Tanks

            The name tank actually began as a nickname.  The British gave us that name.  They wanted to keep the development of the tank a secret.  So they called these large vehicles " water tanks".  People were told they were for carrying water to thirsty soldiers in the Sinai Desert.  Even the people who built the first tanks thought they were actually water carriers.

In the early 1900's the tank was not thought of as a weapon. Producing armored cars was expensive and those few tracked vehicles which were used were almost always confined to the role of artillery shell movers and supply train haulers. As World War One ground down into the war of the trenches, a way to counter this had to be found. Thus, in Britain, development of the tank began in 1915.

As the British sped ahead in their tank production and industry, the Germans lagged behind. This changed in 1916, when the British deployed tanks in the battle of the Somme. Although there weren't many, the primitive tanks did help the British advance. The Germans noticed these new weapons, but paid them little attention. At the battle of Cambrai, in November of 1917, the Germans were crushed with the help of the tank. This got their attention. By the end of the war, Germany had nearly caught up to the Allies in the development of tanks.  However, they did not have enough tanks on the battlefield to make a difference before it was too late.

BACK