HMS Walrus and Seal

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T. A. Gardner
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HMS Walrus and Seal

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Post by T. A. Gardner » 09 Dec 2021, 02:37

In the early 1920's the RAF decided that they needed some tanks to protect their airfields. Because developing a wholly new tank would have gotten the Army involved and unwanted attention, the decision was made to use existing components to build prototypes. The basis for these would be the Dragon gun tractor and some existing RR armored cars.

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The result was a pair of vehicles, one with a machinegun turret from the RR armored car, the other a sort of APC with firing ports.

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Not wanting to draw attention, the RAF sent the two vehicles to Iraq for testing where they remained after those proved rather abysmal.

That might have been the end of the story, but in April 1941 Iraq threw in with Germany and attempted to oust British rule. At RAF station, Habbaniya, the British troops and ground crew hauled the two vehicles from storage, dubbed them "HMS Walrus and Seal" (it's not clear which was which) and stationed them near the airfield's gates as defensive positions.

While their final disposition isn't exactly known, neither survive today. Thus ended the lives of the RAF's only two tanks...

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/two-d ... -a-walrus/

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