Nearly one hundred years ago, on 15 September 1916, fighting tanks went into battle for the very first time and added a new dimension to warfare. Those first tanks were British but they were soon followed by French, German and American tanks so that by 1918, when World War I ended, tanks formed a significant part of most of the combatant armies.

Tanks have changed over the last 100 years, mostly they have grown bigger and heavier with thicker armour plate and massive guns so they need much more powerful engines to move them along, more fuel to power the engine and an ever greater reliance on technology.

Today the tank is in service virtually all around the world and although it has changed shape dramatically compared with those lumbering monsters of 1916, the modern tank still embodies the three main characteristics of all tanks; that is Firepower, Mobility and Protection.

Firepower of course means guns, but not just guns; it includes sights and rangefinders from the crude early telescopes to the laser rangefinders used today.

Mobility is self-explanatory although it includes such things as tracks, suspension and steering systems which are peculiar to track laying vehicles.

Protection in its normal sense means armour but it can also be taken to include speed, height, camouflage, smoke screens and even the use of ground to hide or protect a tank.

Tank spotting is not difficult, they are big, noisy things but it is a lot harder to identify them, to learn to tell one type from another and know which nationality it is. Which is why a class such as this is so useful as a beginners guide. Learn the shapes, count the wheels and study the guns. They are all different and once you have become familiar with the tanks shown here visit a museum and look at the real thing.

Students will be shown pictures/art work of various tanks from the Second World War and the Cold War and then be asked to identify/name the tank. Students are encouraged to share as much information as they know. Since this is a group class, students will be expected to raise their hand for recognition to be called upon and not blurt out answers when it is not their turn. 


Some of the tanks we will spot in class: 
The Mark I

The Mark IV

The A7V

The Mark V

The Panzer III

The Matilda Infantry Tank

The M3 Lee/Grant Medium Tank

The Panzer IV

The Crusader Cruiser Tank

The T-34/76

The M4 Sherman

The Panther Medium Tank

The Tiger I Heavy Tank

The Sherman Firefly

The T-34/85

The Churchill Infantry Tank

The KV-1 Heavy Tank

The Churchill Crocodile Flamethrower Tank

The King Tiger Heavy Tank

The Cromwell Cruiser Tank

The M48 Patton

The Sherman DD Amphibious Tank

The M24 Chaffee Light Tank

The M3 and M5 Stuart Light Tank

The Centurion Universal Tank

The M26/M46 Pershing Tank

The T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks

The M551 Sheridan Tank

The T-62 Main Battle Tank

The IS Heavy Tank

The Leopard I Main Battle Tank

The M60 Main Battle Tank

The Chieftain Main Battle Tank

The T-72 Main Battle Tank

The Merkava Main Battle Tank

The Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank

The Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank

The T-80 Main Battle Tank

The Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank

The M1 Abrams Tank