Answer:
British first used tanks in combat against Germany in WW1, while in WW2 it was Germany that first deployed tanks on a massive scale against Poland at the start of the war.
Explanation:
Here are the key details about the first major use of tanks in WW1 and WW2:
WW1:
- Tanks were first used in battle by the British on September 15, 1916 during the Battle of the Somme against the German Empire.
- The British deployed about 50 Mark I tanks, which were large, heavily armored vehicles designed for breaking through barbed wire and moving across trenches.
- While the tanks had some tactical success, they also suffered from many mechanical failures since they were an early tank design.
- However, the initial appearance of tanks on the battlefield was a major shock to both sides and marked the beginning of mechanized armored warfare.
WW2:
- In the interwar period between WW1 and WW2, many countries developed new tank designs and tank warfare tactics.
- The first mass deployment of tanks in WW2 was by the German Wehrmacht when they invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 starting World War II in Europe.
- Germany invaded Poland with over 2,500 tanks, far outnumbering the few obsolete Polish tankettes. The speed and firepower of German Panzer divisions helped crush Polish defences rapidly.
- The successful Blitzkrieg tactics used invading Poland with integrated tanks, aircraft, and motorized infantry set the pattern for early German victories in WW2 against France and other countries.
