Light tanks of the United Kingdom

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Tank, Light, Mk I to Mark V
Vickers light tanks cross the desert, 1940
Type	Light tank
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Production history
Designer	Vickers-Armstrongs
Manufacturer	Vickers-Armstrongs
Unit cost	£7,700 (1927, excluding the gun)[1]
Variants	Mk I, Mk II, Mk III, Mk IV, Mk V
Specifications (Light Tank, Mark V)
Mass	4.75 long tons (4.83 t)
Length	12 ft 10 in (3.91 m)
Width	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Height	7 ft 3 in (2.26 m)
Crew	2 (Mk I-IV) 3 (Mk V)
Armour	12 mm maximum
Main armament	.50 in Vickers machine gun
Secondary armament	.303 in Vickers machine gun
Engine	Meadows 6-cylinder petrol 88 hp
Suspension	Horstmann inclined springs
Operational range	130 mi (210 km)
Maximum speed	32.5 mph (52.3 km/h)

The Light Tank Mark I to Mark V were a series of related designs of light tank produced by Vickers for the British Army during the interwar period.

Between the First and Second World Wars, the British produced a series of similar light tanks. They saw use in training, and in limited engagements with British Empire units such as the South African Army during the East African Campaign of 1941. All were around 5 long tons (5.1 t) in weight and capable of 30 mph (48 km/h) on roads and around 20 mph (32 km/h) cross-country.

The British did not expect their light tanks to be used against anything except other light tanks at most and as such armament was a machine gun only—Vickers machine guns firing either a .303 inch or .0.5 inch (12.7 mm) round. Suspension was Horstmann coil spring on bogies. The engine was a Meadows six-cylinder petrol. Up until the Mk V, they were crewed by a driver-commander and gunner. The Mk V had a driver, a gunner and a commander helping on the gun.

The various marks were produced in relatively small numbers. By the Mark V, the design was more or less optimised and it was the final development of in the form of the Light Tank Mk VI which was chosen for the British Army expansion programme in expectation of war.

The following designations in the sequence Light Tank Mk VII "Tetrarch" and Light Tank Mk VIII "Harry Hopkins" were produced by Vickers but unrelated to the series of light tanks Mk I to Mark VI.