Does any one have any date(s) for when Mk IVs switched back to Hotchkiss from Lewis mgs? Similarly when were hatches on the drivers cab introduced on the Mk IV? I'm trying to date some photos.
I thought you were enquiring about a tour by a tribute band. However, according to Smithers the War Office issued instructions to replace the Hotchkiss with the Lewis on November 23rd, 1916. The decision was reversed "six months later", which would make it late May, 1917.
Can't find anything on hatches at the mo.
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Thanks James As the first Mk IVs started coming off the production line in the middle of March this would suggest that a relatively small number were Lewis armed. Now as I understand it cab hatches were not on the first Mk IVs so if I can find out when they were introduced it would allow me to get a likely date (or date range) for a Mk IV with Lewises and a cab roof hatch.
I had assumed that as cab hatches were a feature of the Mark V and that Mark IVs were being produced at the same time as Mark Vs, then no Mark IV fighting tank would have a cab hatch until Mark V design was complete. The contract for the Mark Vs was awarded to Metropolitan on 22 September 1917.
Of course cab hatches are also associated with Mark IV Tenders. The contracts for the completion of Mark IV fighting tanks already in production at Metropolitan and Beardmores as Tenders were issued at the end of September/early October 1917 (according to Glanfield).
None of which fits very well with the existence of a Mark IV with Lewis guns and a cab hatch!
Gwyn
P.S. First delivery of Mark IVs was on 2 April 1917 according to Glanfield. My research gave week ending 7 April 1917, which is pretty much the same thing.
The photos are part of my research into the tank 'tour' in the USA. At least one of the 'Britannias' has a cab hatch and Lewis fittings. These tanks were in North America (Canada) by the beginning of October 1917 if not earlier. Allowing at least 3-4 weeks for testing, delivery, despatch to docks, assembling and packing up spares etc, loading and the voyage the very latest they could have come off the production line would have been some time in early September 1917 which would suggest that the introduction of cab hatches on Mk IVs (Lewis armed or otherwise) predated the completion of the Mk V design.
I hope to post a latest N American tour account with photos soon but having been asked to design a couple of Project management courses my energies are currently somewhat diverted.
2 of a number of photos of the NA tour tanks with open cab hatches (one in Chicago one in NY). I've also some photos of the same tanks fitted with Lewis guns (unfortunately none with hatch open and Lewises fitted)
Without unmasking my batteries too soon - the photographic evidence shows two tanks in Canada in Oct/ Nov 1917. One of these has (had) "Britannia " across the front plate and the other did not. The Britannia marked tank appears to have been painted in some form of camouflage whilst the other is in a single colour. Both tanks appear in various photos at different locations in Canada and the USA almost up to Nov 1918. Both tanks had cab roof hatches. To confuse matters both tanks are refered to as Britannia in captions and various articles. There is just a possibility of a third tank marked Britannia without camouflage (also with a cab hatch) but I think that this is actually the camouflaged Britannia with the camouflage much faded. One theory that I am following up is that one tank was intended as the touring tank and the other for demos and evaluation to and by the US military but also got roped in for parades and the like. Given the tendency for Mk IVs to suffer mechanical failure this would make sense. Certainly the unmarked 'Britannia' seems more in evidence in US training camps and the like. One thing I would be keen to discover is their eventual fate - there are several Mk IVs in the US is one of them a Britannia?
To the best of my knowledge there are two Mark IVs extant in North America. One is at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, USA and the other at Borden, Canada. I understand that the APG tank has no roof hatch, but the Borden one does. So the Borden one could well be a candidate as one of the Britannias.
I think that's possible, but without evidence it's supposition. It's a shame we can't read a serial number in any Britannia photos, as then we might know.
