Armor of the Great War

[Jim O]

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British Mark I tank


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Original British tank prototype "Little Willie"


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British Mark IV tanks, lead tank is Mark V, designed to carry supporting infantry


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British "Whippets", 3rd Battalion, Tank Corps, March 1918

[Jim O]

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British light tank, known as a "Whippet"


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Captured British tank shown in Berlin


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British tank stables


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British tank crossing a trench

[Geek44]

The rhomboids (Marks 1-5 I think) came in two varieties. Those armed only with machine guns were termed 'females' and the ones armed with more traditional guns (I don't know the calibres) were 'males'.
These tanks had a dizzying top speed of five miles per hour and were terribly unreliable. Maneuvering was achieved through a complicated set of clutches that would either stop or re-engage one side of track to turn the tank. Early crews complained of heat, noise and 'bullet-splash' as incoming rounds shattered against the hull, small fragments entering the vehicle through gaps in the armour such as where machine guns were mounted.
IIRC tanks were first employed by the British at The Somme. Several were to be part of the first assault. Two turned up to participate several hours after zero-hour. Many were captured by the Germans and used against their former owners. In response to the tank, the first anti-tank weapons were developed. Among the first crude ideas used was ammunition with tungsten cores...the first AP rounds.

[sniper1shot]

I believe I read that they have found a WW1 tank in Europe. It was buried in a shell hole at wars end. From what I can remember, it was in really good shape for being in the ground 90 odd years.

[Geek44]

Any idea if they plan to restore it?

[sniper1shot]

Not sure how much they are going to restore it. It had 1 full track on it (if I remember correctly) and 1 track that was folded up. I believe the British Armed Forces took control of it and there is a picture of the tank in a warehouse in Europe somewhere. I'm sorry I can't remember all the details but I know there is a book on the Early tank forces and the pictures of this "found" tank are in it.

[MAGNA]

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german troops inspect a knocked out Mk III Male with the six pounder guns removed.

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Another knocked out British tank.

[cyberia]

Let's not forget this nearly worthless monster...

Sturmpanzerwagen A7V

The A7V was Germany's first attempt at an AFV and an example of design-by-committee. A score of designers each added to the end product which resulted in a resounding disapointment.

Externally, the Sturmpanzerwagen A7V was an armored box with flat sloping plates all around the design. One of the telltale signs as to which end was the front of the machine was the inclusion of the captured Russian 57mm main gun to one end. Multiple points of entry were designed with one appearing atop while others were fitted to the sides. The armored box sat atop the short track system consisting of 15 road wheels to a side. Exhaust from the twin Daimler-Benz 100 horsepower engines were funneled out from the left side of the vehicle.

Internally, the Sturmpanzerwagen was cramped, smelly and noisy. No fewer than 18 men were called upon to man the machine to full potential. With the 57mm main gun at front, internal operators had access to two 7.92mm machine guns at the rear along with a further four along the sides of the steel beast - two to a side. Each machine gun would need to be addressed by a further two personnel per gun - a firer and an ammunition re-supplier. The engine sat in the lower-middle of the design with the main gear components resting under the rear. A crew of two would man the front 57mm main gun, one firing whilst the other loading the weapon. Two drivers sat in the upper center budge area operating a steering wheel and lever controls. Stowage was allotted for individual crew weapons in the form of rifles. Grab ropes were provided throughout as the design had plenty of headroom space for the average soldier, though travel made for an uneasy and overall bumpy ride.

The A7V was excessively heavy, making it impractical to be used on uneven terrain. The tank was slow as well, often meaning that it could be outpaced by the very infantry it was to assist. The short tracks of the tractor system also made the vehicle relatively unsafe and uncontrollable in some cases. If the A7V has one saving grace, it was that the all-around armor protection for the crew was second to none - even when compared to the British designs - over an inch in some areas.

Some 100 Sturmpanzerwagen A7V systems were on order by the end of 1917, though by war's end only some 20 were actually available to German forces. The A7V did not have to wait long to see action as it was immediately involved in fighting in the war's final year (1918). In what turned out as a successful encounter for three A7V crews on April 24th, 1918, the A7V took part in the first known tank-versus-tank engagement against three British Mk IV tanks. The conflict ended with two damaged Mk IV with only one damaged A7V.

[sniper1shot]

I believe the only surviving example of an A7V is in an Australian museum.

[McCoy]

Originally Posted by sniper1shot

I believe the only surviving example of an A7V is in an Australian museum.

That's true n' if my memory is correct it's Wotan that's pictured here above that is on display in that Australian museum.