The British WW1 Wireless Communication Tank was fitted with a 50 watt wireless ' Trench Set Mark III ' morse key operated transmitter ( see attached photographs ) with a range of 7000 yards operating on a wavelength 350-550m.
The wireless equipment was fitted in one of the Tank's converted sponsons, with the other converted sponson being fitted with a small operations desk.
The Wireless Communication Tank's twin wireless aerial was approximately 200 feet long and was supported on a 15 foot mast, which was stowed atop the Tank when not in use. When transmitting/receiving the Wireless Communication Tank would be stationary with the aerial mast fully erected.
To power the wireless equipment, the Wireless Communication Tank was fitted with two additional 10-volt accumulator batteries.
Photographs of a WW1 Wireless Communication Tank are extremely rare, and a battlefield photograph even rarer, and one existing photograph ( post #4785 ) shows that a Wireless Communication Tank was in use at Neuve Eglise ( Nieuwkerke ) 7 miles South of Ypres in the West Flanders region of Belgium in June 1917, and Wireless Communication Tanks were also known to have been used during the Battle of Cambrai ( November 20 - December 7, 1917 ).
However, an important photograph exists, which appears to show a Mark IV Tank being used as a Wireless Communication Tank during late September 1917 in the Menin Road, Hooge area just 2 miles East of Ypres, in the West Flanders region of Belgium. (Do you have it?)
In this particular photograph, rather than the wireless aerial being mounted on top of the Tank, the mast has been erected alongside the Tank.
IWM (Q 3233) photo caption Queen Mary of Teck inspecting tanks and personnel at the Tank Corps Central Stores and Workshops at Erin, 7 July 1917. General Hugh Elles, the Commander of the Tank Corps, and Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury, can be seen in the background, on her right.
The British WW1 Wireless Communication Tank was fitted with a 50 watt wireless ' Trench Set Mark III ' morse key operated transmitter ( see attached photographs ) with a range of 7000 yards operating on a wavelength 350-550m.
The wireless equipment was fitted in one of the Tank's converted sponsons, with the other converted sponson being fitted with a small operations desk.
The Wireless Communication Tank's twin wireless aerial was approximately 200 feet long and was supported on a 15 foot mast, which was stowed atop the Tank when not in use. When transmitting/receiving the Wireless Communication Tank would be stationary with the aerial mast fully erected.
To power the wireless equipment, the Wireless Communication Tank was fitted with two additional 10-volt accumulator batteries.
Photographs of a WW1 Wireless Communication Tank are extremely rare, and a battlefield photograph even rarer, and one existing photograph ( post #4785 ) shows that a Wireless Communication Tank was in use at Neuve Eglise ( Nieuwkerke ) 7 miles South of Ypres in the West Flanders region of Belgium in June 1917, and Wireless Communication Tanks were also known to have been used during the Battle of Cambrai ( November 20 - December 7, 1917 ).
However, an important photograph exists, which appears to show a Mark IV Tank being used as a Wireless Communication Tank during late September 1917 in the Menin Road, Hooge area just 2 miles East of Ypres, in the West Flanders region of Belgium. (Do you have it?)
In this particular photograph, rather than the wireless aerial being mounted on top of the Tank, the mast has been erected alongside the Tank.
Hi
In Priestley's 'The Signal Service in the European War of 1914 to 1918 (France)' page 138 has the following information on Tank wireless:
The British WW1 Wireless Communication Tank was fitted with a 50 watt wireless ' Trench Set Mark III ' morse key operated transmitter ( see attached photographs ) with a range of 7000 yards operating on a wavelength 350-550m.
The wireless equipment was fitted in one of the Tank's converted sponsons, with the other converted sponson being fitted with a small operations desk.
The Wireless Communication Tank's twin wireless aerial was approximately 200 feet long and was supported on a 15 foot mast, which was stowed atop the Tank when not in use. When transmitting/receiving the Wireless Communication Tank would be stationary with the aerial mast fully erected.
To power the wireless equipment, the Wireless Communication Tank was fitted with two additional 10-volt accumulator batteries.
Photographs of a WW1 Wireless Communication Tank are extremely rare, and a battlefield photograph even rarer, and one existing photograph ( post #4785 ) shows that a Wireless Communication Tank was in use at Neuve Eglise ( Nieuwkerke ) 7 miles South of Ypres in the West Flanders region of Belgium in June 1917, and Wireless Communication Tanks were also known to have been used during the Battle of Cambrai ( November 20 - December 7, 1917 ).
However, an important photograph exists, which appears to show a Mark IV Tank being used as a Wireless Communication Tank during late September 1917 in the Menin Road, Hooge area just 2 miles East of Ypres, in the West Flanders region of Belgium. (Do you have it?)
In this particular photograph, rather than the wireless aerial being mounted on top of the Tank, the mast has been erected alongside the Tank.
Hi
At the RAF and Tank Conference that took place at Advanced Tank Corps HQ on 1 September 1918, Elles gave the RAF information on how the Tank Corps Wireless system worked as the participants were working out how to link the RAF and Tank Corps systems to improve communications. This was reported in a letter to GOC RAF by Philip Game (BGGS of RAF) dated 4 September, part below:
The British WW1 Wireless Communication Tank was fitted with a 50 watt wireless ' Trench Set Mark III ' morse key operated transmitter ( see attached photographs ) with a range of 7000 yards operating on a wavelength 350-550m.
The wireless equipment was fitted in one of the Tank's converted sponsons, with the other converted sponson being fitted with a small operations desk.
The Wireless Communication Tank's twin wireless aerial was approximately 200 feet long and was supported on a 15 foot mast, which was stowed atop the Tank when not in use. When transmitting/receiving the Wireless Communication Tank would be stationary with the aerial mast fully erected.
To power the wireless equipment, the Wireless Communication Tank was fitted with two additional 10-volt accumulator batteries.
Photographs of a WW1 Wireless Communication Tank are extremely rare, and a battlefield photograph even rarer, and one existing photograph ( post #4785 ) shows that a Wireless Communication Tank was in use at Neuve Eglise ( Nieuwkerke ) 7 miles South of Ypres in the West Flanders region of Belgium in June 1917, and Wireless Communication Tanks were also known to have been used during the Battle of Cambrai ( November 20 - December 7, 1917 ).
However, an important photograph exists, which appears to show a Mark IV Tank being used as a Wireless Communication Tank during late September 1917 in the Menin Road, Hooge area just 2 miles East of Ypres, in the West Flanders region of Belgium. (Do you have it?)
In this particular photograph, rather than the wireless aerial being mounted on top of the Tank, the mast has been erected alongside the Tank.
Hi
The book 'Communications and British Operations on the Western Front, 1914-1918' by Brian N. Hall, CUP, 2017, has Appendix 2 'Principle Wireless Sets in the BEF, 1914-1918' (pages 310-311). In this it mentions three wireless sets used by the Tank Corps (and others), these are:
W/T Trench Set Mk. I, 1917, Continuous Wave, Sending Frequency 500-1,400 metres, Receiving Frequency 500-1,400 metres, 30 Watt, Range 5 miles, Aerial 15 ft. Number produced (all users) 199.
W/T Trench Set Mk. II, 1917, Continuous Wave, Sending Frequency 340-1,850 metres, Receiving Frequency 340-1,850 metres, 30 Watt, Range 5 miles, Aerial 2 x 4 ft or single 15 ft. Number produced 133 (all users).
W/T Trench Set Mk. III, Continuous Wave, Sending Frequency 450-1,450 metres, Receiving Frequency 450-1,450 metres, 30 Watt, Range 2-5 miles. Receiver 17 lb, Transmitter 18.5 lb. Aerial 2 x 4 ft or single 15 ft. Number of transmitters produced 2,853, Number of receivers produced 2,650 (all users).
Various aerial types were tried out in France and UK air to tank wireless telephony communications. Below is the first page of Lt Arthur Wragg's (8 Sqn. RAF) report illustrating two of the aerials. Later the work was transferred to Biggin Hill.
One of the other types of wireless/telephony receiving aerials tried out at Biggin Hill can be seen on official photos of Mk. IV 'Supply' tank 402. The 'Flexible panel' at the front of the tank between the horns has the aerial coming out of the right hand vision port and appears to be attached to the bottom right of the 'panel'.
Another image of '402' at Biggin Hill, that has appeared in several publications and is found in more than one photo collection, appears to show a 'Whip Aerial' sticking up from the rear of the right-hand sponson. This could be the same/similar to the 'fishing rod' type tried out in France.
