Landships Committee

The Landships Committee was a small cabinet established in 1915 to deal with the design and construction of the new Tanks during the First World War. Headed by First Lord Of The Admiralty Winston Churchill, the Landships Committee was composed mainly of naval officers, politicians and engineers.

Related Topics:
First World War - First Lord Of The Admiralty - Winston Churchill

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Many had been inspired by early ideas for tanks from pre-war years. The first presumably being an armoured "war car" built in the early 1890's in Eastern Europe, merely the start of the Armoured Car, and not the tank. Another inspiration was a HG Wells 1904 novel The Land Ironclads, and all but Winston Churchill were willing to "borrow" Wells' creation under copyright law.

Related Topics:
Tanks - Armoured Car - HG Wells - The Land Ironclads

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The Landships Committee were responsible for creating the first Tank Corps in WW1. A small battery of The Motor Machine Gun Corps in Surrey was used as a cover before the Tank Corps was established in 1916, until both battalions were replaced by the Royal Armoured Corps and the Royal Artillery after the war.

Related Topics:
The Motor Machine Gun Corps - Tank Corps - Royal Armoured Corps - Royal Artillery

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