Mark V Composite in Estonian service

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Mark V Composite
Estonian Mark V Composite tanks on the Republics anniversary parade on 24th of February, 1925.
Type	Heavy tank
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	4 1919–1940
Used by	Estonia
Wars	Estonian War of Independence
Production history
Manufacturer	William Foster & Co. of Lincoln
Produced	1918–1919
Specifications
Weight	33 tonnes
Length	8.25 m
Width	3.65 m
Height	2.65 m
Crew	9

Armour	6–12 mm
Primary armament	1x57mm gun 200 rounds 3x7.7mm Hotchkiss Machine Guns 10350 rounds
Engine	Ricardo petrol engine 150 bhp
Speed	8 km/h

The British Mark V Composite tank, a development of the Tank Mark I saw service with the Estonian Army in the Estonian War of Independence from 1919 to 1920.

1 Design and development
2 History
- 2.1 Heavy Tanks Company
- 2.2 Auto-Tanks Division
3 The end of the division
- 3.1 During the Soviet occupation
- 3.2 Appearance in World War II
4 Gallery
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Design and development

The Mark V was intended to be built as completely new design. When, however in December 1917, the desired new engine and transmission became available, this design was abandoned and the designation switched to an improved version of the Mark IV, in fact a Mark IV as it was originally intended: more power (150 bhp) with a new Ricardo engine, improved steering mechanism and epicyclical transmission, only one driver was needed. Cabin for machine-gunner on the roof. Four hundred were built, 200 each of Males and Females. Several were converted to Hermaphrodites by swapping sponsons to give a single 6 pounder gun and extra machine gun.

[edit] History

The first Mark V Composite tanks reached Estonia at the end of 1919.^[1] As Estonia requested tanks to be sent for the Estonian People´s Force from the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War, it was refused. The Entente was probably afraid to send larger amounts of war materials to Estonia as it was afraid of that Estonia might be defeated by the Soviet Russia.^{[citation needed]} An unexpected opportunity to obtain such tanks came when the Northwestern Army was defeated by the Soviets and was retreating towards Estonia. During the Yudenich Northwestern Army abolishing the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian Defence Forces Johan Laidoner received a permission to takeover the Russian tanks. This action brought four Mark V and two Renault FT 17 tanks to Estonia. According to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief daily order nr.770 on the 26 November 1919 Captain Hans Vanaveski was ordered to organize a training unit under the name of Tank Class. This unit was placed under the direct orders of the Reserve Forces commander. This act was previously approved on 23 November by the Minister of War.

[edit] Heavy Tanks Company

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[edit] Auto-Tanks Division

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[edit] The end of the division

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[edit] During the Soviet occupation

The heavy tank company was taken over by the Red Army in February 1941. The tanks were in a very poor condition and hardly able to move by their own power. As the Red Army did not have tank transport platforms for the railway, the tanks were left behind in a warehouse near Tallinn, which was soon after forgotten. The tanks were relocated again in August the same year when they were used to cover the Soviet retreat from Tallinn. Mark Vs were dug into the soil along the Pirita river coastal line in order to create stationary gun platforms for the defence line. There are no records however of the usage or success of this plan, yet it is certain that it was tried out.^[2]

[edit] Appearance in World War II

The ultimate fate of these four Estonian Mark V Composite tanks is believed to have been melted down somewhere in the Third Reich into armour steel for the German total war effort. Would the outcome of history have been different these tanks had provided unique exhibits for the Estonian War Museum.^[3]

[edit] Gallery

Russian Northwestern Army tanks in Tallinn (1919)	Mark V "Wahtula" tank on the Auto-Tank Regiment summerdays	Demonstration drive near the Beach gates of Tallinn (1920)	Driving along Pärnu highway (1920)
Driving along Tallinn (1920)	Driving along the hills of the Beach Gates of Tallinn (1920)	Estonian tank crew repearing the tank	Mark V tank frontal view

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ Estonian Armoured Machines. Tiit Noormets & Mati Õun. Tammiskilp 1999. Page 40
^ Estonian Armoured Machines. Tiit Noormets & Mati Õun. Tammiskilp 1999. Page 94
^ http://www.raamatukoi.ee/cgi-bin/raamat?79813
Estonian Armoured Machines. Tiit Noormets & Mati Õun. Tammiskilp 1999. Page 95