The Tank EvolvesĪllied tanks became faster, more reliable, and more useful in battle during the course of the war, but they were far from a war-winning weapon. All six were put out of action during the attack, four from enemy shellfire. On the other hand, tanks inspired terror, rolled over barbed wire, and provided important firepower to the infantry with their machine-guns and artillery pieces. The decision of the British commander-in-chief, Sir Douglas Haig, to reveal the secret weapon before large numbers of tanks had become available generated criticism, but the tanks’ real problems were slow speed, mechanical failures, and inability to cross soft or heavily cratered ground.Īt the Battle of Courcelette, the Canadian Corps fought with half a dozen tanks, with a seventh held in reserve. They were as slow as a walking soldier and easily knocked out by artillery fire. Test at the Battle of Sommeīritish forces first used tanks during the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. They had a dramatic effect on German morale and proved effective in crossing trenches and wire entanglements, but they failed to break through the German lines. The first prototypes were completed in early 1916, and the first several dozen machines were at the front by mid-1916. After a successful field demonstration in 1915, Britain established a secret “Landships Committee” to study the military prospects of the vehicle, at first seen more like a warship than a land weapon, hence the name “landship.” The initiative was codenamed the “tank” because its hull resembled that of a water carrier. The First World War tank developed from the interest of some military officers in the marriage of tractors with caterpillar tracks as a means of crossing trench obstacles and breaking through barbed wire. Reinforcements of troops were available to blunt attacks or throw back Allied troops with rapid counterattacks.Mortars and artillery provided support to the front line infantry with firepower from the rear.Machine-gunners and riflemen protected the front lines.Barbed wire slowed or stopped infantry advances.Deep trenches and dug-outs protected against artillery.The riddle of the trenches was to find a way to overcome the power of the defender. The British turned to armoured vehicles as one way to cross No Man’s Land and break through the enemy trench system. Barbed wire and machine-guns stopped many Allied attacks with heavy casualties in 1915 and early 1916.

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