Think Tank! - Smarter Every Day 11

The Mark-4 was the first vehicle to be called a tank, created by the British in 1917 during World War I to counter trench warfare.

The British deliberately used the name 'tank' to mislead the Germans, making them believe the vehicles were mobile water tanks for supplying troops.

• The female version had machine guns on the sides • The male version had cannons on the sides

This naming strategy is why armored vehicles are called tanks today.

Before armored glass existed, tank designers needed innovative solutions to protect occupants while allowing visibility and weapon deployment.

• Italian tanks used slits for drivers to look through • German vehicles from 1937 used similar armored slit designs • Armored blocks could be moved to adjust visibility

Small holes were positioned on the sides of tanks to allow soldiers to fire weapons from inside the vehicle.

Multiple vehicle examples demonstrated how these early design solutions were implemented across different nations' armored vehicles.