bovington tank museum – Felix's Gaming Pages

Cruiser, Mk III (A13)

Tank Cruiser Mark III (T9143 “Agility”): A British Cruiser Mk III tank on display in the Tank Story Hall at The Tank Museum. It is painted to represent the standard Cruiser III “T9143” named “Agility” from the 10th Royal Hussars, 1st Armoured Division, during June 1940.

This vehicle is one of the 65 Cruiser IIIs delivered between December 1938 and November 1939. It was apparently retained to prove the attachment of armour plates on the turret in fulfilment of the Cruiser IV’s armour specification (30mm), which is the configuration in which it survives. It was held by the School of Tank Technology until 1949, when it transferred to the Tank Museum. It is painted to represent a vehicle commanded by Ron Huggins (who later volunteered at the Tank Museum) of 10th Royal Hussars – a part of 1st Armoured Division, which served in western France in June 1940.”

Vickers Armstrongs Mark E

Alongside their work for the British armed forces Vickers-Armstrongs produced military equipment for export to foreign armies. Their earliest commercial tank designs failed to sell but in 1928 they produced a masterpiece. Known as the ‘six-tonner’ it was a remarkable design, with a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine driving to a gearbox and track sprockets at the front of the tank. There were two main variants; some tanks were supplied with two machine-gun turrets (Type A) while others carried a larger single turret (Type B).

Following trials the British Army turned it down but the tank was a major export success. It sold all around the world, from South America to Japan and was even studied by the United States Army. It was licensed by the Soviets as the T-26. It was also the direct predecessor of the Polish 7TP tank and influenced tank design in many other countries.

The Bovington Tank Museum exhibit, a (Type B), is displayed in the fancy camouflage style adopted by Vickers for their commercial offerings; it is seen at a mythical army equipment exhibition some time in the thirties.

More photographs of the Vickers 6-Ton tank and another photograph of the Vickers 6-Ton tank from earlier visits to the Tank Museum.

You can imagine in A Very British Civil War scenario, the Vickers factory ramping up production and making these tanks available to one of the armies for fighting the civil war. They could be used as the core of an armoured thrust in a major battle, or they might be used to provide security in cities.

Vickers Medium Mark II*

Introduced in 1923 the Vickers Mediums were the first British tanks to see service fitted with a sprung suspension and a rotating turret. Designed to fight on the move, their high speed of 30 mph restored mobility to the battlefield. The hull was riveted. The engine, an air cooled Armstrong Siddeley, was mounted in the front of the tank, alongside the driver. Originally described as a light tank, the advent of even smaller tanks weighing about five tons, resulted in the Vickers’ design being reclassified as a medium tank.

This is the Vickers Medium Mark II* at the Bovington Tank Museum.

It was the main British tank from 1923 until 1935.

The Medium Mark II was completely obsolete by the beginning of World War II. The survivors were used for training during the first few years of the War. Some were issued to combat forces to make up their strength after the loss of most British first line tanks during the retreat from France in 1940. Others were sent to Egypt as training vehicles and were pressed into service with the Western Desert Force. They were buried as fixed defences at Mersa Matruh and Tobruk.

Vickers sold 15 Medium Tanks to the Soviet Union in 1930, they were used for training. Rather surprisingly, the Finns captured half a dozen of these relics from the Russians in the autumn of 1941. At least one other went to Australia, while a single example of a developed version, the Mark C, was sold to Japan. This vehicle formed the basis of the Japanese Type 89 tank design. A single example of the final version, the Medium Mark D, was sold to Eire where it remained in service until 1940.

These would be the mainstay tanks of any A Very British Civil War scenarios

Panzer II

The Panzer II was the common name for a family of German tanks used in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen II (abbreviated PzKpfw II). Although the vehicle had originally been designed as a stopgap while more advanced tanks were developed, it nonetheless went on to play an important role in the early years of World War II, during the Polish and French campaigns. By the end of 1942 it had been largely removed from front line service, and production of the tank itself ceased by 1943.

This one was on display at the Bovington Tank Museum.

When they first appeared, in 1936, the Panzer IIs were regarded as platoon commander’s tanks. They were also employed to give fire support to the Panzer I in combat with enemy tanks. However by 1940 they had been outclassed and were relegated to the reconnaissance role. This exhibit, an Ausfuhrung (or Model) F featured improved armour and was introduced in 1941.

This tank was captured by British forces in North Africa but it is shown in the markings of 1st Panzer Division at the time of the invasion of France in June 1940.

Vickers Crossley Armoured Car Chevrolet

This Vickers Crossley Armoured Car Chevrolet (Indian Pattern) was on display at Bovington.

In 1915 the British Army started to use armoured cars in India, particularly on the North West Frontier, to relieve troops needed elsewhere. They proved so successful that this soon became standard policy. Shortly after the war the Indian Government purchased 16 Rolls-Royce cars to a new design but these proved so expensive that subsequent orders were placed with Crossley Motors in Manchester who made a tough but cheap 50hp IAG1 chassis. Substantial numbers of these cars were supplied between 1923 and 1925.

The body design, which was very similar to the Rolls-Royce version and built by Vickers at Crayford, had a number of interesting features. These included a dome-shaped turret, with four machine-gun mounts, which was designed to deflect rifle shots from snipers in ambush positions in the high passes. A clamshell cupola surmounted the turret for the commander, while side doors opened opposite ways on either side so that a crew member could dismount safely under fire. The crew area was lined with asbestos to keep the temperature down and the entire body could be electrified to keep large crowds at bay.

By 1939, when the Royal Tank Corps in India had handed most of its equipment over to the Indian Army, the Crossleys were worn out. The bodies were then transferred to imported Canadian Chevrolet chassis, with pneumatic tyres, and in this form served with Indian forces in the Middle East in the early years of the war.

From a previous visit, photographs of the Vickers Crossley Armoured Car Chevrolet (Indian Pattern) and from another visit, more photographs.

You can imagine in an early Very British Civil War scenario in the early 1920s, the Vickers factory making these armoured cars available to one of the armies for fighting the civil war. You would have to think about some rules for allowing the entire body could be electrified and the impact that this would have in games.

Little Willie

Constructed in late 1915 by William Foster & Co. of Lincoln, Little Willie holds a monumental place in military history as the world’s first completed working tank prototype. Developed under the auspices of the Admiralty’s Landships Committee and engineered jointly by Sir William Tritton and Major Walter Wilson, the 16.5-ton vehicle, originally dubbed the Lincoln Machine No. 1, was built using unarmored boiler plate to test the feasibility of a tracked, armoured war machine.

Driven by a 105-horsepower Daimler engine and fitted with trailing rear steering wheels, it demonstrated that an internal combustion engine paired with tracks could carry heavy armor across difficult ground. However, its low-slung, boxy hull and high center of gravity gave it poor trench-crossing capabilities, while its planned overhead gun turret was abandoned to lower its profile. Although Little Willie never saw combat, its fundamental lessons directly inspired the iconic rhomboidal design of the successor prototype “Mother” and the subsequent Mark I tank. Today, as the oldest surviving tank in existence, Little Willie is preserved as a flagship exhibit at The Tank Museum in Bovington.

Irish Defence Force Armoured Vehicles

For me two of the most interesting vehicles at Tankfest 26 were the two armoured vehicles from the Irish Army Museum at the Curragh.

These were used by the Irish Defence Forces. There was a Landsverk L180 armoured car.

There was also a Landsverk L-60 tank..

These were of Swedish origin. The Irish government only bought two Landsverk L-60 tanks. Likewise there weren’t many Landsverk L180 armoured cars either, after an initial order of two, a further six were delivered in 1939. Another five were ordered, but could not be delivered because of the war.

Seeing these and later reading about the Irish Defence Forces it got me thinking about possible period scenarios involving these armoured vehicles. I also got thinking what if the Irish government decided to beef up their armed forces in response to threats to their country.

German Invasion of Ireland – The German High Command did in fact draw up an invasion plan for Ireland, called Operation Green. The plan was to mislead the UK about German plans, and the plan itself was seen as a support for the main Operation Sealion.

Though you could also see a scenario, where the Germans did successfully invade Great Britain, and then plan to invade Ireland to prevent the US from using Ireland as a staging for liberating occupied Great Britain (and the rest of Europe). Following a successful invasion of the UK mainland, and the surrender of the UK, the German High Command decided that the threat posed by a neutral Ireland being used a stepping stone by US forces and was too great.

British Invasion of Ireland – In order to stop Germany using Iceland, the British did invade the island country in the North Atlantic. Operation Fork saw the landing of Royal Navy and Royal Marines forces at Reykjavík, who occupied Iceland without resistance. Would they do something similar with Ireland. The British government, in secret liaison with the Irish government, drafted Plan W, a planned occupation of Ireland by the British Armed Forces to counteract a potential German invasion.

The question is, would there be resistance from the Irish forces. Would neutral Ireland seek support from others, America perhaps, even Germany.

Both these ideas, depending on the timeframe could be used as the basis for some interesting games between various forces.

Mark II Female F53 The Flying Scotsman

Mark II Female F53 285 The Flying Scotsman was on display at Bovington. It took part in the Battle of Arras in April 1917.

Originally intended for training in the UK, this Mark II wasn’t built for battle. Made from boilerplate steel, it lacked the hardened armor to resist machine gun fire. Despite this, it found itself thrust into combat at Arras in 1917. One of 25 Male Mark IIs built by William Foster, it’s the world’s oldest surviving tank to see battlefield action.

Christened “Dahlia” (D5), it belonged to 3 section, 10 Company, D Battalion. A shortage of Mark I tanks forced the use of 45 training Mark IIs, including Dahlia, during the Battle of Arras in April 1917.

D5’s story continues. With the arrival of the more advanced Mark IV tanks, many Mark IIs faced decommission. D5, however, dodged the scrap heap and received a new lease on life. Its guns were removed, replaced by a larger roof hatch, transforming it into a vital supply carrier christened “The Flying Scotsman” with the designation F53. Some believe it even saw action at the Battle of Cambrai later in 1917.

Through an extraordinary twist of fate, D5 escaped the fate of most wartime vehicles. It returned to England and eventually found a permanent home at The Tank Museum in Bovington in 1949. Initially mistaken for a Mark I due to its modifications, D5’s true identity was revealed when a real Mark I joined the museum’s collection in 1970. After years displayed outdoors, the museum’s expansion finally offered D5 a well-deserved place in the new tank hall, safe from the harsh British weather.

Today, D5 stands as a testament to wartime improvisation and the sheer resilience of these early armored vehicles. It’s a reminder that even training tanks can play a crucial role, and that sometimes, history takes unexpected turns, preserving a piece of the past for future generations.

More photographs of Mark II Female F53 285 The Flying Scotsman.

Carden-Loyd Mark VI Carrier

This Carden Loyd Carrier Mark VI MT9909 E61 was on display at the Tank Museum at Bovington.

The Carden Loyd tankettes were a series of British tankettes of the period between the World Wars, the most successful of which was the Mark VI, the only version built in significant numbers.

It became a classic tankette design worldwide, was licence-built by several countries and became the basis of several designs produced in various countries.

A tankette is a tracked armoured fighting vehicle that resembles a small tank, roughly the size of a car. It is mainly intended for light infantry support and scouting. Colloquially it may also simply mean a small tank. Several countries built tankettes between the 1920s and 1940s, and some saw limited combat in the early phases of World War II. The vulnerability of their light armour, however, eventually led armies to abandon the concept.

Lanchester Armoured Car

The Lanchester armoured car was a British armoured car built on the chassis of the Lanchester “Sporting Forty”, it saw wide service with the Royal Naval Air Service and British Army during the First World War. The Lanchester was the second most numerous World War I armoured car in British service after the Rolls-Royce armoured car.

Six-wheeled armoured cars were seen as having a better cross-country performance than four-wheelers. In pursuit of quality the War Office ignored offers from various commercial vehicle firms and, since Rolls-Royce was not interested, turned its attention to Lanchester, a famous rival. The Lanchester Company had supplied four-wheeled armoured cars to the Admiralty in 1915 but this six-wheeled chassis was a major departure for them. It was equipped with the standard Lanchester six-cylinder engine and used the War Department patent rear axle system.

Taking advantage of the long chassis, the armoured hull and turret were enormous and contained three machine-guns. Yet the Lanchesters were much too big for reconnaissance duties, being almost impossible to turn around in narrow roads. For this reason a rear steering position was provided and the cars had detachable tracks which fitted over the rear wheels to assist them over rough country. They were also extremely expensive and the War Office was soon looking for something cheaper.

Thirty-nine armoured Lanchesters were built, starting in 1928, and they were issued to the newly mechanised cavalry regiments. They spent most of their time in Britain although in 1935 the 12th Lancers took some cars out to the Saarland and a few were tested in the Middle East. The cars were used for training in the early years of the war and one was converted into a secure VIP transport for use in London.

This got me thinking about possible uses for the Lanchester armoured car in A Very British Civil War scenarios, but also in an Operation Sealion scenario where German paratroopers attempt to kidnap Winston Churchill who is being moved in a convoy including the Lanchester armoured car which was converted into a secure VIP transport for use in London.

Though not initially earmarked for the Coats Mission, you can imagine that such armoured cars would be an useful addition to the plans for the mission.

The Coats Mission was a special British army unit established in England in 1940 for the purpose of evacuating King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and their immediate family, in the event of a German invasion of Britain during the Second World War. The Coats Mission was equipped with two Daimler armoured cars and four Guy armoured cars. In addition, the four Rolls-Royce armoured cars based at the Royal Mews would be attached to the troop in the event of an evacuation.

A few were still operating in Malaya in 1941 with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders; these ultimately fell into Japanese hands.

Photographs of the Lanchester Armoured Car from previous visits in 2016 and 2023.