The Tanks That Broke the Ranks Out in Picardy
The Tanks That Broke the Ranks Out in Picardy (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.
Overview
The song was composed as a promotional song for the-then new Tank, which had been first used during the First World War, and were regarded with interest and awe by both sides when they were first deployed.
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 itself 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.