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 Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
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On the 15th September 1916, tanks were used in battle for the first time.
Tanks made their combat debut in September 1916 when 49 British armored vehicles went into action during the battle of Flers-Courcelette as part of the Somme offensive.
It wasn’t the most auspicious of debuts. Many of these tanks, known as Mark 1 “landships,” broke down or got stuck in the mud, but those that did breach the German lines terrified infantry soldiers who witnessed their first foray into battle.
These early tanks proved notoriously unreliable during testing and application. Weighing approximately 28 tons, they could only move forward at a snails pace, a half mile per hour. They were impervious to small arms fire, and to a lesser extent machine gun fire (metal chips would fly inside the tank, resulting in the issue of chain-mail visors to the operators, uncomfortable and seldom worn). However shell fire could (and did) easily destroy a tank.
Navigation and visibility were poor - the latter leading on more than one occasion to the tank directing friendly fire from its guns onto its own forces. Radio communication was not available until late in the war: carrier pigeons were used instead.
Armour provided tank crews with some protection, but the vehicles themselves were difficult to steer. Their interiors were full of noise and smoke from the engines. Many tanks lacked springs, so crews bounced around inside.
The next spring France joined the ranks with its own armoured vehicles, the Schneider CA, but they also had significant drawbacks and broke down easily.
The bloody deadlock on the Western Front ensured that the technology developed rapidly. Before long, car maker Renault came up with the FT, a light tank that was capable of being mass-produced. The FT was nimbler than the tanks that preceded it, and also featured a turret that could turn a full 360 degrees.
The conventional wisdom is that armoured fighting vehicles weren’t a major factor in ending the war, but tank tactics evolved quickly. A British plan was in place to launch an assault deep behind German lines in the spring of 1919, but the armistice prevented it from being acted upon. Twenty years later, German armed forces showed just how effective such an approach could be.
The precise origin of the term “tank” is unclear. Some say the name comes from a code word used by the workers who manufactured the early fighting vehicles, while others say it comes from the hull’s resemblance to a tank that’s used for carrying water or other liquids.
Today’s tanks have far better armour, vastly increased firepower and move more than five times as fast as the quickest of the World War I models, but the basic traits of the landships that began appearing in 1916 remain constant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5vdLarcfwY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFbYTYt6Ok8
Somme 100 http://www.britishlegion...w1-centenary/somme-100/
To commemorate the Tank being used in battle for the first time and the 100th anniversary of the battle of the Somme, Nemesis (aka Daran) will be constructing a tank kit from the Somme 'Flers-Courcelette' offensive.
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The kit I have chosen for this build is from Takom. There are some nice kits available from a quite a few manufacturers, but most are of the Mk IV and Mk V. This build will depict a Mk I from the battle of Flers Courcelette, 1916. A review of whats in the box is to come, but for now here is the box art.Nemesis attached the following image(s):
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 Rank: Super-Elite        Groups: Registered
Joined: 30/01/2013 Posts: 4,604 Points: 13,607 Location: Monmouthshire UK
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Looks good, should be a nice build, I built a MkIV on here a while ago and surprising how big these are in 1/35 scale. The box art on this one though looks more like North Africa than the mud that they had in France that year :-) Steve
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Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 27/01/2014 Posts: 5,060 Points: 14,980
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I've heard this is a very nice kit. It should turn out to be something special in your hands
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Hello Steve, yes it shows the Palestine version on the box but its a 2 in 1 kit so you can build the Somme version. Thanks davetwin, I am looking forward to this build, I have lots of reference material so I will give it my best!
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Interesting choice Nem I have been toying with getting the Tamiya version as you say a later version but this kit gets some cracking reviews, looking forward to this build might help me decide as probably my next purchase Jase “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
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Have a feeling this will turn out to be something special Nem and up to your usual high standards. Will be following all the way and look forward to seeing how it all turns out... Good luck with the build.
Regards
Alan
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Should be a nice build, will be following. Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Rank: Administration  Groups: Registered, Forum Support Team, Administrators, Global Forum Support Team, Moderator, Official Builds Joined: 09/11/2012 Posts: 7,978 Points: 23,113 Location: East midlands
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Cool choice, I prefer the look of the earlier tanks. Regards delboy271155 (Derek) COME BACK GUY FAWKES "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU"
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
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If this has enough interest, we might even top it off with a build of a of a current day Tank for comparison.
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There are very few pictures of the MkI male tank, most are for the MkIV onwards, but I have a picture of a MkI male at the battle of Flers Courcelette that I will be building.
This is "C-5 "Creme De Menthe" in battle, there are 2 pictures, one from the front and one from the back, and as you can see the rear steering gear is damaged. It was found to be more of a hinderence than of help and on later marks it was omitted. Also this MkI has no grenade mesh on the roof, just a rolled up tarpauline.Nemesis attached the following image(s):
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The kit arrived today, it is my first Takom kit and I am impressed. The box is full of sprues, and on inspection the parts are very crisp and highly detailed. Instructions are well laid out and give you the option to build a Somme or Palestine version. I won't go into a full review as you will see the detail as I build, but the one thing I will say is the tracks are excellent! Off the sprue already, minimal clean up and click together, nice move Takom!!
Well time to get on with the build!Nemesis attached the following image(s):
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Looks a cool kit, will be following Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 17/12/2013 Posts: 3,982 Points: 11,974 Location: NY, USA
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I will be watching this with interest.I have seen some really good reviews of Takom kits.
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First off in the build is the center hull structure, it should be the drivers cab, but I can use the main hull as a jig as there are some rather acute angles to try and assemble as you will see. Parts are very crisply detailed and no clean up needed apart from where they are cut from the sprue.
There are six panels for the hull and trying to line them up could be an issue, so I have used one of the inner frames as a jig, and it worked perfectly. I have not glued the frame to the hull. This will now be left to dry completely, then I can work on the cab and be happy its all square.Nemesis attached the following image(s):
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Looks like you're off to a really nice start Nem, will be watching for your next update....
Cheers
Alan
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Hi Alan and thanks for looking in.
The Main hull sections and drivers cab are done. Next will be all the details on the main hull.Nemesis attached the following image(s):
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
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The kit quality and parts fit looks to be on a par with Tamiya
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I would certainly put it on par with Tamiya for build and parts quality, very impressed with this kit.
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 17/12/2013 Posts: 3,982 Points: 11,974 Location: NY, USA
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