Scenes of the War - abandoned or destroyed British tanks
The British tanks were various models, called Mark I-V. These tanks measured 8 m in length and weighed 28 t. With 150 hp they reached a maximum speed of 7.4 km/h.
The crew consisted of 8 men; the armament was two 5.7 cm guns and four machine guns, though this varied by model. The tanks were not invulnerable; direct artillery hits in particular were feared.
Recommended Articles
Kriegsgeschichte
The Course of the First World War (1915)
On 16 February 1915 the French High Command ordered a renewal of the offensive in the Champagne. For the first time, hours of artillery fire prepared the infantry attacks, which nevertheless failed against the strong defensive power of the German positions. The French lost about 240,000 men, the Germans only 45,000. The British offensive at Artois beginning on 10 March also failed. The Germans remained on the defensive in the West and concentrated on further expanding their positions. Up to then these had lacked tactical depth; a second and third line were now created. It remained problematic that on both sides each main battle line was absolutely to be held in the event of enemy attacks. This rigid doctrine led to senseless losses; only slowly did the leading military commanders realize that both the classical form of attack and an overly rigid defensive posture did not lead to success or led to unacceptable losses.
Kriegsgeschichte
The Course of the First World War (1917)
On 19.01. a German alliance offer was made to Mexico. This inevitably led to tensions with North America. On 01.02. Germany announced unrestricted submarine warfare. The demand for such a massive trade war also came from ranks of the Reichstag and put Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg under pressure.
Organisation
The Development of the German Imperial Army in World War I (1914–18) - An Overview
At the outbreak of World War I the Imperial Army comprised 92½ infantry and 11 cavalry divisions with 5,124 field guns and 575 heavy guns.