The tank had an interesting role in World War One. The tank was first used at the battle of Flers-Courcelette. Of course just like any new technology there was some problems, a majority of the tanks broke down, but nearly a third succeeded the ones that did succeed did a great deal to end the horrors of trench warfare and brought back some mobility to the Western Front. The idea of the tank came from a development of farming vehicles that could cross difficult land with ease by using caterpillar tracks. Tanks were an armoured machine that would change war forever.
At the start of World War One, the first engagement between the British and Germans had involved horse cavalry near Mons. However, trench warfare had made the use of horses ineffective.
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There would be a crew of eight and the large guns would be fifty-seven millimeter naval guns mounted on the sides. The vehicle would have a speed of four miles per an hour. Big Willie ran with these specifications for the first time on January 16, 1916. A huge supporter of the prospective new weapon was Winston Churchill. Churchill had directly contacted Haig to convince him about the usefulness of the new weapon. Haig sent a Major, Hugh Elles, to find out more about the machine and he reported good news to Haig. On January 29, 1916, Big Willie went through it first major demonstration under the tightest of secrecy. On February 2nd, Kitchener, Lloyd George and McKenna, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, attended another demonstration. It was at this meeting that Kitchener described Big Willie as a "pretty mechanical toy". However, those close to Kitchener claim that he made the statement in hopes to anger the tank team into defending their creation. By February 12th, 100 Big Willies had been ordered by the Ministry of