On this day in 1915, the first tank is produced in England. Even though it was a prototype, it was given the name Little Willie and it weighed 14 tons and moved a meager 2 miles per hour. Later in the build, more improvements were made for Little Willie and it was soon made for military battlefields.

Trench warfare in World War I caused the British to develop a tank. Ernest Swinton and William Hankey thought of an idea to make an armored vehicle with conveyor-belt-like tracks over its wheels that could break through enemy lines and traverse difficult territory. Both men went to Winston Churchill to appeal for their idea, and Churchill believed in the concept of a “land boat” and organized a committee to begin developing a prototype.

Little Willie was first unveiled in September, but the prototype was very poor, with it not being able to cross trenches. A second prototype named “Big Willie” was made and was in very good shape to be placed into battle. Big Willie made its debut at the First Battle of the Somme near Courcelette, France.