Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.The development of Mark I tank began as a solution to the problem which trench warfare had brought to the western front. The first prototype of the Mark I tank was tested for the British Army on 8 September 1915. Although initially termed "land ships" by the British Army, initial vehicles were referred to as "water-carriers" (then shortened to "tanks") to preserve secrecy. While the British took the lead in tank development, the French were not far behind and fielded their first tanks in 1917. The Germans, on the other hand, were slower to develop tanks, concentrating on anti-tank weapons.