Vickers Mk.1

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This page is about the British medium tank Vickers Mk.1. For other versions, see Vickers MBT (Family).
Vickers Mk.1
uk_vickers_mbt_mk_1.png
GarageImage Vickers Mk.1.jpg
ArtImage Vickers Mk.1.png
Vickers Mk.1
AB RB SB
8.0 8.0 8.0
Class:
Research:105 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:300 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Vickers Battle Tank Mk.1 is a rank V British medium tank with a battle rating of 8.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica".

The Vickers Mk.1 is like a sniper, designed to engage with minimal threat to the tank and its crew while still being a major thorn in the enemy's side. Stick to the knowledge of the maps you'll be playing on to enhance your defensive playstyle, grabbing husks of old tanks or tank ditches to your advantage then bursting out of cover to ambush enemies.

That being said, the Vickers has pitiful armour that rarely stands up to any punishment other than SPAA, and even then this is true for the front armour. The ~100 mm frontal armour on the turret is good for stray or hurried shots, although the lack of slopes inhibits your chances of bouncing shots, let the environment do this for you.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull80 / 30 / 20
Turret80 / 40 / 40
Crew4 people
Visibility108 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 60 mm (56°) Front glacis
80 mm (32°) Lower glacis
30 mm Top
30 + 4 mm Bottom
20 mm (4-5°) Top
19 mm (58°)
25 mm
5 mm Grills
Turret 80 mm (19°) Turret front
40-100 mm (1-73°) Gun mantlet
40-60 mm (1-17°) 40 mm (10°)
60 mm (1°) Turret ring
25 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB54 / 13 km/h
RB and SB49 / 12 km/h
Number of gears6 forward
2 back
Weight38.1 t
Engine power
AB1 160 hp
RB and SB608 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB30.4 hp/t
RB and SB16.0 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 54 13 38.1 942 1,160 24.72 30.45
Realistic 49 12 538 608 14.12 15.96

The tank has a mediocre off-road top speed of 32 km/h (20 mph) stock, yet can do -11 km/h (-7 mph) in reverse, so don't be afraid to duck back into cover. Suspension is quite strong on this tank, in AB a spaded Vickers Mk.1 can climb hills better than other vehicles. It can even tow other tanks up there if their suspension allows it.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB3 837 → 5 582 Sl icon.png
RB4 319 → 6 284 Sl icon.png
SB5 964 → 8 677 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications87 200 Rp icon.png
147 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 100 Ge icon.png
Crew training86 000 Sl icon.png
Experts300 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 200 Ge icon.png
Research Aces720 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
130 / 200 / 220 % Sl icon.png
196 / 196 / 196 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
6 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 800 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
5 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 200 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
5 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 200 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
7 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
7 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
4 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 800 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
3 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 200 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement uk.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
6 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 800 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
5 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 200 Sl icon.png
195 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
7 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods night vision device.png
NVD
Research:
7 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Main armament

Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Ammunition44 rounds
First-order11 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
6.5 → 5.0 s
Vertical guidance-7° / 20°
105 mm Royal Ordnance L7A1 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 44 -7°/+20° ±180° Two-plane 26.37 36.50 44.32 49.01 52.14 6.50 5.75 5.30 5.00
Realistic 16.48 19.39 23.55 26.04 27.70

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Shot L28A1 APDS 350 347 333 317 302 287
Shell L35 HESH 127 127 127 127 127 127
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Shot L28A1 APDS 1,478 4 - - - 75° 78° 80°
Shell L35 HESH 720 11.4 0.1 4 3.15 73° 77° 80°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Vickers Mk.1
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
44 43 (+1) 41 (+3) 39 (+5) 37 (+7) 12 (+32) (+43) No

Notes:

  • Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
  • Rack 6 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 11 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
  • This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 6 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 5.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-5 into rack 6. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

Additional armament

Ammunition600 rounds
Belt capacity3 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
0.6 → 0.5 s
Fire rate300 shots/min
Main article: L21A1 (12.7 mm)

The 12.7 mm L21A1 machine gun is specifically used to determine ranging for the main gun. While the game indicates a very short clip of 3 rounds, it is in fact more accurate to say that the MG only fires small bursts of 3 rounds. It is not fired alongside the other machine guns but through the "Fire from secondary guns" option (Controls > Ground Vehicles > Weaponry).

12.7 mm L21A1
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 600 (3) 300 N/A N/A

Machine guns

Ammunition3 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate500 shots/min
Main article: L3A1 (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm L3A1
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 3,000 (250) 500 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

Although it can be done with its excellent reload speed of 5-7 seconds (crew skill depending), mixing ranks with the enemy is ill advised: instead take upon a sniping role. Your gun has only two types of ammo, both stock so research is not required for enhanced destruction. That being said, the APDS is a potent weapon that has 302 mm of pen at 100 m, falling to 252 mm at 2,500 m: all ranges can be targeted, with enemies moving towards more manoeuvrability over armour in the high ranks. However, the rounds lack spalling potential, so the damage inflicted on a tank interior must be in the APDS direct path past the penetration. If you aim for the turret weak spots, the barrel or breech will be your most common hits, incurring 20-30 precious seconds of repair time. If for any reason you're forced to engage while exposed, attempt to disable the enemy's gun or gunner first, before utilizing the excellent reload time to finish the target off.

The HESH shell is a very different story. While this odd round has its uses, it's somewhat limited in effectiveness against many targets. HESH, which stands for High Explosive Squash Head, relies on this so called 'squash head' spreading as much as possible, creating a spalling effect within the targeted vehicle. This means that it's not particularly effective against thick armour; and it should rather be used against lightly-armoured targets or targets which rely on highly angled armour for survivability. Generally, Vickers tankers will learn to prefer their APDS round for most engagements, only resorting to HESH against select targets.

Some enemies that can be rough to deal with:

  • The Lorraine 40t will bounce more shots than you care to admit, or your hits will do minor damage. Just out the nature of the reserved play style this tank likes, any fast tanks will be a problem due to their ability to close the gap as you attempt to reach your favourite position. Engine and transmission upgrades will lessen this, in time.
  • All Soviet tanks are difficult to deal with, yet learning their weak spots will lead you to victory.
  • German tanks are a problem due to their accuracy and fast reload times, however the cheeks of their turrets, especially the Tiger II, are prime targets for eagle-eyed gunners.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Stock APDS shell has very high penetration values
  • APDS shell has a high muzzle velocity, offering a flat trajectory
  • HESH ammunition is effective against lightly armoured vehicles
  • Has a 12.7 mm L21A1 machine gun designed for range finding (same trajectory as HESH)
  • Fast reload speed
  • Above average reverse speed compared to some British tanks
  • Excellent manoeuvrability, even over rough terrain

Cons:

  • Poor armour, even lower ranked guns are quite a threat
  • Depression of only -7° which is below average for British tanks
  • Lack of ammunition choices, with access to APDS and HESH only
  • APDS causes minimal post-penetration damage, meaning that destroying some vehicles can be a challenge
  • Many SPAA vehicles can penetrate your sides or back
  • The L21A1 machine gun has a very low fire rate (5 rounds/second) and only shoots low-penetration incendiary rounds

History

The Vickers-Amstrong Company designed the Vickers Mk.1 in the sixties as a cheap and efficient variant of the Chieftain, ready to be exported. In 1961, India purchased the license for development, and Vickers-Armstrong helped to set up the factory. Over the course of its life, many variants were developed, including the Mk.2 and Mk.3. Later, Vickers Valiant(Mk.4) in 1977 and finally Mk.7 MBT. Currently, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania are the foremost operators.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Vickers-Armstrongs Limited
Ships 
Tribal-class  HMS Eskimo · HMCS Haida
Invincible-class  HMS Invincible***
Kongō-class  IJN Kongo****
Tanks 
Light Tanks  VFM5**
Light Tank Mk VI  Light AA Mk I
Light Tank Mk VII  Tetrarch I
Light Tank Mk VIII  Alecto I
Tank, Infantry, Valentine  Valentine I · Valentine IX · Valentine XI · Archer
Vickers MBT  Vickers Mk.1 · Vickers Mk.3 · Vickers Mk.7**
Heavy Tanks  Independent*
Export  ▂МК-IX "Valentine" · Vickers Mk.E*
See also  Vickers-Armstrongs Aircraft Limited
  ***Previously Armstrong Whitworth
  *Previously Vickers Limited
  **Vickers Defence Systems
  ****Built for Japan

Britain medium tanks
Valentine  Valentine I · Valentine IX · Valentine XI
Cromwell  Cromwell I · Cromwell V · Cromwell V (RP-3)
Cromwell derivatives  Challenger · Avenger · Comet I · Comet I "Iron Duke IV" · Charioteer Mk VII
Centurion  Centurion Mk 1 · Centurion Mk.2 · Centurion Mk 3 · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk 10 · Centurion Action X · FV4202
Vickers MBT  Vickers Mk.1 · Vickers Mk.3 · Vickers Mk.7
Chieftain  Chieftain Mk 3 · Chieftain Mk 5 · Chieftain Mk 10
Challenger 1  Challenger Mk.2 · Challenger Mk.3 · Challenger DS
Challenger 2  Challenger 2 · Challenger 2 (2F) · Challenger 2 TES · Challenger 2 OES · Challenger 2E · Challenger 2 Black Night
Challenger 3  Challenger 3 TD
Australia  A.C.I · A.C.IV · Centurion Mk.5/1
South Africa  Olifant Mk.1A · Olifant Mk.2 · TTD
India  Vijayanta · Bhishma TWMP
Israel  ▄Sho't Kal Dalet
Jordan  Khalid
Sweden  ▄Strv 81 (RB 52)
USA  Grant I · Sherman II · Sherman Firefly · Sherman IC "Trzyniec"