Prototype production began in 1937; the project was developed entirely privately, without military support. The A17 had 14 mm thick armor and a combat weight of 7.6 tons.
It was powered by a 165 hp 12-cylinder gasoline engine and reached a top speed of over 65 km/h.
It was armed with a 2-pounder anti-tank gun and a coaxial 7.92 mm Besa machine gun.
The War Ministry approved the prototype in 1938 and ordered 220 vehicles. By 1941, the light tank had lost its significance, and the order was reduced from 220 to 177 vehicles.
Twenty tanks were delivered to the Soviet Union; a small number were shipped to West Africa and used in the invasion of French Madagascar.
The remaining tanks were handed over to the British Airborne Forces.
By 1944, some Tetrachs had been re-equipped with 3-inch howitzers designated MkICS, while others were fitted with "Little John" extrusion adapters on their original 2-pounder gun barrels.
The Tetrachs of the 6th Airborne Division's Armored Reconnaissance Regiment were deployed on June 6, 1944, as the vanguard for the Normandy landings until reinforcements arrived in the form of Cromwell-class cruisers.
The Tetrachs were decommissioned in 1945 and stored as a strategic reserve until they were finally scrapped in 1950.
Plastic model kit
- with photo-etched parts
- with partial interior detail
unbuilt / unpainted
Paint and glue not included
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