TANKS OF WORLD WAR ONE

The Great War is still around – on millions of postcards. From mass produced (propaganda type) to unique hand drawn cards. They must had been the favourite mean of communication of soldiers.

Some time ago I was asked if I had any postcards showing tanks from WW1. I recalled that I had bought some many years ago, when I was in touch with a collectors abroad wishing to exchange cards. The exchange back then faded soon and I had put the remaining cards aside and forgot them.

Managed to discover them again (this took hours!). As I did not agree to sell my cards, although the price offered was quite impressive in my opinion, but exchange only, I thought it would be interesting to show them here.

Shown tanks were introduced first by the British (‘Little Willie’), armed and armoured vehicles were already around earlier. The British tanks were designed to cross trenches. The army ordered a hundred in February 1916. By the end of WW1 Britain had produced over 2,500, France almost 4,000 and Germany about 20.

German photo card with two views of destroyed French tanks by anonymous publisher. Simple made rhyme describes the situation on the (western) front. Not p/u, c. 1917.

< British tank. real photo card, again by anonymous publisher. German name and year date 1917 on back. This appears to be the “Male” tank model (with 35 mm gun plus machine guns); the “Female” type was armed with machine guns only.

< Captured British tank near Arras reads the handwritten caption. It is the same tank as on the card above. See the hole below gun. Once again a real photo card (average quality) without any publisher information. Not p/u, no message. On picture side we see a number ‘16’ at lower left corner. Probably card number. The other, better quality view was done after this (press) photo, but retouched. You can see part of the German officer, who appears below in full.

French tank shoot to pieces in front of our lines. Propaganda card (no. 63) from a series “Latest news from the western front”. Collotype printed card (by E. Pinkau, Leipzig - ‘Capital Letter’ code inside stamp box), p/u Sept. 1917. Publisher: Gebrueder Uhlemann, Dresden. Published and distributed with official permission. Wouldn’t be surprised to find out that also this photo / printing was retouched for a more drastically effect.

“THE DRUID” on the St. Julien Poelcapelle Road. – A damaged tank, a destroyed region, in Belgium I think. Although all captions are in English, the card (no. 7) was printed (by collotype process) in Belgium. Published by ‘Château des Trois-Tours Hòtel’, Ypres. Not p/u. I guess this card series was produced after the end of WW1. Perhaps meant to be a sort of “war souvenir”? Any information on this postcard series very welcome!

Before it begins to get boring with more captured / destroyed tanks, I though it would be more interesting to show you a captured Russian armoured vehicle. Interesting design. Real photo card bearing the number 496. Huge series, but again no publisher mentioned. A friendly person wrote on back “In memory of the offensive in eastern Galicia, July - August 1917.” Soldier in German uniform standing around, piles of captured guns. Typical photo for propaganda purposes.