The First Tank Produced
In 1914, British army Colonel Ernest Swinton and William Hankey promoted the idea of an armored vehicle with caterpillar tracks so they could use it to cross difficult terrain and break through enemy lines. Winston Churchill like the idea and established a Landships Committee to start building a prototype. To keep the enemies from knowing about the project, the workers were told that they were building water tanks to bring out on to the battlefield and the name eventually stuck.
The first tank prototype came out in 1915. It was called the Little Willie. It weighed 14 tons, had a Daimler engine, carried a crew of 3-4 people, and move at a speed of three miles per hour. Unfortunately, the tank was unsuccessful at crossing large trenches, which is what it was built for. Although the tanks performance was bad, Ernest Swinton was still convinced that his idea would work, he just needed a better design. The Little Willie tank never made it to battle, but it is still considered the first tank.
The first tank prototype came out in 1915. It was called the Little Willie. It weighed 14 tons, had a Daimler engine, carried a crew of 3-4 people, and move at a speed of three miles per hour. Unfortunately, the tank was unsuccessful at crossing large trenches, which is what it was built for. Although the tanks performance was bad, Ernest Swinton was still convinced that his idea would work, he just needed a better design. The Little Willie tank never made it to battle, but it is still considered the first tank.