[烛光生存狂]-波兰维克斯Mk.E轻型坦克简介

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History

In the late twenties, it became clear, that the Polish Army needed a modern tank, produced in the country. Since Polish engineers had no experience in tank designing, it was decided to buy the licence from abroad, which would be a good base for future own design works.

到了二十年代末,波兰陆军需要一种本国生产的新型坦克.由于波兰工程师没有任何坦克设计经验,所以决定先从国外购买生产许可证,以次为契机开展国产化设计工作.

The Polish Ministry of Defence was in contact with the British company Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd since 1926. Initially, Vickers Medium Tanks Mark C and Mark D were offered to the Polish side (the latter one was designed respecting Polish reservations as for Mk. C), buf they were rejected (the single tanks of this marks were finally bought by Japan and Ireland). In 1928, Vickers-Armstrongs designed a new Vickers 6 ton tank, also known as Mark E (Mk.E). It was to be one of the most significant tank developments. In the beginning of the thirties, it was one of most modern tanks in the world. The tank was designed in two variants: Mk. E Type A (Alternative A) with twin-turrets, armed with machine guns; and the single-turret Mk. E Type B (Alternative B), which was the world's first tank with a co-axial gun and machine gun in a turret.

1926年波兰国防部和英国的Vickers-Armstrongs公司进行了接触.

The first 6-ton tank was tested in Poland in September 1930. The general evaluation was quite good, though the tank revealed a few faults as well, like: an overheating engine, thin armour and cramped crew compartment. At that time, Poland wanted to buy Christie's wheel-and-track tank first of all, but when Christie failed to deliver his tank, it was decided to buy Vickers tank.

In September 1931, Poland bought 50 tanks Vickers Mk.E Type A with a licence. Only 38 complete tanks were delivered to Poland - the rest were sent in parts for local assembly (some publications say, that the price of the rest of tanks was counted as a licence fee, but accoding to the source [1], the licence was paid separately). None of the remaining 12 tanks were assembled in Poland, anyway. Poland did not start production of the Vickers Mk.E either, but Polish designers started work upon own improved design, basing on the Vickers Mk.E. The new Polish design was firstly named: VAU-33 ("Vickers-Armstrong-Ursus", or: "Vickers-Armstrong Ulepszony (improved)", 33 was the year), later renamed to 7TP. The major change was fitting more powerful and reliable Diesel engine. The parts of unassembled Vickers tanks were utilized in building the first series 7TP.

The ordered 38 tanks were delivered between summer of 1932 and early 1933. All were twin-turret variant (Type A), their serial numbers were: VAE 408 - 445. Polish tanks were quickly modified (probably in 1934) by adding large air intakes behind the crew compartment to improve engine cooling. It was a significant feature of Polish Vickers tanks only. This, and some other minor improvements were designed by Vickers on Polish demand, and completed in Poland (at the 3rd Armoured Battalion workshops and in PZInz works). The tanks were officially accepted by the Polish Army in August 1934, after the modifications were completed and after a 1200-km test raid of two tanks. Also that year, 22 tanks were rebuilt to single-turret Type B standard (see below). In 1933, two tanks were experimentally fitted with Straussler trench-crossing gear (see here). However, this device appeared inconvenient and unsuccesfull - it was damaged during testing on one tank.

In 1936, in order to improve the existing tanks, one tank was experimentally rebuilt with a PZInz.235 (Saurer BLDb) Diesel engine from the 7TP tank. It was called: V/7TP. The modification proved very good, but more tanks were not rebuilt due to the cost.

Polish Vickers Mk.E tanks differed from all others Vickers Mk.E having the large air intakes. In the late thirties, an additional stowage boxes were mounted on rear fenders. From the beginning, Polish twin-turret tanks also had significant box covers for the 13.2mm MG magazines, sticking out of the turrets' roofs. During the service, they were also fitted with ventilation cupolas in the hatches.

Armament and equipment

You can read a technical description of the Vickers Mk.E in part I. Differencies in construction of Polish tanks were mentioned in the text above, differencies in armament and equipment are described below.

Armament changes:

All the tanks were delivered in twin-turret version (Type A), without any armament. In Poland, they were initially armed with two air-cooled 7.92mm wz. 25 Hotchkiss tank machine guns (TMG). They were mounted in newly designed in 1933, Polish universal round mountings wz. 34 (all weapons mentioned below for twin-turret variant used those mountings as well). In a twin-turret tank, the commander sat in the right turret, which was fitted with a small sleeve for signal flags.

In late 1933, 16 tanks were re-armed with one air-cooled 13.2mm wz. 30 Hotchkiss TMG in the right turret, and a water-cooled 7.92mm wz.30 (Browning) TMG in the left turret. The 13.2mm TMG was meant for the armament of Polish Vickers tanks from the beginning, that's why all the turrets were fitted with magazine covers.

A few (6?) vehicles received a 37mm wz.18 (SA-18) Puteaux L/21 low-velocity gun in the right turret, while the 7.92mm wz. 25 TMG remained in the left one.

Final armament:

Since the 37mm wz.18 gun offered very limited anti-tank capability, and the twin-turret tank could not be fitted with any larger weapon, it was quickly decided to convert some tanks to single-turret ones. For this purpose, 22 turrets of the single-turret variant Mk. E Type B were bought in Great Britain. They were armed with a 47mm Vickers QF gun.The turrets were bought without coaxial machine guns.As early, as in 1934, 22 tanks were rebuilt into a single turret variant. As a coaxial machine gun, they received the Polish water-cooled 7.92mm wz. 30 TMG, mounted to the right of the gun, with 5940 rounds.

The remaining 16 twin-turret tanks also received two 7.92mm wz. 30 TMG's with 6600 rounds. These were probably completed by 1937. Their water radiators were lightly armoured. And such was the tanks' final armament in 1939.

Armour:

The armour of Polish Vickers Mk.E tanks was the same, as of other Vickers Mk.E tanks: riveted of rolled armour plates; thickness: hull front and sides - 13mm, rear - 8mm, turrets of both variants - 13mm all around, top and bottom - 5mm

Equipment:

Polish Vickers tanks were not equipped with radios initially. Only before the war, 4 tanks of the 12th company (company and platoons commanders) received Polish RKB/C radios. It demanded a modification of an electric installation. This radio demanded a tall folding transmitter aerial mast, but there is no information how it was fitted on Vickers tanks. Possibly 8 other single-turret tanks of the 12th company might have been equipped with receivers (?). There is no information, if any tanks from the 121st company had radios.

Combat use:

When the tanks came into service, they were employed by the 3rd armoured battalion in Warsaw. In late 1930s, probably in 1937, as new 7TP tanks were arriving, the Vickers tanks were moved to the 2nd armoured battalion in Zurawica, near Przemysl. A second unit equipped with Vickers tanks was the 11th armoured battalion in Armoured Weapons Training Centre (CWBrPanc) in Modlin. The five tanks in each battalion were so-called "mob" (mobilization) reserve, and not used in peacetime duties. The rest of the tanks were used intensively for training, so most of them were quite worn out in 1939.

Between 4 and 20 September 1938, twenty tanks were used in large manoeuvres in Wolyn province (now in U

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