Tanks in large numbers were first used by the British at the battle of

The vehicle was armoured against rifle and machine gun fire and operated on tracks that could cope with uneven ground, crush barbed wire and cross trenches. The vehicle had a crew of six, was armed with either two 6-pounder guns and machine guns (the male), or just machine guns (the female). Developed in secret by the ‘Land Ship Committee’, the tank, as it was codenamed, was intended to overcome the problems faced by infantry in crossing trenches and barbed wire whilst under fire from machine guns.

This battle saw both New Zealand and Canadian divisions committed and the successful first employment of the tank. The Battle of Flers-Courcelette was a set-piece operation which began on 15 September and ended on the 22nd. Although their initial effectiveness is debatable and designs were primitive, the face of modern warfare was changed forever. The first ever tanks used in combat were unleashed onto the battlefield during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on 15 September 1916, during the larger Somme offensive.

Tanks in large numbers were first used by the British at the battle of