Light Tanks Mk V
Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum
Light Tank Mk V:
In North Africa:
Entered into service in 1935.6
First light British tank with a 3 man crew.1,6 It was longer as a rear idler was added. Had a larger turret with sloping sides. Two MGs were in the turret. A smoke discharger was mounted on the right side of the turret. This could be fired by a bowden cable. The size of the driver's hatch was reduced. To allow for larger fuel tanks the rear was lengthened, which added to the weight in the back and improved handling.1 Return roller was added.1
Some were with front line units at beginning of war. Most were used for training.
Ten were purchased in 1936.4
| Light Tank Mk V | |
|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, gunner, driver.2 31,2,3,4,5,6 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 10,740 lb2 4.15 tons1,4,6, 4.75 tons3, 4.8 tons5 4,165 kg1, 4,217 kg6 |
| Length w/gun | 12' 1"1,4,6, 12' 10"2, 13'5 3.68 m1,6 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 7' 3"1,2,4,6, 7' 4"5 2.21 m1,6 |
| Width | 6' 9"1,2,4,6, 6' 10"5 2.06 m1,6 |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | |
| Ground contact length | |
| Ground pressure | |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament (mm) | |
| Main | Vickers .50 cal (12.7 mm) MG1,2,6 .303 and .50 MG3 .303 MG4,5 AND .5 Vickers MG4,5 |
| Secondary | Vickers .303 cal (7.7 mm) MG1,2,6 |
| MG | |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | .303: 2,5005 .5: 4005 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 4 - 121,5 42, 122,3,4,6 |
| 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) | Meadows1,2,5,6 Meadows ESTL4 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | |
| Cylinders | 65,6 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | 886, 88@2,800 rpm5 |
| Power to weight ratio | 18.3 hp/ton5 |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | |
| Steering | |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | |
| Eletrical system | |
| Ignition | |
| Fuel (Type) | Gasoline6 |
| Octane | |
| Capacity | |
| Road consumption | |
| Cross country consumption | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360°2 |
| Max speed | 32 mph1,3,4,5,6, 32.5 mph2 51 kph1,6 |
| Cross country speed | 25 mph2 |
| Road radius | 125 miles1,5,6, 130 miles2 200 km1,6 |
| Cross country radius | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | -10° to +37°2 |
| Fording depth | 2'2 |
| Trench crossing | |
| Vertical obstacle | |
| Climbing ability | |
| Suspension (Type) | Horstmann coil-spring.2 Horstmann inclined springs parallel in bogies.5 |
| Wheels each side | 4 |
| Return rollers each side | 11 |
| Tracks (Type) | |
| Length | |
| Width | 9.5"2 |
| Diameter | |
| Number of links | |
| Pitch | |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | 5' 8.5"2 |
| Production | 1935-: 22 |
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
- The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
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