Flying Elephant Design B

After the last order for an additional fifty Mark I vehicles was placed in April 1916, it was not certain that any more tanks were to be produced. Everything would depend on the success of the new weapon. William Tritton, co-designer and co-producer of the Mark I, thought he already understood what would prove to be its main weakness. A direct hit by an artillery shell would destroy the vehicle, a major drawback on a battlefield saturated with artillery fire. Tritton decided to design a tank that would be immune to medium artillery fire in April 1916. The design of the Flying Elephant was a protracted affair and went through a number of radically different forms, as well as names, before finally settling down. The design process appears to have involved two distinct phases; Flotilla Leader/Battletank and the Flying Elephant. This image depicts Flying Elephant Design B, dated August 30, 1916 - the most heavily protected version in the entire project series.