Tanker's Tuesday : German WWI Tanks and Armored Cars

A long and difficult start

While the British and the French were prompt to built their first operational tanks, the German high command was doubtful at best of their capabilities. That was until mid-1917 when came the successes that proved any well-coordinated attack using tanks in a proper way could break through and create havoc in rear lines. They had some reasons not to urge tank production. First, infantry, like the stürmptruppen (elite assault squads) were a simple and much cheaper way to achieve this breakthrough, as they had shown on many occasions throughout 1917 and particularly during the 1918 spring offensives. The military blockade also played a role, limiting the abilities of an already exhausted industry to produce enough materials and manpower to build swarms of tanks, reducing the chances to launch tank offensives at full force. There was also repugnance for this new “dishonorable weapon” as stated in propaganda and newspapers, coming from the ancient and very deep traditional ways of the Aristocratic Prussian officer, that dominated both the head of staff and the Kaiser himself.

WWI German Tanks And Armored Cars