Mark VIII Tank

Mark VIII Tank

World War I

Engineer James D. Skinner was sent to Bridgeport in 1917, where he supervised military production for the Army Ordnance Corps. Among other responsibilities, he headed the team that developed the Mark VIII tank, which was designed to meet the needs of Allied forces, especially in crossing trenches. British designs had been furnished the U.S. in 1916 following the Battle of the Somme in which they had been introduced and had proved successful as a combat innovation. The Army used the Locomobile Company factory in Bridgeport to build the prototype pictured here. The war ended before the tank could be produced on a large scale, but Congress authorized the production of 100 tanks for American use.
Courtesy David Sturges

Courtesy: James Dudley Skinner
Courtesy: David Sturges