What were tanks originally called? Tanks were originally called land-ships. However they were changed to tanks. It all started with the first tank prototype developed by the British in 1915.
How Did Tanks Get Their Name? It was not until World War I, however, that tanks were first produced and used in war. To avoid fierce face-to-face combat, the British first used tanksat the Battleof the Somme in 1916.
It was around this time that tanks also got their name. Because they wanted to surprise German forces, the Allied forces built the first tanks in total secrecy.
They told the workersbuilding the vehiclesthat they would be used to transport water. When it was time to ship the completed machines, the crates were marked “tank” (as in “water tank”), and the name has been used ever since.
Tanks are armored fighting vehicles made for fighting wars in rough terrain. They provide heavy firepower in the form of large guns and mounted machine guns.
Joseph Hawker developed the idea for the modern tank. In 1872, he obtained a patentfor “propelling a road locomotiveemploying endless flat linked pitch or other chains passing round the rims of the main moving wheels.”
Are tanks used today? Earlier this year, the last US battle tanks left Europe’s shores. But the allure of the tank still exists. Today the tank still remains a key part of most military. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies there are 60,000 tanks in active service worldwide.
Content for this question contributed by Lori McAlister, resident of Lincolnton, Lincoln County, North Carolina, USA