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On this day in 1915, a prototype tank nicknamed Little Willie rolls off the assembly line in England. Little Willie was far from an overnight success. It weighed 14 tons, got stuck in trenches and crawled over rough terrain at only two miles per hour. However, improvements were made to the original prototype and tanks eventually transformed military battlefields.
The British developed the tank in response to the trench warfare of World War I. In 1914, a British army colonel named Ernest Swinton and William Hankey, secretary of the Committee for Imperial Defence, championed the idea of an armored vehicle with conveyor-belt-like tracks over its wheels that could break through enemy lines and traverse difficult territory. The men appealed to British navy minister Winston Churchill, who believed in the concept of a “land boat” and organized a Landships Committee to begin developing a prototype. To keep the project secret from enemies, production workers were reportedly told the vehicles they were building would be used to carry water on the battlefield (alternate theories suggest the shells of the new vehicles resembled water tanks). Either way, the new vehicles were shipped in crates labeled “tank” and the name stuck.
The first tank prototype, Little Willie, was unveiled in September 1915. Following its underwhelming performance–it was slow, became overheated and couldn’t cross trenches–a second prototype, known as “Big Willie,” was produced. By 1916, this armored vehicle was deemed ready for battle and made its debut at the First Battle of the Somme near Courcelette, France, on September 15 of that year. Known as the Mark I, this first batch of tanks was hot, noisy and unwieldy and suffered mechanical malfunctions on the battlefield; nevertheless, people realized the tank’s potential. Further design improvements were made and at the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917, 400 Mark IV’s proved much more successful than the Mark I, capturing 8,000 enemy troops and 100 guns.
Tanks rapidly became an important military weapon. During World War II, they played a prominent role across numerous battlefields. More recently, tanks have been essential for desert combat during the conflicts in the Persian Gulf.
The British developed the tank in response to the trench warfare of World War I. In 1914, a British army colonel named Ernest Swinton and William Hankey, secretary of the Committee for Imperial Defence, championed the idea of an armored vehicle with conveyor-belt-like tracks over its wheels that could break through enemy lines and traverse difficult territory. The men appealed to British navy minister Winston Churchill, who believed in the concept of a “land boat” and organized a Landships Committee to begin developing a prototype. To keep the project secret from enemies, production workers were reportedly told the vehicles they were building would be used to carry water on the battlefield (alternate theories suggest the shells of the new vehicles resembled water tanks). Either way, the new vehicles were shipped in crates labeled “tank” and the name stuck.
The first tank prototype, Little Willie, was unveiled in September 1915. Following its underwhelming performance–it was slow, became overheated and couldn’t cross trenches–a second prototype, known as “Big Willie,” was produced. By 1916, this armored vehicle was deemed ready for battle and made its debut at the First Battle of the Somme near Courcelette, France, on September 15 of that year. Known as the Mark I, this first batch of tanks was hot, noisy and unwieldy and suffered mechanical malfunctions on the battlefield; nevertheless, people realized the tank’s potential. Further design improvements were made and at the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917, 400 Mark IV’s proved much more successful than the Mark I, capturing 8,000 enemy troops and 100 guns.
Tanks rapidly became an important military weapon. During World War II, they played a prominent role across numerous battlefields. More recently, tanks have been essential for desert combat during the conflicts in the Persian Gulf.
First tank produced - Sep 06, 1915 - HISTORY.com
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Thank you my friend TSgt Joe C. for making us aware that on September 6, 115 a prototype tank nicknamed Little Willie rolled off the assembly line in England.
Image: Little Willie was powered by a Daimler six cylinder petrol engine and could travel at a maximum speed of 3.5 mph. It could hold a maximum crew of 5
Background from http://www.tankmuseum.org/museum-online/vehicles/object-e1949-322
"In 1915 the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, created a Landships Committee to tackle the problems of trench warfare. After many experiments and false starts an agricultural firm, William Foster & Co. of Lincoln, was contracted to build a prototype machine based on some imported American tracks. When these failed the British designers came up with a new pattern which worked and these were fitted to the Foster's Landship which was now known as Little Willie - said to be an uncomplimentary nickname for the German Crown Prince.
The completed vehicle was running by the end of 1915 but by then a new design was under construction; known variously as Big Willie, His Majesty's Land Ship Centipede or Mother it was the prototype for all British heavy tanks in the First World War. Thus Little Willie was redundant, almost as soon as it was built, but it was used for driver training for a while, before being removed to Lincoln, then Dollis Hill and then to Bovington as part of the original Tank Museum collection.
Little Willie was powered by a Daimler six-cylinder petrol engine but all of the internal fittings were removed many years ago. Allthat remains is the combined worm differential and gearbox although they are not in the correct place. At one time it also had a turret but this was taken off although the turret ring can still be seen. Since it never entered service many of the statistics are little more than conjectural, things such as fuel capacity and armour thickness, particularly since the fuel tank is missing and plate from which the vehicle is built is not actually armoured. As contemporary photographs show the vehicle originally had a wheeled tail as a counterbalance and steering aid. All that remains, in its present state, is part of the hydraulic lifting mechanism and the pulleys.
Little Willie took part in two demonstrations, on 29th January and 8th February 1916 at Hatfield Park, Hertfordshire. Both served to prove that only the new machine Mother, was able to match War Office requirements.
Little Willie is covered in the following titles:
British Mark I Tank 1916 by David Fletcher. New Vanguard 100 (Osprey Publishing 2004 isbn 1 84176 689 5)
The British Tanks 1915-19 by David Fletcher (Crowood Press 2001 isbn 1 86126 400 3)
Classic Military Vehicle magazine March 2012.
VEHICLES FEATURES
Braked differential.
Steering
Unarmed
Armament - Main Weapon Type
Daimler 6 cylinder, Knight sleeve valve, 105hp petrol (missing).
Engine None, rigid rollers attached to frames.
Suspension Two-speed forwards, one reverse, final drive by Renolds chains to sprockets (gearbox and chains now missing).
Transmission
VEHICLE STATISTICS
5 Number (Crew)
3.5mph Maximum (Speed - Road)
Petrol Type (Fuel)
105bhp Power (Engine Output)
Radius (Range)
50gall Volume (Fuel)
10mm Maximum (Armour Thickness)
5.87m Length (Overall)
2.86m Width (Overall)
2.51m Height (Overall)
16tons Weight (Overall)"
1st tank of the world..little willy in sep 1915
https://youtu.be/SVzgnO8rNwg?t=11s
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Orlando Illi Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown CMSgt (Join to see) MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber SGT Charles H. Hawes SGT Mark Halmrast PO1 William "Chip" Nagel CPT Gabe SnellLTC Greg Henning
Image: Little Willie was powered by a Daimler six cylinder petrol engine and could travel at a maximum speed of 3.5 mph. It could hold a maximum crew of 5
Background from http://www.tankmuseum.org/museum-online/vehicles/object-e1949-322
"In 1915 the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, created a Landships Committee to tackle the problems of trench warfare. After many experiments and false starts an agricultural firm, William Foster & Co. of Lincoln, was contracted to build a prototype machine based on some imported American tracks. When these failed the British designers came up with a new pattern which worked and these were fitted to the Foster's Landship which was now known as Little Willie - said to be an uncomplimentary nickname for the German Crown Prince.
The completed vehicle was running by the end of 1915 but by then a new design was under construction; known variously as Big Willie, His Majesty's Land Ship Centipede or Mother it was the prototype for all British heavy tanks in the First World War. Thus Little Willie was redundant, almost as soon as it was built, but it was used for driver training for a while, before being removed to Lincoln, then Dollis Hill and then to Bovington as part of the original Tank Museum collection.
Little Willie was powered by a Daimler six-cylinder petrol engine but all of the internal fittings were removed many years ago. Allthat remains is the combined worm differential and gearbox although they are not in the correct place. At one time it also had a turret but this was taken off although the turret ring can still be seen. Since it never entered service many of the statistics are little more than conjectural, things such as fuel capacity and armour thickness, particularly since the fuel tank is missing and plate from which the vehicle is built is not actually armoured. As contemporary photographs show the vehicle originally had a wheeled tail as a counterbalance and steering aid. All that remains, in its present state, is part of the hydraulic lifting mechanism and the pulleys.
Little Willie took part in two demonstrations, on 29th January and 8th February 1916 at Hatfield Park, Hertfordshire. Both served to prove that only the new machine Mother, was able to match War Office requirements.
Little Willie is covered in the following titles:
British Mark I Tank 1916 by David Fletcher. New Vanguard 100 (Osprey Publishing 2004 isbn 1 84176 689 5)
The British Tanks 1915-19 by David Fletcher (Crowood Press 2001 isbn 1 86126 400 3)
Classic Military Vehicle magazine March 2012.
VEHICLES FEATURES
Braked differential.
Steering
Unarmed
Armament - Main Weapon Type
Daimler 6 cylinder, Knight sleeve valve, 105hp petrol (missing).
Engine None, rigid rollers attached to frames.
Suspension Two-speed forwards, one reverse, final drive by Renolds chains to sprockets (gearbox and chains now missing).
Transmission
VEHICLE STATISTICS
5 Number (Crew)
3.5mph Maximum (Speed - Road)
Petrol Type (Fuel)
105bhp Power (Engine Output)
Radius (Range)
50gall Volume (Fuel)
10mm Maximum (Armour Thickness)
5.87m Length (Overall)
2.86m Width (Overall)
2.51m Height (Overall)
16tons Weight (Overall)"
1st tank of the world..little willy in sep 1915
https://youtu.be/SVzgnO8rNwg?t=11s
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Orlando Illi Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown CMSgt (Join to see) MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber SGT Charles H. Hawes SGT Mark Halmrast PO1 William "Chip" Nagel CPT Gabe SnellLTC Greg Henning
In its original form it was known as the No. 1 Lincoln Machine.
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Thanks for sharing history of Little Willie the prototype tank by the British.
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