Landships II

Jaroslav K · Major

Japan Mk IV female.

PDA · Legend

Great pictures, Jarosav K.

munkeezulu · Corporal

The WD number looks like ?637. most proably 4637.

Other tanks in the 43** range were shipped to America.

https://sites.google.com/site/landships/home/lists/mkivtanks/world-war-one-british-mark-iv-tank-4601---4700

Gwyn Evans · Legend

I agree ?637. The only possible first digits are 2 or 4 (as Mark IV serials start with 2, 4, 6 or 8 and 6637 and 8637 are not Mark IV numbers). 2637 was handed over to salvage after Cambrai so that leaves us with 4637, which up to now had not been traced. However, as my friend Munkeezulu has pointed out (albeit with a typo - no Mark IVs are numbered 43xx) and as I've mentioned in other threads, other tanks with close serials were exported to the USA. 4636 was actually exported to the USA and 4638 was earmarked for the US but not shipped and ended its days as the presentation tank to Pontefract.

I'd seen some of these photos before but never such good resolution and others are completely new to me. Very many thanks for posting them Jaroslav.

Gwyn

Centurion · Legend

Tank weeks were held at Tokyo and Yokohama

This tank ended its days as a war memorial at a Japanese shrine. Finally scrapped around 1942

Gwyn Evans · Legend

The Yasukuni Shrine I believe.

There's something odd about this tank's roof in one of the pictures - see my annotated version of the photo.� The oddities don't appear in the picture of the tank being lifted from the ship's hold, so I presume it's a Japanese modification.

Gwyn

Michel Boer · Brigadier

Interesting to see the Japanese lettering on the front horns during the discharging from the ship, and the total lack of markings afterwards on land. If these are shipping marks, would they have been applied in Europe already? Quite a challenge to turn this scene into a diorama...

LincolnTanker · Commander in Chief

Hi Gwyn, could the 'stowage box' be an opening for extra ventilation?

I see that at least one Japanese Whippet had a�modified drivers �viewing plate that could open so they were not shy of altering to suit.

Rectalgia · Legend

The super resolution (3,648 � 2,736 or 2.99Mb) of Jaroslav's last picture is at

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ja/5/58/Japanese_MarkIV.JPG by the way.

�

The similar-sized Whippet is at

�

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ja/7/76/Japanese_Whippet.jpg

LincolnTanker · Commander in Chief

Hi Rectalgia, I've not seen the Whippet photo before, thanks for sharing.�

Mark Hansen · Legend

Gwyn Evans wrote:
The Yasukuni Shrine I believe.
There's something odd about this tank's roof in one of the pictures - see my annotated version of the photo.� The oddities don't appear in the picture of the tank being lifted from the ship's hold, so I presume it's a Japanese modification.
Gwyn

�The "stowage box" on the roof is actually the open roof hatch. The position it is in also blocks the view of the rearmost exhaust outlet.

PDA · Legend

Mark Hansen wrote:
The "stowage box" on the roof is actually the open roof hatch. The position it is in also blocks the view of the rearmost exhaust outlet.

�I was thinking the same thing, Mark. But it looks as though there is also something poking out of the top of the open hatch, or resting on the hinges.

�

-- Edited by PDA on Tuesday 3rd of May 2011 12:22:33 PM

James H · Legend

I think it's an optical illusion, Citizens. The lid on the hatch is just obscuring the third exhaust outlet. In the pic below the outlet can be seen. What's confusing matters is the circled thing sticking up (with its twin on the other side). Rings a bell, but I can't identify it.

PDA · Legend

The "circled thing sticking up (with its twin on the other side)" is a support bracket for the unditching rails. Which in this case, it has not got.

James H · Legend

Ah. Well, that's what it'll be, then.

Centurion · Legend

I thought it was the hatch at first but there are two things wrong with this

a] the hatch opened the other way
b] The hatch was further back� (with the unditching rail suppoer in front of it.)

James H · Legend

I'm not sure about that, Cent. The hatch opened towards the cab. In your first pic it seems to be propped up on a petrol can.

Mark Hansen · Legend

Centurion wrote:
I thought it was the hatch at first but there are two things wrong with this
a] the hatch opened the other way
b] The hatch was further back� (with the unditching rail suppoer in front of it.)

�a] the hatch opened forward. Most hatches and flaps on Mk I - IV's opened forward to provide some protection from frontal attacks. Exceptions: Mk I and II male sponson doors and Mk I and II supply tank cab roof hatches.

b] the hatch hinge line was along the same panel line as the rail supports. The hatch, if fully opened, rests on the roof between the supports.

�

Centurion · Legend

James and Mark

�

You reinforce my point in the Japanese photo the"hatch" is opening upward and to the rear.�

Mark Hansen · Legend

Centurion wrote:
James and Mark
�
You reinforce my point in the Japanese photo the"hatch" is opening upward and to the rear.�

If the hatch is resting between the supports and the cab is in front of the hatch, how is the hatch opening towards the rear? It opens exactly the same way as the two photos that you posted. In your first image the officer�poking his head out of the hatch�is in front of the stores box. The�stores box is at the rear of the roof which means that the hatch must be opening forward.

I would attach an outlined photo showing the hatch but for reasons best known to itself the forum won't let me.

PDA · Legend

Mark Hansen wrote:
I would attach an outlined photo showing the hatch but for reasons best known to itself the forum won't let me.

�I am also prevented from attaching a picture.

I have outlined the open hatch, the hatch lid in front of the open hatch, the roof brace or girder (whatever it is or was called), and the two brackets for the unditching rails that aren't fitted.

The lid of the hatch is open, and rests some few inches above the roof (I can't see what is holding up) in front of the open hatch. There is one of the bracing girders acroos the roof, and I believe the shadow of it is making some people think there is a box there; but there isn't.

�

Gwyn Evans · Legend

Thanks to all for the replies. I can see now that it is indeed the hatch obscuring the third exhaust vent. The transverse line across the hull top, which was adding to my confusion, is just the roof brace. So nothing unusual.

Gwyn

James H · Legend

Here we are, Glyn. The upload seems to be working now.

The three girder things are visible. The hatch is hinged above the level of the middle one and when it's laid flat it rests on the forward one, parallel to the hull top. There seems to be a bit of an overhang, presumably to get the fingers underneath to close it. As you can see, it also extends beyond the rearmost exhaust outlet.

-- Edited by James H on Wednesday 4th of May 2011 11:03:01 PM

PDA · Legend

Yup. And here's what I tried to upload earlier...