British Mk IV tank [Paperback]

David Fletcher's BRITISH MARK IV TANK tells of the Mark IV tank which worked against the Germans from 1917 to the end of World War I. It charts the first tank-versus-tank actions against the Germans, British technology, and displays rare footage of the Mark IVs used against the Allies. An excellent addition to any serious, in-depth World War I collection.

British tank expert David Fletcher follows up his successful British Mark I Tank 1916 (Osprey's New Vanguard 100) with an even better British Mark IV Tank (New Vanguard 133), adding more detail on British tank operations in the First World War. Fletcher describes the Mark IV as the "first main battle tank" and this volume provides an appreciable level of detail on the tank's technical details, its production, unit organization and use in combat. The author succeeds in packing a considerable amount of detail into this short format and in a manner that assures the reader that they are getting `real' information instead of recycled boilerplate. Although the author is does not mention this, his role as a curator at the Tank Museum at Bovington has allowed him a great deal of hands-on experience with British World War I tanks and he even drove one for a BBC documentary. Nevertheless, the author's expertise on this subject is apparent on every page.

The author devotes 5 pages to describing the technical details of the Mark IV tank and several pages and photos to how the tank was built. After discussing the expansion of the British Tank Corps, the author then outlines the Mark IV's baptism of fire in Flanders in 1917, as well as its possible role in the cancelled Operation "Hush" and in Egypt. About 6 pages are devoted to the Battle of Cambrai, the highlight for the Mark IV tank. Final sections cover mechanical improvements, the Mark IV's role in 1918 fighting (mostly as a supply tank) and post-war activities. The author even mentions the role of a Mark IV tank briefly resurrected for home defense by the Royal Navy in 1940.

The color plates depict a Mark IV with fascine at Cambrai in 1917, a Mark IV winch tank adapted for the cancelled amphibious operation on the Belgian coast, a supply tank, a Mark IV under construction, a captured Mark IV in German service and several other Mark IV scenes. The B/W photos throughout the volume are excellent. The author provides an index, but no bibliography or notes on sources used. Overall, this is a well-crafted volume with a good amount of information on this subject.

Book has a lot of good info on the mark IV tank that would be hard to find. What I didn't like is that the book doesn't go into detail about the drive train or how the tank was operated. It doesn't even mention that the tank is powered by a sleeve valve engine. Otherwise the book is excellent. Lot's of interesting pictures that you won't see on the internet. Definately worth the money.