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 | Developement/Development: This light British Anti-Aircraft tracked vehicle was originally concept planned via various adaptations on the Lt Tank MkV chassis... there are photos with Boulton Paul Defiant weapons / turret system and drop down sides included... for a really strange looking 'creature'. Two limited production and experimental Lt Tank MkV chassis were used for prototyping with test fitting different AA weapons mounting systems starting in the fall of 1940. One had the power operated Boulton & Paul Quadruple Browning aircraft turret fitted... initially with the Perspex canopy and all! Then later folding armor flaps were fitted to the rear superstructure. Two of the Tank, Light (MkVI) AA Mark I's are shown to left and the Tank, Light (MkVI) AA Mark II type below.
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Lt MkV Experimental chassis with Boulton Paul Defiant Quad Browning Aircraft Turret and this photograph shows the drop sided version after the removal of the Perspex turret glazing.
The other or second MkV chassis acquired for development had a twin 15mm Besa machine gun mount that was mounted to replace the turret. Twin Besa 15mm variant on Experimental Lt MkV chassis
Two different versions of the production versions of the Lt Tank Mk VI AA's basic planform...
Tank, Light (MkVI) AA Mark I
Power operated turret mounting four 7.92mm Besa MG's installed on a modified superstructure (the initial prototype was built on a Lt MkVIA) from the Lt MkVIB. Additionally the Car, Armoured, AA, Humber Mk I appears to have used a similar turret to the evolution in development of the Tank, Light (MkVI) AA MkII. This free-traverse turret was designed by Stothert & Pitt Ltd and is nearly identical... and may have been a production expedient measure and one of the reasons for the change in design into the Tank, Light (MkVI) AA MkII version.
Early turret variant without armor 'splash' shields
Turret variant with armor 'splash' shields
Left armor 'splash and Besas are removed as well as ammo boxes to show the square frame holding devices and the mounting and elevation fixation bar and optical gunsight for the weapons system.
Tank, Light (MkVI) AA Mark II
Similar to the Mark I but had improvements in the optical sights and a bit roomier and egressable turret. An external ammunition bin was also mounted on the hull rear.
Censor has played with this and the "HURRICANE" photos
Turret with rear hull adaptation features...
Turret details below...
Operational Use
The specific structure of use was that four of these Lt Tank MkVI AA were to be attached to each Regimental HQ Squadron.
Confusion arises as to the refitting/rebuilding of older chassis of these obsolete vehicles and producing an AA from the left over chassis... T1742 is remarked or named and becomes "Hurricane"... Tank, Light (MkVI) AA Mark I
AANA Founding Seven Researcher, "DavidW", queried about the 'Diablo' marking on the Lt Tank MkVI AA photos... "Is the Diablo an old marking from when the chassis mounted a normal turret, and the vehicle was in Tobruk? I can't think why else a vehicle from late 1942 would be so marked.
It does not appear that many more than 30-40 of this type I & II variants were ever produced or retrofitted from the production figure reports.
Everything the British Army had in inventory that could be sent by ship to Montgomery appears to have been mustered for the Summer to Fall of 1942 campaigning... it seems that 12-15 AA's were on hand and this might well be where the IWM photo arises... the NZ's having a quartet of these might also be possible as an attachment in the NZ's HQ 'Protective Force'... another thought is that the IWM photo might be in the Egyptian Training Grounds later in the war and after the end of the campaign.
I must leave this expertise to those like yourself to clear the haze of historical ambiguity!
Weblink:
Tank, Light (MkVI) AA Mark I T2011
Photo and Link Courtesy "Ricky" Site Administrator of Tanks in WWII Forum: Tanks In WWII: Topic Light Tank AA Mk I
Photographs
Examination: Red/White/Red or RTR flash and my 'cursed' three bar horizontal R/W/B & B/W/R dependant on which side or front or rear of vehicle it was displayed and the unique display of these tri-color markings on the vertical that confuse many marking's experts for front and rear R/W/B & B/W/R (instead of the normal thinking of R/W/R)... this was supposedly an HQ AA Support vehicle sent in for Operation Torch and so duly marked and I can debunk the naysayers about the tri-color application theory that I have been researching for months now. (Photo / tank appears to be censored and paint runs are very apparent)
Tank, Light (MkVI) AA Mark I
Bibliography
SOON!
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