#boirault

[charsdefrance]

This summer, as you are prancing through the Flanders fields, be sure to watch your step for the endangered Snake-Chamond!

These friendly creatures often like to rest in the tall grass where they can go unseen. The Snake-Chamond once called nearly the whole of France and parts of the Rhine it’s home, but invasive species and lack of food have taken its range to a mere fraction of that. They are generally docile creatures, not very fast but their bite packs a punch!

[thisdayinwwi]

The French Boirault Machine was an experimental landship or Tank. @tanksenc has a great write up on the machine: 

On Aug 20 1916 General Henri Gouraud “indicated he would have preferred further trials of an improved machine but these, sadly, were not to pass, and the design was abandoned by the military in favour of new tank designs which were becoming available to them." Observers during its trials noted that it moved about 1 km/h, managed to flatten a line of barbed wire, and crossed trenches 1.8 m wide.

The Boirault Machine predates the word "Tank" which actually comes from the British deception operation for its armoured vehicle program that labelled the vehicles "Water Carriers." Since government officials use initials "WC" wouldn't work so the British program was changed from "Water Carriers" to "Tank." WC is another word for the bathroom.