View source for Vickers 6-ton

{{Short description|British light tank of the 1930s and WW2}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
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{{Infobox weapon
 | is_vehicle        = yes
 | is_UK             = yes
 | name              = Vickers 6-ton tank
 | image             = File:Vickers6ton front.JPG
 | image_size        = 300
 | caption           = A Finnish Vickers 6-ton rearmed with the Russian 20K gun at the [[Military Museum's Manege|Manege Military Museum]], Helsinki, Finland (2006)
 | type              = [[Light tank]]
 | origin            = [[United Kingdom]]
 | service           = {{unbulleted list|item_style=margin-top:initial;margin-bottom:initial
|1932–1939 (Poland)
|1938–1959 (Finland)}}
 | used_by            = {{unbulleted list|item_style=margin-top:initial;margin-bottom:initial
|[[Second Polish Republic|Poland]]
|[[Finland]]
|[[Thailand]]
|[[Republic of China (1912-1949)|Republic of China]]
|[[Soviet Union]]
|[[#Operators|And others]]}}
 | wars              = {{unbulleted list|item_style=margin-top:initial;margin-bottom:initial
|[[Chaco War]]
|[[Spanish Civil War]]
|[[Second Sino-Japanese War]]
|[[World War II]]
|[[Winter War]]
|[[Franco-Thai War]]}}
 | designer          = {{unbulleted list|item_style=margin-top:initial;margin-bottom:initial
|[[John Valentine Carden]]
|[[Vivian Loyd]]}}
 | design_date       = 1928
 | manufacturer      = Vickers
 | length            = {{convert|4.88|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
 | width             = {{convert|2.41|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
 | height            = {{convert|2.16|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
 | weight            = {{convert|7.3|t}}
 | suspension        = [[Bogie#Tracked vehicles|leaf spring bogie]]
 | speed             = {{convert|22|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}
 | vehicle_range     = {{convert|160|km|mi|abbr=on}}
 | primary_armament  = ''Type A'' 2 machine guns<br />''Type B'' 3-pdr (47 mm) gun (with 50 rounds)
 | secondary_armament = ''Type B'' 1 [[Vickers machine gun]]
 | armour            = {{convert|19|to|25|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}
 | engine            = [[Armstrong Siddeley]] [[gasoline|petrol]]
 | crew              = 3
 | engine_power      = {{convert|80|–|98|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
 | pw_ratio          = {{convert|11|–|13|hp/t|abbr=on}}
}}

The '''Vickers 6-ton tank''' or '''Vickers Mark E''', also known as the "Six-tonner", was a British [[light tank]] designed in 1928 in a private project at [[Vickers]]. Though not adopted by the [[British Army]], it was picked up by several other armed forces, and licensed by the [[Soviet Union]] as the [[T-26]]. It was also the direct predecessor of the Polish [[7TP]] tank.

==History==
The first Mark E was built in 1928 by a design team that included the famed tank designers [[John Valentine Carden]] and [[Vivian Loyd]]. The hull was made of riveted steel plates, {{convert|1|in|mm|1}} thick at the front and over most of the turrets, and about {{convert|3/4|in|mm}} thick on the rear of the hull. The power was provided by an [[Armstrong Siddeley]] engine of {{convert|80|–|95|hp|kW|lk=in}} (depending on the version), which gave it a top speed of {{convert|22|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} on roads.

Its suspension used two axles, each of which carried a two-wheel [[Bogie#Tracked vehicles|bogie]] to which a second set of bogies was connected with a [[leaf spring]]. It was patented by Carden in 1929<ref>{{patent|GB|324841}}</ref> and apparently derived from a similar but simpler suspension on [[Light Tank Mk I]] which he patented a year earlier.<ref>{{US patent|2019654A}}</ref> Upward movement of either set of bogies would force the other down through the spring. This was considered to be a fairly good system for the time and offered better than normal cross-country performance{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} although it could not compare with the contemporary [[Christie suspension]]. High strength steel tracks gave over {{convert|3000|mi|km}} of life which was considerably better than most designs of the era.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

The tank was built in two versions:
* ''Type A'' with two turrets, each mounting a [[Vickers machine gun]].
* ''Type B'' with a single two-man turret mounting a single machine gun and a short-barreled 47&nbsp;mm [[OQF 3-pounder gun|OQF 3-pdr gun]].
The Type B proved to be a real innovation: it was found that the two-man turret dramatically increased the rate of fire of either weapon, while still allowing both to be fired at the same time. This design, which they referred to as a ''duplex mounting'', became common on almost all tanks designed after the Mark E.

The [[British Army]] evaluated the Mark E, but rejected it, because it did not envision a tactical niche for such a vehicle, preferring a combination of medium tanks and tankettes.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tankarchives.ca/2016/11/vickers-e-bestselling-export.html | title=Vickers E: Bestselling Export }}</ref> Vickers then started advertising the design to all buyers, and soon received a trickle of orders eventually including the [[USSR]], Greece, Poland, Bolivia, [[Siam]], Finland, Portugal, China and Bulgaria. Thailand purchased 36 [[Vickers Medium Dragon]] Mark IVs, and [[QF 2-pounder naval gun]]s were added to turn them into self-propelled guns used in the 1940-41 [[Franco-Thai War]].{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} Vickers built a total of 153 (the most common figure) Mark Es.

Experience with the Polish machines showed that the engine tended to overheat due to poor airflow over the air-cooled engine. This was addressed by the addition of large air vents on either side of the hull. For a new Belgian order the design was modified to use the [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] Phantom II water-cooled engine instead. This engine would not fit in the rear, and had to be mounted along the left side of the tank, requiring the turret to be moved to the right and rearward. One example of the resulting ''Mark F'' was tested by Belgium, but rejected. Nevertheless, the new hull was used, with the older engine, in the sales to Finland and Siam.

The Mark E was also developed as a cargo vehicle, and purchased by the British Army in small numbers as [[artillery tractor]]s to haul their large [[BL 60-pounder gun|BL 60-pounder]] ({{convert|127|mm|0|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}) [[field gun]]s. Twelve were ordered by the Army as the ''[[Vickers Medium Dragon|Dragon, Medium Mark IV]]'', while China purchased 23 and India 18.
[[File:Vickers E.jpg|thumb|left|Polish Vickers E Type A (early version, twin turret)]]
Poland purchased 38 Type A tanks, spare parts and license for the local production.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ledwoch |first=Janusz |title=Vickers 6-ton Mark E |publisher=Wydawnictwo Militaria |year=2009 |isbn=9788372193223 |location=Warszawa |page=11 |language=pl}}</ref> The Poles modified their vehicles with larger air intakes, their own [[machine gun]]s, [[Vickers Tank Periscope MK.IV|360-degree Gundlach periscope]]s,<ref>7TP vol.II, Janusz Magnuski, Militaria 317, Warszawa 2009.</ref> and five or more with added two-way radios, before deciding to make their own tank that would address the shortcomings of the original Vickers design. This resulted in the [[7TP]], which was nearly 10 tons in weight. [[File:Vickers E PIC 1-W-1657-4.jpg|thumb|Polish Vickers E Type A (late version, single turret)]]
The Poles also, besides the aforementioned telescope, added a liquid-cooled [[diesel engine]] as well as better armour protection, better ventilation, two-way radios, a {{convert|37|mm|2|abbr=on}} Polish version of the [[Bofors]] anti-tank gun, and a bigger crew compartment. Out of 38 original two-turreted tanks, 22 were later converted to single turret version with a modified turret and the {{convert|47|mm|in|2|abbr=on}} main gun (Type B standard). The tanks were in bad shape by 1939 because they were used in the training units over a period of five years. However, they did perform well and better than the [[Renault R35]], amongst others, as part of the Polish [[10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade (Poland)|10. Cavalry Brigade]] during the [[Invasion of Poland|Polish Campaign]] in 1939.

The Soviets were also happy with the design and licensed it for production. However, in their case local production started as the [[T-26]], and eventually over 12,000 were built in various versions.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} The Soviet early twin-turret T-26s had 7.62&nbsp;mm (0.3&nbsp;in) [[DP-28|DT machine gun]]s in each turret, or a mix of one machine gun turret and one 37&nbsp;mm gun turret. Later, more common versions mounted a {{convert|45|mm|in|2|abbr=on}} gun and two DT machine guns. The final versions of the T-26 had welded construction and, eventually, sloped armour on the hull and turret. Because the T-26 was in such wide use and was a reliable platform, a variety of engineer vehicles were built on the chassis, including flamethrowers and bridgelayers. A novel radio-controlled demolition tank was built on the T-26 chassis also.

During the Spanish Civil War the Soviet Union sent the T-26 to the Republican Army. The Italians, after suffering losses from Republican T-26s during the [[battle of Guadalajara]] (1937), captured some of these tanks which served as models for their [[M11/39]] and [[M13/40]] medium tanks.
[[File:Vickers 6-Ton, Parola, Finland.jpg|thumb|left|Vickers 6-ton tank in [[Parola Tank Museum]], Finland. Armed with a Swedish 37 mm Bofors anti-tank gun.]]
In 1939, during the Soviet-Finnish [[Winter War]], the Finnish armoured forces consisted of around thirty-two obsolete [[Renault FT]] tanks, some [[Carden Loyd tankette|Vickers-Carden-Lloyd Mk. IVs and Model 33s]], which were equipped with machine guns, and 26 Vickers Armstrongs 6-ton tanks. The latter had been re-equipped with [[Bofors 37 mm|37 mm Bofors AT-guns]] after the outbreak of the war. Only 13 of these tanks managed to get to the front in time to participate in the battles.<ref>Kantakoski, p. 257</ref>
[[File:47mm gun vickers tank.jpg|thumb|The original 47 mm gun for the Finnish evaluation model]]
At the [[Battle of Honkaniemi]] on 26 February 1940, the Finns employed their Vickers tanks for the first – and only – time against Soviet armour during the Winter War. The results were disastrous. Of the thirteen available Finnish Vickers 6-ton tanks only six were in fighting condition and able to participate in the first assault on the Soviet lines – to make matters worse, one of the tanks was forced to stop, unable to cross a wide trench. The remaining five continued onwards a few hundred metres but ran into dozens of Soviet tanks in the village of Honkaniemi. The Finnish tanks managed to knock out three Soviet tanks but were soon themselves knocked-out.<ref>Kantakoski, p. 267</ref> In the skirmishes that followed, the Finns lost two more Vickers tanks.<ref>Muikku, p. 18</ref>

In 1941, the Finns rearmed their Vickers 6-ton tanks with Soviet 45&nbsp;mm guns and re-designated them as ''T-26Es''. These tanks were used by the Finnish Army during the [[Continuation War]]. Nineteen rebuilt Vickers tanks, along with 75 T-26s continued in Finnish service after the end of the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref>Muikku, ''Suomalaiset Panssarivaunut 1918–1997'', p. 191</ref> Some of these tanks were kept as training tanks until 1959, when they were finally phased out and replaced by newer British and Soviet tanks.<ref>Muikku, p. 191</ref>

==Operators==
*{{BOL}} – used one twin-turret tank Type A and two single-turret tanks Type B. The Bolivian Vickers tanks were the first to see combat service, also the first tanks to see combat in the Americas—in 1933 they were used in the [[Chaco War]] against Paraguay. All of them were destroyed or captured by Paraguayan forces. See [[Tank warfare in the Chaco War]].
*{{flag|Kingdom of Bulgaria}} – bought eight single-turret Mk.E Type B tanks, used by the 3rd Armoured Company.<ref name="B&B40">{{cite magazine|language=fr|title=Le Blindorama : La genèse de la force blindée bulgare 1935 - 1943|magazine=Batailles & Blindés|issue=40|date=December 2010|publisher=Caraktère|issn=1765-0828|first=Mathieu|last=Boisdron|pages=4–7}}</ref>
[[File:Vickers Mark E Type B in Chinese service.jpg|thumb|right|Vickers Mark E Type B in Chinese service]]
*{{flagicon|Republic of China (1912–1949)}} [[Republic of China (1912-1949)|Republic of China]] – used 20 single-turret tanks Vickers Mk.E Type B. They were used in combat against the Japanese in [[Battle of Shanghai|Shanghai]] in 1937.<ref>{{cite web |first=Akira |last=Takizawa |url=https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/china_armour.html |title=Chinese Nationalist Armour in World War II |date=1999–2000 |work=Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 |access-date=30 March 2021 |archive-date=21 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110321233313/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/china_armour.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*{{FIN}} – used 33 tanks since 1938 (including an evaluation tank). They were bought unarmed, without optics and radios. Some were armed with short-barreled 37&nbsp;mm Puteaux guns and later equipped with [[Bofors 37 mm|37 mm Bofors anti-tank gun]]s as their main gun with a coaxial turret MG and a "tank SMG" in bow plate. They were used in the Winter War with the USSR. After this war, the Finns rearmed Mark E tanks with captured Soviet long 45&nbsp;mm guns and DT MGs as used in the [[T-26]]. The Finns designated the rebuilt Vickers tanks logically as: ''T-26Es''. They were used in combat from 1941 to 1944 and remained in service as training tanks until 1959.
*[[File:Greek vickers 6 ton B profile.webp|thumb|Side Profile of Greek Vickers Mk E Type B]]{{flag|Kingdom of Greece}} – one Type A and one Type B for tests, acquired in 1931. Along with two [[Carden-Loyd Tankettes|Carden-Loyd tankettes]] formed the first armoured [[battalion]] of the [[Hellenic Army]], used for training and later in 1937 added to [[Mechanized Cavalry Regiment|Greek Mechanized Cavalry Regiment]], used against the Italian invasion in 1940. Ιn 15 January 1941 was transferred to [[19th Mechanized Division (Greece)|19th Mechanized Division]] during the German invasion. Greece has ordered a large quantity of Vickers Mark E Type A and B from Britain after the successful test, but they were never delivered due to the priority given by Britain and France to their own rearmament and the outbreak of World War II.
*{{flag|Kingdom of Italy}} – the Italians, after suffering losses from Republican T-26s during the [[Battle of Guadalajara]], captured some of these tanks which served as models for their [[M11/39]] and [[M13/40]] light and medium tanks.
*{{flag|Empire of Japan}} – The [[Imperial Japanese Army]] imported one Type A tank to research in 1930. The Imperial Japanese Army evaluated the design and developed the [[Type 95 Ha-Go]].
*{{PAR}} – One double-turret Vickers Mk.E Type A tank captured from Bolivia, later used as monument, returned to Bolivia in 1994.
[[File:Machocki marian.jpg|thumb|Polish Vickers E Type B in 1938]]
*{{flag|Second Polish Republic}} – used 38 tanks since 1932: 22 Type B and 16 Type A tanks. Polish tanks had large air intakes behind the crew compartments as a significant feature. Poland also bought a license and developed an own improved model [[7TP]]. Vickers Mk.E (Vickers E) tanks fought in the [[invasion of Poland|Polish Campaign]].
*{{flagcountry|Estado Novo (Portugal)}} – two tanks for tests
*{{flag|Soviet Union|1924}} – the first buyer of Vickers Mk.E tanks. In 1931 bought 15 twin-turret tanks Mk.E Type A, and a license. The Soviets next started building and developing own improved tanks [[T-26]] (about 12 000 made).
*{{flag|Spanish Republic}} – one ex-Bolivian single-turret Vickers Mk.E Type B tank bought from Paraguay, and a number of Soviet-made [[T-26]]s.
*{{THA}} (formerly Siam) – used 30 Vickers Mk.E Type Bs, which saw combat during the [[French-Thai War]] in [[French Indochina]].
[[File:Vickers 6-Ton at parade, Ankara.jpg|thumb|Vickers 6-ton tank Type A in Ankara, Turkey]]
*{{TUR}} – used 16 Type A tanks since 1940.<ref name="B&B41">{{cite magazine|language=fr|title=Le Blindorama : La Turquie, 1935 - 1945|magazine=Batailles & Blindés|issue=41|date=February 2011|publisher=Caraktère|issn=1765-0828|first=Yann|last=Mahé|pages=4–7}}</ref>
*{{GBR}} – used four tanks for training
*{{flag|Kingdom of Romania}} – at least 19 captured from the Red Army<ref>Axworthy, p. 221</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of tanks]]

===Comparable vehicles===
{{hatnote|Note that vehicles armed with machine guns are only comparable to the "A" variant.}}
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* Germany: [[Panzer I]] • [[Panzer 35(t)]]
* Italy: [[L3/33]] • [[L3/35]]
* Japan: [[Type 94 tankette|Type 94]]
* Poland: [[TKS|TK-3]] • [[TKS]] • [[7TP]]
* Romania: [[R-1 tank|R-1]] • [[Panzer 35(t)#Variants|R-2]]
* Soviet Union: [[T-26]] • [[T-27]] • [[T-37A tank|T-37A]] • [[T-38 tank|T-38]]
* Sweden: [[Strv m/37]]
{{Div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book |last= Kantakoski |first= Pekka |title= Punaiset panssarit – Puna-armeijan panssarijoukot 1918–1945 (Red tanks – the Red Army's armoured forces 1918–1945)|year= 1998 |publisher= Ilves-Paino Oy |location= Hämeenlinna |language= fi |pages= 512 |isbn = 951-98057-0-2}}
* {{cite web |first= Klemen |last= L |date= 2000 |title= Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 |url= https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/index.html }}
* {{cite book |last= Muikku |first= Esa |author2=Jukka Purhonen  |title= Suomalaiset Panssarivaunut 1918–1997 (The Finnish Armoured Vehicles 1918–1997) |year= 1998 |publisher= Apali |location= Jyväskylä |language= fi, en |pages= 208 |isbn = 952-5026-09-4}}
*{{citation|url=https://tankmuseum.org//museum-online/vehicles/object-e1952-28|title=Tank Medium, Vickers Armstrongs Mark E, Type B (E1952.28)|publisher=Tank Museum|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106204605/https://tankmuseum.org//museum-online/vehicles/object-e1952-28|archive-date=6 January 2019}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Vickers 6-Ton}}
* {{cite web|last=Derela|first=Michał|url=http://derela.republika.pl/vae.htm|title=The Vickers 6-Ton Tank (Mark E)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180525221525/http://derela.republika.pl/vae.htm|archive-date=2018-05-25}}
* [http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/vehicles/tanks/mainbattletanks.htm Canadian Army Early History section]
{{Interwar tanks|style=wide}}

{{WWIIBritishAFVs}}
{{Subject bar
| portal2=United Kingdom
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[[Category:Light tanks of the interwar period]]
[[Category:World War II light tanks]]
[[Category:Interwar tanks of the United Kingdom]]
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[[Category:Vickers|6-ton]]
[[Category:Multi-turreted tanks]]
[[Category:Military vehicles introduced in the 1920s]]
[[Category:History of the tank]]