Mark I (Male) / 878 PCS The Tank Museum No. c.19. - COBI 2993

The British Mark I of the First World War (1914-1918) is generally considered the first operational tank in history. It owes its creation mainly to the proposals of Sir Ernest Dunlop Swinton, a senior officer, as well as to the political-military patronage of the then Admiralty Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, who regarded this new type of vehicle as a 'land vessel'. The Mark I in its male version was used as a machine gun and gun carrier, while the female version was a simple machine gun carrier and was used as an escort against enemy infantry. The first clash took place on 15 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme near Flers. Many of the total 49 vehicles were lost to enemy artillery fire or were captured by the Germans and later used against the Allies. Today only one remains, the tank C.19., exhibited at the British Tank Museum in Bovington. Model with 878 pieces, 1 minifigure, printed blocks and movable elements. Model dimensions (L x W x H): 28 x 13 x 9 cm