Rushed into service for 1940, the Mk IV was fielded in time for the Battle of France. However, such a hastily-tested and produced tank naturally fended poorly in combat against well-trained crews of the enemy. British Mk IV crews were largely outmoded by their German counterparts in training and sheer numbers, leaving many tanks to fall under the pressure of the invading foe. As such, the Mk IV line never saw success across the variable European landscape. If there proved a bright spot on the Mk IV's resume, it was in the capable fighting it offered across the North African Campaign where the system provided valuable service in the presented conditions and applied tactics. It gave a good combination of speed across the African terrain and fielded capable firepower when defeating the armor of the earlier Panzer light tanks and could hold its own against the early Panzer III and IV variants. Indeed, the vehicle was largely well-thought of by its tankers in this theater though its light armor made highly susceptible to German guns - including Anti-Tank (AT) crews. The Mk IV fought alongside many of its early cruiser sisters in this theater including Mk I (A9) and Mk II (A10) tanks.
The Mk IV only saw a single variant manufactured, this as the Mk IVA. The gun mantlet at the base of the main gun armament was revised for better protection and the original tank's 0.303 Vickers water-cooled coaxial machine gun was dropped in favor of a 7.92mm Besa air-cooled model. These tanks then saw considerable action in the African Campaign up to 1942 before their useful combat value had expired.
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