Cunningham Tanks
Before 1925, designers continued to work on World War I developments, but then the entire tank-development program was overhauled. Over the next 15 years, the Army developed many of the features that are a part of the tanks of today.
In 1926 the General Staff reluctantly consented to the development of a 23-ton tank, although it made clear that efforts were to continue toward the production of a satisfactory 15-ton vehicle. The infantry - its new branch chief overriding the protests of some of his tankmen who wanted a more heavily armed and armored medium - decided, too, that a light tank, transportable by truck, best met infantry requirements. The net effect of the infantry's preoccupation with light tanks and the limited funds available for tank development in general was to slow the development of heavier vehicles and, ultimately, to contribute to the serious shortage of mediums at the outbreak of World War II.
The program began with the T1 Medium, built by Rock Island Arsenal in 1922. This was a 22-ton machine, powered by a 200-horsepower engine, and it could run 22 mph – very fast for its day. The turret mounted a medium-velocity 57mm gun with a cupola-mounted .30-caliber machinegun. The T1 Medium was the last tank with any World War I design heritage, but it was a vastly improved machine. After being used to try many modifications, it was retired in 1935.
Cunningham, an automobile company, built the next model. The T1 Light Tank of 1927 was a 7.5-ton vehicle powered by a 105-horsepower engine, giving it a speed of 20 mph. The engine was in front, with the drive in the rear. Its turret mounted a .30-caliber machinegun. The turret and some of the armor was welded rather than riveted. Three more T1 chassis were built for self-propelled artillery, weapons-carrier and cargo-vehicle experiments.
Cunningham built four improved T1 Lights, called the T1E1, in 1928. These weighed 8.9 tons, and their 132-horsepower engines gave them a speed of 22 mph. Several additional T1E1 chassis were built for self-propelled artillery and other experiments. In 1929, a T1E2 Light incorporated more changes, but it had the same power and speed as the T1E1. These T1s were all very similar, and they were used for many experiments well into the 1930s.
In 1930, Cunningham built one T2 Medium, an enlarged T1 Light that weighed 15 tons, had a 320-horsepower engine and a top speed of 25 mph. Many of its parts, including suspension and track assemblies, were the same as those of the T1 Light. The T2 Medium mounted an experimental, high-velocity 37mm gun. Like all these machines, the T2 went through many experimental modifications until it was retired in the mid-1930s.
Beginning in 1930, several T1s were completely rebuilt into almost completely new machines. The T1 got a new power train, and the turret mounted the same 37mm gun as the T1 Medium. In 1932, one was rebuilt as the T1E4 to test the British Vickers-Armstrong suspension. Another, T1E5, was used to test other components. The last to be rebuilt, T1E6, was used for engine tests. While all the machines mentioned so far were considered successful, the Army wanted to test some European tanks. The Army borrowed from Vickers-Armstrong of England a “six-tonner” and a Carden Loyd Light. These were the first foreign tanks the Army tested since World War I, and while they had some good features, the Army found them unsuitable. In many respects, they were not as good as the Army’s own experimental machines.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
