Tanks were first used in combat by the British army on this day in 1916 as part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.
Tanks in World War I were developed separately and simultaneously by Great Britain and France as a means to break the deadlock of trench warfare on the Western Front. Their first use in combat was by the British Army on 15 September 1916 between the villages of Flers and Courcelette, during the Battle of the Somme. The name “tank” was adopted by the British during the early stages of their development, as a security measure to conceal their purpose. While the French and British built thousands of tanks between them, Germany was unconvinced of the tank’s potential, and built only twenty of her own.
I am an ex-teacher having taught Ancient and Modern History, Social Science and Computing (weird combo ... hey) in the NSW (Australian) education system. I completed my degree at the same time as Maxx, but majored more in Modern History and Political Science before doing a Graduate Dip. Ed. and teaching. I have a strong interest in military history (all periods) but love reading about all aspects of history (you might call me a history junkie). I believe learning should be a life long pursuit and that the study of history is integral to the development of a mature, modern 'thinking' and 'questioning' society.
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