Whippet 'firedog' mk.A

[RAFF-35]

Owing to heavy losses of the whippet, the British high command decided that the mechanisms of the tank were more important and less dispensable than the crew operating them. The result was basically a Whippet Mk.A taken off the production line and modified to drive 'backwards'. This kept the engine relatively out of harms way and also opened up an area to mount more potent weaponry, which included anti-tank rifles for engaging artillery positions and obviously armoured vehicles, a 6 pounder gun and in this case, the brand new flame thrower, which was very successful at anti-trench, anti-artillery and anti vehicle operations among other things. The tanks first major engagement of the war was the Amiens offensive in August 1918.

[Captain Canada]

Great idea ! Love the look of it. What kit is that ?

PS-I remember crawling through one on Base Boren as a kid, a lot of them old tanks were rusted here and there and us enterprising wee lads could wiggle in and out of a few of them 

[RAFF-35]

It's a 1:72 Emhar, hahaha, so you literally know them inside and out then? 

[NARSES2]

Now this I really like 

So you've got mixed units operating ? Mainly m.g. armed with a couple of gun armed vehicles just in case ? My only other question is would you need the a.t. rifle in 1918 and did the British have one ?

[zenrat]

Noice.  You could put a mortar in an armoured box on top of the engine.

[NARSES2]

Noice.  You could put a mortar in an armoured box on top of the engine.

Good idea and that's basically what the weapon in the C.S. version of British tanks was, except it was a breech loader.

[Mossie]

I like this.  Most people think the Whippet's going backwards anyway!

Lovely little model, I half started one a while ago and must get around to finishing it.

[RAFF-35]

Now this I really like 

So you've got mixed units operating ? Mainly m.g. armed with a couple of gun armed vehicles just in case ? My only other question is would you need the a.t. rifle in 1918 and did the British have one ?

Thanks bud  mixed units is something that I hadn't thought of, but would actually make a fair bit of sense. The anti tank rifle was just an idea that I had as a variant, might not have been widely used. The British did have rifles, but they were nicked from the Germans and reproduced I think?

[NARSES2]

The anti tank rifle was just an idea that I had as a variant, might not have been widely used. The British did have rifles, but they were nicked from the Germans and reproduced I think?

Makes sense, they nicked our tanks so we nicked their A.T. rifles to use against them. After all we knew they worked 

The German's did have an A.T. rifle in 1917/18 so copying it would make sense.

[Old Wombat]

ex-wikipedia:

The first purposely-designed infantry anti-tank rifle was designed by Germany. The Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr large-calibre (13.2mm) rifle was capable of penetrating the armor of the newer generations of tanks and allowed a chance at stopping them. The high recoil of the rifle was very hard on the firer, sometimes breaking the collar bone or dislocating the shoulder.

The British Boys anti-tank rifle wasn't introduced into service until 1937.

[RAFF-35]

Just realised that I haven't been keeping this thread up to date. Basically, it's been painted, decaled and weathered. I've still got chipping and scraping to do and then I think I'm done 

[chrisonord]

Cute wee fella isn't it
Chris.

[jcf]

PS-I remember crawling through one on Base Boren as a kid, a lot of them old tanks were rusted here and there and us enterprising wee lads could wiggle in and out of a few of them 

This one perhaps :

One of a series of photos taken at Borden during the war by my Grandfather (Sergeant Moran Farrelly) and his Brother-In-Law.
Scanned from a negative years ago (ca. 1998-99), I need to do new scans one of these days.

[Captain Canada]

Wow ! It most likely is that same one ! Cool.

The tank looks great. I love the addition of the log !

[Old Wombat]

Looking really good, RAFF-35!