The British Mark IV "Male" heavy tank was an up-armored version of the Mark I, with all of its fuel stored in a single external tank (located between the rear track horns) in an attempt to improve crew safety. The sponsons could be pushed in to reduce the width of the tank for rail transportation and rails could be carried on the roof to act as an unditching beam.

The director of the Tank Supply Department, Albert Gerald Stern, first intended to fit the Mark IV with a new engine and transmission. Production of battle tanks was halted until the new design was ready, necessitating the Mark II and III as interim training tanks. He failed, however, to complete development soon enough to start production in time to have 200 tanks ready for the promised date of April 1st, 1917. Ultimately he was forced to keep the Mark IV in production until May 1917, which was only slightly different from the Mark I.

The Mark IV "Male" carried 4 Lewis machine guns as well as the two sponson guns (now with shorter barrels). The "Female" version had six machine guns, with two of the machine guns were operated by the gun loaders. All told, some 1220 vehicles were built: 420 Males, 595 Females and 205 Tank Tenders which were supply tanks.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a British Mark IV "Male" tank that was put to use by the German army's Abteilung 12, at Fort de la Pompelle, on June 1st, 1918. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Length: 4-1/2-inches
Width: 2-1/4-inches

Release Date: June 2016

Historical Account: "Beutepanzers" - During the German spring offensive, British officers discovered in surprise some German assault troops were accompanied by captured Mark I and IV. These "Beutepanzers" sightings rose so often that encounters with the German-built A7V were rare in comparison. This led the War Office to order the modification of the armament of some Mark Vs into "hermaphrodites", fitted with guns and machine-gun sponsons. However, the first tank-to-tank duel involved one of these German A7V during the second battle of Villers-Betonneux, in April 1918. Two British Mark IV female and one male spotted and engaged the A7V. But after several miss-hits, the two Females, useless, retired. After many shots and two hits, both tanks retired in a draw.

When the Mark V, better protected, with a better engine and greater speed came into service, the production of the Mark IV was phased out and the last converted as supply tanks. No Mark IV seemed to have been sent to the Whites in Russia. However, a few Beutepanzer Mark IV took part in the revolutionary events in 1919, on the armies side.

One captured Mark IV was sent to Berlin, and used during the military repression of the Spartacus league, within the German revolution, in 1919. Nearly forty Mk. IV were captured during the course of the war, and pressed in service as "Beutepanzer Wagen" by the Germans, with big Maltese crosses painted on to prevent friendly fire. In some case, British armament was replaced by German guns and machine-guns, and the crew boosted to twelve.