The Mark V was the last and largest tank built in Britain in World War I.
Development and use:
Although the Mark IV tank was an advanced tank for its time, it still had too many shortcomings. For this reason, the British High Command demanded to develop a successor model.
William Tritton, who had already had sufficient experience in the development of tanks and armored vehicles, started developing in mid-1917. At first he developed a completely new concept, including a new hull, a new drive, gearbox and steering system. But while working on a wooden model, economic constraints forced Tritton not to develop a brand new tank but to modernize the existing Mark IV.
Thus, the Mark IV, the hull, the chain rollers and the rails was taken over. At least the beginning of 1917 developed new engine and a more powerful transmission could be installed in the Mark V. The 19-liter straight-six Ricardo engine made 150 hp and by new hydraulic systems and a multi-clutch system, the tank could now be driven by the driver alone. For the machine gun shooters a splinter protection was further attached to minimize the risk of injury.
After the successful demonstration in mid-1917, a contract of a total of 400 tanks, including 200 female and 200 male was abandoned and from the autumn production started. In mid-1918, the first Mark V tanks were available on the Western Front.
With regard to the heavily fortified German positions of the Siegfried line, the British High Command became aware that the Mark IV and Mark V tanks were not designed to cross the 3,5-meter-wide trenches. It was therefore decided to make a corresponding change to the tanks. Major Philip Johnson, a member of the Central Tank Corps Workshops, learned about the call and modified a Mark V tank himself. For this he cut this in the rear area and extended the vehicle by metal struts by 1,8 meters. The modified Mark V was classified by the High Command as Mark V * (star) and built a total of 645 pieces. The now available in the rear area space was used for the transport of soldiers, making the Mark V * as the world's first infantry fighting vehicle can be called.
Since the conversion of Major Philip Johnson was only an emergency solution and limited by this mobility, the idea of William Tritton was taken up and he reworked the model again. But now he adapted the center of gravity and the fuselage to the length and built the same time the new 225 hp engine was available at that time. The tank was then classified as Mark V ** (2-star) and built 197 times.
The first major deployment of Mark V tanks took place on 7 July 1918 during the Battle of Hamel, where 60 tanks support the local Australian infantry. In August 1918, even 288 tanks were used at the Battle of Amiens and achieved a great success. In addition to the British, the Canadians and the US used these tanks. In contrast to the British, however, the Americans were unable to achieve success, so 18 of the 21 tanks of the 301st American Heavy Tank Battalion were destroyed in September and November in the attack on the Siegfried Line.
After the First World War, 70 Mark V tanks were transferred to the Belorussian faction to support them in the fight against the Bolsheviks. Lithuania and Latvia also received some tanks that were in service until 1939.
Technical specifications:
Designation: | Mark V |
Country: | Great Britain |
Length: | 8,05 meters |
Width: | 3,2 meters |
Height: | 2,64 meters |
Mass: | 29 tons |
Maximum speed: | 7,4 km/h |
Armor: | 8 to 16mm |
Main armament: | 2 x Hotchkiss QF 6 pdr (57 mm) gun (male version only) |
Other weapons: | 4 x 7,71mm machine guns (male version) 6 x 7,62mm machine guns (female version) |
Drive: | 6-cylinder Ricardo engine with 150 hp |
Reach: | 72 kilometers |
Crew: | 8 man |
Designation: | Mark V* |
Country: | Great Britain |
Length: | 9,97 meters |
Width: | 3,2 meters |
Height: | 2,64 meters |
Mass: | 32 tons |
Maximum speed: | 7,4 km/h |
Armor: | 8 to 16mm |
Main armament: | 2 x Hotchkiss QF 6 pdr (57 mm) gun (male version only) |
Other weapons: | 4 x 7,71mm machine guns (male version) 6 x 7,62mm machine guns (female version) |
Drive: | 6-cylinder Ricardo engine with 150 hp |
Reach: | 72 kilometers |
Crew: | 8 man |
Designation: | Mark V** |
Country: | Great Britain |
Length: | 9,87 meters |
Width: | 3,94 meters (male version) 8,28 meters (female version) |
Height: | 2,62 meters |
Mass: | 34 to 35 tons |
Maximum speed: | 8 km/h |
Armor: | 6 to 15mm |
Main armament: | 2 x Hotchkiss QF 6 pdr (57 mm) gun (male version only) |
Other weapons: | 4 x 7,71mm machine guns (male version) 6 x 7,62mm machine guns (female version) |
Drive: | 6-cylinder Ricardo engine with 225 hp |
Reach: | 100 kilometers |
Crew: | 8 man |
You can find the right literature here:
British Mark I Tank 1916 (New Vanguard)
In 1915 a machine christened Little Willie changed the way that wars were fought. Little Willie was a fully tracked armoured vehicle that could break a trench system. Its development was completed in December 1915, but by then it had already been superseded by an improved design, Mother. This was the first rhomboid tank, and the prototype for the Mark 1 which would influence a whole generation of tank building. This book details the development of the Mark I, and its surprise arrival in France in the middle of 1916 during the closing weeks of the battles of the Somme.
British Mark IV Tank (New Vanguard, Vol. 133)
Amongst the first ever mass-produced tanks in history, the British Mk IV has been classified as one of the most successful heavy tanks to have fought in World War I.
Mechanically similar to its predecessors, the Mark IV embodied various improvements, suggested by experience with earlier variants, including better armour, improved weapons and easier transportation.
It proved its worth at the landmark battle of Cambrai in November 1917, when 460 Mark IVs were deployed for the first time against the enemy with great effect. Arguably changing the nature of war on the Western Front, the Mark IV was one of the first vehicles in the world to partake in a tank duel when, in 1918, it met the German A7V in combat.
Drawing on a wealth of previously unpublished photographs and new information on its operational abilities, this fascinating exploration of the British Mk IV includes detailed descriptions of the tank and its variants, such as the mine-clearing tank, the Tadpole tail device, and the tank created for towing airships, to complete the picture of this crucial vehicle and its deployment on the Western Front.
Mark V Tank (New Vanguard)
Although to the casual eye all British tanks of World War I look much the same, the Mark V is quite outstanding and has a strong claim to be the tank that won World War I for the Allies. In this title, renowned tank expert David Fletcher examines the technological developments that made this tank excel where others had failed, and the reasons why it gave the British the upperhand over the Germans on the battlefield and why it was adopted by the US Tank Corps. Accompanied by detailed artwork showing the design changes that allowed the Mark V to breach the widest German trenches, this title is an excellent resource for the study of the armor of World War I.
Mark IV vs A7V: Villers-Bretonneux 1918 (Duel)
In March 1918 the Germans launched a series of massive assaults in a bid to break the deadlock on the Western Front and win the war. By this time the British armoured forces had seen extensive combat. The Germans, though, lagged behind in developing armoured fighting vehicles; the March offensive saw the first deployment of the Germans' own design, the A7V. Seeking to capture the important road hub of Amiens, on 24 April the Germans overran Villers-Bretonneux, but were soon halted by Allied ground forces. As three British Mark IV tanks moved up to support a counterattack to regain the town, three German A7Vs arrived on the scene, triggering history's first tank-versus-tank battle.
With two of the British Mark IVs being machine-gun-armed 'females', both were outgunned, and withdrew after the lead A7V, No. 561 'Nixe', damaged them. The remaining 'male' Mark IV, 'A1', equipped with two 6pdr cannons, succeeded in disabling 'Nixe', and the remaining pair of German tanks withdrew. As the only operational tank now on the battlefield, the Mark IV 'male' attracted German artillery fire; as it withdrew, seven British Whippet light tanks engaged the German infantry, only to be attacked themselves by A7V No. 525 'Siegfried' and German artillery.
The German A7V and the British Mark IV were similar in weight, size, and speed, but differed significantly in armour, armament and manoeuvrability. The A7V had thicker armour, and had nearly double the horsepower per ton, but its engines were prone to overheating. The Mark IV's pair of side-mounted 6pdr cannons forced the vehicle to present its side arc to an enemy in order to fire one of its main guns; even so, it had difficulty penetrating the A7V's armour. Possessing twice as many machine guns as the Mark IV, the A7V had a frontally mounted 57mm gun that proved capable of defeating the Mark IV's armour, but the German tank's shape made for a number of blind spots, while the limited traverse of its weapons prompted A7V crews to manoeuvre in a zigzag motion. The Mark IV's rhomboid design proved superior in crossing trenches, climbing obstacles and moving over rough terrain.
As the first tank-versus-tank engagement in history, the fighting around Villers-Bretonneux showcased not only the British Mark IV and German A7V designs, but also the late-war, all-arms environment in which each operated. Although not purpose-built to combat enemy armour, both vehicles proved the viability of such operations, which during the postwar period led to key advances in suspension, armour, gunsights, ammunition, and command and control. While the British continued to develop their armoured forces, German armour development never materialized, and only in the postwar period did they address the issue.
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