Design Overview & Tactical Role
The A7V was Imperial Germany's only tank produced and fielded during World War I. Looking like a massive steel fortress on tracks, it accommodated an 18-man crew—the largest crew of any production tank in history. Armed with a 5.7 cm cannon in its bow and six heavy machine guns pointing in all directions, it possessed heavy 30 mm frontal armor that made it impervious to rifle and machine gun fire.
Combat History & Battle Records
On April 24, 1918, at the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, three A7V tanks encountered three British Mark IV tanks, resulting in the first tank-versus-tank clash in world history. Only 20 A7Vs were built; the sole surviving original tank in the world, 'Mephisto' (chassis 506), was captured by Australian troops and rests in the Queensland Museum.
Related Armored Vehicles (WWI & Interwar)
