Cruiser Mk I

Tank, Cruiser, Mk I (A9)
Tank, Cruiser, Mk I (A9)
Type	Cruiser tank
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1938–1941
Used by	British Army
Wars	Second World War
Production history
Designer	Sir John Carden
Designed	1934–1936
Manufacturer	Vickers
Produced	1936–1941
No. built	125
Specifications
Mass	12.8 long tons (13.0 t) battle weight[1]
Length	19 ft (5.8 m)
Width	8 ft 4 in (2.5 m)
Height	8 ft 8 in (2.65 m)
Crew	6 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver, 2x MG gunners)
Armour	6 - 14 mm
Main armament	QF 2-pdr 100 rounds
Secondary armament	3 x 0.303 Vickers machine gun 3,000 rounds
Engine	AEC 179 6-cylinder petrol[2] 150 hp (110 kW)
Suspension	sprung triple wheel bogie
Operational range	150 miles (240 km)
Maximum speed	25 mph (40 km/h)

The Tank, Cruiser, Mk I (A9) was a British cruiser tank of the interwar period. It was the first cruiser tank: a fast tank designed to bypass the main enemy lines and engage the enemy's lines of communication, as well as enemy tanks. The Cruiser Mk II was a more heavily armoured adaptation of the Mark I, developed at much the same time.