Description
The A7V was Germany’s only indigenous tank of the war to see service, and just 20 were built. It had a 57mm main armament and a plethora of machine guns, coupled with thick armour – although this was only steel plate rather than face-hardened armour plate, at 30mm thick it was impervious to machine guns. The downsides were its high silhouette and centre of gravity which made it unstable, especially considering the short and narrow tracks. And like all tanks of the era, breakdowns were common – many broke down before ever reaching the front line, and others suffered mechanical failure soon after engaging the enemy so were either lost immediately or destroyed to avoid capture.
