Mark. IV Tadpole tank from the Takom kit

The plastic model of the tank was made in 1:35 scale from the Takom kit. Photo-etched elements were also used in the construction of the miniature.

The Mark.IV was a British armor weapon of the First World War, which was being produced from 1917. The tank shown in the photos was an experimental version of the Mark.IV tank, which differed in length from the mass-produced version. The fuselage in the rear part of the vehicle was extended by 2.74 m (9 ft). The extension was to help overcoming the trenches. Ultimately, this modification was not put into production.

The lengthening of the tank's hull created space for a platform on which a light Stokes mortar (81 mm - 3.3 in) was placed.

The "Tadpole" had two 57 mm (2¼ in) caliber cannons placed on both sides of the hull and three Lewis machine guns. One machine gun was on the front and two on the sides of the tank. Looking at the photos, one might assume that the tank has five cannons. Such an impression is created by specially designed covers on the barrels of machine guns, which suck in air when fired, which cooled the barrel.

First a 16-liter (976⅖ in³) 6-cylinder 105 hp (77 kW) engine was used, the same as in the basic version. However, it turned out to be too weak. Ultimately, a 125 hp (95 kW) engine was used.

Some technical data of the "Tadpole" version:

• Length: 10.67 m (35 ft),
• Width: 3.9 m (12⅘ ft),
• Height: 2.61 m (8⅗ ft),
• Speed (on the road): 6 km/h (3¾ mph),
• Mass: 30 t (UK-29½ tons, USA-33 tons).

Sources:

• https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_IV
• http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww1/gb/tank_MkIV.php
• https://warriors.fandom.com/ru/wiki/Mark_IV_Tadpole
• https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo%C5%BAdzierz_Stokesa

19 Aug 2019