Vickers A1E1 Independent

Vickers A1E1 "Independent" Type Tank Place of origin  United Kingdom Production history Manufacturer Vickers Number built 1 Specifications Weight 33 tons Length 24 ft 11 in (7.6 m) Width 8 ft 9 in (2.7 m) Height 8 ft 11 in (2.7 m) Crew 8 Armour 13-28 mm Primary armament QF 3 pounder gun (47 mm) Secondary armament 4 × 0.303 Vickers machine gun Engine Armstrong Siddeley V12 370 hp (280 kW) Suspension coil spring bogies Speed 20 mph (30 km/h)

The Independent A1E1 was a multi-turreted tank designed by the British armaments manufacturer Vickers during the interwar period. Although it only ever reached the prototype stage it influenced many other tank designs.

The A1E1 design can be seen as a possible influence on the Soviet tank designs T-100, T-28, the German tank designs PzKpfw NbFz V, PzKpfw NbFz VI Neubaufahrzeug, and the British tank designs Medium Mk III and Cruiser Mk I (triple turret), while the Soviet T-35 tank was based extremely closely on its plans and layout.

Design

The Independent was a multi-turret design, having a central gun turret armed with the 3 pounder (47 mm) gun, and four subsidiary turrets each armed with a 0.303 inch Vickers machine gun. The subsidiary turrets were mounted two at the front and two at the rear, the turrets at the corners being able to elevate to engage aircraft. The tank was designed to have heavy firepower, self-defence capability, and superiority to enemy weapons. It had a crew of eight men, the commander communicating with the crew through an intercom system. The Independent was never used in combat, but many other armies copied it.

History

A1E1 at Bovington

In 1924 the General Staff of the British Army ordered the prototype of a heavy tank, which became known as the Independent. Largely designed by Walter Gordon Wilson, its 35.8 litre V12 air cooled engine was designed by Armstrong Siddeley, and it also incorporated a new hydraulic braking system which had to be specially developed due to its weight and speed. The prototype was delivered to the War Office in 1926, but was abandoned due to a lack of funds.

The tank was the subject of industrial and political espionage, the plans ending up in the Soviet Union, where they may have influenced the design of the T-35 tank.

The Independent is preserved at the Bovington Tank Museum in the UK.

Notes

References

• Tucker, Spencer (2004). Tanks: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. ABC-CLIO. pp. 49–51. ISBN 1576079953. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vickers A1E1 Independent

• A1E1 Vickers Independent
• http://shyuechou.blogspot.com/2006/08/vickers-independent-tank-landship-with.html
• Great Britain's Heavy Tanks