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A1E1 Independent - A Land Ironclad

Pardon sire, would you mind looking at this wonderful piece of machinery over here?

It is the Vickers A1E1 Independent - an influential multi-turreted interwar tank design built by British engineers.

British tanks played a pivotal role during the end of World War 1 and the British army was searching for new designs to further embrace this new idea of tank warfare. The Vickers A1E1 was build between the two World Wars as a heavy tank concept with multiple turrets. It combined firepower, protection and speed so necessary for the role of a heavy combat vehicle. Only one was ever built, and it was never used in battle - although its “children” were - this tank was often the target of industrial espionage and heavily influenced some of the other tank designs produced by other countries - for example the Neubaufahrzeug or the T-35, both already implemented within our game.

The A1E1 was powered by an Armstrong Siddeley V12 petrol engine with a maximum of 370 horsepower. It could reach an impressive speed for its time of 20 mph (32 km/h) with its weight slightly exceeding 32 tons. Its maximum armour was 28mm thick and it was operated by an 8 men crew.

The A1E1 was armed with a quick-firing 3-pounder cannon (47mm) in the main turret. The other 4 turrets were equipped with .303 caliber Vickers machine guns while the left hand turret at the rear of the vehicle could be elevated to engage low-flying aircraft.

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The Vickers A1E1 Independent will fit very well amongst other multi-turreted tank designs in the low-tier British premium tech tree. It might not be as nimble as lighter vehicles, or not as armoured as most other protected ones, but it combines little bits into one, big platform able to step into different combat roles.

An 8 men crew and 28mm of armour will allow you to withstand a lot of shots from low-tier vehicles. This is a breakthrough tank, it could be the leader that your team needs - charge your enemies at the front supported by your fellow teammates and take some shots for your brothers in arms.

The quick firing 3-pounder cannon is a great weapon that can be used against light enemy vehicles. Fast reload and relatively high penetration will force your enemies to search for cover making any attack against you to be done in wolf packs.

If you love unusual designs and often play low-tier, fast-paced matches, you will surely find this vehicle very interesting. It will meet other similar designs and compete in clashes that were never possible in history due to the implementation of more advanced and effective technologies.

The War Thunder Team!

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