Designed specifically to counter the emergence of British tanks on the Western Front during World War I, the A7V was a mediumarmoured tank designed by the German General War Department in 1916. The vehicle resembled a mobile pillbox or APC (armoured personnel carrier) and delivered a steel-plated body with the capacity to hold 18 soldiers, a 57-millimetre (2.2-inch) cannon and six to eight 7.9-millimetre (0.3-inch) machine guns (for a full hardware breakdown see ‘Anatomy of an A7V’ diagram). Its role, as hinted at by its German classification – Sturmpanzer-Kraftwagen translates roughly as ‘assault armoured motor vehicle’ – was to assault and break through fortified Allied lines, as armies became increasingly entrenched.
The first preproduction A7V was delivered in September 1917 and was closely followed by the first production model in…
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History of War Book of Combat Machines (Digital) - 1 Issue, History of War Book of Combat Machines 2016