So, the team is on the move, not sure what to make of things, when… well, they have a chance to take a nap, really. Troops that are used to working with modern tanks would be dismayed at the performance of the first tanks from World War One. They crawled along at less than walking pace many times, and suffered constant breakdowns– more tanks were lost to mechanical failure than combat, and in fact most of the tanks the Germans used were former Allied tanks that broke down and were captured.

The first tanks were originally called ‘Land Cruisers’ and there was talk that they would be under the charge of the Royal Navy, since they knew how to work with iron things that moved around and had turrets. Eventually they were given to the Army and they were called “tanks” as a code name, to make the enemy think that water tanks were being assembled instead of a new vehicle. Among the Army they didn’t know if they would be part of the artillery branch (big guns) or the infantry (their purpose was to support the infantry). They, of course, ended up becoming their own branch entirely, but at the time many would never have guessed that they would become so important.

Also, you may notice another cameo– the character “Lowly Worm” from Richard Scarry’s collection of adventures. Richard Scarry was a favorite of mine when I was growing up, especially his “Cars and Trucks and Things That Go”. I loved his artwork and detailed vehicles (can you tell?). IN this scene, not only does Lowly Worm out-pace the tank, but in doing so he also reminds us of an iconic scene from the opening of the movie “Office Space”, another favorite comedy about frustration.