A History of Tanks Trivia Quiz

Answer: Battle of the Somme

The British were the first to use tanks with the first Mark I tank seeing action during the Somme campaign in 1916. The Germans and French would eventually follow the British in designing their own tanks before the end of WW1.

Answer: Germany

The German military doctrines during the late interwar years favored massed armored formations with emphasis on mobility and organization. These combined with massive air advantages in the early stages of WW2 formulated to what later became known as the "Blizkrieg", a term that was in fact unknown to the German army before the invasion of Poland.

Answer: Panzer IV

The Panzer IV was a very reliable tank for its age, and saw service with the German army throughout the entire war, remaining in use even after the end of WW2. It was, however, gradually outclassed by the Panther and later Tiger tanks by the closing stages of WW2, and was no match in a head-on competition with heavier allied tanks.

Answer: Battle of Kasserine Pass

During the Tunisia campaign, the American M4 Sherman Medium suffered heavy losses against German Tigers and Panthers. Despite the M4 Sherman's inability to compete directly with a German Tiger, it still had numerous advantages over the Panzer IV.

Answer: Main Battle Tank

In some ways, the British Centurion tank was widely considered as the first Main Battle Tank (MBT). Later on, both the U.S. and the USSR would eventually adopt the concept, and by the mid-1960s both designated some of their newest tank designs as 'main battle tanks'.

Answer: M1895 Steyr-Mannlicher

The M4 Sherman was the primary U.S. combat tank during WW2, and the M48 Patton was introduced in the postwar period and used throughout the Cold War by U.S. and foreign nations. The M1 Abrams replaced the M60 tank by 1980 and became the principal American main battle tank.

Answer: New Zealand

The T-72 tank was among the most exported Soviet tanks in the Cold War. Despite this, many of its early models were destroyed in rows during battle due to the lack of armor. (The T-72M, a principal export model of the T-72, had the overall armor downgraded from the original Soviet version).

Answer: False

The M1A1 Abrams was much superior in many areas to tanks in Iraq's inventory at the outbreak of the Gulf War. In addition, American tank crews at the time were generally better trained and more experienced than their Iraqi counterparts.

Answer: Assault Rifle

The assault rifle was generally ineffective in an anti-tank role due to its inability to penetrate thick armor. In addition, the tank destroyer became obsolete during the Cold War and was replaced by lighter vehicles armed with longer-ranged anti-tank missiles.

Answer: Heinz Guderian

Although Guderian wasn't the first man to invent the core philosophies of the "blitzkrieg" doctrine, he undoubtedly developed it to a point that it was practical enough to be accepted by the German army. He emphasized on what he called the "Schwerpunkt", envisioning a new strategy where by attacking only specific positions and strongholds on the enemy frontline with massed armor and infantry, the possible destabilization of the entire enemy front could be achieved.