Light Tank, AA, Mk 1

Bingo!

A picture in the IWM archives of this tank (the Mk I, oddly enough, of which only a few were built) in North Africa.

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/dbtw-w ... twpcgi.exe

 

Bango. :cry:

All I get is a message saying:

Any chance you can download the picture, then upload it via photobucket or something (With appropriate acknowledgements or permissions as relevant)?

 

Me too! :cry:

 

Here is the picture

 

That looks awesome!

 

Excellent.

Can we tell with which unit the tank was serving, from the IWM photo catalogue number?

 

I have sent off and asked for any details known.

All the site says is

Interestingly, I have also found a decal sheet on a modelling site for an AA Mk I -

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/23 ... 1710YJbldh

 

Ricky.

Sorry mate, link doesn't work. - link fixed Thanks!
Excellent work btw!


Oooooh! I've been Admin edited! And in red at that!

 

Lt Mark VI AA

David,

They started up the conversion of the Lt MkVI into an AA in September of 1939... I am sending you a few pics. to post.

Remember my discussion about the use of the Red/White/Blue Tri-Color as a 'friend or foe' identifier ordered for the Torch Operations... in replacement for the RTR Red/White/Red flash...

The T1742 and other 'symbology' is apparent and can denote the vehicle's unit.

I have about ten photos of the developement of this vehicle... is there any interest?

 

Yes, lots of interest!

Any information or pictures you have will begratefully received.

 

Nacht.

Is that a 1st Army Tank Brigade "Diablo" on the front & rear of T1742?

David.

P.S. "Yes", to interest re development photos!

 

Developement

Here is the link to the Bison Decal Sheet...

Yes to Diablo!

Also the Red/White/Red RTR flash and my cursed three bar horizontal R/W/B and the markings on the verticle that confuse many marking's experts for front and rear R/W/B & B/W/R (instead of the normal thinking of R/W/R)... this was supposedly an HQ AA Support vehicle sent in for Operation Torch and so duly marked and I can debunk the naysayers about the tri-color application theory that I have been researching for months now.

Developement/Development

This vehicle was originally concept planned on various adaptations with the Lt Tank chassis... there are photos with Boulton Paul Defiant weapons / turret system and drop down sides... for a really strange looking 'creature'. Two Lt Tank MkV chassis (of the prototype chassis type)were used for experimentation with fitting of AA mounts in 1940. One had the power operated Boulton & Paul Quadruple Browning aircraft turret fitted... initially with the Perspex canopy and all! Then later, folding armor side plate flaps were fitted. The other MkV acquired for testing had a twin 15mm Besa machine gun mount that was mounted or fixed as to replace the turret.

Two different versions of the Lt Mk VI AA's basic 'planform'... for production variants

Lt Tank VI AA Mark I

Power operated turret mounting four 7.92mm Besa MG's installed on a modified superstructure (the initial protoype was built on a Lt MkVIA) from the Lt MkVIB

Lt Tank VI AA Mark II

Similar to the Mark I but had improvements in the optical sights and a bit roomier and egressible turret. An external ammunition bin was also mounted on the hull rear.

The specific structure of use was that four of these Lt MkVI were attached to each Regimental HQ Squadron.

I'll have a page with a lot more posted by tomorrow on this type at this link... was working on the British Lt Tanks in NA & the Med for our AANA website... when David sent me an eMail query about the posted photo from the IWM. Can I post this over at our AFRIKAKORPS/AANAwebsite and a link back to this thread?
http://www.AFRIKAKORPS.Org/LtMKVIAA.htm

 

Nacht.

Is the Diablo an old marking from when the chassis mounted a normal turret, and the vehicle was in Tobruk?
I can't think why else a vehicle from late 1942 would be so marked.

 

Confusion arises...

Confusion arises as to the refitting/rebuilding of older chassis of these obsolete vehicles and producing an AA from the left over chassis... I have some more photos being posted on the link at AFRIKAKORPS.Org see Menu Index as T1742 is remarked or named and becomes "Hurricane"...

It does not appear that many more than 30-40 of this type I & II variants were ever produced or retrofitted from the production figure reports.

Everything the British Army had in inventory that could be sent by ship to Montgomery appears to have been mustered for the Summer to Fall of 1942 campaigning... it seems that 12-15 AA's were on hand and this might well be where the IWM photo arises... the NZ's having a quartet of these might also be possible as an attachment in the NZ's HQ 'Protective Force'... another thought is that the IWM photo might be in the Egyptian Training Grounds later in the war and after the end of the campaign.

I must leave this expertise to those like yourself to clear the haze of historical ambiguity!

 

Car, Armoured, AA, Humber Mk I

Additionally the Car, Armoured, AA, Humber Mk I appears to have used a similar turret to the evolution in development of the Tank, Light (MkVI) AA MkII.

This free-traverse turret was designed by Stothert & Pitt Ltd and is nearly identical... and may have been a production expedient measure and one of the reasons for the change in design in to MkII version.

I have the page now posted with more photos...
Lt MkVI AA

 

Excellent page - thank you very much for the link Nacht. And for the honourable mention

Chamberlain & Ellis have a short section (and pictures) on this tank and its predecessors, but say nothing more than you already have. I guess you probably used them

A picture of the Humber armoured Car with the AA turret is available at this website if you want it (nothing to do with me, I just found it)
http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paters ... edcars.htm

 

lol, Nacht is it you from the afrikakorps forum ?

 

AANA

Howdy Che... YES...Nacht is Nacht!

Old Moderator! Retired to NEW website with AANA Members... DavidW is founding 7 member of AANA and asked me to drop over and post some photos that he knew I had... will check over here and try to post some additions. Anytime that can be of help just post a query...

Could not figure out why my signature does not work?

As for the info. here it is from Tech. Manual on Lt. Mk.VI and also the two old Profiles on the Light tanks and AA types... and it appears Chamberlain and Ellis book on American and British Tanks has simliar info.

 

Nacht.

I think that all signatures are null on this forum due to people posting highly inappropriate material. I'm sure a mod could confirm/deny this.

David.

This is the case - And you got Admin edited again!

 

ricky ,your building a flak tank ? does your wife know about this ? where will you park it ,isnt illegal for britons to own more than 2 working machine guns ? what about petrol , even a light tank must use an awful lot of fuel....still ,

i guess such a thing would be handy for persuading hesitant boggy farmers and mackeral snappers when its eviction time , first a three day notice , then a three minute notice .then , the rattle of his lordships besas .

four besas might be a bit too light for messershmits but prolly just right for macnameras and malloys .