Charles Wyman, age 12, of Monroe, La., for his question:
WHEN WAS THE ARMY TANK DEVELOPED?
A tank is a heavily armored track laying, or treaded, military vehicle, with cross country mobility and road speeds up to 60 miles per hour. The concept of the use of armor protection dates from antiquity but it was the British during World War I who developed the first armored track laying vehicles.
By the 5th century B.C. Greek warriors and sometimes their horses, wore armor. Leonardo da Vinci designed a crank operated covered chariot in 1482, but the development of an effective, track laying armored vehicle had to await the invention of the internal combustion engine.
The British finally came up with the right combination.
To maintain secrecy, the British World War I vehicles were shipped to the battle zone in crates marked "tanks," hence the origin of the name.
Forty nine tanks were first used in the Battle of the Somme near Courcelette, France, on September 15, 1916, with disappointing results. Two years later, however, in November, 1917, 400 tanks penetrated the Hindenburg line near Cambrai, capturing 8,000 of the enemy and 10U guns and the role of the tank in modern warfare was ensured.
Armored combat was extensive and vital in World War II, with tanks playing a prominent role in northern Africa, the USSR and Europe.
In both the Korean and Vietnam wars, the tank was relegated to a lesser role because of terrain conditions.
Even in relatively peaceful times, however, tanks have been used as crucial weapons in civil disturbances, military occupations and revolutions around the world.
Today tanks are classified as light, medium and heavy. They range in weight from approximately 14 to 54 metric tone, have at least six inches of armor plate and mount guns ranging from 75 mm to 122 mm, as well as both light and heavy machine guns.
Light tanks are used for reconnaissance while the heavier tanks are used primarily to penetrate or flank enemy defenses and strike deep into rear areas in order to seize and hold or destroy vital installations.
The United States M 60 heavy tank weighs 45 metric tons and mounts a 105 mm cannon and both .30 caliber and .50 caliber machine guns.
A tank called the M 1 Abrams is a main battle tank that was first delivered to the military in 1978. This machine weighs 60 tone and is capable of speeds up to 45 miles per hour. The M 1 Abrams mounts a 105 mm gun.