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Britain's Light Tank Mk III
Light Tank Mk III: Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum |
Light Tank Mk II in
September 1935 Mohmand Operations:  Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum |
Light Tank Mk III at Mersa Matruh, Egypt  Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum |
Light Tank Mk III: |
Design
The turret narrower and shorter. Over the engine was a grille.
Production
Production started in 1934.
Usage
Most vehicles used for training until 1942. Mk IIIs used by a South African battalion in the Abyssinian campaign (1941).
The 6th Battalion of the RTC received 36 while in Egypt.5
| Light Tank Mk III | |
|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, driver.2 22,3,4,5 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 10,080 lb2 4.5 tons3,4,5 |
| Length w/gun | 11' 10"5, 12'2,4 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 6' 11"2,4, 7'5 |
| Width | 6' 1"5, 6' 3.5"2,4 |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | |
| Ground contact length | |
| Ground pressure | |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament (mm) | |
| Main | .303 or .50 MG3 Vickers .50 MG2 Vickers .303 MG4,5 OR .5 MG4 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 4,0005 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 42, 122,3 4 - 105, 4 - 124 |
| Hull Front, Upper | |
| Hull Front, Lower | |
| Hull Sides, Upper | |
| Hull Sides, Lower | |
| Hull Rear | |
| Hull Top | |
| Hull Bottom | |
| Turret Front | |
| Turret Sides | |
| Turret Rear | |
| Turret Top | |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Rolls-Royce2,4,5 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | |
| Cylinders | 65 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | 665 |
| Power to weight ratio | 14.6 hp/ton5 |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | |
| Steering | |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | |
| Electrical system | |
| Ignition | |
| Fuel (Type) | |
| Octane | |
| Capacity | |
| Road consumption | |
| Cross country consumption | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360°2 |
| Max speed | 30 mph2,3,4,5 |
| Cross country speed | 20 mph2 |
| Road radius | 130 miles2, 150 miles5 |
| Cross country radius | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | -11° to +37°2 |
| Fording depth | 2' 3"2 |
| Trench crossing | |
| Vertical obstacle | |
| Climbing ability | |
| Suspension (Type) | Horstmann coil spring.2 Horstmann with opposed inclined springs.5 |
| Wheels each side | |
| Return rollers each side | |
| Tracks (Type) | |
| Length | |
| Width | 9.5"2 |
| Diameter | |
| Number of links | |
| Pitch | |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | 5' 2.5"2 |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
- British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933-1945, Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis, 1969
- World War Two Tanks, George Forty, 1995
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- AFV 5: Light Tanks Marks I-VI, Major-General N. W. Duncan
