weighs 9.58lbs.
The Enfield Lock No.5 Mk II is smaller and uses bakelite plastics on the stock and fore grip to reduce weight and features a gas-operated system and a ten-round box for its .280” 7x43 bullet. The rifle is 3ft 2ins long (barrel is 22.2ins long) and weighs 9.2lbs.
Both will undergo extensive trials and one will be chosen as the preferred service rifle which be developed from the winning prototype as the No.5 Mk III.