How It Works-Amazing Vehicles

How the demands of the modern battlefi eld have shaped designs

Prior to World War I, research and development

yielded some practical benefi ts in tank design.

Caterpillar treads, already in use with heav y

tractors, proved superior to wheels, and power

to weight ratios were recognised as having

signifi cant impact on mobility and performance.

Experimentation with ever y aspect of the

tank’s development led to the introduction of

basic internal power plants, and sheets of steel

were riveted together to form armoured boxes

on top of a tractor or car chassis. Visibilit y and

steering were crudely accomplished with

hazardous v iew ing ports and a series of tillers

respectively. Machine guns and cannon

originally meant for use with infantry and

artiller y units were also adapted.

Although they were terrifying to the common

foot soldier that encountered them, the earliest

Engine

The 105-horsepower,

six-cylinder Foster-Daimler

sleeve valve engine of the

Mark I generated a top

speed of around six

kilometres per hour.

Machine guns

At least three 7.7mm

Hotchkiss or Vickers

machine guns were

mounted on both the

Male and Female

Mark I variants.

Rhomboid

The rhomboid shape of the

Mark I was intended to help it

traverse diffi cult terrain and

allow smooth track movement.

Silhouette

Nearly 2.5 metres high, the Mark I silhouette

was easily spotted on the battlefi eld, often

drawing enemy artillery fi re.

Vision

Poor vision plagued the

Mark I crew. The commander

viewed the fi eld through slits

and periscopes rising from

the roof.

Sponson

Barbettes or

sponsons jutted

from the fl anks of

the Mark I, serving

as mounts for the

Male variant’s

six-pounder guns.

Steel plating

Heavy, riveted steel plates

provided protection from

small arms fi re; however,

their signifi cant weight

adversely affected the

Mark I’s performance.

Trailing wheel

The trailing wheel aided

in steering the Mark I;

however, it proved

impractical on the

battlefi eld and was

later discarded.

Propulsion

The complex propulsion

system of the Mark I

required two drivers and

two gearmen to operate.

Mark I

Hopes of breaking the agonising stalemate of

trench warfare during World War I led to the

accelerated development of the world’s fi rst

operational tank, the British Mark I. The

Landships Committee was established in 1915

by Winston Churchill – First Lord of the

Admiralty at the time – to produce an armoured

vehicle for the battlefi eld. The Mark I was the

production model of earlier prototypes Little

Willie and Mother.

The Mark I weighed just over 28 tons and was

powered by a six-cylinder Foster-Daimler engine.

It was produced in two variants, the Male

mounting two Hotchkiss six-pounder guns and

the Female mounting two Vickers machine guns,

with both variants sporting an additional three

light machine guns.

Eight crewmen shared a common

compartment. The British Army placed the fi rst

order for 100 Mark I tanks in February 1916, and

the tank made its combat debut during the

Battle of the Somme. Although several tanks

broke down or became stranded, a new era in

modern warfare had begun.

1916

The fi rst tank ended the stalemate of trench warfare

A fl eet of 36 tanks led an

attack at the 1916 Battle of

Flers-Courcelette

MILITARY

Tanks past and present