Landships II

Mark Hansen · Legend

Rhomboid repairs

Centurion · Legend

Whereas WW2 tanks sometimes carried spare track plates and links (often these doubling as applique armour) I've never seen any account of a WW1 tank doing the same. I've seen no pictures of spare track plates and links carried outside and I guess that (with the exception of the Mk V*) there wouldn't be much room for stowage inside. Having said this doubtless seven people will now point out photos showing tanks laden with spare track components!

Mark Hansen · Legend

Actually...... I have seen track plates on the front of a Mk. I being used as applique armour, along with part of a palm tree. However, this was on a Gaza-based tank. There is a shot of the tank in "British Mark I tank 1916". But there is a big difference between being able to carry spare plates as armour and being able to use them to repair a broken track.

Does anyone know how much work was involved in repairing a broken pin between track links, rather than replacing a whole plate or short section of track?

Centurion · Legend

Mark Hansen wrote:

Actually...... I have seen track plates on the front of a Mk. I being used as applique armour, along with part of a palm tree. However, this was on a Gaza-based tank. There is a shot of the tank in "British Mark I tank 1916". But there is a big difference between being able to carry spare plates as armour and being able to use them to repair a broken track. Does anyone know how much work was involved in repairing a broken pin between track links, rather than replacing a whole plate or short section of track?

I think the point I was trying to make was that if you don't carry spares then you certainly won't be able to effect repairs. I do know that it was necessary to use a sledge hammer to drive a new pin into place.

Tanks sent to Egypt appear to have been particularly prone to track shedding. Ths has been blamed on the lubricant used on the tracks mixing with sand to form a highly abrasive paste that ground away the pins.