Tanks are a ubiquitous battlefield presence and have been for over a century. Since their first appearance as bridging tools against the trench warfare of World War One, their versatility and effectiveness as a ground assault weapon has seen them present in every major conflict.
Of course, the modern wisdom on tank design, with protected tracks and a rotating turret, was a long time coming. In the history of tank design many wild things have been tried, and many new designs floated which might seem eccentric to modern eyes.
Desperation during the two world wars however drove the designs in more experimental directions: anything to gain an edge over your opponent, after all. Here are five of the weirdest.
1. Russian Tsar Tank
2. The Frot Laffley
3. The Bob Semple Tank
4. Kugelpanzer
5. The UK Flying Elephant
Top Image: The German Treffas Wagen of 1917 what was Imperial Germany came up with when the first Allied Mark One tanksstarted appearing on the battlefield (неизвесно / Public Domain)
By Joseph Green
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