Tank Mark VIII (International / Liberty)

History of Panzer Mark VIII (International/Liberty)

The Mark VIII "International Tank" (also known as "Liberty" when powered by the engines of the USS Liberty) will be the first tank in history to be produced through an international partnership - an agreement between the United States and the United States Confirmation of this allowed British production in France. While the Mark VIII proved promising, delays in its development ultimately meant the cancellation of thousands of ambitious wartime production orders at the end of the conflict in November 1918. As a result, the Mark VIII was limited to 125 production examples, most of which entered service with the U.S. Army after the war.

The British Army remains the only other significant operator until decommissioned US stocks are sold to Canada for tanker training.

The First World War began in the summer of 1914, straddling the eastern (Russian) and western (France/Belgium) fronts. The German offensive finally came to a halt in northern France, and the war was a stalemate of trench lines, artillery fire and a massive offensive that killed tens of thousands in just a few days of fighting. War planners turned to engineers to devise new ways to break this stalemate and experimented with devices including poison gas, flamethrowers, airstrikes, grenades, portable automatic weapons and "landing ships" - also known as "tanks" .

The United States of America declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, which meant that all German superiority on many levels would come to an end. The new manpower will rescue besieged British, French and Belgian troops and provide a much-needed "stimulant" for the war. In June 1917, the U.S. government held talks with Britain about procuring the latest available British tanks for service with the U.S. Marine Corps (via the U.S.

Navy). The initial focus was on the Mk VI tank under development at the time, which would become the primary British tank of the war and an evolution of the original Mk I ("Big Willie") series. At the same time, Britain needs manufacturing support, and has tacitly sought American help to meet demand after the Americans formally joined the conflict.

While the Mk VI itself might have been a viable system, the Americans believed they could use their expertise to design an improved, more powerful tank to match the then-current U.S. industrial capabilities.

The U.S. War Department misplaced the U.S. Army's new tanks before the U.S. Navy sent people to the UK to start work on the new tanks (known as "international" tanks, referring to multinational participation). On October 3, 1917, American Major H.W.

Alden rendezvoused with his British colleagues in London, and the new tank design was drawn. The draft was signed after a meeting on December 4, 1917, by Winston Churchill, then Minister of Quarters. Proudly, a total of 1,500 would be produced by the end of 1918 (many still think the war will continue until 1919). The US will be responsible for major internal components, including the transmission, engine and rear sprocket, while the UK will be responsible for armor plates, structural supports, weapons and related ammunition stocks.

France will be the third major player in the agreement, taking orders for tanks and eventually supplying factories in France for local production close to the front. Finally, if the war went on beyond 1918, the Allies would have a standardized armor system in its stable armor system, and if the war went on beyond 1918, it could encourage the armies of the West with the help of like-minded manufacturing Parts commonality between.

In order not to jeopardize the future of the Mk VIII, all British work on the aforementioned Mk VI tanks ceased in December 1917.

In a way, the new Mark VIII bridges the design gap between the diamond-shaped tank early in the war and the shape that emerged during the interwar period. It has a compartmentalized interior that separates the crew from the engine. The large powerplant (V-12 Liberty or V-12 Ricardo 300 hp gasoline engine) was mounted in the rear of the fuselage and separated from the crew compartment by a bulkhead.

Bulkheads are used to expel deadly fumes and loud engine noise. The engine is linked to a planetary gearbox that provides two forward and two reverse gears. The external side profile of the tank has a teardrop appearance, as well as long tracks extending the length of the fuselage on the sides and ends of the fuselage. The track is well designed, allowing the Mark VIII to traverse the trenches and crater network that spanned the battlefields of World War I. Suspension There is no suspension, which encourages a very tough ride but simplifies production.

The hull is adorned with plate-side superstructures that allow the tank commander to see what's going on through four viewing windows attached to the dome. The commander stands on a platform with 57mm shells for the main gun.

The crew was led by the tank commander, the driver sat in the front hull, and a flight engineer sat near the rear engine. A gunner and a loader are responsible for each emplacement, while the machine gunner handles the available defensive machine guns to stop infantry attacks on the tanks. A special deflector was mounted on the rear upper hull to help the rear gunner engage enemy infantry against the lower "six" of the vehicle - a defensive weak point in any tank design.

Such details allow the gunner to engage enemy infantry at the bottom of the trench as the tanks pass by. The strongest point of armor protection is 16mm, while the range is limited to 50 miles and the top speed is 6.5 mph.

The armament was concentrated on 2 British 6lb (57mm) OQF guns, mounted on the broadsides (before the turrets were standardized in all tank designs, the bulwarks were a common structural outcrop on many early tanks). They have limited travel, but can engage enemy targets from the front, sides and below of the tank (the turret on top of the hull does not contribute to the latter). The portholes can also be folded inward to reduce the width of the fuel tank when transported by rail. Self-defense is a group of British or Americans.

30 caliber machine gun as required.

Although more than 1,500 orders were expected by the end of the year, production never fully started. The factories built on French soil never developed at full speed, and the other paths taken in the US and UK never reached the point where a single tank could be produced.

By September 28, 1918, the first American prototype wasn't even complete. After adding guns, the war is over, and the Quantitative War Order is abolished. The British prototype was completed on Armistice Day itself - 11 November 1918.

Despite their own strong order of 1,500 tanks, only 5 British Mk VIII tanks were delivered for military service, these were only downgraded to training. Although all remaining British Mk VIIIs were eventually scrapped, construction of around 24 more examples was completed (made possible by spare parts available).

The Americans had better Mk VIII production, with at least 100 produced between 1919 and 1920 and eventually supplied to the 67th Infantry (Armored) Regiment. The tanks survived until around 1932, when they were eventually stored in the army's storage facilities. When World War II broke out in September 1939, the Canadians desperately needed tanks for crew training and bought surplus American Mk VIIIs cheaply.

At this point, the legacy of the Mark VIII "International Tank" has come to an end.

The US 301st Tank Battalion (Heavy) - later the 17th Tank Battalion (Heavy) - used this tank. From 1921 to 1922, Major Dwight D. Eisenhowerlater a World War II generalwas in charge of the unit as commander. Today, only a handful of Mk VIIIs are on display on American and British soil.

An example is on display at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland.

Mark VIII* (asterisk) is an extended version of Mark VIII designed to provide better ditch assist. The project failed and never got past the design stage.

The "Iron Beast" from the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" was actually based on the design of Mark VIII, with the most notable exception in the movie being the addition of a movable armoured superstructure Turret.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

208 x 57mm bullet

13,848?. 30 caliber ammunition

Changes