The First Usage of Tanks in Combat

This Week in History!: September 15, 1916

Daniel Shah

The Battle of the Somme that took place from July 1 to November 18, 1916 during the First World War exemplified many characteristics typical of battles at the time: high casualties, terrible conditions, and any victory being pyrrhic, if it existed at all. What had been hitherto unseen, however, was a brand-new piece of technology that would significantly alter the way nations approached tactics and warfare: the tank. Today in history - September 15th, 1916 - the Mark I slid onto the battlefield for the first time and changed the course of the 20th century. This week, we’re giving you an overview of how tanks first came to be, and their evolution in recent history.

What’s That Inching Over The Trenches? - WWI

The idea of an armored vehicle to provide additional protection and firepower had been around for some time, but advancing technology and the stalemate that was much of the war hastened its creation. It was the United Kingdom that produced the first tanks, using them after extensive development at the battle of Flers-Courcelette during the Somme.

One of the first tanks ever put into use, depicted at the battle of Flers-Courcelette. Photo courtesy of thehistorypress.co.uk.

Initially, the first British Mark I tanks (nicknamed ‘Little Willies’) were met with some surprise and fear on the part of their enemies, as they were more or less unaffected by rifles, machine guns, and shrapnel. Capable of crossing trenches and barbed wire and equipped with two 6 pounder quick-firing guns for ‘male’ variants and four Vickers machine guns for ‘female’ variants, they were able to cause significant damage if given the chance. They were, however, notoriously slow and unreliable (able to move at a maximum or around 5.9 km h/3.66 mph). Famously, 49 Mark Is were deployed for the battle, but only 25 moved forward at the start of the attack.

Research and development continued in spite of these problems, and other nations had soon created their own variants. Born through the blood and iron of the Great War, tanks had carved out their niche in modern combat.

Lightning War - WWII

Decades later, technology had evolved to the point where armor was able to play a vital role in the Second World War, particularly during its early years. Tanks were now much faster, with upgraded weaponry to match. Popularly referred to as Blitzkrieg, early German tactics, seen prominently during the invasion of France in 1940, made full use of this. By concentrating force on specific weak points in an enemy’s line, the famous Panzers were able to outmaneuver the enemy with superior speed, mobility and coordination.

A significant contributor to France’s downfall so early in the conflict was effective use of armor strategies like this, such as when the Wehrmacht penetrated the Ardennes - an area the French thought almost naturally impregnable - and subsequently encircled many Allied divisions. Forced to evacuate in the face of near annihilation at the port of Dunkirk, Britain and France’s remaining forces on the continent could not stop the Axis advance.

A diagram illustrating Allied lines and German advances in the early Western Front. Photo courtesy of britannica.com.

Through superior tactics and usage of armor and air support, France fell, and the Third Reich accomplished in 46 days what the German Empire could not in 4 years.

Armor would continue to play an immense role in the Second World War, as seen in the North African campaign or the Eastern Front. Many different variants pushed the limit of what being a tank meant, from the mass-produced Soviet T-34 and D-Day’s ‘Funnies’ to the gargantuan German Panzer VIII ‘Maus’ that likely never saw combat.

The Armored Titan - The Cold War and Beyond

In a modern military force, tanks continue to exist, but in lesser numbers. They can be impractical in many theatres of war, such as the jungles of Vietnam or the mountains of Afghanistan. As such, they play a more balanced role than, for example, in 1943 (the enormous amount used during the Battle of Kursk - almost 6 000 - tells us as much).

Many have debated whether the tank still has a place in modern warfare, with varying viewpoints on either end of the spectrum. Regardless, research and production still continues, as it did in 1916, as it did in 1940, and as it will in the future.

Armor may not be as prominent as it was during WWII, but constant evolution ensures that it still holds the capability to both pose a threat to and inspire fear in possible enemies. The armored titan that once dominated the fields of Russia, the deserts of North Africa and the trenches of the Somme lives on.