“Under the skilled tactical leadership of Major-General (substantive) William Heneker, the defending British 8th Division’s sector protecting Villers-Bretonneux included 25th Brigade north of the Roman road, with its 2nd Rifle Brigade forward, 2nd Royal Berkshire in support, and 2nd East Lancashire garrisoning the town. The tanks met near Cachy, to the south.Īs David Higgins explains in ‘Mark IV vs A7V: Villers-Bretonneux 1918’: The tank clash was really a side element of the larger battle taking place largely in and around Villers-Bertonneux. One of these was a male, or ‘bull’ tank, equipped with two 6-pounder artillery guns and three machine guns those equipped entirely with five Lewis machine guns were in turn labelled as female tanks, or ‘bitches’.

Those that would actually be at the forefront of the battle were the three British tanks of 1 Section, ‘A’ Company, 1 Battalion.

Popular Science documented the evolution in tanks, that thunder before the blitz, from slow novelty to deadly weapon in the interwar years, a selection of which can be found in “ The Rise Of The Tank Before World War II.”Īlso included are novel ideas that didn’t make the cut: heavy, winged “flying tanks,” or unusual lightweight fast tanks and goofy, armored cars.Īs for the tank evolution over a full 100 years, the British Army is again happy to tell that story in a video that is as much historical timeline as modern military infomercial.Of course, the Allies anticipated an attack and a defending force of British, French, Australian and Moroccan troops was cobbled together, supported by Mark IV tanks, Mark A Whippets (light tanks) and French Renault FTs. By the start of the next World War, however, German tanks were powerful, fast, armored and deadly machines, which enabled a style of fast attack that shaped not just World War II, but how nations after the war envisioned future wars. The earliest appearance of tanks in Popular Science comes from the December 1918 issue, in “German Monsters–Clumsy Copies of the French Tanks.” The tanks used by Germany were heavy, slow, poorly designed, and weak to all kinds of weapons, including rifle fire. See how it evolved /XmkU8VkHyo- British Army 🇬🇧 September 14, 2016 The British tank continues to play a decisive role on the battlefield.

First battle tanks were used in