16. "The idea that cavalry will be replaced by these iron coaches is absurd. It is little short of treasonous". Which ferocious new war machine was being referred to by the aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Haig in a demonstration in 1916?
From Quiz Brilliant Mistakes
Answer:
Tanks
Well, he certainly got that wrong. Today, these giant war machines are an ever increasing sight in any field of war, wreaking destruction wherever they appear with their fire power and maneuverability. The name of Field Marshal Haig's aide-de-camp who made that oops statement in 1916 cannot be located, but Douglas Haig himself (1861-1928), a senior officer in the British army, earned himself the general nickname of "The Butcher" for the appalling number of casualties under his command. War, though, isn't about marshmallows and lollipops. Prior to the invention of the tank, the cavalry used horses instead. One can only imagine the horror those poor animals endured.
On a lighter side, did you know that when tanks were first being constructed in the early 20th century, they had male and female versions of these machines? Female tanks only carried machine guns, but the male tanks carried cannon as well. The first design of this machine was nicknamed "Little Willie". It was Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) who first came up with the idea of a tank as a war machine six centuries earlier however. A reconstructed model of his invention shown in Wikipedia looks a little like one of the famous Dr Who's enemies, the Daleks.