Jason
> Apparently in WWI, the US shipped "Tanks" to the Front in crates. They
Hollywood changes history yet again, first its U-Boat and Enigma capture
now its the tank.
The usage of the word "tank" pre-dates US involvement in there
development, it is well documented. It was part of the cover story put
about by the British Admiralty "Landships Committee". This is also the
reason so many nautical terms are used for a land vehicle. eg., sponson,
bow, turret, glacis, deck, cupola, hull. These in turn date further
back to architectural terms for castles and fortifications.
There was actually 2 cover
stories, but the relevant one was that they were portable water tanks
for the Czar's Army. The workers making them, refered to them as "those
tank things" and the name stuck, if I remember the article correctly
this occured at the plant where they were made in Lincolnshire.
If you are interested in reading further, Bovington Tank Museum sells
books on the development of the tank. "Little Willie" the worlds first
AFV and thus the first tank AND the first vehicle to be called such,
is on display there.
Sorry for the long lecture, but it is most annoying to see what is
being pedalled these days in the guise of historical information.
Regards
Doug
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