Top 5 Facts: A7V tank

1 – Fortress
British forces nicknamed the A7V the ‘Moving Fortress’ when it was first deployed on the battlefield. This was due to its large pillbox design and heavy (for the time) armour.

2 – Service
Due to its crude design and myriad problems, the A7V was only in operation for a total of seven months, from March to October 1918. Only replicas survive today.

3 – Designer
The inventor of the A7V, Joseph Vollmer, was the chief designer for the German War Department. He went on to produce the K-Wagen, LK I and LK II tanks.

4 – Female
The A7V had both male and female variants. The male had six machine guns and a 57mm (2.2in) cannon, while the female version replaced the cannon with two extra machine guns.

5 – Wotan
One A7V, named Wotan, after being scrapped by the Allies in 1919 was rebuilt in the Eighties based on original designs. The replica now resides in the Panzermuseum, Germany.