Landships II

From the photos I have seen of Mk. IV Supply Tanks the sponsons are the same shape and dimension as the gun tank but without any weapons ports. The main gun aperture is not plated over on the Mk. IV because the port is simply not cut out of the sponson plates. The Mk. IV supply tanks were purpose built for the supply role and not conversions as were the Mk. 1 and 2 tanks which is why they have the plates on their gun apertures. Simply fill the gun apertures with sheet plastic and then putty and sand them smooth. To replace the rivets use the Archer Surface Details Rivets. It is a very easy conversion.  If I can help any more just p.m. me.

-- Edited by plastic fan on Sunday 11th of May 2014 12:27:14 AM

Gwyn Evans wrote:

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However some old fighting tanks were converted in Central Workshops. The serial number will tell you for sure which is which. 

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 Interesting nugget. Does this suggest that some 'gun tanks' were refitted with 'bespoke' Supply Sponsons or that they might have had their Male Sponsons stripped out and blanked-off with plate like Mk.I Supply tanks? Could be interpretted either way.

I also read [somewhere] recently, that some Mk.IVs were fitted with new power-train components that had a bit of a reputation for gear-stripping, due to the higher power output, and that a lot of these tanks were converted for Supply duties [where more automotive 'grunt' was needed to haul the tonnage? OR where a mechanical failure would not pose as great an exposure to the enemy?].

I think the tanks converted at Central Workshops had bespoke Supply sponsons but similar, maybe identical, to the factory versions. This is an area where I need to do more research so don't treat this comment as Gospel!

Gwyn

Did they still have an mg in the front?

I see that on the picture of 402 that the ball mount is still there, but the photo is so poor that I can't see if the mg is still in place.

 

Tonys wrote:

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Your comment about "gun tanks" implies that all supply tanks were Male - were they, as central workshops could have made a supply sponson that could have been bolted on to either male or female?

Tony

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 I am not sure about how readily male & female parts were interchangeable... To my mind it would depend whether the sponsons & escape doors on females occupied the exact same area as the male sponsons, or whether the hull panels were cut differently for male & female tanks.

Supply tanks [generic] could be either male of female though. Females top-towed supply sledges, whereas the more typical 'supply' / ' baggage' marked supply tanks all had male converted or male shaped bespoke supply sponsons fitted. Whether any 'male' supply tanks ever started life as female MG tanks though... good question.

Tony

Your picture of tank 402 above is not a supply tank. IIRC this was a tank modified to test wireless communication within early tanks and this photo was taken at the test ground. The sponsons were fitted out to accommodate the wireless sets and look similar to supply tanks

Tanks3

402 most definitely is a Mark IV Tender, but as Tanks 3 says it's not in use as a supply tank. I have memory this was taken at Biggin Hill for aircraft - tank radio communication trials. It has normal sponsons for a Mark IV tender - they're not specially built to house radio equipment.

Gwyn

On were they Male or Female inside, I believe they could be either. Some were built by Beardmore at the end of their Female production run (which was to have been all Female but ended up half and half). These were almost certainly Females inside.

This is a bit involved for me to write in my lunch break, but I have a seris of articles on Mark IV serial numbers being published in Tankette later this year and these will help explain, but you'll just have to wait.

Gwyn