How tanks used to be assigned a gender at birth
Tanks were first developed during World War I so armies could advance across no man’s land without getting tripped up by barbed wire and getting machine gunned into oblivion. It…
This eccentric tank design was appropriately named the ‘Praying Mantis’
Military vehicles are often named after animals to reflect their abilities. The F-15 Eagle fighter jet is an all-American air superiority aircraft while the French Gazelle helicopter is famed for…
The first American-designed tank in combat didn’t fight with US troops first
The First World War saw the introduction of tanks to the modern battlefield, but for the most part they didn’t fare too well on those battlefields. The United States didn’t…
Canadians put four cannons on an M4 Sherman tank during WWII
During WWII, the Allied forces agreed to largely standardize on the American M4 Sherman tank. In August 1943, Montreal Rail Works began production on an M4 Sherman for the Canadian…
This backwards looking tank was actually very effective
At first sight, the Valentine Archer isn’t a terribly odd looking vehicle. The fighting compartment and gun appear to be at the rear with the barrel extending over the front deck; but they’re not. In fact, the fighting compartment is at the front …
The first tank to break into Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge was almost lost to history
Although its opening has been delayed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, houses historic Army artifacts like an M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle from the 2003 Inv…
America’s first true heavy tank was bristling with firepower
WWI saw the introduction of the tank on the battlefield. Tank technology evolved during the interwar period with stronger armor, better mobility, and more powerful weapons. While U.S. tank development…
The Soviets tried to make a flying tank during WWII
Armored units provide ground forces with protection and mobility on the battlefield but can be slow to deploy to the front. Airborne units can be quickly deployed onto the battlefield,…
This experimental WWII tank was like a Sherman on steroids
At the onset of WWII, Germany arguably had the strongest tanks in the world. Meanwhile, many of Great Britain’s tanks like the early iterations of the Churchill proved to be…
Check out General Dynamics’ teaser for the new Abrams tank and other ‘next-generation’ designs
Hot on the heels of Rheinmetall’s unveiling of their new KF51 Panther tank, General Dynamics Land Systems released a teaser for its next-generation Abrams Main Battle Tank. GDLS, the manufacturer…