Landships II

All the Rhomboids, right up to the Vickers 1921 were designed to be built in two versions - male and female, MG and Canon. The Medium C is known to have had a male version at least in the planning stages, we are all by now familiar with the plans for it.

However, after reading my Tanks Of The World (Chamberlain & Ellis) book, I noticed this statement in reference to the Medium Mk. B:

"An experimental Male version was also built, fitted with a 2pdr gun in a revolving turret."

Anyone have any drawings, pictures, or otherwise, of this vehicle? A 2 pdr is a fairly large gun, and a revolving turret to mount it in would be fairly large aswell. That prototype may have been the first "modern looking" British tank. However, we have never seen a picture of the Medium C with its long 6 pdr. I have never seen a pic of the prototype 2 pdr turretted Medium B. And, the "Tanks Of The World" book does indeed have many many inacuracies in it, so I am a bit skeptical.

In addition, as a side note, can we conclude that the Mk.B was the last British tank design to see battle for many many years? I know that various British tanks were still soldiering on in outher countries and may have even fought in WWII. However, what I mean is, the Medium B served in Russia during the civil war. The Medium C, D, and every vehicle henceforth up to the Carden Loyd and Vickers 6 ton tanks did not see combat, to the best of my knowledge.

And, is it sort of a myth that the Medium B broke down a lot? Some were captured by the Red Army and used. This implies that the vehicles functioned well enough to enter combat, be taken over by the enemy, and then enter combat on the enemys side. This seems to imply that the vehicle was pretty hardy, despite claims that it was very hard to service and be maintained due to the design of its engine compartment.

Thank's in advance!

---Vil.
P.S. Are there any plans for the proposed male version of the Medium Mk. D? It was to mount a short 6 pdr.

-- Edited by Vilkata at 04:32, 2006-10-27