British intelligence and German tanks, 1916-1918

A substantive German tank force never materialized during the First World War. However, its military insignificance was not apparent to the British army anticipating its appearance. This article explores British intelligence reporting on the development of German tanks. It assesses the impact of this potential threat, particularly during the tense months of early 1918. It shows how the intelligence reporting also influenced British tank design. The article judges this work to have been an intelligence success.