Mk I “Male” (Somme 1916) build – Part 1:Introduction

28/03/2014 by skarach 2 Comments

The vehicle

British_Mark_I_male_tank_Somme_25_September_1916_w400

This is an unmistakeable looking vehicle (used on the cap badge of the Royal Tank Regiment) and the first operational tank in the world. First used in September 1916 during the infamous Somme campaign. The drawbacks to it were legion – the limited firing arc of the guns mounted in the side sponsons, mechanical breakdown, archaic communications (they carried homing pigeons) and the terrible conditions inside – heat, noise, fumes and shrapnel. Later marks would prove to be more effective [1] [2].

The kit

masterbox_mk_I_male_somme_box_w400

I seem to keep coming back to these vehicles whenever a fresh model appears. The current one is by a company called Master Box, who have a bunch of Mk I tanks in their catalogue.

Master Box 1/72 kit [3].

References

1. http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww1/gb/tank_MkI.php
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_heavy_tanks_of_World_War_I
3. http://www.mbltd.info/72001.htm