WesWorld

This year's development programmes and new equipment entering service.

Light Tank Mk VI (A14): Designed by Vickers as a private venture in 1936. The War Office ordered 120 for introduction into service in 1937. Production will be undertaken by Metropolitan-Cammell. The 165hp Meadows petrol engine provides a top speed of 40mph on roads and 20mph cross-country. Range is 140 miles. The armour is 14-4mm thick and the armament is one 2pdr QF Mk IX and one co-axial Vickers ‘K’ MG. Only two crewmen are carried.

Cruiser Tank Mk IV (A13 Mk II): From 1937 another 200 A13 will be built by Nuffield Aero & Mechanisation as the A13 Mk II with various improvements to the turret and cupola. Engine, transmission and armour are unchanged.

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.

Tank Guns
Ordnance 6pdr QF Mk III: Calibre 57mm, weight of shot 6lbs AP, 5.5lbs HE, muzzle velocity 2,800fps (AP) and penetration 81mm at 500 yards. Development from April 1937.


Guy Wheeled Tank: A private venture begun in late 1936 by Guy Motors based on their Guy Quad-Ant four-wheeled drive artillery tractors but with an all-welded mild steel body and a turret with a single .661in Vickers HMG and a co-axial .303in Vickers MG. Top speed is 55mph and range is 210 miles. Production versions will have armour 15-4mm thick. Following trials of this three-seat armoured car an order for 100 was received in mid 1937.

Daimler Scout Car Mk I: In response to a 1936 requirement issued by the Mechanisation Board for a light turret less scout car three companies offered prototypes which were tested during 1936. Alvis offered its small ‘Dingo’ which weighed 2 tons and was armed with a single Vickers ‘K’ LMG, BSA offered a smaller and cheaper design and Daimler DSA Ltd offered a very similar design. All were rear-engined and were roofless.

Daimler was offered a production contract on the basis of very successful trials. Orders for 172 have been placed with Daimler. This two man car weighs 2.8tons and is powered by a 55hp Daimler petrol engine, has a top speed of 55-60mph and a range of 260 miles. Armament is a single Vickers ‘K’ machine gun and four-wheel drive is fitted and production models will feature a folding roof.


Artillery
Ordnance QF 25pdr Mk I, is entering service in 1937. Weight in action is 3,968lbs; traverse is 8 degrees on carriage or 360 degrees with circular firing table. Elevation -5 to +40 degrees, weight of shell 25lbs, range of 13,400 yards. HE, smoke, illumination and a solid AT round is being developed for use from 1938.

BL 7.2in Howitzer No.1 Mk I, entering service in 1937. Weight in action is 29,100lbs; traverse is 60 degrees, elevation -2 to +65 degrees, weight of shell 200lbs, range of 19,680 yards. Shell types are HE, concrete-piercing, smoke and illumination.

Ordnance 6pdr QF Mk IV: Under development from April 1937 as a towed version of the Ordnance 6pdr QF Mk III tank gun for RA units. Service entry due early 1939. Calibre 57mm, weight of shot 6.28lbs AP, 6.23lbs HE, muzzle velocity 2,700fps and penetration 68mm at 1000 yards. Weight in action is 2,471lbs; traverse is 90 degrees and elevation -5 to +15 degrees.

Riles and hand guns
.303in Rifle No.3 Mk I; this rifle is 3ft 8.4in long, weighs 9.13lbs, muzzle velocity is 2,465 ft/sec and has a ten round magazine. A new 9in long bayonet can be fitted. Entering service 1937.

.303in Vickers Light Machine Gun No.3 Mk I, based on the Vickers-Berthier Light Machine Gun No.2 Mk I this is a squad-level support weapon. The Light Machine Gun No.3 Mk I has a lighter stock, new grip, shorter barrel, the bipod and carrying handle were removed, simpler sights fitted and the breach-block has been altered to load vertically from below and is used with new 20 round boxes. It weighs 20.5lbs, is 40ins long, muzzle velocity is 2,450ft per sec and rate of fire, cyclic, is 450-600rpm. Both single shot and automatic fire can be selected. This weapon will replace one rifle in every infantry squad and mortar and anti-tank crew complement from 1937.

Heh, I see the Brits are making their own lives difficult by not standardizing the ammunition between the tank 6 lbr and the towed 6 lbr.


On the 303in Vickers Light Machine Gun No.3 Mk I, I have to say I can't see how this is a good idea. Apparently the British Army is duplicating the early M1918 BAR, without it's bipod?

The following two armoured vehicles are now undergoing trials as privare ventures and now on the export market.

Vickers Valentine Tank: On Feb 14th 1937, Vickers submitted a new tank design based on the Cruiser Tank Mk II A10. The basic chassis and suspension was mated to an improved hull and new three-man turret armed with a 2pdr gun but capable of taking the new 6pdr gun and equivalent foreign types. A co-axial MG is also fitted. The four-man crew (driver, commander, gunner and loader) is protected by 65-8mm thick armour; the 150hp AEC Type A179 petrol engine gives a speed of 15mph (8mph cross-country) and a range of 180 miles. Weight is 39,000lbs, fording depth is 3 feet and trench crossing is 7.6 feet. 79-53 rounds of ammunition can be stowed along with 3,150 MG rounds.


AEC Armoured Car: A private venture begun in late 1937 by Associated Equipment Company, makers of heavy trucks, buses and the Matador gun tractor. Based on the chassis of the Matador, a new body of flat armoured plate 57-8mm thick is fitted as is the new Vickers Valentine turret with a 2pdr gun and co-axial MG. The 105hp AEC diesel is mounted in the rear and tilted to lie alongside the rear differential to reduce height. Normally the front wheels are driven but over cross-country the rear wheels are engaged. Maximum speed is 40mph and range 250 miles. Weight is 11 tons and three or four crewmen can be carried.

Some new light tanks are now open for export orders (all these are real OTL tanks).

Vickers Light Tank 1937
The Model 1936 fitted with a new turret mounting a 2pdr gun or 20mm Oerlikon cannon. Weight 4 tons, crew 2, armour 9-4mm, 90hp Meadows EST petrol, 30mph.

Light Command Tank (ready for production in 1938 )
A new design with modified Horstmann suspension. The turret can mount either two .303in Vickers or one .50in and one .303in Vickers or a 2pdr gun. The gunner has a periscope scope on the turret roof. Weight 5 tons, crew 3, armour 11-4mm, 90hp Meadows EST petrol, 31mph.

Light Tank Alvis-Straussler
A private venture of novel design. The tank features two engines which drive each track independently. The suspension is novel too, each track assembly is attached as a unit at one point at the centre of the vehicle. Each unit has two large wheels and two smaller idler wheels. One driven large sprocket and one track roller formed a bogie. These bogies were hinged to the front and rear of a swinging beam.
Trials by the War Office without a turret did not result in a production order.
Weight 8-9 tons, crew 3, two Alvis SA petrol, 42mph.