The year was 1916—September—and there was no denying the fear felt by those who faced them for the first time on the Somme. Big and noisy, the tank looked more like a warship than a land weapon. But while these early armoured monstrosities dealt a severe blow to German morale and proved effective in crossing trenches and wire entanglements, they were slow and prone to mechanical failure. They were also practically useless on soft cratered ground, and easily destroyed by artillery fire. But as the war progressed, so did the tank and by 1918 better tactics for coordinating their use with infantry, artillery and aircraft created better results. Ninety-three years later, modern versions of the battle tank continue to prove their mettle on the battlefield, including those deployed by Canadians in Afghanistan. The following is a pictorial salute to Canadian tanks in action. Enjoy.

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