I am wanting to compile a train that has a couple of heavyweight well wagons, with WW1 Tanks as loads, basically on their way to preservation (yes, I am still on that kick). Apparently Airfix made these Tanks in 1/72 (and maybe even 1/76). If anyone has one or two they no longer want please let me know what you feel is a fair price......
Also, if someone can let me know if they're still available new somewhere, it would be much appreciated.
I believe they were called MK1 and MK2, but I just knew them as World War 1 tanks - the earliest of these had wheels on the back I am told.....also, I think there was a much longer version that was equipped with a mortar.
There were 5 versions used and a 6th ready to go if you mean the lozenge shaped ones. There were also light tanks from the period. The airfix kit is still about I beleive and Emhar do a range for that period. I would try
Airfix tanks come up regularly on Ebay in both made-up and unmade kit form. Mind you I don't recall seeing a WW1 kit - they are usually WW2 Tigers and the like.
There are both 'Male' and 'Female' versions available from M&B (?) Models, the firm that also do a selection of Landrover and light armoured vehicle models. Hythe (Kent) Models certainly had some yesterday when I was there. On the prototype front, there is a 'preserved' example to be found in one of the shopping centres in Ashford- doesn't look particularily well loved ,alas. Brian
The Airfix model was a British Mark-I, and is oversize for HO scale, but not horribly so. These were the first of the 'lozenge' shaped tanks so well known during WW-I. The tracks went completely around the outside of the vehicle's hulls. These were LARGE box-shaped vehicles, often larger than later tanks. The USA did use some of these, and helped develop later variants like the Mark-8 "International" (post WW-I). The last examples of this type tank philosophy were the WW-II British "Churchill" series.
The Mark-I's had the trailing wheels you mention. These were used for mild steering corrections (the track-steering was not perfected at the time), and to increase ditch crossing ability. The Mark-II and later tanks dispensed with the wheels, but otherwise looked similar.
There were many variations. A bunch had greatly elongated track extensions fitted to the rear, to increase ditch crossing ability, and were called "Tadpoles". They came late in the war, and were NOT used in combat.
The 'mortar carrier' you refer to was likely a whole different vehicle. There was a form of tracked 'gun carrier' that amounted to being the first self-propelled artillery. It was a whole different machine, and quite strange looking. The gun was intended to be dismounted from the vehicle, placed on it's usual wheels, and then fired. It could be fired form the vehicle however. some of these machines were also used for cargo transport.
Other nation's tanks all looked different. The best known of these were the French Renault "F" series. These were small two-man tanks. They were fast, inexpensive (relatively), and had a rotating turret. While small and crude they were far more the predecessor of most later tanks than the big British examples.
To go into this a bit further - the Mk.1 through to the Mk.III were early and rare - few were built. The first large-production design was the Mk.IV, and almost all the (many) tanks used for fund-raising exhibits late in the war or as memorials after it were Mk.IVs - it was only in 1918 that they started being replaced by the Mk.V (Mk IVs were ubiquitous indeed - the first tank battle was Mk.IVs on both sides - the Germans had captured some and put them into service[1]).
Most of the Mk.IVs preserved were scrapped for their steel in WW2.
[1] HO.. Hmm.. mk.IVs decorated with Maltese Crosses on flat wagons behind a P8? ;)
So they do! These, then, like the Airfix model, would be marginally suitable for HO use (17% oversized). Few would notice the difference in sizes, and I'm not aware of anything better being commonly available.
You might like to check these sites out . IIRC New MK1s were painted "battleship" gray and were later camouflaged in the field. Later Marks were different shades of Khaki varying from Earth Brown to Olive Green
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I have got a unbuilt Airfix kit somewhere, if you want it contact me off list.
I have an Airfix Mk1/2 tank - it's 1/76th scale BTW - built and painted per a watercolor illustration shown to me by a curator at the Australian War Memorial. I'll post some photos. The AWM has a MkIV on display, IIRC. The Queensland Museum also has a Great War tank in it's collection
- Mephisto, the only surviving German A7V.
If you are interested in modelling surviving Great War tanks, this site might give you some ideas.
'Male' tanks had a mix of 6lbr Hotchkiss shell-guns, ex-Navy and machine guns. 'Female' tanks had a larger number of machie guns only. There were also field adaptations with a Hotchkiss 6lbr in one sponson and machine guns only in the other. These were inevitably known as Hermaphrodites.
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