Morris-Martel
| Morris-Martel | |
|---|---|
| Type | Tankette |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1927-1928 |
| Used by | United Kingdom Prototype's only |
| Wars | None |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Sir Giffard Le Quesne Martel |
| Designed | 1925 |
| Manufacturer | Morris Motors[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 | 3-pounder 47mm cannon[4] |
Secondary armament | Four x Vickers machine guns[4] |
| Engine | Morris Motor 16 bhp |
| Suspension | Leaf Spring |
| Ground clearance | 18 Inches |
| 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.[5] The project was abandoned after testing with the Carden Loyd design chosen instead,[6] however during its short existence the tankette attracted "quite a lot of publicity" and was a pioneer of the tankette concept.[1]
References
- Notes
- ^ a b Ford (1997) p. 25.
- ^ American Defense Preparedness Association (1930). "Morris-Martel Tank". Ordnance. XI–XII: 27.
- ^ American Defense Preparedness Association (1931). "Morris-Martel Tank". National Defense. XII: 27.
- ^ a b Forty (1984) p. 42.
- ^ Harris (1995) p. 210.
- ^ "CROSSLEY MILITARY VEHICLES AFTER WW1". CROSSLEY MOTORS LTD. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- Sources
- Harris, J. P. (1995). Men, Ideas, and Tanks: British Military Thought and Armoured Forces, 1903-1939. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0719048141.
- Ford, Roger (1997). The world's great tanks: from 1916 to the present day. Barnes & Noble. ISBN 0760705933.
- Forty, George (1984). A photo history of tanks in two world wars. Blandford Press. ISBN 0713712163.
