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Vickers Mark E (6-Ton) light tank
International service
Part I: Development history and construction
Part II: international service
Part III: Polish service
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| [author unknown] |
| The Chinese Vickers Mk.E Type B with a radio |
Poland – Finland – China – Siam – USSR – Bulgaria – Great Britain – Bolivia – Greece – others – Models
This page describes export and international service of Vickers Mk.E (6-Ton) light tanks. A development history, technical description, armament, armour and specifications are in part I. Details about the Polish service and combat use of Vickers Mk.E tanks are in part III. The countries are in order of numbers of tanks used.
Note: links marked this way lead to Wikipedia articles.
Poland
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| A single-turret Vickers Mk. E, with all Polish modifications, in a standard late camouflage. |
Poland was the biggest user of Vickers Mk. E tanks. As early as in September 1931 Poland ordered 38 twin-turret tanks Vickers Mk. E Type A, delivered in 1932-33 (nos. VAE 408-445). Just in 1934-35, the tanks were modified by adding large air intakes behind crew compartments to improved engine cooling. It was a distinguishing feature of Polish Vickers tanks only. Also at that time, 22 tanks were rebuilt to a single-turret Type B standard, using turrets bought in Great Britain, with original 47 mm Vickers QF guns. They had turrets mounted on the left side, in a standard way. The rest 16 tanks remained twin-turret. Apart from air intakes, Polish twin-turret tanks differed from other Vickers Mk.E Type A tanks by having box magazine covers upon turrets' roofs. Their armament was changing during service, and a final variant was two Polish water-cooled 7.92 mm wz.30 machine guns (one such machine gun was also a secondary armament of single-turret tanks). A price of a twin-turret tank for Poland was £3165, after a discount due to a lower armour resistance. All Polish Vickers Mk.E tanks fought and were lost in the Polish September Campaign 1939.
Apart from tanks, Poland bought a manufacturing licence. However, Poland did not start production of the Vickers Mk. E, because Polish designers seriously improved its design, creating the 7TP tank.
Details in part III: Polish Vickers Mk.E tanks.
Finland
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| Finnish Vickers with a provisional 37 mm SA-18 gun, 1939. |
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| An abandoned Finnish Vickers Mk.E with 37 mm Bofors gun, examined by Soviet soldiers. Finnish tanks in the Winter War had white-blue-white belts painted on a turret. [P1] |
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| T-26E tanks of the 3rd Company, September 1941. |
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| T-26E in Viipuri, 19 June 1944. A radio aerial is visible. |
Finland bought the first tank Vickers Mk.E Type B for testing on 6 July 1933 (factory no. VAE 546, service no. R-546). It was in a standard configuration – with a single turret on the left, armed with 47 mm Vickers gun. Following the tests, only on 20 July 1936 the Finns decided to order a series of 32 tanks, for £4500 per tank. The tanks were to be delivered between July 1937 and January 1939, but there were delays, and only 26 tanks were delivered between July 1938 and end of 1939, while the remaining six were delivered only after the Winter War. They had factory numbers VAE 1650–1681 and service numbers R-646 – R-677. Therefore, Finland had 33 tanks Vickers Mk. E in total (not at one time, though). The newly acquired Mark E tanks had new Mark F hulls and turrets placed in an unique way, on the right, behind a driver. According to Soviet tests, their hull armour was up to 17.5 mm – more, than in standard earlier Mark E tanks. Their turrets had a rear niche for a radio, but the radios and part of other equipment were not bought in order to lower costs. The tanks were also bought without any armament, because the original 47 mm gun was considered unsatisfactory. It was decided to arm these tanks with the Swedish anti-tank gun 37 mm Bofors L/45, produced in Finland, designated 37 Psv.K/36.
Finnish tanks were much rebuilt during their service. Since it took a time to manufacture the cannons in a newly-built VTT factory, the tanks were unarmed for the first period of their service. Only several tanks were temporarily fitted with one air-cooled 7.62 mm M/09-31 MG in a turret. A few were provisionally fitted with old 37 mm SA-18 Puteaux guns, taken from Renault FT tanks, but due to a weak provisional mounting, they could fire blanks only, for exercise purpose. In a front plate of a combat compartment, on the left, a mounting for a special shortened tank variant of 9 mm Suomi submachine gun was made, with a roof raised above the gunner's head. It was an interesting close-range anti-infantry weapon, fed from 70-round magazines. All tanks with F hull were fitted with such SMG, manned by an additional fourth crewman. Between December 1939 and February 1940, part of tanks were finally fitted with 37 mm Bofors guns and coaxial machine guns – a modified belt-fed 7.62mm Maxim M/09-31 (despite the cover's look, the machine gun was air-cooled). The mounting of guns, with a common rectangular shield, was designed by Bofors and was very similar to a mounting designed for the Polish 7TP tank (in spite of a similarity, their turrets were different, for Finnish turrets were apparently modified Vickers ones, while the turret for Poland was specially designed). However, Finnish tanks had only simple colimator gun sights, because the Germans failed to deliver ordered special Zeiss sights before the war. Only one tank was ready by December 1939, seven in January 1940 and ten in February – 18 in total by the end of the Winter War.
During the Winter War, the Finns captured a great number of Soviet T-26 tanks of different models (developed from Vickers Mk.E), which were next put into the Finnish service. In order to make easier maintenance, the Finns decided to rearm Vickers Mk.E tanks with Soviet long-barrel 45 mm 20K tank guns, used in T-26, which also had better performance, than 37 mm guns. Complete 45 mm gun mountings, with coaxial 7.62 mm DT machine guns and sights, dismounted from destroyed T-26 or BT-5 tanks, were mounted in Vickers turrets, in a place of 37 mm gun mountings. Also, some other parts were taken from the T-26. Some of them were later fitted with Soviet radios. The Finns redesignated rebuilt Vickers Mk.E tanks as the T-26E (E for English).
Combat use:
The only Finnish Vickers unit formed during the Finnish-Soviet Winter War (30.11.1939 – 13.03.1940) was the 4th Tank Company (4./Pans.P), with 13 Vickers Mk.E tanks armed with 37 mm Bofors guns (it should have 16 tanks according to its organization). The company made a combat debute supporting infantry in an attack on Honkaniemi on 26 February 1940. The Soviet units were supported by T-26 and T-28 tanks of the 112th Tank Battalion of the 35th Light Tank Brigade and AT guns. The attack was a complete failure. Five Finnish tanks didn't take part in combat at all due to bad fuel quality, another one was immobilized in a ditch. From the remaining seven tanks, five were destroyed, and one damaged. Despite a lack of experience and poor sights, Finnish tankers destroyed at least three Soviet tanks – two of which after the actual battle, by an immobilized R-667 tank. On 29 February Finnish tanks were delaying a Soviet advance, losing one Vickers tank, but destroying four enemy tanks. One more Vickers was destroyed by the crew on 6 March 1940, after being stuck on rocks. Total losses in the Winter War were seven Vickers tanks lost and one damaged (not repaired).
Vickers Mk.E tanks, which remained after the Winter War, were rebuilt to the T-26E standard, and then used with captured T-26 tanks in the Continuation War against the Soviets (1941-44). Both types were most numerous Finnish tanks at that time. In 1945, Finland had 19 tanks T-26E left, which were used for training until 1959. Three T-26E tanks and one Vickers in 1940 standard, are preserved in museums.
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| The Finnish Vickers Mk.E in a configuration from the Winter War, in Tank Museum Parola (photo courtesy of Jaeger Platoon). | The T-26E in Tank Museum Parola (photo by Balcer, cc-by-sa-3.0 licence - original quality at Wikimedia Commons). |
China
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| The Chinese Vickers Mk.E Type B tank with a radio, in a four-colour camouflage. Note a form of headlights. |
On 9 March 1934, the Chinese government bought 12 single-turret tanks Vickers Mark E Type B, of a standard model, and four more in May. The first batch was delivered in autumn 1934 (nos. VAE 800–811), and the second in spring 1935 (VAE 845–848). On 12 September 1935 four more were bought (VAE 1148–1151), bringing a total up to 20. The second and third batches were fitted with Marconi SB4a radios in a turret niche. Contrary to commonly repeated misinformation in publications, they obviously were not Mark F tanks, and neither even had Mark F hulls with longer combat compartments, what is evident on photographs. On manufacturer's plates they were correctly identified as "Mk E", and additionally, in Chinese characters, as "Vickers Carden-Loyd 6-ton".
Combat use:
Chinese Vickers 6-Ton tanks were distributed, according to some sources, to the 1st Armoured Battalion in Shanghai (three tanks Mk.E and 29 amphibious tanks VCL Model 1931) and the 2nd Armoured Battalion in Shanghai (17 tanks Mk.E and 16 others)[3]. According however to other authors, these units were companies, and Vickers 6-Ton tanks were used mainly in the 1st Company. First 16 tanks received a white Chinese letter meaning the tiger on the left side of the turret, and a numer on the right side (range 50–69). Both battalions (companies) were intensively used in fighting during the Sino-Japanese War against Japanese units in a battle of Shanghai between 13 September and 9 November 1937. However, lightly armoured tanks were ill-suited to urban fighting, and poorly trained Chinese tankers suffered big losses – approximately half of Chinese tanks used were lost in total, including part of Mark E. There are known photographs of at least three knocked-out 6-Ton tanks.
The remaining tanks were gathered in one mixed battalion and included into the 200th Mechanized Division, formed in 1938 of the Soviet equipment (related T-26 tanks). In that period they received a nationality sign and a number on a lower front plate. This Division suffered heavy losses in a Nankin counteroffensive in December 1939 and in Kunlun pass in January 1940, losing most of equipment. According however to other sources, in late 1938 the tanks were withdrawn from the 200th Division and gathered in an armoured regiment of the 11th (next 5th) Corps, probably taking part in the same battles. Detailed fate of Vickers Mk.E tanks in peculiar is not known. One tank, captured in Shanghai, was taken to Japan, but sadly scrapped after World War II.
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| Left: the Chinese Vickers Mk.E destroyed in Shanghai and captured by the Japanese, with apparent bullet holes. This tank was fitted with a radio - an aerial base is visible on a turret. Right: the Chinese Vickers attacking Japanese barricade in Shanghai, September 1937 (probably a staged photo) | |
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| The same as above | The same tank, as on the chapter photograph |
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Siam (since 1939: Thailand)
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| The Siamese Vickers Mk.E (first batch) in Bangkok, during the Boworadet rebellion, 1933. |
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| The Thai Vickers Mk.E from the second batch. A national roundel on a turret is red-white-blue-white-red. |
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| Siamese tanks on manoeuvres in early 1930s. Note a style of writing numbers. |
On 17 November 1932, Siam bought 10 single-turret tanks Vickers Mk.E Type B, delivered alrady by spring of 1933 (factory numbers VAE 533–542). They were ared with 47 mm cannons and 8 mm Vickers machine guns. They were given a local designation Type 73. In 1938, further 12 tanks were ordered, but only 8 tanks were delivered before World War II (VAE 1975–1982), and the rest were taken by the British government. The tanks from this second batch had Mark F hulls with longer combat compartments, but turrets typically on the left front part of the combat compartment. Siam also bought 26 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns on Mark E chassis, designated as Type 76. In October 1933 Siamese Vickers tanks and SPAAGs helped to suppress Boworadet rebellion, among others used in armed trains.
Combat use:
According to some information, Thai tanks were used in 1940-41 in armoured battalions, consisting of a command tank and three two-tank companies. Thai Vickers Mk.E tanks were used during a war with France in Indochina (December 1940 – 28 January 1941). Land operations started in January 1941, and on 16 January there was a battle of main forces at Yang Dam Koum in Battambang province. The French forces consisted of four infantry battalions, supported by the Detachement Motorise de Cochinchine (Renault FT tanks and trucks armed with 20 mm guns), but there is no information, if French armour was used in this battle. Thai infantry was efficiently supported by several Vickers tanks, and the French had no anti-tank means at first. Finally, the battalion of the 5th Foreign Legion Regiment brought up two 25 mm anti-tank guns and one 75 mm field gun, and destroyed three tanks. The fighting was fierce and ended with a French withdrawal. In December 1941, Thailand fell under the Japanese control, and a further fate of Vickers tanks is not known.
For decades there was not much information known in the West about the tanks preserved in Thailand. Now it is known, that at least three Vickers Mk. E have been preserved: in Royal Thai Army School in Bangkok, in Artillery Museum in Khao Phra Ngam, Mueang Lopburi district, and in Special Forces Museum in Pa Tan, Mueang Lopburi. According to some information, one tank Vickers was also preserved in Cavalry Museum in Saraburi (write if you can confirm). Apart from tanks, at least nine(!) Vickers AA SP-guns have been preserved.
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USSR
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| The Soviet Vickers Mk.E Type A in 1932. |
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| Soviet trials of the Vickers Mk.E Type A, January 1931. |
The Soviet Union was the first buyer of Vickers Mk.E tanks. In spring of 1930, a Soviet commission was sent to Great Britain, and as early as on 28 May 1930, the USSR bought 15 newest twin-turret tanks Vickers Mk.E Type A with a licence to manufacture. First four were delivered by the end of 1930, but last deliveries commenced only in 1932 (according to other publications, the last one was sent on 4 July 1931). Their factory numbers were: VAE 214–228. Only first three were armed, with original .303 Vickers (7.7 mm) machine guns. One tank (216) was fitted with Marconi SB4 radio, and one (220) had armour increased to 17 mm. The armament of the twin-turret variant was initially considered suitable for infantry support, which was the tank's projected use. Vickers tanks were known in the USSR as the V-26 (V for Vickers; Cyrillic: В-26). After trials in January 1931, in spite of some faults, the V-26 was evaluated as the best of known foreign tank designs, in some ways better, than own T-19 design. The designer Sergey Ginzburg proposed to develop a tank merging features of T-19 (a hull, engine and armament) and Vickers suspension. Hovewer, because of exaggerated intelligence reports on Polish plans to buy Vickers and Christie tanks, and fearing of alleged Polish superiority, on 13 February 1931 the Soviets accepted unchanged Vickers Mk. E as a standard infantry tank, and decided to quickly launch mass production under a designation T-26.
In July 1931 a production of a pre-series T-26 batch started, and in August – of series tanks, with modified taller turrets with an observation hatch on the roof. In the next year, over 1300 were produced. Soviet designers also tried to create own improved tank, basing on Vickers Mk.E, with a water-cooled engine Hercules 95 hp and additional hull machine gun, but two prototypes TMM-1 and TMM-2, tested in 1932, appeared unsatisfactory. There is no specific information on fates of original Soviet Vickers tanks. They were first used in factories as pattern tanks, later they were probably used for training and withdrawn before World War II, some being probably destroyed on proving grounds.
A long story of the T-26 is not a subject of this page, so we present its development only in short. The first series T-26 (model 1931) were twin-turret, armed with two DT 7.62 mm air-cooled machine guns. From 1932 some twin-turret tanks were armed with 37 mm gun PS-1 and a machine gun. In 1933, the Soviets started production of their own successful single-turret T-26 variant, with a long-barrel 45 mm gun and a coaxial machine gun, in a big turret of own design (so-called model 1933). It became a basic model of the T-26 family. Around this time, an armour was increased a bit (up to 15 mm all around). Since 1937/38, the tanks were produced wih a new, conical turret (so-called model 1938). The engine power increased slightly, from 90 to 95 hp as well. In 1939, also the hull with lightly sloped sides, and thicker armour, was adapted (so-called model 1939 or T-26-1). Hull armour was now 20 mm, but of worse quality homogenous steel. Weight grew from 8.2 tonnes to 9.4 tonnes in model 1933 and 10.2 tonnes in model 1939. The T-26 was also a base to produce several variants of flamethrower tanks and other special vehicles, including remote-controlled tanks. Until 1941, about 12.000 of T-26 tanks and their special variants were made, mostly in the Bolshevik factory in Leningrad. They fought in all conflicts of the USSR, on some theatres even until 1945; they also fought in Sino-Japanese War and the Spanish Civil War (in the latter, on both sides).
Bulgaria
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| The Bulgarian Vickers Mk.E tank on manoeuvres. Pre-1941 camouflage is similar to Chinese tanks. |
On 16 September 1936, Bulgaria bought 8 single-turret Vickers Mk.E Type B tanks, delivered between January and July 1938 (according to some sources, in 1937). They had late Mark F hulls with longer combat compartment and typical turrets on the left, without radio niches. In Bulgaria they were armed with 8 mm Schwarzlose machine guns, apart from 47 mm cannons. Their factory numbers were: VAE 1810–1817.
Vickers tanks formed the 2nd Tank Company and remained the best Bulgarian tanks for over two years (the 1st Company had Italian CV-33 tankettes). In June 1941, Vickers tanks were included into the Armoured Regiment, as a company of the 1st Armoured Unit (Druzhina) of the regiment (two other companies of the 1st Unit were armed with PzKpfw-35(t) tanks, while the 2nd Unit was armed with Renault R-35 tanks). This year also the tanks were repainted green. In September 1941 they took part in big tsar's manoeuvres. Despite being a German ally, Bulgaria did not take part in a war against the Soviet Union. After deliveries of new tanks, Vickers tanks were relegated to a training role. In September 1943, all tanks were included into the newly formed Armoured Brigade. In September 1944, Bulgaria entered the war on the Allied side, and the Brigade was used against the Germans in Serbia, including Kosovo. Details about Vickers tanks' usage are not known, but by then they were already obsolete and lacking spare parts, so probably they were not used in actual combat. Three worn-out Vickers tanks were withdrawn from service in April 1945. In May, the USSR supplied 3000 rounds of 47 mm ammunition, of unclear origin (some suggest it might have been captured in Poland in 1939). Five tanks were included into the Armoured Brigade again then, but they were withdrawn eventually by early 1946.
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| Bulgarian Vickers Mk.E tanks during commissioning in 1938 | Bulgarian Vickers Mk. E in 1943. The tank is in green camouflage |
Great Britain
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| The British Vickers Mark E, 44 RTR, 1940. |
The British Army tested the Vickers 6-Ton tank at the outbreak of 1920s and 1930s, but rejected it, clearing the tank for export. However, after an outbreak of World War II, the British government took 4 tanks from the Thai order, nos. VAE 1983–1986. All had Mark F hulls, with longer combat compartment, and a single turret on the left side. They were used for training until the end of the war. One of them is preserved in the Tank Museum in Bovington. According to [2], also 6 tanks from the Finnish order were retained – for some time at least.
Bolivia & Paraguay
Bolivia was the smallest active user of Vickers Mk.E tanks, but Bolivian tanks were the first used in combat, and it was also the first combat usage of tanks in Americas. On 12 October 1932, Bolivia ordered 3 tanks Vickers Mk. E. Older publications claim, that they were two twin-turret Type A tanks and one single-turret Type B. However, according to Vickers documents, one twin-turret tank Type A (no. VAE 532) and 2 single-turret tanks Type B (VAE 446 and 447) were bought. They were armed with 7.65 mm Vickers machine guns.
Combat use:
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| The Bolivian Vickers Mk.E Type A as a monument in Asuncion. |
There is no information, if the two captured tanks were used in Paraguay. The captured twin-turret tank Mk.E Type A was finally put as a monument in Paraguay's capital Asuncion. In 1994, it was returned to Bolivia, as a sign of peace. It is currently exhibited at Military School in La Paz, along with a turret of the destroyed Type B tank. The captured single-turret tank (VAE 446) was sold to Spain in 1937, with a batch of guns and rifles. Older sources claim, that the captured twin-turret tank had a Bolivian name "Ina", but according to other information, it was the Paraguayan name given to this tank, or to the single-turret tank, sold to Spain.
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| The Vickers Mk.E Type B returned to Bolivia, in La Paz (it has a turret of a destroyed single-turret Vickers upon it). Photos courtesy of Colonel Gustavo Tamano. Thanks to all, who contributed information for this page. | |
Greece
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| Vickers Mk.E Typ B built for Greece – a factory photo with a retouched background, used in Vickers materials. |
Greece bought 2 tanks Vickers Mark E – a twin-turret Type A and a single-turret Type B, ordered on 20 November 1930, as their second buyer. They had factory numbers VAE 308 and 309 respectively. They were delivered on 22 August 1931. A total cost was £11,897 (probably with some extra equipment, as the price was rather high). In 1935, a tank battalion was organized, but it was dissolved in 1937, as Greece had only a couple of tanks.
During the war with Italy, along with two Carden-Loyd Mk.VIb tankettes, they were in Armoured Weapons School in Athens, organized in December 1940. There is no information available, if they took part in fighting against Germany, or what was their fate. They are not listed as an equipment of the 19th Motorized Division, organized in 1941, which used newly delivered Vickers M1936 light tanks and Italian tankettes.
According to J. Ledwoch, they were destroyed during campaign against Italy in 1940 or against Germany in 1941, what shows, that this author has not any clue about their fate.
According to some information, Greece ordered 14 Mark E just before the war, but in fact they were to be British Mk VIC light tanks, which the British agreed to sell in February 1940.
Others
Portugal
Portugal bought 2 tanks Vickers Mark E – a twin-turret Type A and a single-turret Type B for testing in 1932 (numbers VAE 543 and 544). They carried their names painted on hull sides - the twin-turret: "Portugal", and the single-turret: "Republica". There is no further information about their fate, and Portugal was neutral in World War II.
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| Portuguese Vickers Mk.E Type A and B tanks. Both carry a sign of a trumpet and No.5 (unit's insignia). | |
Spain
See: Bolivia. The ex-Bolivian single-turret Vickers Mk.E Type B tank (no. VAE 446), captured by Paraguay, was then sold to Spanish Republic in January 1937. The tank was sold with a batch of rifles and guns via Swiss trader, supposedly for a price of £1040. There is no information about its usage in Spain, and no mention in sources on armour in Spanish Civil War.
USA
One twin-turret Mark E tank was leased in April 1931 for testing by the USA and returned afterwards (Ledwoch claims, that allegedly it was bought in 1930 and had a factory number VAE 545 [7], but the number corresponds to tanks ordered in late 1932). It was evaluated in July 1931 at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Similar suspension was adopted in tank prototypes T1E4 and T1E6 afterwards.
Tests in other contries
Single tanks Mk.E were also tested by Japan, Italy, and according to some information, also Romania, the Netherlands and Argentina. Mark F tank was tested in 1934 in Belgium.
Models
Models of exclusively Polish Vickers Mk.E tanks are described separately. The names are original, usually wrong. Links are to the Scalemates site:
1/72:
- - Mirage
- Quite good plastic injection kits of the Polish producer from 2002, with many parts. Open hatch and weapons inside a turret. Vinyl tracks:
- - Mirage (72621) - "Vickers E Mk.B" (incorrect name)
- The Chinese Vickers Mk.E Type B (standard export model, single-turret, without radio niche, standard hull). Two sets of Chinese and one of Finnish markings (only one such Finnish tank was used for tests). It can also represent Siamese (early), Bolivian, Greek or Portuguese tanks.
- - Mirage (72604) - "Vickers E Mk.B" (incorrect name)
- The Polish variant of the single-turret Vickers Mk.E Type B tank (the same kit as above with extra parts), but it can be made without Polish air intakes, as a standard model.
- - UM (Ukrainian Models) Military Technics
- Newer (2010) plastic injection kits of the Ukrainian producer, with 188 parts, including PE. Closed turret hatch:
- - UM Military Technics (618) - "'Vickers' 6 Ton light tank Model 'E' (Version A)" (incorrect name)
- Standard twin-turret variant, with Vickers MGs.
- - UM Military Technics (619) - "'Vickers' single turret tank Model 'E' (Version B)" (incorrect name)
- Standard single-turret variant, standard hull.
- - UM Military Technics (620) - "Vickers light tank Model E (Version F)" (incorrect name)
- A single-turret variant with radio niche, standard hull (contrary to what name suggests). It can represent only Chinese tanks.
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- - Ostmodels (CH1) - "Vickers 6t E var B" - the Chinese Vickers Mk.E Type B.
- - Ostmodels (FI2) - "T26E Model 1939"
- - Ostmodels (FI3) - "T26E Model 1940"
- - Ostmodels (FI4) - "T26E Model 1941"
- Old unavailable resin models, no closer information.
- - [20mm] SHQ (RV-6) - T26E - old simple white metal model for wargamers
1/35:
- - Mirage
- Polish producer. Old injection kits, basing partially on tooling of old 7TP kit. Mediocre quality and accuracy, no interior, awful vinyl tracks.
- - Mirage (35304) - "Vickers E Mk.B" (incorrect name)
- The Polish variant of the Vickers Mk.E Type B tank, but it can be made without Polish air intakes.
- - Mirage (35310) - "Vickers-Armstrong '6-ton' Mk.F/B" (wrong name!)
- Vickers Mk.E Type B with new Mark F hull and a turret with 47 mm gun on the right, without a niche. It has Bulgarian and Finnish markings, BUT the model present non-existing tank, because Bulgaria had tanks with turret on the left (just as Siam), while the Finnish tanks with such hull had rear niche and never carried 47 mm gun.
- - Mirage (35311) - "Vickers-Armstrong '6-ton' Mk.F/45" (wrong name!)
- the Finnish tank modified to T-26E standard.
- - RPM (35901) - separate track links for 7TP, T-26 and Vickers (Polish producer) - a must for the ones above.
- - Combat Armour Models
- Newest accurate injection kits (2017)
- - Combat Armour Models (CV35-004) - Vickers 6-Ton Light Tank Alt B Early Production - Republic of China
Part I: Vickers Mk.E tank - history and construction
Part III: Vickers Mk.E tank in the Polish service
Main sources:
1. Janusz Magnuski: Angielski lekki czołg Vickers Mark E w polskiej służbie; "Nowa Technika Wojskowa" 5/1999.
2. Mikhail Baryatinski: "Niepriznanny 'Vikkers'"; "Modelist-Konstruktor" 11/1992.
3. Tomasz Basarabowicz, Jarosław B. Garlicki: Chiny cz.2. Leksykon Broni Pancernej
1920-45; "Militaria i Fakty" 4/2001.
4. Dariusz Jędrzejewski: Bułgaria. Leksykon Broni Pancernej
1920-45; "Militaria i Fakty" 2/2003.
5. Maksim Kolomiets, Mikhail Svirin: Legkiy tank T-26. 1931-1941, Frontline Illustration 1/2003
6. Michał Kuchciak: Czołg lekki Vickers 6-Ton w Wojsku Polskim w latach 1931-1939, Oświęcim: Napoloen V, 2018
7. Janusz Ledwoch: Vickers 6-ton Mark E/F vol.II; Warszawa, 2009 *
8. Zbigniew Lalak: Armia Grecka 1940-1941, „Technika Wojskowa Historia” nr 6/2015
Photo sources only:
P1 - E. Muikku and J. Purhonen; "Suomalaiset Panssarivaunut 1918 - 1997", Apali Oy
Our thanks for:
- David Fletcher and the Tank Museum
- Jarkko Vihavainen
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* In spite of big similarity of our original text (before 2010) to parts of monograph Vickers 6-ton Mark E/F vol.II by J. Ledwoch (Militaria: Warsaw 2009), especially service in Bolivia, China and Siam, our text was created and published in 2003. Nobody – especially J. Ledwoch, tried to contact us for a permission to use the text. |
Update history:
- 24. 07. 2023 - minor addition to the USSR
- 26. 03. 2023 - additions to China
- 19. 03. 2023 - additions to Bulgaria
- 01. 03. 2023 - updated, enhanced
- 03. 02. 2010 - small amendments
- 27. 01. 2010 - major update
- 2003 - new
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Text copyright to Michal Derela, © 2003-2023