- published: 12 Jun 2015
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Medium tank was a classification of tanks; the medium being intermediate in size and weight and armament between heavy tanks and light tanks.
The medium tank concept has been eclipsed by the main battle tank.
The first tanks to carry the name Medium appeared in the First World War with the British Medium Mark A "Whippet"
The medium tank doctrine came into use in the interwar period. Its existence outlasted the super-heavy tank and heavy tank but eventually was eclipsed by the main battle tank.
Medium tanks of the interwar period included the British Vickers Medium Mark II and the Soviet multi-turreted T-28. In the period leading up to World War II, the British stopped using the term Medium for their tanks as the new philosophy of Cruiser tank and Infantry tank which defined tanks by the role came into use.
There were medium tanks that focused on anti-infantry capabilities (such as in World War II: the Panzer IV short-barrel, and the M4 Sherman), and medium tanks which were more focused on the anti-tank role, mounting high-velocity tank guns. The French cavalry tanks (Chars de Cavalerie) focused on speed in addition to power and protection of the other designs. They were similar to what other countries called medium tanks.