Landships II

Centurion · Legend

American tank weeks

Mark Hansen · Legend

Centurion wrote:

It seems that tank weeks as part of fund raising were not confined to Britain and at last some American cities had these as well. I have found a refeence to a tank fundraising event in Los Angeles in August 1918 in which "there will be a mock battle with a British tank" (who will be battling it doesn't say LAPD?) and there seems to have been an event in New York. Does anyone have details of these or any other US (or Canadian) events of this nature?

I think the mock battles were similar to the stunts in England where tanks were driven over vehicles. I have seen footage of a tank in the U.S. being driven through a building but can't find it (isn't it always the way?) and this is probably the sort of thing that the mock battle was based on.

Centurion · Legend

Mark Hansen wrote:

I think the mock battles were similar to the stunts in England where tanks were driven over vehicles.

American example enclosed (can anyone id the city?) but it aint a battle - the account (in the Passadena Herald) also stated that an aircraft would be taking part - not something you do in a street.

Centurion · Legend

I've identified the city myself - Its New York and the tank is Britannia.

The few times I've driven in New York I've sometimes wished I had a tank that could drive over a car