Independent

Independent

Independent

Britain

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.3	1.3	1.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Heavy tank

Purchase:2 100

Show in game

Description

The Independent (A1E1) is a premium Rank I British heavy tank with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters". The A1E1, with its five turrets, serve as the instigator of the multi-turreted concept that spread to the Soviet T-35 and the German Neubaufahrzeug.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	28 mm (0-27°)	13 mm Top 13 + 10 mm Bottom	13 mm (0-58°)	8 mm
Main turret	28 mm (6-48°) Turret front 20 mm (6°) Gun mantlet	28 mm	28 mm	8 mm
Secondary turrets	13 mm (0-3°)	13 mm	13 mm	8 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, tracks are 20 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons)	Add-on Armor weight (tons)	Max speed (km/h)
31.7	N/A	34 (AB)
		32 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	478	588
Realistic/Simulator	327	370
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	15.17	18.54
Realistic/Simulator	10.31	11.67

Armaments

Main armament

47 mm OQF 3-pounder
Capacity			Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Stabilizer
201			-4°/+20°	±180°	Vertical
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	5.9	8.2	__.__	__.__	__.__
Realistic	5.9	7.0	__.__	__.__	__.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
3.9	__.__	__.__	__.__

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration in mm @ 90°
		10m	100m	500m	1000m	1500m	2000m
Shell Mk.I	APHE	55	53	45	38	22	19

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity in m/s	Projectile Mass in kg	Fuse delay in m:	Fuse sensitivity in mm:	Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):	Normalization At 30° from horizontal:	Ricochet:
								0%	50%	100%
Shell Mk.I	APHE	563	1.7	1.2	25	15		47°	60°	65°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the A1E1 Independent.

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	10th rack empty	11th rack empty	12th rack empty	13th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
201	181 (+20)	166 (+35)	151 (+50)	136 (+65)	121 (+80)	106 (+95)	91 (+110)	76 (+125)	61 (+140)	46 (+155)	31 (+170)	16 (+185)	1 (+200)	No

Turret empty: 181 (+20)

Machine guns

7.7 mm Vickers
Front left turret mount							Front right turret mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
4,000 (250)				390	-10°/+15°	-130°/+40°	4,000 (250)				390	-10°/+15°	-40°/+130°
Rear left turret mount							Rear right turret mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
4,000 (250)				390	-10°/+15°	-0°/+130°	4,000 (250)				390	-10°/+15°	-130°/+0°

Usage in the battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Pros:

• 47 mm gun is adequate.
• Large ammo reserve.
• One available ammo type makes it easier to use for beginners.
• A rare sight. Many players will not know where the critical components are.
• It has explosives in the AP rounds, very rare in British vehicles.
• Like other large tanks (eg T-35, T-28 and SMK) it is a very complex vehicle to kill. There are plenty of turrets, big tracks and curvy/angled parts to soak up rounds and 8 crew members to boot.

Cons:

• Very long tank, hard to hide side from flankers.
• Only one ammo type.
• Armour is quite thin.
• Vulnerable to 20mm auto cannons. In many ways they are more effective than normal cannons due to their high rate of fire.
• APHE is inconsistent due to vehicles the Independent will be facing in general have less than 25 mm of armor.

History

Development

During the interwar period, British General Staff requested for a heavy tank design in 1924. The project, undertaken by an engineer named Walter Gordon Wilson, was designed by the Armstrong Siddeley engineering group. The finished prototype model was delivered to War Office in 1926. The design of the tank, named "Independent", was a multi-turreted design with a total of five turrets. The one in the center held a 3-pounder 47 mm gun while the other smaller turrets at the main turret's corner held Vickers machine guns. The tank can hold 8 crew members, a driver, four machine gunners, and three in the turret. It was around 28 tons and 25 feet long, despite being only 8 feet wide. This length caused some early problems as the tracks were too thin for the width, causing the rear sprocket wheels to peel the vehicle design as it continues to turn. W.G. Wilson attempted to fix this with an epicyclic steering system, but the tracks still wore out quickly. A unique feature on the Independent was a small opening on the left side of the tank that allowed for the placement of a stretcher for wounded crew members inside the tank to be pulled out from.

During the development and testing process, the Independent design was a item of espionage by the international community. Plans of the design ended up in the Soviet Union and in Germany, with a British officer named Norman Baillie-Stewart court-martialled for supplying secrets to the Germans, including the Independent plans. This espionage influenced several tank designs from these countries, with the T-28 and T-35 in the Soviet Union and the Neubaufahrzeug in Germany.

Cancellation

The Independent was tested by War Office all the way until 1935, but it was a troublesome design. Most of the tests focused on its automotive performance, not even passing along to gunnery trials. The Independent was also used in a officer school for recommendations and examinations. The only model built, the prototype, was deemed worn out in 1935 as the War Office saw no need to spend more money on the design when other vehicles were being produced. They retired the Independent and sent the model to the Bovington Tank Museum, where it sits today for display.

Media

Videos

Bovington Tank Museum Tank Chats: A1E1 Independent

Read also

• [Devblog] A1E1 Independent - A Land Ironclad

Sources

• The Tank Museum. Tank Chats #24 A1E1 Independent. YouTube. YouTube, 05 Aug. 2016. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.[1]