Vickers A1E1 "Independent" | |
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![]() The Vickers A1E1 in 1925 | |
Type | Tank |
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Vickers |
No. built | 1 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 33 long tons (34 t; 37 short tons) |
Length | 24 ft 11 in (7.59 m) |
Width | 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) |
Height | 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m) |
Crew | 8 |
Armour | 13–28 mm (0.51–1.10 in) |
Main armament | QF 3 pounder gun (47 mm) |
Secondary armament | 4 × 0.303 Vickers machine gun |
Engine | Armstrong Siddeley V12 petrol 370 hp (280 kW) |
Transmission | 4 forward, 1 reverse |
Suspension | coil spring bogies |
Operational range | 95 miles (153 km) |
Maximum speed | 20 mph (32 km/h) |
The Independent A1E1 is a multi-turreted tank that was designed by the British armaments manufacturer Vickers between the First and Second World Wars. Although it only ever reached the prototype stage and only a single example was built, it influenced many other tank designs.
The A1E1 design can be seen as a possible influence on the Soviet T-100 and T-28 tanks, the German Neubaufahrzeug tanks, and the British Medium Mk III and Cruiser Mk I (triple turret) tank designs. The Soviet T-35 tank was heavily influenced by its design.[1]