'The Tale of the Tanks - a story without words'

[Rlangham]

No wonder this got past the censor! One of many artistic impressions of what the Tanks looked like before the official photos were released - obviously based on the Holt Tractor. Love the pincers at the front

 

[Gustaf]

Remove the pincers, and reduce the number of gunports, and you have a fairly good rendition of an actual tank, shown here on the April 1917 edition of the French publication of Le Miroir. Unfortunatly, there is no more information on this tank produced by the caterpillar compamy.

Best

Gus

[Rlangham]

Unfortunately it's not an 'actual tank', it's a film Tank known as the Holt G9, made out of wood - and collapsed on the set of the film it was made for! The film was called 'Patria'. As the British found out during tests, armouring a Holt Tractor was useless as it meant a high centre of gravity and zero trench crossing ability - although the Germans and French used the Holt track unit for the A7V, Schneider and St Chamond Tanks

[steveo578]

Rlangham

Unfortunately it's not an 'actual tank', it's a film Tank known as the Holt G9, made out of wood - and collapsed on the set of the film it was made for!

Unfortunately a real tank, the Caterpiller G9 was built by the Holt tractor company and based on the 10ton 75HP tractor. Orignally fitted with 2 turrets it was demonstrated and photographed at various times with one or other removed obviously to reduce C of G. G9 was tested by the Army Ordnance Dept in 1917 -it was sensibly rejected. No doubt it was hired to a movie company.

 

 

 

Another fantasy tank that built by the C.L. Best Tractor Company on one of its crawlers again with a revolling turret with two guns! simulating what looks like a pair of Naval 6pdrs.

 

 

 

The remarkeable thing is that a revoling turret is already regarded as the norm.

 

Steve

[Gustaf]

That would explain why the post card and Le Miroir photo passed censor, I knew nothing about this "tank" and figured that it was one tha tCaterpillar had slapped together to try to get a lucrative government contract, but it does look like the movie "tank" inspired the postcard.

Thanks for the information.

Best

Gus