Vickers A1E1 Independent
Encyclopedia
The Independent A1E1 is a multi-turreted
tank
that was designed by the British
armaments manufacturer Vickers
during the interwar period. Although it only ever reached the prototype stage it influenced many other tank designs.
The A1E1 design can be seen as a possible influence on the Soviet
T-100
and T-28
tanks, the German
Neubaufahrzeug
tanks, and the British Medium Mk III and Cruiser Mk I
(triple turret) tank designs. The Soviet T-35
tank was based extremely closely on its plans and layout.
, and four subsidiary turrets each armed with a 0.303 inch Vickers machine gun
. The subsidiary turrets were mounted two at the front and two at the rear, the turrets at the corners being able to elevate to engage aircraft. The tank was designed to have heavy firepower, self-defence capability, and superiority to enemy weapons. It had a crew of eight men, the commander communicating with the crew through an intercom system. The Independent was never used in combat, but other armies copied it.
In 1924 the General Staff
of the British Army
ordered the prototype of a heavy tank, which became known as the Independent. Largely designed by Walter Gordon Wilson
, its 35.8 litre V12 air cooled engine was designed by Armstrong Siddeley
, and it also incorporated a new hydraulic braking system which had to be specially developed due to its weight and speed. The prototype was delivered to the War Office
in 1926, but was abandoned due to a lack of funds.
The tank was the subject of industrial and political espionage, the plans ending up in the Soviet Union
, where they may have influenced the design of the T-28
and T-35
tanks.
The Independent is preserved at the Bovington Tank Museum
in the UK.
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
that was designed by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
armaments manufacturer Vickers
Vickers Limited
Vickers Limited was a famous British engineering conglomerate that merged into Vickers-Armstrongs in 1927.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
during the interwar period. Although it only ever reached the prototype stage it influenced many other tank designs.
The A1E1 design can be seen as a possible influence on the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
T-100
T-100 tank
The T-100 was a twin-turreted Soviet heavy tank prototype, designed in 1938–39 as a possible replacement for the T-35.The T-100 was designed to by N. Barykov's OKMO design team at S.M. Kirov Factory No. 185 in Leningrad...
and T-28
T-28
The Soviet T-28 was among the world's first medium tanks. The prototype was completed in 1931 and production began in late 1932. It was an infantry-support tank intended to break through fortified defences...
tanks, the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Neubaufahrzeug
Neubaufahrzeug
The German Neubaufahrzeug series of tank prototypes were a first attempt to create a heavy tank for the Wehrmacht after Adolf Hitler had come to power. Multi-turreted, heavy and slow, they did not fit in with the Blitzkrieg tactics and therefore only five were made...
tanks, and the British Medium Mk III and Cruiser Mk I
Cruiser Mk I
The Tank, Cruiser, Mk I was a British cruiser tank of the interwar period. It was the first cruiser tank: a fast tank designed to bypass the main enemy lines and engage the enemy's lines of communication, along with enemy tanks...
(triple turret) tank designs. The Soviet T-35
T-35
The T-35 was a Soviet multi-turreted heavy tank of the interwar period and early Second World War that saw limited production and service with the Red Army. It was the only five-turreted heavy tank in the world to reach production but proved to be slow and mechanically unreliable...
tank was based extremely closely on its plans and layout.
Design
The Independent was a multi-turret design, having a central gun turret armed with the 3 pounder (47 mm) gunOQF 3 pounder gun
The Ordnance QF 3 pounder gun was a British tank gun mounted on Vickers Medium Tanks in the 1920s and 1930s. The gun was produced in 32 calibre and 40 calibre versions.-References:* Anthony G Williams,...
, and four subsidiary turrets each armed with a 0.303 inch Vickers machine gun
Vickers machine gun
Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a name primarily used to refer to the water-cooled .303 inch machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army...
. The subsidiary turrets were mounted two at the front and two at the rear, the turrets at the corners being able to elevate to engage aircraft. The tank was designed to have heavy firepower, self-defence capability, and superiority to enemy weapons. It had a crew of eight men, the commander communicating with the crew through an intercom system. The Independent was never used in combat, but other armies copied it.
History
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
ordered the prototype of a heavy tank, which became known as the Independent. Largely designed by Walter Gordon Wilson
Walter Gordon Wilson
Major Walter Gordon Wilson was an engineer and member of the British Royal Naval Air Service. He was credited by the 1919 Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors as the co-inventor of the tank, along with Sir William Tritton....
, its 35.8 litre V12 air cooled engine was designed by Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury motor cars and aircraft engines.-Siddeley Autocars:...
, and it also incorporated a new hydraulic braking system which had to be specially developed due to its weight and speed. The prototype was delivered to the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
in 1926, but was abandoned due to a lack of funds.
The tank was the subject of industrial and political espionage, the plans ending up in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, where they may have influenced the design of the T-28
T-28
The Soviet T-28 was among the world's first medium tanks. The prototype was completed in 1931 and production began in late 1932. It was an infantry-support tank intended to break through fortified defences...
and T-35
T-35
The T-35 was a Soviet multi-turreted heavy tank of the interwar period and early Second World War that saw limited production and service with the Red Army. It was the only five-turreted heavy tank in the world to reach production but proved to be slow and mechanically unreliable...
tanks.
The Independent is preserved at the Bovington Tank Museum
Bovington Tank Museum
The Tank Museum is a collection of armoured fighting vehicles in the United Kingdom that traces the history of the tank. With almost 300 vehicles on exhibition from 26 countries it is the second-largest collection of tanks and armoured fighting vehicles in the world.The Musée des Blindés in France...
in the UK.
External links
- A1E1 Vickers Independent
- http://shyuechou.blogspot.com/2006/08/vickers-independent-tank-landship-with.html
- Great Britain's Heavy Tanks