In August 1917, the new Tank Corps had to prove their worth. This was done by the taking of Cockcroft – a German pillbox – during Third Ypres. …
The Battle of Passchendaele – Into Battle
Third Ypres, or Passchendaele, was a controversial battle at the time and has remained so ever since. Disagreement exists over whether it should have been fought at all, over the tactics used and over whether the casualties were worth the gains. …
The Battle of Passchendaele – Operation Hush
One of the reasons for launching the Third Battle of Ypres was a British desire to capture the Belgian coastline from the Germans….
The Battle of Passchendaele – Tanks at Third Ypres
Third Ypres was planned as an infantry and artillery attack, with tanks in a supporting role….
The Battle of Passchendaele – Background & Planning
The German invasion in August 1914 led to the conquest of almost all of Belgium. …
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. …
French First World War Tanks
The Renault FT is by far the most well-known French tank of the First World War, but it was not the first Char d’Assaut used by the French Army….
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….
Tanks in Palestine in the First World War
While writing on the First World War generally focuses on the Western Front, Palestine was the site of several tank battles against Turkey. …
Mark I and Mark II Tanks in Gaza
For many years it was widely believed that the eight tanks that fought in Gaza…
Sydney Hadley’s Glass Eye
One of the personal objects on display in The Tank Men exhibition is emblematic of the personal sacrifice made by so many men in World War One – a serious life-changing injury….
The Gunnery School
While Bovington is the ‘home’ of the tank, the gunnery training was done just down the road at Lulworth. However, that was not always the case. …
Camouflage
From the very beginning the tank had to be well-camouflaged, first when it was a secret weapon and then later when it advanced on to the battlefield….
Sponsons
Sponsons were built separately from tanks, not necessarily by the company that built the actual tanks….
The Bombproof Roof
This framework of wood and wire-netting (chicken wire the Americans call it) was devised as a means to prevent enemy stick grenades from lodging on the roof of the tank….
The Tail Assembly
The pair of tail wheels on a Mark I tank seem to fascinate most people; they are in fact the rump of the articulated Landship idea devised by Colonel Crompton….
