Shortround6
Major General
Back to the tanks - on what to bet on?
A 30 ton tank with something better than a 2 pdr should be feasible; the Matilda II was at 27 tons. The lighter tanks might be needed to overcome the budget restraints, though, while using the commercial engines (1x150 or 2x85/95 HP), so we can have enough of decent tanks. The Liberty must be kept at 340 HP, without attempts to increase the power, in order to give good service?
Best service for the Liberty engine is to attach long chains to them and use them as boat anchors
The WW I aircraft engines were made by a number of companies and while a good Liberty engine by a good maker was a decent enough engine, too many of them were junk from the day they left the factory door.
For a brief review : Liberty Notes
Why somebody thought that an engine with a 75 hour overhaul life would make a good tank engine I have no answer for.
The fact that few, if any, commercial operators (not counting rum runners) used the engine for very long, even getting them at surplus prices should have been another clue.