British Tanks - The Whippet
MENG

The first light cavalry tank
Since the start of operations with the MK.I and IV it became clear that a slow moving vehicle was not the best solution to make any breakthrough. The idea was expressed by William Tritton, the maker of Little Willie and “Mother”, which became the Mk.I, to the newly created Tank Supply department. He expressed that a light and fast machine could better exploit the gaps made by heavier tanks in the enemy lines, reviving, in a way, the cavalry concept on a battlefield dominated by the machine-gun. This was in October 1916 and the department gave its consent on November 10. This was confirmed by the War Office on the 25th of the same month. Construction of a prototype of the “Tritton Chaser” began in December.

Design
The “Whippet” (the surname, found appropriate, was from Tritton himself) was studied and built at Fosters of Lincoln, with many features derived from Little Willie. The turret idea was revived and a prototype, hastily built on the basis of an Austin armored car, was tested in February with a rotating turret and presented on March 3rd at the “Tank trial days” before the War Office, at Oldbury. On the 4th of March, Sir Douglas Haig, the commander-in-chief of the British Army, approved an order of 200 units to be ready before the fall of July 1917. However, the heavily modified Austin showed at Oldsbury was nothing near the final prototype, and a lot of work and tests had still to be made. The Medium Mark A “Whippet” and its original shape, with a “fixed turret” at the rear, are now an iconic figure of WWI. This feature was due to the position of the engine and fuel tank at the front, and an octagonal case-mate for the crew was placed to the rear, bristling with machine-guns. The track system was entirely based on that of Little Willie, including the unsprung track links. The hull was riveted and made of reinforced iron plates, 8 to 14 mm (0.23-0.55 in) thick. The dual engine was derived from the ones propelling the well-known London “double-decker” or “imperial” buses, but required a complex steering system. Also the track skirts incorporated ingenious mud chutes.