Vickers 6-ton Mk. F

[WayOfTheWolk 1,573]

Vickers 6-ton Mk. F

Introduction:

Spoiler

In the 1930s the Belgian Army Armored Corps was reliant upon aging Renault FTs which clearly could not keep up with the pace of armored warfare development. Belgian military leaders attempted to remedy the situation by modifying the Renault FTs with a modernization package. The original 39 hp engines were replaced by 50 hp petrol engines increasing the rear profile, a 10 mm plate to the turret front to increase crew protection was added and the designation of the tank was changed to the FT-18. However the modifications only increased the speed to a measly 20 km/h and the added weight of the new armor wore down mobility. By 1934 the FT-18s were placed in reserve and transferred to the Belgian Gendarmarie most being scrapped before World War 2.

 

With a lack of armored vehicles the Belgian Army searched for potential replacements and fortunately Vickers approached the army in 1934 with an offer. The Vickers 6-ton light tank was gaining quite the popularity at the time in export to developing armies and was seen as the next step in tank development. A two-man turret featuring a main cannon and secondary machine gun, reliable petrol engine and based on a small enough chassis that could still provide mobile support to infantry. Vickers designed a unique model for the Belgian Army under the designation Mark. F. The Vickers 6-ton Mk. F received a new Rolls Royce Phantom II engine replacing the unreliable air-cooled Puma engine. To accommodate the larger engine however Vickers placed it inside the fighting compartment in the front requiring the turret to be moved more rightward and back. An air intake was added to the font of the hull on the left and the rear muffler was placed left to the turret. 

 

Tests started soon afterwards and the Belgian Army quickly noticed serious flaws with the Mk. F. It was reported that the engine was too loud, made the fighting compartment too hot for the crew and that cooling was still a conflict. Not only this but because the air intake was mounted directly on the hull front the shine from the metal made it an easy target for enemies in exercises. While the army found satisfaction in testing the latest   armored innovation the prototype was ultimately rejected on the prior stated grounds. Vickers-Armstrong would later come back to the Belgian Army with the T-15 recon tank design which would later be accepted for production. While the Belgian Army would not adopt the Mk. F the Finnish Army would end up accepting the tank as the Vickers Mk.E Type B after testing two Mk. Fs with improved Armstrong-Siddeley engines.

 

In the proposed Benelux Tech Tree the Vickers 6-ton Mk. F would stand as the first reserve tank for players and if not a rank 1 premium for the British tech tree. As a light tank it has little armor to show only capable of stopping .50 cals from the front and artillery splinters. It is best to rely on the agile mobility of the tank flanking enemies and firing into their sides with your 3-pounder gun. The 3-pounder has an APHE shell that can penetrate about 40mm at point blank which admittedly is not great even for a rank 1 slightly improved from the French Puteaux SA-18. That said this vehicle should be played and enjoyed for its historical significance. The Vickers 6-ton Mk. F is one of the first modern tanks used by Belgium and played an important role in influencing their indigenous tank development leading up to World War 2 despite its initial rejection.

Photos & Blueprints:

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Vickers 6-ton Mk. F Front

Vickers 6-ton Mk. F cutaway 

Technical Data:

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Dimensions: 4.55 m x 2.32 m x 2.21 m 

Weight: 7.3 tons

Crew: 3 (Driver, Gunner/Commander, Loader)

Propulsion; 6-cylinder Rolls Royce Phantom II Engine, 120 bph

Speed: 31 km/h

Armament: 3-pounder Vickers cannon, Coaxial 7.7mm Vickers machine gun

Armor: 25-19 mm RHA

Sources:

Spoiler

• http://www.tankarchives.ca/2016/11/vickers-e-bestselling-export.html
• https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/vickers_6-ton-light-tank.php
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vickers_6-Ton

 

Check out the full Benelux Ground Forces Tree here for more interesting content!

 

Edited July 18, 2020 by WayOfTheWolk

[leroyonly 4,311]

Open for discussion. 

[WiseMinerva 455]

+1

[Milocat 4,857]

+1 for sure, especially if we get a BeNeLux tree.

[ThedepthPunisher 194]

This could be a good addition for the Benelux tree. + 1 

[eleks12 1,079]

+1

[RazNaRok 616]

+1