Surprisingly, British intelligence did not know of the Tiger until months after its deployment, and years after Germany launched its requirement….
Tiger 131 Restoration: Part VI Oddities
Part VI. The quirks of the tank are revealed….
Action Debut of the Whippet Tank
On 26 March, 1918, the Medium A Whippet tank saw its first battle action, when it took a mass of German infantry by surprise….
Tiger 131 Restoration: Part V A Setback and a Repaint
Part V. The story of Tiger 131’s restoration, the engine blows and the Tiger is repainted after research reveals its original camouflage….
Tiger 131 Restoration: Part IV The Hull
Part IV. The final stages of work on the hull, including interior details and fitting the engine….
Tiger Wheels
One of the most distinctive features of the Tiger family is the interleaved and overlapping road wheels….
The Battle of Cambrai: The Fascine
One of the adaptations added during the Battle of Cambrai was the fascine, enabling tanks to cross deliberately widened trenches. …
Tank Armament in The First World War
While tanks gave the infantry a huge amount of protection, tank armament was also key in their development during the First World War….
Tiger 131 Restoration: Part III The Turret
Part III. The repair of the turret, including removing the gun, removing rust, and painting the interior and exterior. …
The Driver’s Hatch of Tiger 131
The driver’s hatch on Tiger 131 was replaced in May 1943 by the British after capture. The result of this early repair was that Tiger 131 spent several years with an incorrect part fitted….
Using Petrol in First World War Tanks
For all their impressive power, tanks won’t work without fuel, which in the First World War meant petrol. This post takes a look at how this petrol was stored and used aboard British tanks….
Tiger 131 Restoration: Part II Hull and Suspension
Part II. After disassembly, restoring and reassembling the hull and suspension was the next step….
Tiger 131 Restoration: Part I Disassembly
Tiger 131’s restoration was a long and expensive project, but one that would make the vehicle the most infamous tank in the world….
Tanks On Trains In The First World War
Tanks in the First World War were very slow. There were no tank transporters so tanks had to go by train and, as the war went on, they were getting bigger and heavier….
German Responses to the Tank
Most of the articles on this blog look at the tank from a British perspective. In the end, though, it would be the effect they had on the Germans that would decide how useful a weapon they really were….
The New Mark IV
The first Mark IV tanks arrived in France in late April 1917, and were issued to units in May….
Experimental WWI Tanks – Part III
The third instalment in David Fletcher’s three part series examining the experimental tanks of the First World War describes such oddities as cranes, bridges, and rudimentary amphibious tanks. …
Two Widths of Track
The Tiger I was 3547mm wide and this posed a problem for its strategic mobility….
Experimental WWI Tanks – Part II
While the first instalment looked at early experimental tanks, this blog post examines vehicles created as a reaction to problems tanks were encountering in combat, such as the Invicta Roller and tadpole tail. …
Experimental WWI Tanks – Part I
David Fletcher’s three part series details many examples of experimental tanks created during the First World War and includes weird and wonderful vehicles otherwise lost in the mists of time….
