The British Mark I tank was an impressive and influential military tank and weapon that revolutionized how battles were being fought during the later days of World War I.
At a time when the deaths were mounting and the allies were losing faith in any kind of positive outcome for all the fighting, the evolution of the tank that began with the Mark I changed all of that.
As clumsy and incapable as it could be at times, the Mark I would go down in history as being the tank that changed the way ground battles were being fought, turning the tide of the war.
What Were The Weak Points of the Mark I?
A more successful result from the modification of a few previously developed tank prototypes, the Mark I was the first tank ever to make its way to the battlefield.
As impressive as that sounds and surely was at the time, the Mark I was still wrought with problems that made its battlefield introduction in September of 1916 more challenging than its designers had hoped.
With only 9 of an initial 49 tanks accomplishing their goals, the others breaking down immediately or becoming stuck in the mud, it at least gave the tank designers of the day something to improve upon, which they continued to do with the development of its successors, all the way to the much more capable Mark V.
What Was The Strong Point of the Mark I?
The one thing that the Mark I did get right, however, was its ability to travel over the protective trenches that were used by foot soldiers to hide as they shot at their enemies.
With a track that could span over 11 feet, the Mark I could cross most trenches, allowing crew members inside to fire down into the trenches while continuing the battle as the tank moved forward to the other side.
The trenches that had stalled the progression of the war into different regions because armored cars could not cross them, were no longer able to contain it.
The tanks could cross them, providing supplies, weapons, and even crews further into different regions.
Suddenly, the war was more mobile than ever and with the continued development of better and more reliable tanks, trench warfare was eventually phased out since the trenches no longer provided the strategic protection that they were intended for.
The Mark I Changed The End of World War I
While the Mark I may not have accomplished much before it was redesigned and reintroduced as the Mark II as well as other models and tank types, it did prove that the technology, if perfected, was practical. In its short lifetime, with the Mark I changing how the remaining 2 years of World War I would be fought!