Tanks Used In World War I

World War I is the biggest global tragedy centered in Europe at the beginning of the XX century. The conflict presented the world industrial and technological progress of the days. One of the most significant achievements was a new armored vehicle, called tank. The year when the English armaments industry withdrawn a new military invention to the battlefield was 1915. Later, both conflicting sides used tanks and their production grew and improved.

Little Willie is the first constructed tank by the British Landships Committee as a vehicle to overcome the obstacle of the current battlefield. It weighed 18 tons, and two men could sit in the front part of the vehicle. The first controlled the clutch, the throttle, and steering wheel; the second held the brakes. Because of its weight, Little Willie never saw a battlefield.

The production of the British tanks continued with the development of Mark I. It appeared as an improved version of Little Willie. It had rhomboid shape and long track length. It differed in the low gravity center. The tank could negotiate cross the trenches broken ground. The main armament was in the sponsons, situated on the hull sides.

France also made its contribution in the construction of the armored vehicle. The attempts were made and the first French tank prototype appeared in 1917, called Schneider CA. It was the steel box on the caterpillar. In the right front corner of the tank, there was its main armament, i.e. short barrel cannon. The tank had a door in the back and a small room illuminated with three electric lights. The crew consisted of six men.

The Saint – Chamond tank was the second step made by France towards the military improvement. It was also known as the most heavily armored vehicle of World War I. Weighing 23 tons and being made of the steel, the tank often demonstrated inability to negotiate rough terrains and did not correspond to the reality of trench warfare.

The German armaments industry kept up to date, as well. In 1918, it presented A7V, the unique tank produced during World War I. It had a high center of gravity and comparatively high speed, though it could not overcome off-road difficulties. Meanwhile, it had some success, offering more firepower.

To sum up, the tank development was a significant achievement of the global military industry. However, the first tanks had many defects; they became solid grounds for the further improvements.