The Tank Museum and Queensland Museum
Published 14 Nov 2025By spring 1918, the British Mark IV tank has been in service for almost a year. It had proved itself during the Battle of Cambrai – the males attacking concrete emplacements, and the females fending off the infantry. But the Mark IV has never been tested against another tank …
The German A7V hasn’t served on the battlefield very long. While it has mobility and stability issues, it does have thicker armour than the British tanks – and is more heavily armed. On paper, this looks like it will be a close call.
Villers-Bretonneux is the first time in history that a tank fought another tank. It’s a day that would change the face of warfare forever.
00:00 | Introduction
00:50 | The Mark IV
02:57 | The A7V
05:30 | The Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
06:44 | Mark IV vs A7V
09:09 | Who won?
Thank you so much to our friends at the Queensland Museum! We were delighted to share the screen with Dr Liz Bissell: Senior Curator, Queensland Stories, in the Cultures & Histories team. If you want to find out more about Mephisto, and the other items in their superb collection, be sure to check out their YouTube channel here: / @queenslandmuseum or see it in person at the Queensland Museum Kurilpa in Brisbane https://www.museum.qld.gov.au/kurilpa
This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.
Dawn on 24 April 1918, and a British Mark IV tank commanded by Lt Frank Mitchell has spotted a German A7V looming towards him through the smoke and mist. History is about to be made. Because it’s the first time that a tank has ever engaged another tank in battle. It’s a moment that changed warfare forever … Who would win the first tank versus tank duel? With help from our friends at the Queensland Museum in Australia, we’ll find out what happened. But first, let’s take a look at the tanks involved – and the events that give the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux such a prominent place in history.
Want to learn more about the first tank v tank encounter at Villers-Bretonneux? Here are some sources you might find interesting:
Mark IV vs A7V: Villers-Bretonneux 1918 – Osprey Duel 49. David R. Higgins. 2012
Tank Warfare: The Story of Tanks in the Great War. Lt Frank Mitchell MC. 1933/1987
E2006.477 “A Battle of Monsters”. Lt Frank Mitchell MC. Unknown
March 9, 2026
The FIRST Tank Battle – Villers-Bretonneux, 1918: Mark IV v A7V
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