The Tanks That Broke the Ranks Out in Picardy
File:British Mark I male tank Somme 25 September 1916.jpg, 25 September 1916. Probably in reserve for the Battle of Thiepval Ridge, which began the next day, part of the Battle of the Somme.]]
The Tanks That Broke the Ranks Out in Picardy{{cite web |title=The Tanks That Broke the Ranks Out in Picardy |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-164905828/view?partId=nla.obj-164905831 |website=Trove |publisher=National Library of Australia |accessdate=10 July 2020}} (also known by the shorter title of The Tanks That Broke the Ranks) is a 1916 song written jointly by Harry Castling and Harry Carlton.{{cite web |title=The Tanks that Broke the Ranks |url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/tanks-broke-ranks |website=National Film and Sound Archive |publisher=Government of Australia |accessdate=10 July 2020}}
Overview
The song celebrated the introduction of the tank which was first used by the British in 1916 as part of the Battle of the Somme.
The song tells the story of a brigade of tanks on the Western Front, passing obstacles with ease. It references many prominent German military leaders of the day, including Kaiser Wilhelm, Alfred von Tirpitz, Paul von Hindenburg and Prince Wilhelm. It is written to the jaunty tune of a music hall hit of a few years earlier, "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo".
The song was popular during Christmas pantomime performances at the end of 1916.{{r|Williams|p=111}}
References
External links
- [http://www.firstworldwar.com/audio/tanksthatbroketheranks.htm 1916 recording of the song]
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Category:Songs about Wilhelm II
Category:Cultural depictions of Wilhelm, German Crown Prince