PMMS

bookBritish Mark I Tank 1916
Osprey New Vanguard 100
By David Fletcher
Illustrated by Tony Bryan
Published by Osprey Publishing.

Soft cover, 48 pages
ISBN 1-84176-689-5

Review by Peter Brown


The appearance out of the darkness on that day in mid-September of 1916 of the new weapons known as "tanks" brought about a revolution in warfare which none then could only have predicted let alone dreamed about. These first lumbering giants looked like nothing else on earth and while their first use in action was not a huge success they showed enough promise to be developed and used again. The rest is history, the tank's story will continue until something maybe even more revolutionary appears to make it obsolete. No matter what happens, recalling the first months, weeks and days will always be important.

There can be few authors who are better qualified to relate that era than David Fletcher. His long-standing interest in the subject, many years spent in study at the Tank Museum's Library and elsewhere plus his readable writing style bring the subject to life as he gives us the facts in an easy to follow way. Sensibly he does not delve into the background of the early stages of the Great War, starting at the logical point of the design of the tracked armoured vehicle known as either Number One Lincoln Machine or Little Willie which was the first true tank As this vehicle lacked the all-important trench crossing ability, it was quickly superseded by a bigger and more capable machine. This was known Big Willie or His Majesty's Land-Ship Centipede but its better-known name was Mother, it was to be the pattern for later Great War British tanks. After testing the design was put into production and began a line of similar but steadily improving tanks.

Their design, construction and use is well covered, along with an idea of what it was like to crew these early machines. First action at Flers-Courcelette in September 1916 is described, as is the service of the Mark I in the Middle East and developments into the Marks II and III. All this is illustrated by a good selection of period photos they showing what these tanks looked like outside and in, including some areas which are not well known. Adding to these is a series of clear colour plates, showing Little Willie, Mother, several Mark I's on the Western Front and Middle East including a cutaway view as well as Mark II and III machines, Supply and Wireless tanks.

Taken together this covers this important tank very well and marks a fitting "century" for Osprey's New Vanguard series. Some readers might want more detail on certain areas but that is available elsewhere with David Fletcher himself having written several other accounts, there is plenty here for most modellers and enthusiasts. It will be an ideal reference for anyone interested in modelling these machines. Though we have something in small scale, a good Mark I as a 1/35th polystyrene scale would be very welcome.

Kit or no kit, add this book to your collection and hope that other First World War tanks get such good coverage.



Page created 4 November 2004

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