Interwar Vickers Medium Tank Mk2

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by Topfmine, Jan 18, 2022.

  1. Topfmine

    Topfmine Active Member

    These been some great books about on various tanks, just wondering if there is one on the Vickers medium tank Mk 2 1930s interwar period. I thought Ospray Vangard done one a few years ago.
     
  2. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I can't find any reference on the Osprey website to a book on them :(
     
  3. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    might be of interest
    Vickers Medium Mk II tank

    Also noticed there is a book published but its online resource info incuding wiki
     
    Ramiles likes this.
  4. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    I have looked previously and found plenty of information about them variously online.

    Vickers Medium Mk.I & Mk.II interwar British tanks (1923)

    And I guess it depends also what precisely anyone is after. Something relatively general or something extremely comprehensive ?

    What I found in terms of books was contained in other more general volumes about early / 1930's tanks, some that were relatively slim volumes, some that had the look perhaps of being self published or more in the form of pamphlets, where unfortunately prices are seemingly quite high, for relatively few pages so it would be hard to judge quality or the depth of reference used, or the time that had been spent compiling them, and how that would compare, for instance with what one could find for oneself by a few key search words in Google etc.

    Edit...

    There are a couple of tags that you (Topfmine) could add, perhaps to the top of this thread... i.e. ...

    vickers medium tank | WW2Talk

    &

    vickers mk ii | WW2Talk

    The Bovington tank museum too regularly posts lots about them on Fb... e.g....

    https://www.facebook.com/tankmuseum/posts/10155851691080842
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2022
  5. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Fletcher's 'Mechanised Force' isn't bad on Mediums.
    Foss/McKenzie 'Vickers Tanks' touches on them, but as it skips along such a wide range; pretty slender.
    The Osprey is compiled into Fletcher's 'British Battle Tanks' (Though I can't remember what the original book was called. If there was one... Maybe their 'British Light Tanks' one - not sure.)

    It's interesting, really. As it was a significant machine in terms of interwar usage & training, but also something of an evolutionary dead end. (Always reminds me of Little Willie when it had its turret fitted. A return to concept a decade later.) Off the top of my head those are the first starting points. Something's nagging that there's more somewhere, maybe even on a shelf next to me :unsure: but mind gone blank.
    I'd buy a dedicated in-depth book on them, as they please my eye, but not sure I've seen such a publication.

    Bov's example of a II rumbling about a decade or so back:
    Vickers-Medium-1.jpg

    Vickers-medium-2.jpg
     
    Ramiles likes this.
  6. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I think we can see a small influence of the Mediums on the design of the Matilda, at least in terms of the protective skirts for the tracks and the mud chutes.
     
  7. Topfmine

    Topfmine Active Member

    You would think there would be a book on these tanks, but there you go. I believe this tank is built with the armour plating bolted or riveted on a steel frame.
     
  8. Vickers diffinately influenced tank building all,over the Russians copied them just about every nation that built tanks bought a few to study and reverse engineer. Many countries built copies and used them as prime movers and conversion to spgs when they were no longer any good as front line armor.
     
  9. Wasn't the crusader built the same a mild steel body with the armor bolted over. The manufacturer said doing so they could build the tanks faster and cheaper but it did create a lot of maintenance issues like if the suspension system had to be worked on the armor had to be removed to get to the running gear. Plus the soviets in the beginning did everything the easiest and cheapest methods.
     
  10. Talking about the t26 vickers copies the soviets built some into spg su5. I can't find detailed info on this. Did they just put a gun plate form over the engine compartment or move the engine forward and make the engine compartment the fighting compartment??
     
  11. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Funny isn't it.
    On first seeing this query, I thought there must be something obvious given that I 'feel' I know something of them, but the more I scratch my head the more I realise it's bolted together from snippets really.

    Hopefully someone will wander along with some specific title, but I love the Interwar period & can't really think of one.

    My favourites remain the asbestos-clad.
    mediummk2s11-37e3d3a0a49b3248683ac28d0a281b70-99c6d20c40578d79bcd1d5d45308193a.jpg

    And if I still made Models, some Camo-ed up Mediums would have to be done.
    mediummk2s12-w2efwfewf.jpg

    'Intermediate technology'. Often the most interesting things.

    Got a picture somewhere of a very young Grandad squatting in front of one as an attached Radio Operator during the Mechanised Force exercises.
    Wonder where it is...
     
    Topfmine likes this.
  12. idler

    idler GeneralList

    There is, of course, the old Profile on the Marks I-III as a standalone or in the bound Volume 2 1919-40.
     
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  13. BFBSM

    BFBSM Very Senior Member

  14. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Oh fine, I'm going to have to go look at that hardcover of weapons profiles... which is in fact the Vol 2 which idler mentioned.

    It's 20 pages but includes tanks before and after the Medium II. e.g. "part 3" covers the A6, Medium Mk III, A7 and A8.

    I don't see anything about how the armour was attached. Clearly it wasn't welded on! :D
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2022
  15. Orwell1984

    Orwell1984 Senior Member

  16. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

  17. Listy

    Listy Well-Known Member

    As the guy who wrote the TE article... it's on my 'to do list' as there's quite a lot about the Mediums that is lost and confused.
     
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  18. Topfmine

    Topfmine Active Member

    After reading your great book about the Spigot mortar, a book on the Medium tank would be well worth waiting for.
    It would also be interesting to read up about its construction, not sure what the tank museum have on it like photos drawings etc. I was also told that was also made by the Royal Ordnance factory as well as Vickers.
     
  19. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    697596625_o.jpg

    697596653_o.jpg

    For no better reason than that the image was once on eBay and it's a great inter-war shot.
     
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  20. Listy

    Listy Well-Known Member

    Thanks!

    I have my suspicions on the Vickers medium, that it's a Dragon tractor in a frock, and that it did actually see combat in the Western Desert. Plus the absolute multitude of variants means that there's quite a bit of potential for a book. Of course those are only suspicions at this time, and need the leg work done to prove/disprove.

    Plus another reason for the book is she looks so damn cool.
     
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