Landships II

cqquarter · Private

301st Heavy and 329th Light

PDA · Legend

The heavy tanks are Mark V* (say "Mark Five Star"). The light tanks are the American M1917, also called the "6 ton" (supposed to be a copy of the French Renault FT, the American M1918 had a lot of differences). I think I am correct in saying that no American 6 ton tanks reached France before the war ended (I think a couple of 3 ton tanks did). Therefore this may be in France, but it is definitely after the war. My opinion is that this is in America; just something about the buildings and the hats makes me think that.

cqquarter · Private

That makes sense. �The Major returned from France to Camp Meade. �The photographer is Baltimore-based, so that fits too. �I have attached the Major's service records in case it might provide some clues.

�

NewYorkAbstractsofWorldWarIMilitaryService1917-1919ForDanielWColhoun.jpg �

MTorrent · Lieutenant-Colonel

I agree very much PDA, even though I have information that 10 M1917s arrived France before armistice. However, I doubt that information a bit.�

�

301st Tank Bn had 23 Mk V* and 12 Mk V tanks.�

jagjetta · Brigadier

Not sure how you arrived at the 301st and 329th identification on this panorama. It was taken at Camp Meade, Maryland. It is a great image--I have had it hanging in my office for years. It was marketed by Underwood and Underwood as "the 304th Tank Brigade" after the war, but that was, indeed, wishful thinking! They had a good story and needed a good image to go with it. Attached is a copy of the paper that accompanied the Underwood-marketed versions of this panorama.

FWIW,
JAG

Nailcreek · Captain

John ... Kerry from evil-bay ... drop a PM if you'd like

John Winner · Private

After a little hard work I was able to read the whole caption written on the bottom of the photo, it reads: LIGHT AMERICAN TANKS AND PERSONNEL OF 329TH BN. TANK CORPS. - MAJ D.W. COLHOUN, BN. COM, AND 5-STAR HEAVY�BRITISH TANKS OPERATED BY PERSONNEL OF 301 BN.

cqquarter · Private

I read it the same way, but John A-G questioned that reading based upon a document he has attached to what he thinks is the same photo. The photographer etched that description in the the bottom of the print/plate. It was really hard to read (and still is) but i bumped up the contrast in Photoshop to make it easier to read. The photographer is Mann & Landry, but according to John A-G it was marketed by Underwood & Underwood, who offered a little different description. Again, I was more interested it in because it came form a DC-Area photographer. Are there any clues from the tank numbers?

John Winner · Private

The only info on the tank numbers I could find is on the existing tanks list https://sites.google.com/site/landships/home/lists/mk-v-lists/9901---9950

�

From the look of it I think 99*7 is probably 9917, it is the only tank not accounted for that ends in 7 on the list.

Gwyn Evans · Legend

I'd suggest 9907, shipped to the USA via Liverpool on 4 August 1918. It was never in French service as the website suggests - we know this because a complete list of all Mark V* supplied to France survives and it isn't one of them.

Gwyn