Cruiser Mk II

The Tank, Cruiser, Mk II (A10) was a cruiser tank developed alongside the A9 as a heavier, infantry-support version. Sir John Carden of Vickers adapted his A9 design in 1934 to carry up to 1 inch of armour, accepting a lower speed. The two small sub-turrets were removed, extra armour was bolted on, and with the same 150 bhp engine and about two tonnes more weight the top speed fell from 25 to 16 mph. It carried a 2-pounder gun with a coaxial Vickers machine gun and had a crew of five. The prototype was completed in 1936, the infantry role was dropped in 1937, and in 1938 it was ordered as an interim heavy cruiser. Total production was 175 vehicles, and it served only briefly in the Second World War.