![]() ![]() Thanks to two 250 horsepower Sunbeam engines powering either wheel, the Tsar could reach a respectable speed of up to 10.5 mph. But they severely limited the firing range of the 12 water-cooled machine guns situated in between the massive wheels. ![]() The giant, bicycle-style wheels in front of the tank did prove effective for traversing a variety of terrains. In September 1915, the first prototype, Little Willie, was introduced. The vehicle resembled a hanging bat when viewed from above, so it gained the nickname "Netopyr" which translates to " pipistrellus," the genus name for "bats." The United Kingdom (Britain) invented the tank. Russian engineers Nikolai Lebedenko, Nikolai Zhukovsky, Boris Stechkin, and Alexander Mikulin developed the Tsar from 1914 to 1915. Reportedly, when Nicholas II saw a model of the tank roll over a stack of books he was sold on the project, and gave it his blessing. The Tsar differed from modern tanks in that it didn't have treads, instead using two massive 27-foot-tall front wheels and a small third wheel, 5 feet in diameter, that trailed behind for steering. ![]() Tank development was in its earliest stages when Tsar Nicholas II ruled Russia in the first decades of the 20th century. Tanks were used for the first time in September 1915 by the British Army during World War I at the Battle of the Somme. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |