Tankette

During the 1920s the main armored vehicles innovations were "little big innovations". The idea of substituting the horse with a vehicle such to give to a combatant the opportunity to move on the battle field and, at the same time, fire to the enemy being protected from his reaction, became an attractive prospect and led to the development of small one-man-tanks (later two-men-tanks, a driver and a machine gunner).
The 1920s was the decade of the tankette. They were cheap, required few special facilities to construct and, by using them, personnel could learn the basics of vehicle maintainance.

The pioneers of the tankette were British officers (Major Martel, Capt.Carden and Capt.Lloyd) and industries (Morris and Vickers-Armstrong).

Morris-Martel
One-man Tankette (1925)

Weight : 2.5 ton
Dimensions:2.44 x 1.37 x 1.52 mt
Armor (max) : 10 mm
Range : ...
Speed (max - route) : 35 km/hr
Main gun : 1 MG 7.7 mm
Crew : 1

Morris-Martel
Two-men Tankette (1926)

Weight : 2.2 ton
Dimensions:3.00 x 1.50 x 1.60 mt
Armor (max) : 10 mm
Range : ...
Speed (max - route) : 25 km/hr
Main gun : 1 MG 7.7 mm
Crew : 2

Carden-Lloyd
Mk V (1926)

Weight : 1.35 ton
Dimensions:3.02 x 2.00 x 1.20 mt
Armor (max) : 9 mm
Range : 100 Km
Speed (max - route) : 50/35 km/hr
Main gun : 1 MG 7.7 mm
Crew : 2

Then, in 1928, Carden-Lloyd delivered a vehicle destined to become the state of the art of the tankette family : the Mk VI

Carden-Lloyd
Mk VI (1928)
Weight : 1.40 ton
Dimensions:2.46 x 1.70 x 1.22 mt
Armor (max) : 9 mm
Range : 160 Km
Speed (max - route) : 45 km/hr
Main gun : 1 MG 7.7 mm
Crew : 2

Quite a few Carden-Lloyd Mk VI were purchased by various countries and used as a model to develop local versions. The most significant Mk VI's "daughters" were :

Carden-Lloyd
T 27 (1931-1933)

Weight : 2.7 ton
Dimensions:2.60 x 1.83 x 1.44 mt
Armor (max) : 10 mm
Range : 120 Km
Speed (max - route) : 40 km/hr
Main gun : 1 MG 7.62 mm
Crew : 2

T.K.S.
T 27 (1931-1933)

Weight : 2.6 ton
Dimensions:2.36 x 1.75 x 1.31 mt
Armor (max) : 10 mm
Range : 120 Km
Speed (max - route) : 40 km/hr
Main gun : 1 MG 7.92 mm
Crew : 2

Chenillette Renault
(1931)

Weight : 2.0 ton
Dimensions:2.69 x 1.50 x 1.17 mt
Armor (max) : 10 mm
Range : ... Km
Speed (max - route) : 40 km/hr
Main gun : 1 MG 7.7 mm
Crew : 2

Skoda
MU 4 (1931)

Weight : ... ton
Dimensions:.... x .... x .... mt
Armor (max) : ... mm
Range : ... Km
Speed (max - route) : .... km/hr
Main gun : ... mm
Crew : ...

Carro Veloce
C33 (1933)

Weight : 2.7 ton
Dimensions:3.03 x 1.40 x 1.20 mt
Armor (max) : 12 mm
Range : 110 Km
Speed (max - route) : 42 km/hr
Main gun : 1 MG 6.5 mm
Crew : 2

Carro Veloce
C35 (1935)

Weight : 3.3 ton
Dimensions:3.15 x 1.40 x 1.28 mt
Armor (max) : 13 mm
Range : 150 Km
Speed (max - route) : 42 km/hr
Main gun : 2 MG 6.5 mm
Crew : 2

For the soldiers the tankettes were better than nothing. By using tankettes they discover how to control armoured vehicles in the field or how to co-operate with other arms, and practice other military techniques that would be needed so desperately within a few years...