Hi I have a question about the Oldbury transmission trials, which were conducted in March 1917th. After David Fletcher (Landships - British tanks in the First World War) there were 6 systems have been studied. Five Mark II were made available for and since these were not sufficient, the prototype Mark I (Mother) was still used. I call this with A: A1) Mark II Westinghouse Petrol-Electric transmission A2) Mark II William-Janney Hydraulic transmission A3) Mark II Wilkins Multiple Clutch transmission A4) Mark II Wilsons Epicyclic transmission A5) Mark II Crochat-Collardeau (St.Chamond) transmission A6) „Mother“ Daimler Petrol-Electric transmission
After Sir Albert Stern (Tanks 1914-1918 -The log-book of a pioneer) (here designated B, the numbers correspond to those of A) there were eight systems: BX) Mr. Tritton double-engine Tank („Whippet“) B6) Daimler petrol electric transmission B1) Mr. Merz British Westinghouse electrical tramway transmission B2) Mr. Wilson, (mit Vickers) Williams-Janney hydraulic transmission B?) Heel-Shaw Company hydraulic transmission B4) Metropolitan Company Major Wilsons epicyclic transmission B3) Metropolitan Company Mr. Wilkin’s system of multiple clutches B5) French St. Chamond petrol electric transmission The variant BX is known, it is the prototype of Mark A, therefore remain 7 left. Variant B? there is no mention of Fletcher. There were also 5 Mark II. If the variant B? tested in the tank or were there only on paper?
The tank you have designated B? is the one proposed by the Compayne Company with a hydraulic transmission designed by Professor Hele-Shaw of Manchester University. No tank was ever released for this design and it is thought to have existed only on paper, despite Stern listing it as if it appeared at the Oldbury trials.
Your tank 5 (the Crochat-Collardeau transmission fitted by FAMH) did not appear at the trial either.
