Rolirad Tanks Art of Modern Warfare

1900

1920

1910

1912

1916

1918

1902

1908

1914

1904

1906

Research and Development

Levavasseur Project (1903)

Little Willie (1915)

The Land Ironclads (1903)

Dominant Tanks in War

A7V Sturnpanzerwagon (1918)

British Mark I (1915)

Renault FT-17 (1917)

1930

1940

1935

1936

1938

1939

1931

1934

1937

1932

1933

Dominant Tanks in War

German Panzer (1934)

American M4 Sherman (1940)

Russian T-34 (1940)

1940

1960

1950

1952

1956

1958

1942

1948

1954

1944

1946

Dominant Tanks in War

American M24 Chafee (1944)

American M48 Patton (1952)

Russian T-54/55, Chinese Type 59 (1958)

1960

1991

1970

1975

1985

1990

1962

1968

1980

1964

1966

Dominant Tanks in War

Russian/Iraqi T-72 (1969)

American M1A1 Abrams (1985)

British Mark I (1915)

The British Mark I could be considered the next generation of tanks following the Little Willie. The British only built 150 tanks. These tanks were built in two groups of 75. 75 ''male" mounted with a 6-pound gun and "female" with two Vickers heavy machine guns. Unique to tank design, the Mark I had a while tall assembly on the back used for steering and counterbalance. Mark I was first used in action in September 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. Eight Mark I were sent to Palestine and fought in Gaza. This event marked the first time tanks were ever used in a desert setting. suffered mechanical malfuntions. British Mark I, courtesy of tankmuseum.org

T-72 (1969)

T-72 tanks (Lion of Babylon) saw service in the 1991 Persian Gulf War as well as the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Like other tanks in the Iraqi inventory, T-72s were mainly employed as armored self-propelled artillery, rather than in maneuver warfare roles. In operations, it fared poorly against American main battle tanks and armored fighting vehicles. For example, a 120 mm depleted uranium (DU) APFSDS round from an M1 Abrams could knock out a T-72 tank well beyond 3,000 m. However, it wasn’t totally outclassed, in fact it had a bigger gun than the Abrams, with its 2A46M gun being 125mm compared to the Abram’s 120mm smoothbore, and it was able to fire the same type of ammunition.

The Land Ironclads, By H.G. Wells (1903)

"The Land Ironclads" is a short story by British writer H. G. Wells, which originally appeared in the December 1903 issue of the Strand Magazine. It features tank-like "land ironclads," 80-to-100-foot-long armored fighting vehicles that carry riflemen, engineers, and a captain, and are armed with semi-automatic rifles. cannon project." The Land Ironclads, courtesy of Wikipedia.com

Renault FT-17 (1917)

In 1918, the Renault FT-17 was WWI's most widely used tank. It was designed for close infantry support. It was also the first production tank to have a rotating turret. The Renault FT (frequently referred to in post-World War I literature as the FT-17, FT17, or similar) was a French light tank among the most revolutionary and influential in history. The FT was the first production tank to have its armament within a fully rotating turret. The Renault FT's configuration (crew compartment at the front, engine compartment at the back, and main armament in a revolving turret) became and remained the standard tank layout. Consequently, some armored warfare historians have called the Renault FT the world's first modern tank. Renault FT-17, courtesy of Wikipedia.com

T-54/55, Type 59 (1958)

The T-54/55 series of tanks are the most produced tanks in history. These tanks were introduced by the Soviet Union as main battle tanks after the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945. The Type 59 is a Chinese version of the Soviet T-54A tank, which was an early model of the T-54/55 series. The Chinese began producing these tanks in 1958 and they were accepted into service in 1959. Serial production began in 1963 and over 10,000 tanks were produced until production ended in 1985. Approximately 5,500 of these tanks served with the Chinese armed forces. These tanks formed the backbone of the Chinese People's Liberation Army armored units until the early 2000s. T-54/55 Courtesy of Wikipedia.com

M24 Chafee (1944)

The M24 Chaffee, the replacement for the M3/M5 Stuarts, was a leap forward in light tank design, improving the concept in all directions. It had modern torsion bar suspensions, completely revised welded steel armor, improved protection, and, more importantly, a much more potent lightweight 75 mm (2.95 in) main gun. Although late in the game (just in time for the Battle of the Bulge, winter 1944), the Chaffee was so successful, being efficient, simple, reliable, and rugged, that it was primarily exported after the war and stayed in service with many armies until the 1980s and beyond, encompassing most of the Cold War. M24 Chaffee, Courtesy of Wikipedia.

T-34 (1940)

Thus 1939, the Russians were already concentrating on the T-34 medium tank with a 76-mm gun. The T-34 profoundly affected the conflict on the Eastern Front and had a long-lasting impact on tank design. The tank was praised by multiple German generals when encountered during Operation Barbarossa, although its armor and armament were surpassed later in the war. Its main strength was its cost and production time, meaning that German panzer forces would often fight against Soviet tank forces several times their size. The T-34 is also a critical part of the mechanized divisions that form the backbone of the Deep Battle Strategy. T34, Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Little Willie (1915)

Designed in 1915, the Little Willie was the first working tank in the world, proving a vehicle that was armored, had a combustion engine and tracks was a viable option on the battlefield. It was designed in response to the problems faced by allied WW I trooops related to trench warfare. It was the responsibility of British Landships Commitee to develop the machine who contracted the agricultural company William Foster & Co to create the prototype. They developed workable tracks fitted one of their chassis which eventually led to an improved idea of a machine with tracks running all the way around the machine which would be able to cross the trenches. Little Willie, courtesy of tankmuseum.org

A7V Sturmpanzerwagon (1918)

While the Germans initially thought tanks were not the way to advance in trench warfare, they were forced to rethink the appearance of Allied tanks on the battlefield in 1916. In response, they created a study group called Department 7, Transport, which eventually developed specifications for the indigenous German tank design. After several prototypes were tested, a production model was created, the 7 Abteilung, Verkehrswesen (A7V) or "Sturmpanzerkraftwagen," the only operational German tank of WWI. The A7Vs were all hand-built; therefore, each is unique and high-quality. The first A7Vs were deployed in March of 1918. During the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, the A7V was involved in the first tank-to-tank due in history when an A7V found a British Mark IV. A7V Sherman, Courtesy of tankmuseum.org

Levavasseur Project (1903)

In 1903, The Levavasseur Project was an early project for a tank designed by the French Captain Léon René Levavasseur of the 6th Artillery Battalion, described as a "self-propelled cannon project." The objective of the machine is to create an automobile artillery piece, capable of going over the rough terrain only accessible to horse carriages, and offering to the personnel and the engine parts a complete protection from indirect or small arms fire. Levavasseur Project, courtesy of Wikipedia.com

M48 Patton (1952)

Due to the often moist Vietnamese terrain, tanks played a minor role in the Vietnam War. However, they were still useful in providing support to American forces in the south by securing contested roads and engaging enemy troops. The most widely used American tank was the M48, which was powered by diesel and carried a 90mm main gun mounted on the turret that could rotate to fire in any direction. Additionally, it had one 7.62mm machine gun and one .50 caliber machine gun. The M48 could travel at maximum speeds of around 30 m.p.h. The armor plating on the tank varied from 76-100mm, with the heaviest armor located at the front of the tank's hull. M48 Patton, Courtesy of tankmuseum.com

Panzer (1934)

The most effective tank force proved to be the German Panzer division, composed in 1939.What made the German panzers so formidable was that, instead of being divided between various infantry and cavalry tank units, they were all concentrated and used in massed formations in the panzer divisions. The successes of the panzer divisions during the first two years of World War II led the major armies to reorganize most of their tanks into similar formations. Panzer IV, Courtesy of tankmuseum.org

M4 Sherman (1940)

The production of M4 Sherman began in 1942 and continued until the end of the war. In total, 42,234 M4 Sherman tanks were built, making it the primary tank of the U.S. and other Allied armored forces. The tank was named after the famous American Civil War general, William T. Sherman. The M4 Sherman is one of the most well-known and iconic tanks of the Allies during World War Two and is considered one of the most famous tanks in history. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap, and available in large numbers. It also served as a basis for several other armored fighting vehicles, including self-propelled artillery, tank destroyers, and armored recovery vehicles. The British Commonwealth and the Soviet Union received tens of thousands of M4 Shermans through the Lend-Lease program. M4 Sherman, Courtesy of tankmuseum.org

M1A1 Abrams (1985)

The M1A1 Abrams Tank, aka 'Whispering Death' The American-led Coalition Forces deployed several different tank models in the Gulf War, but the dominant version—in terms of both sheer numbers on the ground and confirmed kills—was the M1A1 Abrams battle tank, an armored behemoth designed for a Cold War enemy, that took center stage in the Persian Gulf War and helped to liberate Kuwait after 100 hours of fierce fighting. A standard M1A1 Abrams utilized composite armor, a new form of vehicle protection allowing it to be able to take hits from newer, advanced weapons, the Rheinmetall Rh-120 120mm smoothbore cannon as its main gun, and an Avco-Lycoming AGT1500 engine to help it power through rough terrain.