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Re: Origin of the word "tank" (military)



Mark Stauter wrote:

> The conventional wisdom on this subject is that, for reasons of military
> secrecy, the first "tanks" were shipped across the English Channel in large
> cartons that were also used to ship water tanks.  The "tank" stencils on the
> outside of the cartons was retained, and the name stuck to the new armored
> vehicles.

All that secrecy wasn't even necessary, because Ludendorff thought there wasn't much offensive
potential in armored vehicles on tracks.


Eric v.d. Luft, Ph.D., M.L.S.
Curator of Historical Collections, Health Sciences Library
SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210
<http://web.upstate.edu/lufte/> -- 315-464-4585
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                                          -- Davy Crockett
                                [Autobiography, 1834, title page]

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