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The First Tank Was Used 100 Years Ago Today. This is What it Looked Like

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LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: An Army photographer takes a photograph of a replica British Mark IV tank as it is displayed in Trafalgar Square on September 15, 2016 in London, England. The tank is in place to mark 100 years to the day since they were first used in action during World War One. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
An Army photographer takes a photograph of a replica British Mark IV tank as it is displayed in Trafalgar Square in London on Sept. 15, 2016.Leon Neal—Getty Images
By Abigail Abrams

One hundred years ago today, the first tanks were used during World War I.

As British and French soldiers fought the Germans at Flers-Courcelette, an attack during the famous Battle of the Somme on Sept. 15, 1916, the British forces unleashed a new weapon that could cover terrain previous military vehicles could not.

To mark the anniversary, a replica of the original Mark IV tank has been placed in Trafalgar Square in London, the BBC reports.

The first tanks were far from perfect. They were originally designed to travel at walking pace to support the British infantry, and not all the tanks the British made were ready to use that day in 1916. But the introduction of the tank ushered in a new era of modern warfare that brought more advances and much deadlier weapons.

The replica tank has been provided by the Tank Museum in Dorset, England, which is hosting a Tank 100 event on Saturday in honor of the vehicle’s centennial.

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Write to Abigail Abrams at abigail.abrams@time.com