Mark VIII “Liberty” International Tank

Mark VIII “Liberty” International Tank

When America entered World War 1 in April 1917 it was found wanting a working tank to cross the German trenches, which the British Tank Mark 1 had the previous year. Both nations joined a committee whilst in France and the design for the Liberty Tank aka Mark VIII International Tank. It had a similar layout and appearance to that of British Tanks, but with many improvements including:

Internal bulkheads separating the crew from the engine (protecting crew from fumes)
Amour thickness increased
Command and driver were stationed in a new superstructure on top of the tank

Some Liberty Tanks were built and one shipped to France, however with the signing of the Armistice, American Tank Corps were disbanded.

Mark VIII “Liberty” International Tank Spec’s

Armaments: x2 57mm Main Gun and x7 7.62mm Machine Guns
Armour: 16mm steel
Crew: 11
Dimension: Length 10.4m / Width 3.81m / Height 3.12m
Weight: 37 tonne
Engine: Ricardo 300hp petrol
Top Road Speed: 10km/h
Operational Range: 80km