B.28 "Black Arrow" Mk IV (Male) WWI British Heavy Tank 1/72 Scale copyright 2006 Clifton W. McCullough filename = "72.MKIV.B28.

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1 MkIV was developed from the MkI/II/III series, with totally redesigned male and female sponsons. The sponsons we re smaller, did not hang up in heavy going and the sponsons cou ld be retracted inside the hull for rail transportation. The male weapon was changed to a shorter 6 pdr quick-firing gun so it didn't get hung up in ditches or ram the muzzle into the dirt. The wheeled tail was dispensed with as unnecessary. The flushmounted circular top hatch was changed to a raised angular oblong one. The exhaust now had a muffler and an exhaust pipe. Rails were added to the tops of some MkIV's to carry an unditching beam; earlier unditching experiments included an individual torpedo spud spar attached to each track. The fuel tank was moved from the inside of the fighting compartment to a safer location at the rear of the hull. The first encounter between British and German tanks revealed the vulnerability of the female tanks facing gun-armed tanks. The result was the "hermaphrodite" or mixed-sex tank. One or the other female sponson was switched with a male sponson from another tank, producing two tanks that each had one male and one female sponson. Evidence is a bit sketchy, especially since photos usually show only one side of a particular vehicle. The MkIV was deployed in companies of 12 vehicles, usually 8 females and 4 males. Three companies made a battalion. There were initially 6 battalions, lettered A through F. Individual tank names, when applied, started with the battalion letter and vehicles in a battalion were numbered consecutively from the first company through the last company. More battalions were raised later, and all were numbered 1st through 12th, but the naming pattern was retained even for battalions that had never had a letter title. Late in the war, battalions were organized into 4 brigades of 3 battalions each. There were 420 Male MkIV's and 595 Female MkIV's built, making it one of the most significant tank in terms of numbers used. B.28 "Black Prince" was a MkIV male in "B" Battalion. Captured at Cambrai. Final fate is unknown. B.28 "Black Arrow" Mk IV (Male) WWI British Heavy Tank 1/72 Scale copyright 2006 Clifton W. McCullough filename = "72.MKIV.B28.100,pdf"

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5 1 2 cut out 6-glue 3 cut out right track frame as shown left track frame (4, 5 and 6) is similar 5-glue 4-push 2-glue 7 spacer for right track frame as shown left track frame is similar 1-glue 3-glue 8 bottom fold rear first or 9a narrow tracks 9b wide tracks top a (only) track spuds (10, 11) were used sometimes with narrow track (9a) only, one per 5 or 6 track links. Wide track (9b) was developed to provide traction similar to narrow tracks with spuds fold front second WWI British Mk IV Heavy Tank Scale 1:72 Instructions Sheet 1 copyright 2005 Clifton W. McCullough

6 13 13 right 6pdr gun mount as shown left side (32, 33) is similar 14a 15 form #15 into hemisphere b cut #22 into 3 pieces roll #28 form #31 into hemisphere x fold #27 into inverted "U" form #35 into hemisphere wrap # 49 around top of # 48x3 trim # bend rear of rail two places as shown left rail as shown; right rail (50,51) is similar but bends in opposite directions bend front of rail as shown 48 laminate 3x #48 WWI British Mk IV Heavy Tank (Male) Scale 1:72 Instructions Sheet 2 copyright 2005 Clifton W. McCullough

7 spud (10, 11) (if used) 9a 9b right side as shown; left side similar machine guns end view with narrow tracks below female sponsons only (47 on right, 44 on left) Left Female Sponson Right sponson is similar 42 left female sponson 9a 34 9b end view with wide tracks Left male Sponson machine gun may have been fitted in some MkIV in rear door left male sponson 65 right male sponson 43 43a machine gun (Lewis MG or Hotchkiss MG in British tanks Lewis MG in Beutepanzers. Note: some Beutepanzer female tanks were fitted with 13mm anti-tank rifle in front position only) 30 British German British German Right male Sponson 45 right frmale sponson WWI British Mk IV Heavy Tank Scale 1:72 Instructions Sheet 3 copyright 2005 Clifton W. McCullough