Comparison of World War I tanks

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This is a comparison of the characteristics of tanks used in World War I.

Contents

Tanks used in World War I

TankCountryYear introducedProduction totalCrewArmament
number of rounds
Armour thickness
(front/side/top)
Weight
Enginepower/weight ratioSpeedRange
Mark I MaleUK19167582x QF 6-pdr (57mm) [324],
3×MG [6,272]
12/10/6 mm28.4 tPetrol
105 hp (78 kW)
3.7 hp/t4.5 km/h
(2.8 mph)
37 km
(23 mi)
Female75Vickers machine gun, 1x Hotchkiss [30,080]27.4 t
Mark IV MaleUK191742082x QF 6-pdr (57mm) 6 cwt [a] [332],
3× .303 Lewis Gun [6,272]
14/12/8 mm28.5 t125 hp (93 kW)5.6 km/h
(3.5 mph)
56 km
(35 mi)
Female595 [b] 5×Lewis guns [10,000]27 t
Mark V MaleUK19182008 QF 6-pdr (57mm) 6 cwt [207],
4×MG [5,800]
14/14/8 mm29.5 t150 hp (112 kW)5.1-5.4  hp/t7.5 km/h
(4.7 mph)
72 km
(45 mi)
Female2006×.303 MG [14,100]28.5 t
Mark V* MaleUK19182008

(+14infantry [c] )

2× 6-pdr [221],
8×MG [8,400]
14/12/6 mm33 t4 km/h
(2.5 mph)
63 km
(39 mi)
Female43210×MG [16,800]32 t
Medium Mark A Whippet UK19182003-44×.303 Hotchkiss Mk I machine gun [5,400]14/14/5 mm14 tPetrol 2×45 hp (34 kW)6.4 hp/t13 km/h
(8.1 mph)
64 km
(40 mi)
Schneider CA1 France 1917 400 6 75 mm Blockhaus Schneider [94–96],
2× 8 mm Hotchkiss Mle 1914 machine gun [3,840]
11.5/11.5/5.5 mm 13.5 t 60 hp (45 kW) 8 km/h
(5.0 mph)
48 km
(30 mi)
1917 24/17/5.5 mm 14.6 t 75 km
(47 mi)
Saint-Chamond France 1917 165 8 75mm Saint-Chamond-Mondragón [106–108],
4× 8 mm MG [7,488]
11.5/17/5.5 mm 22 t 90 hp (67 kW) petrol-electric transmission 4.1 hp/t 12 km/h
(7.5 mph)
60 km
(37 mi)
Saint-Chamond

"Modèle 18"

1917 235 Canon de 75 modèle 1897 [106–108],
4× 8 mm MG [7,488]
11.5+8/17/5.5 mm 24 t
Renault FT mitrailleuseFrance 1918 3,694 [d] 2 8 mm Mle 1914 machine gun [4,800] 16/8/6 mm 6.5 t 35 hp (26 kW) 10.7 hp/t 20 km/h
(12 mph)
60 km
(37 mi)
Renault FT canon1918 37 mm Puteaux SA 18 [240] 6.7 t
A7V Germany 1918 20 18 5.7 cm Maxim-Nordenfelt [180],
MG 08 [e] [10,000–15,000]
30/20/10 mm32 t 2×100 hp (75 kW) 6.25 hp/t 15 km/h
(9.3 mph)
80 km
(50 mi)

Immediate post-war tanks

Tanks planned for production and with completed prototypes during the war, but entered service after it ended.

Prototype-World War I Tanks that entered service after, but as designed in World War I
NameCountryYearPlanned prod./actual
total
CrewArmament
[ammo (rds.)]
Armour thickness
(front/side/top)
Weight
(tonnes)
EngineSpeedRange
FCM Char 2C France1918300+/1012 Canon de 75 modèle 1897, 4× 7.92 mm MG45/22/10  mm70 tPetrol 2×200/250 hp15 km/h160 km
Mark VIII US/UK19181500/125122× 6 pdr; 7 MGs16/16/6 mm33.6 tPetrol 300/340 hp8 km/h89 km (55 mi)
Medium Mark B UK1918
Medium Mark C UK19185 Machine guns
LK II (Germany) [1] 1918580/24337mm or 7,92mm MG14/8/?8,75 tPetrol 60 hp (45 kW)14 km/h65–70 km

See also

Notes

  1. a shortened version of the gun used in the Mark I. The reduction in muzzle velocity was not a problem as the guns fired HE shells over short ranges
  2. A further 250 unarmed tanks were built for carrying supplies
  3. The tank was lengthened to cross wider trenches and the increased internal space was a bonus
  4. The U.S. made 950 M1917 light tanks (a near copy of the FT design), but only 64 were finished before the end of the war, and none saw combat.
  5. There was, briefly, one A7V with two extra machine guns in place of the 57 mm cannon. It was later converted to use the 57mm cannon
  1. Postwar 10 Delivered to Sweden, 14 to Hungary.

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References