were tanks first used in the battle of the somme

Much of the design work was done by two men working secretly inside a Lincoln, England, hotel room near a threshing machine manufacturer commissioned to build the prototypes. Early in the war, British Army Colonel Ernest Swinton proposed the development of an armored vehicle that could traverse difficult terrain, and First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill approved the development of the so-called “landships” in early 1915. After testing, the British government ordered the production of 150 ‘Mother’ style tanks, which occurred in early 1916.The British military hoped that its new weapon-the tank-could finally break the deadly impasse of the Battle of the Somme. As well, the new design, which was first referred to as ‘Big Willie’ or ‘Mother’ included side mounted 6-pounder (57 mm) guns. For instance, a rhomboidal shape was chosen because it allowed the tanks better ability to scale over and out of enemy trenches. Revisions were made to the original design, including changing the body shape to better meet the needs of the battlefields of the Western Front. Regardless, the construction of ‘Little Willie’ proved to the British Army that the invention had potential.

It also included caterpillar tracks, which became the standard form of movement for all later tanks. The ‘Little Willie’ tank was a 14 ton armored box with a 105 hp Daimler engine. This first design, which was completed in September of 1915, was called ‘Little Willie’ and is considered to be the prototype to the first British tank.

More specifically, the first practical tank design was undertaken by William Foster & Co Ltd in Lincoln, England. The development of the first tank began in 1915 and was based on earlier armored vehicle designs that had already been used in World War I.

Were tanks first used in the battle of the somme