Morris-Martel
| Morris-Martel | |
|---|---|
| Type | Tankette |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1927-1928 |
| Used by | United Kingdom (prototypes only) |
| Wars | None |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Sir Giffard Le Quesne Martel |
| Designed | 1925 |
| Manufacturer | Morris Commercial Cars[1] |
| Unit cost | $2,465 |
| Produced | 1927 |
| No. built | 8 |
| Variants | 1-man and 2-man variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2.25 long tons (2.29 t)[2] |
| Crew | 1-2 depending on model |
| Armour | 0.3 in (7.6 mm)[3] |
Main armament | Lewis Gun |
| Engine | Morris "16hp" 16 bhp (12 kW) |
| Suspension | Leaf spring |
| Ground clearance | 18 inches (460 mm) |
| Maximum speed | 30 mph (48 km/h) on road |
The Morris-Martel was a British inter-war tankette developed from prototypes designed by Lieutenant-General Sir Giffard Le Quesne Martel. Intended for reconnaissance, eight were constructed for the Experimental Mechanized Force and were tested against experimental models of the Carden Loyd tankette - built by John Carden and Vivian Loyd as a response to Martel's work - on Salisbury plain in 1927.[4] The project was abandoned after testing with the Carden Loyd design chosen instead; during its short existence the tankette attracted "quite a lot of publicity" and was a pioneer of the tankette concept.[1]
References
- Notes
- Sources
- Harris, J. P. (1995). Men, Ideas, and Tanks: British Military Thought and Armoured Forces, 1903-1939. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-71-904814-1.
- Ford, Roger (1997). The World's Great Tanks: From 1916 to the Present Day. Barnes & Noble. ISBN 0-76-070593-3.
