Britain developed the first Tanks for use during World War I. The idea of armored vehicles was first thought up by Britain's official war correspondent, Ernest Swinton, who suggested the crawler tractors used to pull artillery on the Western Front could be used as offensive weapons with the capability to climb a five-foot obstacle, span a five-foot trench, resist small arms fire and travel at 4mph.
When the British army was developing the vehicles, known as 'landships', they didn't want to give the Germans any clue what they were up to – so the name 'tank,' which doesn't mean anything, was used to throw them off. It stuck.
On September 15, 1916, during the Battle of the Somme, the British sent into action eleven vehicles of an entirely new kind, the Mark I tank. On this first occasion they make relatively little impression. But on their second outing, at Cambrai in November 1917, they proved their unmistakable value in clearing the battleground for the infantry following behind them.
The Battle of Kursk was a Second World War engagement between German and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front near Kursk (450 kilometres or 280 miles south-west of Moscow) in the Soviet Union, during July and August 1943. It was the largest tank battle ever fought, with each side deploying nearly 3,000 tanks.
New Zealand's first tank in World War II had to stop to change gears.
In World War II the Dutch army only had one tank available that got stuck in the mud on its way to the border.
After Mariya Oktyabrskaya's husband died fighting the Nazis in 1941, she requested to be allowed to drive a tank to avenge her husband. The widow sold her possessions to fund a T34 tank, which she piloted herself. Oktyabrskaya proved herself a skilled tank driver, before dying from injuries obtained in battle, and was posthumously named Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1953, an Australian Centurion main battle tank survived a nuclear test only 500 yards away. Despite damage from the explosion, it was still functional. It served for 23 more years, including 15 months of service in Vietnam.
A Challenger tank destroyed an Iraqi tank with a DU round fired over a distance of 5,100 metres (over 3 miles) during the Persian Gulf War—the longest tank-on-tank kill shot recorded.
Since just after World War II, all British Army tanks have contained tea-making facilities.
The Challenger 2 tank was designed in the 1980s, when the United Kingdom was still using imperial measurements. However, the turret was designed by a French company, which uses metric measurements. This means the tank require two different sets of tools.
When the British army was developing the vehicles, known as 'landships', they didn't want to give the Germans any clue what they were up to – so the name 'tank,' which doesn't mean anything, was used to throw them off. It stuck.
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| British World War I Mark V* tank |
On September 15, 1916, during the Battle of the Somme, the British sent into action eleven vehicles of an entirely new kind, the Mark I tank. On this first occasion they make relatively little impression. But on their second outing, at Cambrai in November 1917, they proved their unmistakable value in clearing the battleground for the infantry following behind them.
The Battle of Kursk was a Second World War engagement between German and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front near Kursk (450 kilometres or 280 miles south-west of Moscow) in the Soviet Union, during July and August 1943. It was the largest tank battle ever fought, with each side deploying nearly 3,000 tanks.
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| Battle of Kursk. By Bundesarchiv, Bild |
New Zealand's first tank in World War II had to stop to change gears.
In World War II the Dutch army only had one tank available that got stuck in the mud on its way to the border.
After Mariya Oktyabrskaya's husband died fighting the Nazis in 1941, she requested to be allowed to drive a tank to avenge her husband. The widow sold her possessions to fund a T34 tank, which she piloted herself. Oktyabrskaya proved herself a skilled tank driver, before dying from injuries obtained in battle, and was posthumously named Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1953, an Australian Centurion main battle tank survived a nuclear test only 500 yards away. Despite damage from the explosion, it was still functional. It served for 23 more years, including 15 months of service in Vietnam.
A Challenger tank destroyed an Iraqi tank with a DU round fired over a distance of 5,100 metres (over 3 miles) during the Persian Gulf War—the longest tank-on-tank kill shot recorded.
Since just after World War II, all British Army tanks have contained tea-making facilities.
The Challenger 2 tank was designed in the 1980s, when the United Kingdom was still using imperial measurements. However, the turret was designed by a French company, which uses metric measurements. This means the tank require two different sets of tools.
When his city council denied a permit to build on empty lot, a London man applied for a permit for a tank. Thinking it was a water storage container, the council approved. Instead the man bought a Russian T-34 tank, parked it on his property and pointed the gun towards the city planning office.
The Soviet Union's T-54/55 series was the most-produced tank in military history. Estimated production numbers for the series range from 86,000 to 100,000.
While some have been destroyed through friendly fire, not one M1A1 Abrams tank has ever been destroyed in combat by enemy fire.
Source HistoryWorld
The Soviet Union's T-54/55 series was the most-produced tank in military history. Estimated production numbers for the series range from 86,000 to 100,000.
While some have been destroyed through friendly fire, not one M1A1 Abrams tank has ever been destroyed in combat by enemy fire.
Source HistoryWorld
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