Summary
The Vickers-Carden-Loyd light amphibious tank (designated the A4E11 and A4E12 by the War Office),[1] was a series of British experimental pre-World War II light tanks (resembling tankettes), which, although not taken into British service, were sold to a number of other countries which produced modified versions which were then taken into service.
| Vickers-Carden-Loyd light amphibious tank | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Amphibious tank |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| Used by | see text |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Carden-Loyd Tractors Ltd. |
| Manufacturer | Vickers-Armstrong |
| Produced | 1931–1932 |
| Specifications (A4E11, A4E12) | |
| Mass | 2.17 long tons (2.20 t) |
| Length | 13 ft 4 in (4.06 m) |
| Width | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) over tracks |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Armour | 11 mm (0.43 in) |
Main armament | 0.303 inch Vickers machine gun with 1,000 rounds |
| Engine | Meadows petrol 6-cylinder 90 bhp |
| Suspension | Horstmann |
Operational range | 100 mi (160 km) |
| Maximum speed | 27 mph (43 km/h) on road; 3.72 mph (5.99 km/h) in water |
Users edit
Foreign buyers included China (29 or 32 tanks),[2] Thailand, the Dutch East Indies (two delivered in 1937)[3] and the USSR, with the latter producing some 1200 of the T-37A tanks developed from the A4E11/12. One tank with a licence was sold to Japan.[4] Poland was interested in Vickers-Carden-Loyd amphibious tanks in the 1930s, but negotiations failed and instead the PZInż works started the PZInż 130 project, an indigenous design inspired by the British concept.
Surviving vehicles edit
Russia: The only surviving tank is in the Kubinka Tank Museum.
Notes edit
- ^ "British Light Tanks". Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ Ledwoch, Janusz (2009), "Vickers 6-ton Mark E/F vol. II", Militaria no. 325 (in Polish), Warsaw, pp. 28–29, 34, ISBN 9788372193254
- ^ Mahé, Yann (June 2011). "Le Blindorama : Les Pays-Bas, 1939 - 1945". Batailles & Blindés (in French). No. 43. Caraktère. pp. 4–7. ISSN 1765-0828.
- ^ Tomczyk, Andrzej M. (2002). Japońska broń pancerna - Japanese armor. Vol 1. AJ Press. p. 43. ISBN 83-7237-097-4.
External links edit
- Amphibious Light Tanks, A4 and L1
