Vickers Light Tank Mk.VIB AA (15mm BESA): Stuka's Bane

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Introduction:

Hi everyone, today i am going to suggest a low tier AA to bridge the gap between the 7.92 besa machine guns of the light tank AA and 50 cal’s of T17; the Light tank Mk VIB AA (15mm BESA). This was a one off SPAA prototype based on a Light Tank Mk VIB chassis, that was designed to protect british units from stuka attacks like those encountered during the initial german blitzkrieg tactics, and though it never entered service i feel it would make a fine addition to the game to help flesh out the rank one of the british SPAA line :).png “:)”)

Gaijin please: Light tank Mk VI AA (15mm BESA) : r/Warthunder

Vehicle history:

Work on developing an anti-aircraft tank began in 1940, in direct response to the German use of powerful close air support during the blitzkrieg of May 1940. As part of the testing two prototypes were produced on Light Tank Mk VIB chassis. one of the prototypes was armed with two 15mm Besa machine guns (with the ammo boxes jutting out to the side of the turret) due to space constraints. The second prototype mounted a Boulton & Paul quadruple Browning power-operated aircraft turret. These vehicles where used as proof of concept for what would go on to be the Light AA mark 1, and the 15mm besa machine gun prototype did not excede the test phase and remained a one off prototype.

Unfortunately there is not much more information avalible, as like several other British prototype SPAA they where used as test beds and proofs of concept, and did not see any actual action outside of testing.

Vehicle specification:

  • Dimensions (L-w-h) 13ft 0in x 6ft 10in x 7ft 4in (4.10 x 2.15 x 2.80 m)
  • Total weight, battle ready: 4.1 tonness (10.740 lbs)
  • Crew : 3 (driver, commander, gunner)
  • Propulsion: Meadows ESTE 6-cyl gasoline, 88 hp (65.64 kW)
  • Speed (road): 32 mph (48 km/h)
  • Maximum operational range: 125 miles (201 km)
  • Armament: 2x 15mm Besa machine guns, muzzle velocity of 818.3 m/s (2,685 ft/s) at a rate of 450 rounds per minute
  • Armor: From 4 to 12 mm (0.1 to 0.45 in)

Referances:

7 Likes
2

Been wanting this for ages. Absolutely MUST come to the game! +1

1 Like
3

+1

4

+1 British tech tree needs this

5

+1

6

this would absolutly slaughter low tier tanks, i want it.

7

image
additional photo offering a side profile ;) of course now i have got this i know its a MK.VIB chassis, so i have changed the name in order to take this into account

6 Likes
8

would this be foldered under the vickers light already ingame or would it be the next in line?

9

I would assume next in the line, as its better then it in every possible way

10

This would likely be around 1.7 maybe higher. As it’d have better AT performance than the Staghound AA but worse AA performance.

11

+1 Need it. A good low tier SPAA for UK tech tree. I imagine as a 2.0 BR SPAA.

12

+1 for more low tier AA

13

Would be nice to see, tho its AA ability would be a bit more limited considdering that it only had Ap-T ammo and no He or incendary ammo.

14

Does anyone have info about the size and weight of the steel core of this 15mm AP bullet?

15

I wonder if this still had the original 25 round belts, or considering its feeding directly from ammo boxes is it just a continuous belt?

16

how is this not in game already

1 Like
17

image
Posted this in another thread, relevant here too. This is roughly what the 15mm Besa would be like in-game.

So assuming this AA version has a continuous belt being fed directly from those external ammo boxes, so full 450 rounds per minute, instead of the typical 25 round belts we’re probably looking around 1.7, maybe 2.0.