It is customary to begin the history of armored combat vehicles of the "tank" type from ancient times, recalling various military means (up to war elephants). At different times, various mobile protected and armed systems were used to strengthen the army, but the tank in its modern sense appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century. This became possible due to the emergence of a number of necessary technologies and the emergence of the need for such equipment.
Theory and technology
According to the dictionary definition, a tank is a combat vehicle on a highly mobile chassis with advanced armor and cannon and / or machine-gun armament. The tank is intended for firing mainly direct fire and destruction of manpower, equipment and enemy fortifications.
Thus, to create a tank, several key components must be used. The absence of some of them also allows you to get a certain result, but this will not be a tank in the conventional sense. Similar results of projects can be observed many times in the history of military technology.
To create a tank, already at the concept level, armor, weapons, engine and chassis are required that meet certain requirements. To improve the combat and operational characteristics, it is possible to supplement these components with various units and systems, which has been observed in recent decades.
In the context of modern knowledge about the key components, it is worth considering the background of armored vehicles, as well as early projects of combat vehicles that contributed to the formation of the familiar appearance of the tank.
Historical issues
The prehistory of tanks is often traced back to the war elephants of antiquity and medieval siege towers. Indeed, such samples could protect fighters and increase their mobility on the battlefield. However, in terms of characteristics and capabilities, the composition of key components and the tactical role, both elephants and towers were not very similar to our tanks.
In this context, the project of a combat vehicle by Leonardo da Vinci, dated 1487, is much more interesting. The great artist and inventor proposed the construction of a self-propelled vehicle with a muscular drive, protected by wooden "bulletproof" armor and armed with several light cannons. Even a commander's cupola was provided on the machine. In fact, all the main components of a real tank were present in Leonardo's project, although adjusted for materials and technologies of the 15th century.
However, the technological level of that time imposed serious restrictions. The combat vehicle could not count on getting its own engine and therefore relied only on the forces of the crew. In addition, the wheeled chassis, together with a small ground clearance, sharply limited the terrain. Correcting these shortcomings either required a radical revision of the project, or it was impossible.
Several centuries later, in 1874, a curious version of a land combat vehicle was proposed by the French engineer Edouard Buyen. His project involved the creation of a kind of armored train with "endless rails" for moving along arbitrary routes. The design of the car was divided into eight sections according to the type of carriages. "Tracked armored train" was proposed to be armed with cannons and machine guns.
It is believed that it was E. For the first time, Buyen brought together armor, weapons, an engine and a cross-country chassis in one project. However, this project did not go beyond theoretical study due to the lack of interest from the potential customer. In addition, there were technical problems. The main one is the insufficient study of the design, unable to provide high performance. So, a 120-ton machine had to use a steam engine with a capacity of only 40 hp.
In the context of the prehistory of armored vehicles, the so-called. Schumann's armored carriage or 5.3 cm L / 24 Fahrpanzer Gruson mod. 1890 It was a lightly armored wheeled artillery turret suitable for horse-drawn movement. If necessary, the carriages were transported to positions and could fire, protecting the crew from bullets and shrapnel.
Thus, the "Schumann carriage" combined protection, weapons and mobility. However, it lacked the fourth component of the tank - the ability to move independently. However, in this type of armored carts showed the general potential of mobile protected fire weapons.
XX century begins
At the beginning of the XX century. all the conditions were created for the emergence of new classes of military equipment, incl. tanks. Progress has led to the emergence of compact but powerful enough internal combustion engines, new types of chassis, durable armor and effective weapons. New projects and experiments began. For example, the idea of installing weapons on a car to increase mobility quickly emerged. Then they added armor to it, and got an armored car - a full-fledged combat vehicle for the front edge.
Already in 1903, the French officer Levasseur proposed to build a combat vehicle with an armored hull and a 75-mm cannon on the basis of a tracked tractor. The Projet de canon autopropulseur project did not receive support, although it was simple and promised certain advantages.
In 1911, the Austro-Hungarian officer Gunter Burshtyn developed the Motorgeschütz armored vehicle. She received a tracked undercarriage, supplemented by two pairs (front and rear) of skid levers with rollers. With their help, it was proposed to increase mobility on rough terrain. In the drawings for the patent application, G. Burshtyn also depicted a rotating turret with weapons.
The inventor tried to promote his development, but Austria-Hungary and Germany showed no interest. The project was remembered only in the thirties. By that time, more advanced designs were created, and G. Burshtyn's invention was used for "advertising" purposes. It was declared the world's first modern-looking tank.
Before the start of the First World War, various designers from many countries offered their projects of self-propelled armored vehicles, including. and from Russia. The project of the "armored vehicle" developed by Vasily Dmitrievich Mendeleev is widely known. He offered a tracked vehicle with anti-cannon armor (up to 150 mm) and a 120-mm naval cannon.
The development of the "armored vehicle" continued until 1916, after which the documents were sent to the military department. However, the command was not interested in this project. Soon, Great Britain used its first tanks at the front, but this did not affect the fate of V. Mendeleev's project.
As you can see, at the beginning of the XX century. a curious situation was formed, which persisted even in the early period of the First World War. Achievements of progress already made it possible to create a tank, even if it was primitive and with limited efficiency. However, at that time, the commanders of the armies did not see the point in such a technique, and the projects did not find support. Thus, for the appearance of a tank, not only certain technologies were required, but also the desire of its future operators.
War as a pretext
The beginning of the First World War became an incentive for the emergence of new projects of combat vehicles, etc. By the end of 1914, the war ceased to be maneuverable and passed into the positional stage. The opposing sides prepared extensive and developed systems of trenches, in front of which they deployed various engineering barriers, covered with machine guns and artillery. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the battlefield was rapidly turning into a "lunar landscape."
Working in such a territory was particularly difficult; attempts to overcome obstacles during the offensive ended in excessive losses, regardless of tactical success. New models of equipment were required, capable of operating in such conditions. At the same time, armored vehicles did not justify themselves due to insufficient maneuverability.
At the turn of 1914-1915. several enthusiastic engineers from the British army were able to convince their leadership of the need for research and design work. Already at the beginning of 1915, the first experiments began, in which both existing and newly developed samples of various kinds were studied. Finally, in September, prototypes - the first British tanks - were brought out for testing. So, the experienced Little Willie combined a powerful gasoline engine for its time, a tracked chassis, bulletproof armor and (according to the project) cannon and machine gun armament. In addition, the early British tanks were created by order of the army, which was almost a decisive factor.
A few months later, an order appeared for the mass production of new equipment, and in September 1916 the Mark I armored vehicles went into battle for the first time. They were significantly different from the first experimental samples, but were based on the same ideas and technologies. The first production tanks coped with the tasks of breaking through obstacles and supporting the infantry. In addition, they laid the foundation for the further development of tank building and related areas.
Opportunities and desires
Thus, for the appearance of tanks, the correct combination of several factors was required, which was obtained only at the beginning of the last century. Questions of a technical nature were of leading importance. Without the availability of the necessary materials and aggregates, it was impossible to obtain all the desired results. After the appearance of the necessary technologies, the question of the feasibility and wishes of the military arose. The armies did not immediately understand the full value of the new concept.
All the main factors came together only after the outbreak of the First World War. And the result was the emergence of first experienced and then serial tanks. In the shortest possible time, several countries immediately took up a promising direction, which had a positive effect on the capabilities of their armies. By this, they set an example for other states, which are also interested in the topic of armored combat vehicles.
The next few decades were marked by the rapid development of tank building, the massive construction of armored forces and the formation of fundamentally new tactics. In subsequent wars, tanks have repeatedly shown and confirmed their high potential, thanks to which they still remain the basis of the striking power of any developed ground forces. All this became possible precisely thanks to the combination of the technical capabilities and wishes of the armies in the distant past.
