The tank had an interesting role in World War i. The tank was first used at the Battle of Flers. It was then used with less success at the Battle of Somme. Although the tank did a great deal to end the horrors of trench warfare and brought back some mobility to the Western Front, it was highly unreliable - as one would expect from a new machine.
The idea of the tank came from a develop of farming vehicles that could cross bumpy land with ease by using caterpillar tracks. The leading light in support of the tank was Lieutenant-Colonel Ernest Swinton. In 1914, he had proposed the development of a new type of fighting vehicle. A common misconception was that no fighting vehicles existed in August 1914. The Germans, British, Austrians, Russians, adn the French all had armored fighting vehicles that could fight on normal terrain. But these vehicles could not cope with trenches that were soon to dominate the Western Front. The first tank did not go well. The first model was released from the factory floor on September 8th, 1915, and then on September 10th, its track fell off. Even though the track fell off two days after it was produced, these officials were impressed as they knew that any new weapon was bound to have beginner malfunctions and they recognized the potential that the new weapon had.
On January 16th, 1916, a tank named Big Willie was released. Big Willie had a 10-mm frontal armor and 8-mm side armor. There was also a holding capacity of a crew of eight and the large guns would be 57-mm naval guns mounted on the sides. Big Willie also had the speed of 4 mph. The development of the tank when compared to other weapons was remarkably swift.
On September 15th, 1916, thirty-six tanks made a huge attack at the Somme. Originally there had been fifty of these machines but there thirty ton machines could not cope with the harsh lunar landscape and churned up the ground and fourteen had broken down or got bogged down.
The idea of the tank came from a develop of farming vehicles that could cross bumpy land with ease by using caterpillar tracks. The leading light in support of the tank was Lieutenant-Colonel Ernest Swinton. In 1914, he had proposed the development of a new type of fighting vehicle. A common misconception was that no fighting vehicles existed in August 1914. The Germans, British, Austrians, Russians, adn the French all had armored fighting vehicles that could fight on normal terrain. But these vehicles could not cope with trenches that were soon to dominate the Western Front. The first tank did not go well. The first model was released from the factory floor on September 8th, 1915, and then on September 10th, its track fell off. Even though the track fell off two days after it was produced, these officials were impressed as they knew that any new weapon was bound to have beginner malfunctions and they recognized the potential that the new weapon had.
On January 16th, 1916, a tank named Big Willie was released. Big Willie had a 10-mm frontal armor and 8-mm side armor. There was also a holding capacity of a crew of eight and the large guns would be 57-mm naval guns mounted on the sides. Big Willie also had the speed of 4 mph. The development of the tank when compared to other weapons was remarkably swift.
On September 15th, 1916, thirty-six tanks made a huge attack at the Somme. Originally there had been fifty of these machines but there thirty ton machines could not cope with the harsh lunar landscape and churned up the ground and fourteen had broken down or got bogged down.