Vickers 6-Ton

General Characteristics
Length:	4.88 m
Width:	2.41 m
Height:	2.16 m
Weight:	7.3 t
Speed:	35 km/h (road)
Range:	160 km
Primary armament:	47 mm gun (Type B only)
Secondary armament:	1 (type B) or 2 (Type A) machineguns
Maximum armour:	13 mm
Power plant:	-
Crew:	3

The Vickers 6-Ton Tank or Vickers Mark E (Mk.E) was the British light tank. It was one of the most significant tanks in the history of armoured weapons.

Table of contents

1 Production History

1.1 Licence variants

2 Combat History

Production History

The Mark E was constructed in 1928 in Vickers-Armstrong Ltd, as a private venture. It was designed in two variants, the Type B was the first tank armed with a gun and a co-axial machinegun in a turret.

Variants

Mk. E Type A (Alternative A) - twin turret version with two machineguns
Mk. E Type B (Alternative B) - single turret version with short 47 mm gun
Mk. E Type B with Mk. F hull - late single turret version with different hull
T-26E - Finnish modified Vickers Mk. E Type B with 45 mm gun taken from T-26 tanks

Note, that the designations: "Mark A", "Mark B", "Mark F" for this tank are incorrect.

Licence variants

T-26 - Soviet improved variant
7TP - Polish improved variant

Combat History

The Vickers 6-Ton was rejected by the British Army, but it was widely exported in the following years. Despite the number of produced Vickers Mk. E tanks was not big (probably about 153), but before the World War II it was the most widespread tank in the world, after Renault FT-17.

They were used in the following countries - in order of tanks' quantity:

Poland - used 38 tanks since 1932: 22 Type B and 16 Type A tanks. Polish tanks had large air intakes behind the crew compartment as a significant feature. Poland also bought a licence and developed an own improved model 7TP. Vickers Mk.E (Vickers E) tanks fought in the Polish September Campaign.
Finland - used 33 tanks since 1938. They were armed initially with 37 mm Bofors antitank gun. They were used in the Winter War with the USSR. After this war, the Finns rearmed Mark E tanks with Soviet long 45 mm guns, used in T-26. The Finns designated rebuilt Vickers tanks as: T-26E. They were used in combat in 1941-44.
China - used 20 single-turret tanks Vickers Mk.E Type B. They were used in combat against the Japanese in Shanghai in 1937.
Siam (Thailand) - used 18 single-turret tanks Vickers Mk.E Type B. They were used in a war with France in Indochina (December 1940 - January 1941).
Soviet Union - the first buyer of Vickers Mk.E tanks. In 1931 bought 15 twin-turret tanks Mk.E Type A, and a licence. The Soviets next started building and developing own improved tanks T-26 (about 12 000 made).
Bulgaria - bought 8 single-turret Mk.E Type B tanks, used since 1944 against Germany.
Great Britain - used only 4 tanks for training.
Bolivia - used one twin-turret tank Type A and 2 single-turret tanks Type B. The Bolivian Vickers tanks were first used in combat, it was also the first combat usage of tanks in America - in 1933 they were used in the Gran Chaco war with Paraguay.
Greece - 2 tanks for tests
Portugal - 2 tanks for tests
Spain - one ex-Bolivian single-turret Vickers Mk.E Type B tank.

See also: List of tanks.

External link

http://derela.republika.pl/vae.htm - history and usage of Vickers Mk.E