Return to the Tank Museum

The sole surviving Mark 1 tank from 150 built. This is a male tank as it has sponsons each with a six pound gun. It has a Daimler 105hp petrol engine, weighs 28 tons, has a top speed of 3.7 mph and a crew of 8. The tank was first used during the Battle of the Somme on 15th September 1916. It is on display in a tableau of it about to cross a German trench.

This is a Mark IV male tank and this mark was the first to be mass produced with over 1200 built, it entered service in May 1917. Similar to the Mark I in weight and engine details, this tank was restored to working order in the 1970s but is no longer driven. Male tanks had sponsons each side with a 57mm six pound gun. Female tanks had sponsons designed to carry two Vickers water cooled heavy machine guns.

The Mark V tank was an improvement on earlier designs, it was fitted with a Ricardo 105hp petrol engine giving a top speed of 4.6 mph and weighs 29 tons. It entered service with the Tank Corps in 1918. This male tank saw action at the Battle of Amiens in August 1918.

This is a Mark VIII tank and is know as an International Tank as it was jointly designed by Britain and America. It is much longer than earlier designs, has a 300hp Ricardo or Liberty engine, weighs 37 tons and has a top speed of 5.7 mph. They never saw action coming after the War ended. 14 were built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow. Three survive, two in America and this example.

The large Mark IX tank is the first armoured personnel carrier and can carry 30 armed troops. It could also be fitted out as an ambulance or could carry ten tons of stores.

This is a Mark V** tank and is a stretched Mark V allowing it to cross wider German trenches but it came too late as the war had ended. It could also carry 15 armed personnel. This is a female tank and has six .303 machine guns.

This is a wooden mock up with a terrified horse.

This strange looking example is a Vickers A1E1 Independent multi turreted tank. The design only reached a prototype and just this one was built but it did influence future designs. It was powered by an Armstrong Siddeley V12 petrol 370hp engine.

This is a Peerless armoured truck, it operated with a crew of 4, had a top speed of 18 mph and weighed in at 5.75 tonnes. It saw service between 1919 and 1940.

This is a light tank Mark IIA. It was built in the early 1930's and used for scouting and reconnaissance. It had a two man crew with a Rolls Royce engine giving a top speed of 30 mph. The design saw service in Britain, the Middle east and India and was replaced in 1940.

This strange looking machine is a Matilda I AII two man British Infantry tank. Its exposed tracks made it vulnerable and the gun could not be used with the drivers hatch open. 140 were built but it was lacking in so many different aspects it was withdrawn from service after the Battle of France in 1940. Three survive, all at Bovington, two are runners and one is a severely damaged range wreck.

As WW2 went on, development work on the tank continued relentlessly. This is the Comet tank or Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34). It entered service in December 1944 during the Western Allied invasion of Germany. It carried a 17 pound high velocity gun which proved effective against late war German tanks like the Panther and Tiger. It weighed 33 tons, had a top speed of 32 mph from a Rolls Royce Meteor mark III V12 600hp petrol engine, with a crew of 5.

This is a Rolls Royce 1920 pattern Mark I armoured car. 119 were built and some 78 were still in service at the outbreak of WW2. This vehicle was built at Derby in 1920 and saw service in Ireland in 1922, Shanghai in 1927 and in 1940 was being used for anti invasion patrols in East Anglia.

The Bison is basically a pillbox on wheels, used by the RAF and the Home Guard to defend areas like airfields, where the lorry would not be expected to climb a gradient. Old lorries were fitted with a concrete pillbox on the back. This vehicle is a Thornycroft Tartar lorry and a type 2 pillbox both date from 1940. It is not an original Bison as it was put together long after the War, the cab is a replica.

This is a German design and was the German Army's first purpose-designed armoured command vehicle. The kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen is known also by its ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 265. It is commonly referred to as a command tank, but it does not have a turret or any offensive weapons, just one machine gun for defence. It is built on the chassis of the Panzer I light tank but it does not retain the capabilities or role of a tank. Instead, it is more of an armoured personnel carrier in that it carries the unit commander and his radio operator under armour about the battlefield. This example is the sole survivor of 184, it weighs in at 5.8 tonnes with a top speed of 25 mph.

This tank is a French design, Somua S35, a cavalry tank built between 1936 and 1940 totalling 440. It weighs 19.5 tonnes and its Somua 190hp engine gave it a top speed of 25mph. This S35 is one of 297 which were taken over by German forces after the Fall of France.

The second of the Museum's complete Matilda I tanks is also on display. This vehicle stayed in the UK in 1940 and was recovered decades later from Otterburn Ranges in Northumberland and fitted with a modern engine and gearbox to make it a runner.

This armoured car is a Guy and was used in a reconnaissance role, it had a crew of three and could travel at 40 mph. This is the first of 101 built and is the very first British all welded armoured car. Six were sent to France and saw active service, all the remainder were used in the UK for training. Just this one survives.

This is an Italian tank, the Carro Armato M14/41, it had a crew of four and weighs 14.5 tonnes. They were first built in August 1941 and deployed to the North Africa campaign. When Italian forces withdrew they left the tanks and many were used for a short time by British and Australian troops. This example was built in 1942 and sent to North Africa, it was abandoned and captured shortly afterwards with no damage. It came to the Museum in 1951.

The British Matilda II is not a development of the Matilda I, but a completely different and much more successful design. 2,987 were built and used by several countries between 1939 and 1955, it weighs 26.9 tonnes and has a crew of four. It first saw active service at the Battle of Arras in 1940. The British withdrew in in June 1942 but the Australians continued to use them in New Guinnea until the end of the War.

This is a Tank, Cruiser, Mark I, A9, produced between 1936 and 1941 with 125 of the 12.6 tonne tanks built. It had a crew of six. This particular example was built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast in February 1941 and never saw active service.

Displayed on two sections of what may be a type of Bailey Bridge is a Tank, Cruiser Mark IIA CS, A10. This is a heavier development of the previous Cruiser Mark I A9. It is two tonnes heavier and 9 mph slower. This version is a close support type with a 3.7 inch howitzer rather than a 2 pounder gun. This machine never saw active service and was sent new to the School of Tank Technology, coming to the museum in 1949.

The Light Tank M3A1 Stuart IV is an American design of 1941, it is the first American tank supplied to the British. They arrived in North Africa in July 1941 and out performed British tanks at the time. It had a crew of four and weighed 12.9 tonnes and had a top speed of 36 mph. Later though they were relegated to reconnaissance roles. Amazingly 10 are still in service today with the Paraguay military.

The British Valentine tank was the most produced of all with some 7,260 being built between 1940 and 1944. Designated Tank, Infantry, Mark III, Valentine II, it had a crew of three and weighed some 17.3 tonnes. Various engines gave a top speed of 15 mph. This tank was built in October 1940 as part of the first batch and remained in the UK for training.

This German half track is a Sd Kfz 251 and over 20 variants were produced from a build run of 15,252. This is a 251/8 AUSF C and is an unarmed ambulance variant which could carry two on stretchers or four seated.

The Italian Carro L3 was a small fast light tank which came in machine gun or flame thrower variants. This Carro L3/35 Lancia Fiamme is a flame thrower complete with a 520 litre fuel trailer. A crew of two operated it, it weighs 3.2 tonnes and has a top speed of 26 mph. This one was built in 1935 and took part in unsuccessful attacks on Tobruk in April-May 1941 and was captured soon afterwards.

The Daimler Dingo Mark III Scout Car is a four wheel drive armoured car. Over 6,600 were built with a 55hp Daimler engine giving a top speed of 55 mph both forward AND reverse! The tyres are solid rubber. The design saw service between 1940 and 1974.

The Tank, Infantry, Mark IV A22 was given the name Churchill. It entered service in mid 1942 despite limited testing and numerous problems ensued. August 1942 saw the Churchill enter active service in France. A programme of reworking turned the tank into a reliable and highly manoeuvrable machine. The 350hp engine could shift the 39 tonnes at up to 15.5 mph. 5,640 were built and they saw service between 1941 and 1952. This Churchill is a Mark II.

The M3A1 Scout Car was known as the White Scout Car to the British. The American design was built between 1939 and 1944 with some 21,000 turned out. It was fast, top speed of 55 mph, but poor off road manoeuvrability and protection made it unsuitable for reconnaissance roles. The British used it as an armoured truck to support artillery and signalling units.

This is (honestly) a Panzerkampfwagen III AUSF or model N, or what is left of it. The Panzer III was a medium tank being produced between 1939 and 1943 with 5,773 being built and 700 of them were model N variant. This unit was used in Tunisia by the Heavy Panzer Battalion 501 from January 1943 until May or June when it was captured and brought back to the UK for evaluation. Today it is partially cut away to allow viewing inside.

This unusual design is an Medium Tank M3 Grant I. It is an American build with a turret modified to a British requirement. The side sponson houses a 75 mm gun whilst the turret has a 37 mm gun. They weighed 27.2 tonnes and the 350/400 hp engine gave a top speed of 26 mph. 6,258 were built between August 1941 and December 1942. Compare this example to the one in the two links below. It was a range target and restored to running condition only and is displayed and operated in as found condition.....remarkable. https://www.jules-merlin27.com/Military-Vehicles/The-War-and-Peace-Revival-2007/i-vb3nBhq/A https://www.jules-merlin27.com/Military-Vehicles/The-War-and-Peace-Show-2008-part-2/i-RTR4bHw/A

This is a Crusader III or its full title Tank, Cruiser Mk VI, Crusader. The Crusader III has a 57mm six pounder gun as an interim until the Cruiser Mk VII Cavalier could enter service. This Crusader III is in running condition, it has a top speed of 26mph and operated with a crew of three.

This is a type 95 Ha-Go Japanese light tank which was designed to support infantry but was not designed to fight other tanks. 2,300 were built over an seven year period between 1936 and 1943. It weighed in at just over 7 tons, had a crew of three and a top speed of 28mph. This one was captured in Burma and shipped to the UK.

This is a Universal Carrier, a single design that replaced four different vehicles. It was hugely versatile and was used by infantry, artillery and reconnaissance units. It could carry heavy weapons like mortars or machine guns, it could tow anti-tank guns, carry long range radios to call in artillery fire, it could carry casualties and one was converted to a flame thrower. In excess of 100,000 were built.

The Valentine soon became obsolete as a tank and many of the hull found other uses. 239 were rebuilt as bridge-layers and this is a 1942 convert of a 1941 mkI Valentine. The Number 1 Scissors Bridge could span a 30 foot gap and support 30 tons and proved very useful. This example was used for training at the Experimental Bridging Establishment and never saw active service.

This is NOT a tank! It is a Churchill AVRE, Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers. The hull is a Churchill but the turret carries a 290mm Petard demolition mortar and was used to clear obstacles, defences and difficult terrain. This vehicle was built as a mkIII Churchill tank in 1942 and later converted to a AVRE. After many years as a range target on Otterburn Ranges it was recovered and restored to working order before being donated to the Museum.

This dual exhibit is a little different. The wooden frame is the remains of a Hamilcar cargo carrying glider, airframe TK718. These remains were recovered from a farm in Wiltshire in 1990 where it was used as a shed. The Hamilcar could carry up to 8 tonnes, the glider dimensions are nearly 68 feet long, 110 foot wingspan with a tail fin over 20 feet high. This is the front section of the fuselage. It could carry two Universal Carriers or a Tetrarch tank. 34 of these were used on D-Day flying from Tarrant Rushton airfield near Blandford. (Click https://www.jules-merlin27.com/Other/Derelict-Wartime-Airfields/i-pmpfwGN/A then click right) Inside the glider is a Tetrarch I Close Support A17 tank giving an accurate and appropriate load for the glider.

This German vehicle is a Sd Kfz 123 Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. L. The final version of the Panzer II was the Luchs (Lynx) and was designed as a reconnaissance vehicle and not a tank. It weighed 13 tonnes and had a top speed of 37mph. This Luchs served with the 1 Komapnie Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion 9, part of the 9th Panzer Division in Normandy before it was captured.

This monster is a German Sd Kfz 182 Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. B Tiger II. The Allies called it the King Tiger and was the most powerful tank of WW2. Its 88mm KwK 43 gun could destroy any Allied tank at ranges of over a mile and its front armour made in almost invulnerable. They were however unreliable and prone to breakdown and with their 489 total, they never made a great impact in the War. This example was built in July 1944 and within two months it had broken down and been captured.

Produced between 1944 and 45, 489 were built by Henschel and Son with Krupp building the turret. It weighed 68 tons and was powered by a petrol Maybach HL230 P30 V12 engine giving 690 hp. It had a maximum range of 120 miles from 190 gallons and a top speed of 25mph. A crew of 5 operated it.

The Sd.Kfz. 234, Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234, Special Purpose Vehicle 234 family was made up of four cars of different armament and appeared late on in the war. They had better armour and mobility than earlier armoured cars. The 234/3 variant was used in support more lightly armed scout vehicles. The short barrelled 7.5cm KwK 51 gun intended for use against soft targets. This vehicle was captured at the end of the war in full working order.

The RAM mk II is a cruiser tank designed and built by Canada, it is based on the American M3 Lee. Production ran from November 1941 to July 1943 with 2,032 built, but none saw service as a gun tank. The chassis was used for several other combat roles such as flame thrower, observation post and armoured personnel carrier. They were also used in training roles. This RAM was built in 1943 at the Montreal Locomotive Works and after the war was sent to the Netherlands Army who replaced the 6 pounder gun with a 75mm one. It later went to a firing range as a target, from where it was recovered. It came to the Museum in 1988.

This is a Humber Scout Car mk I. Humber was asked to design and produce an armoured car as Daimler were unable to produce enough Dingos. The Humber was a bigger and faster vehicle that did the same job, stealthy reconnaissance with excellent cross-country mobility and a top speed of 60mph. This vehicle landed in Normandy on 3rd July 1944, it covered 11,500 trouble free miles and was driven back to the UK after the war and donated to the Museum in 1949.

The T17E1 Armoured Car was an American design which saw service with British and Commonwealth Forces under the name Staghound. It was not used for front line recce. sorties but were used by their commanders. At nearly 14 tons it was a heavy beast which could get bogged down in soft ground. It had a top speed of 55mph and some 3,844 were built.

This is an M10 Achilles Ic self propelled 17 pounder, it is NOT a tank, it has no roof to the turret. It was built as an M10 and the original 3 inch gun was replaced with the 17 pounder and it was used as an anti-tank weapon. This vehicle was built as an M10 and the Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal in Michigan in 1943 and converted to an Achilles in the UK. In 1950/51 it was one of 36 supplied to the Belgian Armed Forces, they donated it to the Museum in 1983.

This is a Panzer IV or Sd Krz 161 Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf D medium tank. It was in service between 1939 and 1945 for Germany and 1954 to 1967 in Syria. In total some 8,509 were built, the most numerous German tank. It weighs 25 tonnes, is powered by a Maybach HL120 TRM petrol engine giving 296hp with a top speed of 26mph. A crew of 5 operates it. This vehicle is a model D and has been upgunned from the original short 75mm KwK24 gun to the bigger KwK40 gun and also has added on armour on the turret.

So much could be said about the American Sherman tank, far too much to whittle down for a comment here. This is a M4A4 Sherman with a welded hull, early types had a cast hull. In total some 49, 234 Sherman tanks were built of which 7,499 were M4A4 variants. They had a crew of 5, weighed 31.6 tonnes used a A57 Multibank engine giving a top speed of 20mph. They were well liked by British crews as they were reliable.

Morris Motors Limited built 2,231 of these Light Reconnaissance Cars which were used by the Army and Royal Air Force Regiment. This is a mkI LRC which operated with a crew of three and had a top speed of 50mph. 1,000 mkIIs were built and they had four wheel drive.