Mk V* Tank Lists
The MK V* was a lengthened version of the Mk V. An extra 6ft section was added behind the Sponsons, this incorporated a full height door. The original intention was to lengthen the tank to allow it to cross wider trenches . It was soon realised that the lengthened hull could hold 15 infantrymen. (S11.p140f) Thus when 68 MK V* went into action for the first time at Amiens with 1st and 15th Battalions, they each carried 15 machine gunners armed with a variety of Lewis and Vickers guns. This experiment was successfully on the Australian front but less so on the Canadian sector were a large number of the machine gunners were overcome by heat and fumes and many were killed when their tanks from "A" company, 1st Tank Battalion were all but wiped out prior to reaching the final objective. After Amiens MK V* were issued to other tank battalions, but their infantry carrying capabilities were not much utilised again: 2nd battalion carried infantry forward in two MkV* on 21st September 1918. A MK V* was used to ferry supplies on at least one recorded occasion.
700 were ordered, 200 female and 500 male all from Metropolitan (S11.p140f).
645 were ultimately completed, 579 by Armistice Day (S11.p140f).