Ww1 Tank Influence

Huxley Waller

Mr. Bognar

World Studies Period 4

April, 7 2017

The Influence of Tanks in WWI Throughout the course of WWI the face of the earth saw the birth of many new weapons such as poison gas, submarines, and planes. However, the most influential was the tank. Tanks completely changed the way that battles were fought and took away the stalemates of trench warfare. Tanks were not only useful in World War I, but also in World War II and modern day armies. Tanks were a remarkable invention and continue to develop to this day. The original idea of a “tank” was first introduced during the trench warfare in WWI. For the first few years of the war there was little progress made because none of the sides were able cross the no man’s land

The speed, range, lethality, survivability, and the ability to communicate or control a tank on the battlefield have all improved greatly” (the Evolution of Tank Technology, Liberty References). One of the greatest improvements in tanks is the speed. When the first prototype of the tank was unleashed it could only travel about four to five kph (kilometers per hour). Today some of the modern tanks such as the German Leopard 2, the French Leclerc, and the Israeli Merkava can travel around seventy kph. Another advancement in tanks is the operating range. The operating range was the distance a tank could travel without having to stop at a fueling base, similar to a car stopping at a gas station. The initial tanks from World War I had an operating range of only 50 miles. Some of today’s tanks such as the Leopard 2 have a maximum operating range of 310 miles. Modern day tanks are not nearly as limited in operating range as the original prototype tanks were. The ability to destroy and target enemies has improved. Some of the first tanks like the Panzer IV used a 75mm caliber cannon. Some of the best front line tanks including the Leopard 2 and the U.S. M1A2 have upgraded from a 75 mm caliber cannon to a 120mm caliber cannon. New optical systems have also been developed to detect enemies and even allies at greater ranges. Certain tanks include infrared scopes allowing for the detection of heat signatures. One of the most interesting forms of targeting that has been developed is laser targeting. This gives soldiers the ability to aim and release self-guided munitions, missiles, and explosives. The projectiles follow the laser beam directly to the target creating highly accurate