On Beute-Mk IV
by Rainer Strasheim

Introduction
by Peter Kempf

As we all know, the most numerous tank used by the Germans in WW1 was not German at all, but British! Especially after the Battle of Cambrai in late 1917, the Germans found themselves in possession of both the Battlefield and quite a large number of knocked out and abandoned Mk IV's, and they started a big operation of collecting all these vehicles, some of of which were ready to use, others only good for spares. And due to the fact that the A7V-programme proceeded slowly, it was decided to use these to equip German ATD's (Assault Tank Detachments) with these tanks.

Repaired and rebuilt, they were used under the designation "Schwerer Kampfwagen (Beute)" or as we tend to call it "Mk IV - Beute". The modifications introduced were small. To quote from Rainer Strasheim's and Maxwell Hundleby's The German A7V Tank and the Captured British Mk IV Tanks of WW1:

"In early April 1918, the 5.7 cm Belgian QF guns in socle-mounts started to arrive at BAKP 20. As they were delivered in complete form by the Prussian Artillery Workshop at Spandau, the installation caused little problem, and after a short time all Male tanks in service with the "captured" ATDs were gun-equipped. On June 5th, the OHL demanded that all captured tanks were to be armed with guns. A corresponding number of guns was ordered, but the measure was never translated into reality. BAKP 20, however, evolved a method to replace the bow machine gun of the Mark IV with a 13 mm anti-tank rifle. In the autumn of 1918, some Female tanks were fitted out with the 13 mm T-Gewehr. Except for the armament, the Germans usually left the Mark IV tanks as they were. The only alteration was the fixing of an escape hatch to the cupola-roof of most vehicles."

The Mk IV's were not overly popular. Due to their slow speed, they often had problems keeping up with the fast-moving German Stormtroopers. But it was often the only tank readily available. The rate of attrition was great. With a good supply of captured tanks, vehicles damaged or stuck were not usually salvaged. If they were still useable, the guns and machine guns were removed, and the tanks themselves were either blown up or abandoned. This is the major reason why so few detachments equipped with Beute Mk IV's were formed, although they had so many tanks in store. BAKP 20 could simply not repair vehicles as fast as the detachments used them up. Also, the Beute Mark IV's often suffered from mechanical failures, as was also the case with those still in British service. To keep the fighting strength of the detachments, it therefore was very common to add one or two reserve tanks to the normal set-up from late summer of 1918.

The photos below show different Beute Mk IV's.

When I (somewhat carelessly) announced that I was going to build a Beute-MkIV without rails, and equipped with 08/15 MG:s, I received the following correspondence from Herr Rainer Strasheim, who is a world leading expert on German AFV:s during WW1. As I thought it so interesting, and containing several informations that I haven't seen anywhere before I post it here, with the kind permission of Herr Strasheim.

Just read on your Landships page that you're intending to build a Beute-Mk.IV.

Well, there's only one Beute-Mk.IV (that I know about) without rails and using the 08/15 machine guns. That's No. 155 of the Kokampf armoured force seen in Germany 1919.

All other Beute-Mk.IV in France and Belgium in 1918 used rails and British Lewis guns. In fact, by the use of different types of rails it's possible to discern certain Abteilungen or to date pictures.

I know there's a famous Tank Museum picture that seems to show a female Mk. IV with a 08/15 sticking out of her sponson. However, on close examination, this is more likely to be a piece of lumber and the muzzle of an oil can. - The vehicle, Wagen 118, is seen during the rehearsal for an exercise in September 1918, on a training ground north of Cambrai. It's the No. 3 Tank of Abteilung 13, the Commander was Leutenant Korb.

(Click on the photo below for an enlargement. Mind you: it's BIG!)

For the use of Tank-Gewehre (antitank rifles) there seem to be two variations. The first one uses one AT rifle in lieu of the bow machine gun. The second one (apparently the official one) uses two AT rifles, each one replacing one machine gun in each sponson. Photographically, there's only proof of variation 1. British reports, however, state that variation 2 was found on some vehicles captured late in the war. However, the use of AT rifles would also indicate a vehicle painted in Buntfarben-Anstrich and using Balkenkreuze.

If you intend to build No. 155, this vehicle belonged to the tank training detachment near Berlin and therefore received her Buntfarben-Anstrich in Germany. Therefore, colours may differ from what was used in Northern France and Belgium.