The Tank Mk 1 was the production and service model of the prototype vehicle known as "Mother" which was outcome of a series of developments based on the use of a Holt Tractor Chassis.
The majority of the design was down to Lieutenant W.G.Wilson and it was he who conceived the idea of using the large and high track outline.
Mother was demonstrated in Jan/Feb 1916 and soon after the first production order was placed. The first production vehicles were issued to the Heavy section, Machine Gun Corps in mid 1916
The vehicle was powered by a Daimler 105hp petrol engine carried in an armoured box slung between the two massive lozenge shaped continous tracks.
The main armament were two 6-pdr (57mm) guns placed on a sponson on each side. The sponsons each had a single lewis or Hotchkiss machine gun and a third such gun was fitted for extra defence.
The vehicle was protected by armour plate from 6-12 mm thickness riveted to steel joists, but in action this proved unsatisfactory as bullets got through armour seams and caused casualties.
Almost as soon as the first tanks appeared in France in mid 1916 they were in action, the first tank Mk 1 went into battle on 15th September 1916 at Flers-Courcelette, but there were too few that actually got into action too make a significant impact, due to many of the 50 that were supposed to attack getting bogged down in mud or breaking down.
The Mark 1 was produced in two versions, the Tank Mk 1 (Male) described above and intended for the primary offensive mission and the Tank Mk 1 (female) with larger sponsons and an armament of four vickers and two lewis machine guns intended for the anti-infantry support of the Mk1 (Male).
Other Variant were the MK1 Tank Tender with steel boxes in place of the sponsons and the MK1 wireless Tank without sponsons but with a tall aerial mast.
The Tank Mk 1 made history by being the first tank into combat, but made little impact in action. But it did impress the British military enough that in June 1917 the Tank Corps was formed.
Specification:-
Tank Mk 1 (Male)
Crew:8
Weight:28 tons
Powerplant: one x 105hp Daimler petrol Engine
Dimensions: Length with tail 9.91m, Length of hull 8.05m, width over sponsons 4.19m, height 2.45 m
Performance: Max speed 3.7mph, range 24 miles
The majority of the design was down to Lieutenant W.G.Wilson and it was he who conceived the idea of using the large and high track outline.
Mother was demonstrated in Jan/Feb 1916 and soon after the first production order was placed. The first production vehicles were issued to the Heavy section, Machine Gun Corps in mid 1916
The vehicle was powered by a Daimler 105hp petrol engine carried in an armoured box slung between the two massive lozenge shaped continous tracks.
The main armament were two 6-pdr (57mm) guns placed on a sponson on each side. The sponsons each had a single lewis or Hotchkiss machine gun and a third such gun was fitted for extra defence.
The vehicle was protected by armour plate from 6-12 mm thickness riveted to steel joists, but in action this proved unsatisfactory as bullets got through armour seams and caused casualties.
Almost as soon as the first tanks appeared in France in mid 1916 they were in action, the first tank Mk 1 went into battle on 15th September 1916 at Flers-Courcelette, but there were too few that actually got into action too make a significant impact, due to many of the 50 that were supposed to attack getting bogged down in mud or breaking down.
The Mark 1 was produced in two versions, the Tank Mk 1 (Male) described above and intended for the primary offensive mission and the Tank Mk 1 (female) with larger sponsons and an armament of four vickers and two lewis machine guns intended for the anti-infantry support of the Mk1 (Male).
Other Variant were the MK1 Tank Tender with steel boxes in place of the sponsons and the MK1 wireless Tank without sponsons but with a tall aerial mast.
The Tank Mk 1 made history by being the first tank into combat, but made little impact in action. But it did impress the British military enough that in June 1917 the Tank Corps was formed.
Specification:-
Tank Mk 1 (Male)
Crew:8
Weight:28 tons
Powerplant: one x 105hp Daimler petrol Engine
Dimensions: Length with tail 9.91m, Length of hull 8.05m, width over sponsons 4.19m, height 2.45 m
Performance: Max speed 3.7mph, range 24 miles
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