▁and ▁Joseph ▁Voll mer , ▁were ▁influenced ▁by ▁Hol t ▁tra ctors ▁and ▁ ▁investig ated ▁the ▁possibilities ▁of ▁track ed ▁fighting ▁vehicles . ▁ ▁They ▁decided ▁not ▁to ▁purs ue ▁production ▁of ▁the ▁Hol t ▁design ▁and ▁instead ▁independently ▁developed ▁the ▁first ▁British ▁t anks . ▁ ▁The ▁French ▁also ▁purchased ▁Hol ts ▁from ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁used ▁them ▁as ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁their ▁own ▁early ▁t anks , ▁the ▁Schne ider ▁and ▁Saint - Ch am ond . ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁War , ▁Hol t ▁tra ctors ▁comm ande ered ▁by ▁the ▁Aust ro - H ung arian ▁army ▁and ▁loan ed ▁to ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁formed ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁A 7 V ▁tank . ▁▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁about ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁Hol t ' s ▁C ater p ill ar ▁tra ctors ▁were ▁in ▁use ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁British ▁War ▁Office ▁had ▁received ▁ 2 , 1 0 0 ▁Hol t ▁tra ctors , ▁about ▁ 1 , 8 0 0 ▁of ▁the ▁Hol t ▁Model ▁ 4 5 ▁" C ater p ill ars "; ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁of ▁the ▁Hol t ▁Model ▁ 7 5 ▁" C ater p ill ars ", ▁and ▁ 9 0 ▁of ▁the ▁Hol t ▁six - cy l inder ▁Model ▁ 1 2 0 ▁" C ater p ill ars ", ▁about ▁one - e