Inside the Chieftain's Hatch: Light Tank T1E2

T1E2 is the third variant of a series of light tanks which the US Army ordered in the late 1920s in order to explore the technical capabilities of tanks a decade after WW1.

Thanks to the US Army's Ordnance Collection and the financial support from Patreons, merchandise purchasors, or other direct donations for making the trip possible.

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[joearnold]

I’m delighted to find that what looks like a metal cap just sitting loosely on top of the turret is in fact a metal cap just sitting loosely on top of the turret.
Charming!

[aaronsbarker]

Honestly, considering the age, that thing is in great shape. A few months with a media blaster and a bunch of paint and she would really look good. I suspect making it run and drive would be a monstrous project with every bit needing custom machining to replace corroded parts, but the main structures haven't gone too far at all.

[quentinking]

A tank so old the Browning .50 caliber was a legitimate anti-tank weapon... and wasn't even the Ma Deuce yet, but the M1921. Still beats an FT-17.

[bryangrote]

When I was a kid my dad made me a tank out of an old washer/dryer set. He bolted the outer shells together to form the hull and the washing drum placed on top for the turret and old car tire rims for the road wheels. (No engine. It was just for play). It looked remarkably like this vehicle so I guess the US Army’s first tank was something you could build in your back yard lol.

[andrewallason]

The Chieftain: “I guess you’ll have to change gear by ear” (19:10)
Driver: Well, I guess it’s ok there’s no firewall, and I’m currently wrapping myself around the engine

[pacificostudios]

This was less of a tour and more of an archaeology dig. I'm sure the museum is happy that you showed interest. Thanks for giving this ancient vehicle its due.

[ivankrylov]

Amazing that the American standard for tank comfort comes from the very first begining

[kevinsullivan]

The sling seat might also serve as a back rest when seating in the old fashioned formed steel tractor seat.

[robdgaming]

A couple of rare coast artillery weapons are visible in the background. On a pedestal mount is the 3-inch gun M1903. These were deployed in numerous US coastal forts. On a wheeled carriage is a 6-inch gun, either M1903 or M1905 on the M1917 carriage. These were initially at coastal forts until the US entered WWI, then about 72 of them were removed from the forts and remounted on wheeled carriages for use on the Western Front. They equipped three Coast Artillery regiments in France, but saw no action because these units didn't complete training in time for the Armistice. The vast majority of these were in storage between the wars, then reused on new high-angle mountings in WWII coastal batteries. However, one was preserved on the WWI field carriage for the Ordnance Corps museum.

[sigmahyperion]

The view comparison between unobstructed and the vision slits was an inspired directorial choice.

[FloppaAppreciator]

Gonna take a crane, some chains, a lot of PB Blaster, and some courage to get this thing restored to "everything hinges and swings open properly" condition.

[tyrohere]

19:37 - hits his head
19:43 - "Ouch, that hurt"

It is true, tankists have the best reflexes! :D
Great video anyway! I really like these examples of those great pioneer times of tank design.

[petesheppard]

Even if it never runs, there will hopefully be a full restoration of the interior, which would of course beg for a followup video.

[TheBigmac]

Thanks! Really appreciate your commitment to telling us about these old pieces of iron.

[WindFireAllThatKindOfThing]

It's always the lights and tankettes that get me excited about this channel. It's where you find the more eccentric and entertaining engineering attempts.
There may be a lot of shortcomings, but you can see the train of thought was not illogical, despite some oopsies.
And I can't help but think there's a lot to love about the geometry of this hull, were I to try a modern tankette. The weight distribution of the engine & armor in front balances vs turret weight, stacked 2 man position & entry, glacis slope. Make engine block sacrificial protection in front of an inner armor shell.

[theblackbear]

I find it remarkable just how similar the suspension and sprockets are to some of the Caterpillar Tractor models that would have been current with this tank.

[larrybomber]

I never knew that any of those tanks survived. Thank You for the tour!

[peterszar]

The stepped or flanged idler ect. is just like a bull dozer or excavator's. That spring tensioner is also like the early tractors/dozers, prior to the grease tensioning system used in earth moving equipment for the last 50 or so years, maybe longer.

[asterisk]

These old tanks are something else. Countries sure loved having exposed engines in their vehicles. We take things that seem so obvious for granted. At least this one isn't exhausting right into the cabin like other WWI era tanks, but that seems like a bear minimum when the driver is still less than a foot away from the heat and noise lol. I'm sure there were still plenty of smells coming out of the engine.

[BobSmith-dknw]

Thanks Nick. For all of us who've spent hours in the WoT version of this vehicle it's nice to see a real one.
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