Where Armor Was Born: Britain’s Mk.I Tank of the Great War

The British Mk.I was the first tank ever used in combat, marking the birth of armored warfare during World War One. Developed in 1915 and first deployed in 1916, it was designed specifically to break the deadlock of trench warfare by crossing barbed wire, trenches, and shell-torn ground that had stalled infantry advances.

This model represents the “Male” version of the Mk.I, armed with two 6-pounder guns mounted in side sponsons along with multiple Hotchkiss machine guns for close defense. Its distinctive rhomboid shape and track layout allowed it to climb obstacles that were otherwise impassable on the Western Front.

The kit is Takom’s 1/35 scale Mk.I and was finished using acrylics with restrained weathering to reflect the harsh operational conditions of early armored warfare. Mud, wear, and surface texture were emphasized to capture the crude, experimental nature of these pioneering machines and their place at the very beginning of tank history.