<P> The first use of tanks on the battlefield was the use of British Mark I tanks at the Battle of Flers - Courcelette ( part of the Battle of the Somme ) on 15 September 1916 , with mixed results ; many broke down , but nearly a third succeeded in breaking through . Of the forty - nine tanks shipped to the Somme , only thirty - two were able to begin the first attack in which they were used and only nine made it across `` no man 's land '' to the German lines . The tanks had been rushed into combat before the design was mature enough ( against Churchill 's and Ernest Swinton 's wishes ) and the number was small but their use gave important feedback on how to design newer tanks , the soundness of the concept , and their potential to affect the course of the war . On the other hand , the French Army was critical of the British employment of small numbers of tanks at this battle . They felt the British had sacrificed the secrecy of the weapon while employing it in numbers too small to be decisive . Considering that the British attack was part of an Anglo - French offensive while the Russians were also attacking at the same time , Haig felt justified in making a maximum effort , regardless of the limitations of the tank force . </P>
<P> The first use of tanks on the battlefield was the use of British Mark I tanks at the Battle of Flers - Courcelette ( part of the Battle of the Somme ) on 15 September 1916 , with mixed results ; many broke down , but nearly a third succeeded in breaking through . Of the forty - nine tanks shipped to the Somme , only thirty - two were able to begin the first attack in which they were used and only nine made it across `` no man 's land '' to the German lines . The tanks had been rushed into combat before the design was mature enough ( against Churchill 's and Ernest Swinton 's wishes ) and the number was small but their use gave important feedback on how to design newer tanks , the soundness of the concept , and their potential to affect the course of the war . On the other hand , the French Army was critical of the British employment of small numbers of tanks at this battle . They felt the British had sacrificed the secrecy of the weapon while employing it in numbers too small to be decisive . Considering that the British attack was part of an Anglo - French offensive while the Russians were also attacking at the same time , Haig felt justified in making a maximum effort , regardless of the limitations of the tank force . </P>
what battle were tanks first used in ww1
what battle were tanks first used in ww1
the Battle of Flers - Courcelette ( part of the Battle of the Somme )
the Battle of Flers - Courcelette ( part of the Battle of the Somme )