Landships II

eugene · Field Marshal

neat tank photos

Roger Todd · Legend

Great little site, Eugene, thanks! The odd American prototype is a Best 75 tracklayer (very similar to the Holt 75 artillery tractor) with sheet metal covering. I've only ever seen one photo, this one...

http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/UnitedStates/mediumtanks/usmt-BestTracklayer-2.jpg

http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/UnitedStates/mediumtanks/MediumTanks.html

...so it's wonderful that you've unearthed another!

I think Centurion may have drawn it on the 'Tanks that never were' thread.

Centurion · Legend

Roger Todd wrote:

Great little site, Eugene, thanks! The odd American prototype is a Best 75 tracklayer (very similar to the Holt 75 artillery tractor) with sheet metal covering. I've only ever seen one photo, this one... http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/UnitedStates/mediumtanks/usmt-BestTracklayer-2.jpg http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/UnitedStates/mediumtanks/MediumTanks.html ...so it's wonderful that you've unearthed another! I think Centurion may have drawn it on the 'Tanks that never were' thread.

Actually its Tanks that might have been - but yes I have based on those two photos.

Mark Hansen · Legend

Nice find, Eugene. There are definitely two shots of Mk II 799 there, but labelled as a Mk IV. That makes it probably the only tank with nearly 360� coverage in photos.

-- Edited by Mark Hansen at 22:43, 2006-05-20

eugene · Field Marshal

Mark Hansen wrote:

Nice find, Eugene. There are definitely two shots of Mk II 799 there, but labelled as a Mk IV. That makes it probably the only tank with nearly 360� coverage in photos.-- Edited by Mark Hansen at 22:43, 2006-05-20

and maybe the only beute Mk.II!
there is some evidence the germans used it

eugene · Field Marshal

the find isnt mine though

David Maynard kindly provided a link!

Mark Hansen · Legend

eugene wrote:

the find isnt mine though David Maynard kindly provided a link!

Where is David? I haven't seen him around here for quite a while.

Vilkata · Brigadier

Awesome find!! That picture sheds whole new light on that bizarre vehicle!

You know, if you accept that it had attrocious cross country mobility, it would have made a fairly decent desert-warfare tank. That sloping armor would have provided the best possible cover in a long distance, flat terrain slug match. Like most war machines, if it was used in a situation ideally suited for it, it might have actually worked well.

Also, did you guys see this picture ???

Look at that tire! I have seen pictures of the all metal pedrail 'plate&spring' tires on bicycles, but I had never thought I'd see an armored car using that concept! How odd.

---Vil.

Tim R · Hero

Hello Vilkata

Nice photo, That tire is actually a K. T. type studded tire it is made with many rubber type studs.used in Russia

The only time I have seen the tires you are speaking of was on a German Lkw(Truck) and on the front of a Pkw (Staff Car).

all the best

Tim R

Centurion · Legend

Vilkata wrote:

Awesome find!! That picture sheds whole new light on that bizarre vehicle! You know, if you accept that it had attrocious cross country mobility, it would have made a fairly decent desert-warfare tank. That sloping armor would have provided the best possible cover in a long distance, flat terrain slug match. Like most war machines, if it was used in a situation ideally suited for it, it might have actually worked well.

If you are refering to the Best 75 its curved armour would have been its downfall. The ability to bend armour plate without cracking it had been achieved by Beardmores in late 1914 and I doubt that under wartime conditions the details of the process would have been released to a neutral country. The Best would threfore most probably have been covered in mild steel and thin mild steel at that. The Best would have come off worst in a flat terrain slug match.