page_title: Tanks in World War I
section_title: Villers-Bretonneux: Tank against tank
hierarchical_section_title: Tanks in World War I / Villers-Bretonneux: Tank against tank
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Westfront, deutscher Panzer in Roye Deutscher Sturmwagen in Roye [I. Weltrkrieg 1914 - 1918, Westfront, deutscher Tank während der großen Schlacht von Frankreich, März bis Juli 1918,]
context_page_description: The development of tanks in World War I was a response to the stalemate that developed on the Western Front. Although vehicles that incorporated the basic principles of the tank had been projected in the decade or so before the War, it was the alarmingly heavy casualties of the start of its trench warfare that stimulated development. Research took place in both Great Britain and France, with Germany only belatedly following the Allies' lead.
  In Great Britain, an initial vehicle, nicknamed Little Willie, was constructed at William Foster & Co., during August and September 1915. The prototype of a new design that became the Mark I tank was demonstrated to the British Army on February 2, 1916. Although initially termed "Landships" by the Landship Committee, production vehicles were named "tanks", to preserve secrecy. The term was chosen when it became known that the factory workers at William Foster referred to the first prototype as "the tank" because of its resemblance to a steel water tank.
  The French fielded their first tanks in April 1917 and ultimately produced far more tanks than all other countries, combined.
context_section_description: The German General Staff did not have enthusiasm for tanks, but allowed the development of anti-tank weapons. Regardless, development of a German tank was under way. The only project to be produced and fielded was the A7V, although only twenty were built. The majority of the fifty or so tanks fielded by Germany were captured British vehicles. A7Vs were captured by the Allies, but they were not used, and most ended up being scrapped.
  The first tank-versus-tank battles took place 24 April 1918. It was an unexpected engagement between three German A7Vs and three British Mk. IVs at Villers-Bretonneux.
  Fuller's Plan 1919, involving massive use of tanks for an offensive, was never used because the blockade of Germany and the entry of the US brought an end to the war.
caption: German A7V tank at Roye on March 21, 1918.
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