As the United States tooled up for production of the licensed version of the Renault FT, they also decided they wanted a lighter, cheaper vehicle as well.
The design ended up being a tracked vehicle 14 feet long and 6 feet wide and high, powered by a pair of Model T engines. The only armament was a .30 caliber (7.62mm) machine gun, either a Marlin or a Browning.
The vehicle was decently quick for the time, capable of around 13 kilometers per hour on roads, slightly slower than a Whippet but faster than any other Allied tank. The range of 55 kilometers was short, but it was achieved on only 17 gallons (64 liters) of fuel; the Mark IV Heavy had the same range utilizing 318 liters of fuel. Armor thickness was respectable for such a small vehicle, at 13mm on the front and sides and half that on the rear. The crew of two consisted of a driver and a gunner for the fixed-forward machine gun.
While 15,000 of these vehicles were contracted, only 15 were built by the time of the Armistice, at which point the contract was cancelled. Of the 15 built, 2 still survive, one at Fort Benning and the other at Fort Lee.
Ford 3-Ton M1918
Fire Control 0
Armament: One Marlin or Browning .30cal forward
Stabilization: None
Ammo: 550x.30cal
Fuel Type: G, A
Veh Wt: 3 tonnes
Crew: 2 (commander/gunner, driver)
Mnt: 2
Tr Mov: 13/8
Com Mov: 6/4
Fuel Cap: 64
Fuel Cons: 30
Config: Veh
Susp: T: 2
HF: 2
HS: 2
HR: 1
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