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Problem: How do you get your infantry across no man's land in one piece without getting them shredded by enemy machine guns? Solution: Just call up the pig. A huge Mark 9 tank converted as a battle taxi. It's perfect for the job. Development. By the later stages of the war, British tanks were successfully being used to break through the German lines, ushering in a new age of warfare. One of the most famous of these early tanks was the Mark 5. This distinctive romboid shaped vehicle was the basis for the proposed Mark 9 armored personnel carrier. Rather than being a battering ram to smash through the enemy lines, the modified vehicle was meant to be an armored bus that would keep the soldiers protected
so they could exploit a breakthrough made by the main tanks. High Command had tried this before by cramming soldiers into the Mark 5 and other tanks, but the soldiers would pass out, or at least not be in fighting shape when they exited the tank. For those that did make it out to fight, there just weren't enough. With a Mark 5 capable of carrying only about 10 extra soldiers, dropping a single disoriented squad in the middle of a German trench line was not a good idea, all things considered. Work on the new design began in September 1917 by Armstrong Witworth and Company with the first prototype ready for testing in June of 1918.
Design and layout. There was no time to build the vehicle from scratch, so the existing Mark 5 tank was heavily modified, though it did keep the overall romboid shape. The engine was moved forward, the gearbox moved back, and the hull lengthened to create an open space for the troops to stand. The sponssons for the weapons were also removed, though there were loophole ports around the vehicle that could be fired from. Troops could enter or leave the Mark 9 through four oval doors on the side. Two exhaust fans on the roof were added to provide at least some ventilation in the cramped quarters. There was also an armed coupa where the commander was stationed, allowing him to look outside with a bit
of protection. Dimensions and capacity. The Mark 9, nicknamed the pig since its low front section resembled a pig's snout, was longer than the Mark 5 it was based on. It measured 32 ft in length, 13 1/2 ft wide, and 8' 8 in height. Although it was longer, it weighed in at 27 tons, a bit less than the tank it was based on, mostly due to the lack of weapons and thinner armor. The initial intention was for the Mark 9 to carry 50 soldiers, but testing showed it was far too many to be crammed into the interior. The number was reduced to 30 fully equipped troops, or around 10 tons of supplies that could be fed out to the front, relatively safe from machine gun fire, if not artillery or mortars.
According to information gathered during testing, it could reliably clear trenches up to 12 1/2 ft across, so it could simply roll over German trenches, shell craters, and other obstacles without fear of becoming stuck. Weapons and armor. The Mark 9 was the world's first armored personnel carrier and was meant to bring troops into battle, leaving firepower to its more heavily armed cousins. The Pig was equipped with a pair of Hotchkiss machine guns for defense and infantry support. Instead of sponsson, it had a number of loophole ports located around the hull, providing some rifle firing in all directions. Though it was longer than the Mark 5, it was lighter due to the fewer weapons and
thinner armor, which could vary in thickness from 6 to 10 mm, enough to shrug off most small arms fire, but was still vulnerable to artillery. Engine and performance. The Pig was many things, but a speedster it was not. It was powered by the same engine as the Mark 5, a 150 horsepower Ricardo gasoline engine. This gave the Mark 9 a top speed of a blistering 3 1/2 mph. Now, keep in mind this was on flat terrain under ideal conditions. The crater-filled hellscape of no man's land was far from ideal, so the actual speed was much slower. According to one test, its top speed over rough terrain was just under 1 mph. This was slow, sure,
but it wasn't considered that much of a problem. All things considered, the tanks of the era were designed to support infantry assaults, so moving faster than advancing soldiers was seen as unnecessary. Faster than 1 mph would be great, but not getting stuck in barb wire was much better. The Pig also had a range of about 20 m, though this was also under ideal conditions. Though it was designed to be more roomy than riding in a normal tank, the Mark 9 didn't have a suspension system so the soldiers would feel every bump, ditch, and crater when crammed together in the steel cocoon. Crew.
The Mark 9 had a crew of four. The commander, the driver, a mechanic who operated one of the machine guns, and another dedicated machine gunner. The commander had an armored coupoopa on top that allowed him to have a bit of protection when looking outside of the vehicle. There weren't even any bulkheads or other separation between the crew and the troop compartment. So, they had to operate the behemoth while working around a platoon of fully equipped soldiers being jostled around in the cramped interior. At least the crew had seating, but the poor infantry had to stand up and avoid getting caught up in the prop shaft that was running along the length of the machine. The amphibious assault variant.
The Mark 9 was the world's first armored personnel carrier, and it had a limited production run. Though they were made in small numbers, the idea of transporting troops across difficult terrain was appealing to some in the British military. At least one of the completed vehicles was modified to act as an amphibious vehicle. The loading doors were sealed off to prevent leakage, and floats were added around the hull. The pig, which was now renamed the duck, would move through the turning of the tracks, though these would be supplemented by wooden planks that were attached to the track links. This variant was tested in November of 1918, allegedly on the 11th, Armistice Day.
Was it successful? In a limited sense, yes. No one drowned, which was a positive, and it did float. There were drawbacks, however. It was too slow to be useful, and it had a very low buoyancy. It sat so low in the water that there was nowhere to place access doors without causing flooding if opened, which defeated the whole point of a personnel carrier. Overall, it was considered a successful test, and the information gained was used to develop future amphibious vehicles. Production and history. Construction of the Mark 9 began in September of 1917 with the first vehicles ready for testing in June of the following year. Development was a bit rushed and according to tests was cumbersome and unwieldy. It was still approved even with its shortcomings and
rushed into production. The reason for this was that they were needed for the upcoming plan 1919 and named with a singular lack of imagination. The plan was a massive offensive in well 1919 which would be spearheaded by the Anton armored forces. British Mark 5 and French Renault FTS would spearhead a final push into the heavily entrenched German lines. Following right behind the tanks would be as many Mark 9 as possible, carrying infantry to consolidate the gains and exploit the breakthrough. 200 of them were ordered in anticipation of the mass offensive, one that could hopefully end the hostilities once and for all. When the armistice was signed in November of 1918, only three were completed with a total of 36 being built before
production ended. It never saw combat, though one was used as an armored ambulance for a brief time. The Mark 9 was a stop gap measure, and while there was nothing wrong with it, it was still replaced by dedicated and purpose-built machines. In the end, the Pig itself was proof of concept and paved the way for armored personnel carriers and other mechanized vehicles in the future. Almost all of the examples of the world's first armored personnel carrier were scrapped, including the amphibious variant. Today, only one Mark 9 remains, vehicle 936, and it's located at the Tank Museum in Bobington, England. The last of a new era of warfare.
It's not very male.
