THE TANK THAT NEVER SAW BATTLE
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AS long ago as 168o the idea of tarlts and the main principles of modern tank tactics were foreseen by a British economist and statistician,' Sir William Petty. In his tract 'War Chariots' he describes a horse-drawn ' tank ' mounted on two wheels of six foot diameter, manned by a crew of twelve. Heavily armoured, it carried a multitude of small arms—muskets, blunderbusses, hand grenades and pikes—and could deliver a sequence of concentrated fire : in Petty's own words, (12,000 men (12 men to each of t,000 chariots) are able to fire 1,poo field pieces, all at a clap, and within half a minute 3,000 muskets, the like the next half-minute, at the next minute 12,000 blunderbusses and the next 12,000 grenades.' Overwhelming in striking power this armoured division of I,000 chariots would be able 'to make 20 miles per diem in all ways and weathers and to make bridge to pass any river under five feet deep.' In defence the chariots would form 'a vast barricade' or 'make Fort Royal in any open place.' , Britain's long eventful history has been liberally punctuated by men of such advanced ideas as Petty—inventors, scientists, engineers—men with resilient and versatile intellectual power. To-day, though more often than not working behind the scenes, the flower of British genius is as fertile and fruitful as ever.