*Entered Servise:1916 *Crew:8 *Weight:28 tones *Dimensions:Length-32.6ft,Hight (over hatch)-7.11ft, width-13.9ft *Armament:Main-2x 6pdr (57mm) guns, Secomdary-7.7mm machine guns *Armor: Maximun-12mm *Powerplant:150hp petrol engine *Speed:3.7mph *Range:22miles
Mark 1 Tank
German captured Mark 1 tank
Even while "Little Willie" was being built, Tritton and Wilson were working on a new design, which had a much longer track length in order to improve the cross-country performance and to be sure to make the requirement to cross a five foot wide trench and to climb a four foot high step. It had been worked on that this could be achieved by a wheel six feet wide, so the length of the track on the ground and its shape had to be the same as the lower curve of a wheel of that size. It was decided to mount the tanks main armament (ex-naval 6-pounder guns) in side sponsons. During her life "Mother" -despite her Male armament(Females were fitted with only machine guns).
Building the first 100 Mark 1 tanks began in 1916. They were called "tanks" for security reasons, in order to disguise their true purpose. Half of the first 100 tanks built were Male Tanks armed with 6-pounder guns, the rest were Females armed only with machine guns. It was not until the Second battle of Villers Bretonneux that it was realized that female tanks were ineffective against enemy tanks. In the battle, 2 female Mark IVs and 1 male IV came upon 3 enemy A7Vs. The 2 females were damaged and had to withdraw, while the male fired upon and disabled the lead A7V, which was abandoned by its crew. Later, near the end of the war, hermaphrodite tanks with one 6-pounder gun and one dual machine gun sponson were introduced. The Mark I was able to be recognized by the inefficient tail wheels that were used to assist in steering, the unshortend ex-naval 6-pounder guns, and the anti grenade "roof" that was mad of chicken wire.