Letter

To Major General Tom Smith,

I, Thomas Paul, have been a lieutenant in the Australian Imperial Force for the past 3 years and
I have deduced the following. Our main tactical disadvantage is our inferior positioning. As you
know, we have landed on a small strip of land that is overlooked by a large hill. The Turkish
soldiers have occupied the hill and are firing down on our soldiers. This means that our soldiers
are unable to even look over the parapet without exposing themselves. Any attempt to launch
an offensive has been quickly quashed by the constant showering of bullets and has led to a
large number of casualties on our side. However, I have devised a solution that negates our
locational disadvantage and opens up a plethora of possible offensive strategies. This solution
is inspired by a military tactic used by the Roman Empire involving “shield walls” to protect
soldiers from projectile weapons. I have designed a machine that uses this concept but in a
modern context, I call it “M-Shield”. The diagram below is a design of my proposed machine.
As seen in the diagrams above, this contraption will involve attaching a reinforced steel plate
measuring 7 feet high and 6 feet wide to a set of tank-style treads. The metal bars seen in the
diagram are used to provide increased structural support. Treads are used over wheels due to
the uniform weight distribution that treads provide, these treads will enable the tank to travel
through places wheels wouldn’t have such as soft ground and extremely rocky terrain. The
treads will be motorised and controlled by a singular control box that allows the driver to change
speed and direction because the metal plates are too heavy to be moved by the soldiers alone.
The holes seen are intentional and allow soldiers to safely fire bullets through these holes while
being protected by the shield.

M-Shields combats our greatest problem and allows us to attack despite our locational
disadvantage, here are some possible tactics involving these machines. M-Shields can be used
in a frontal charge; a battalion of soldiers will operate these machines and form a “shield wall” to
protect the other battalion of soldiers behind them from bullets (this significantly decreases
casualties). They will rapidly ascend the hill and take over Turkish territory. The machines can
also be used in a pincer manoeuvre; a battalion of soldiers operates a fleet of M-Shields and
launches a frontal attack as a distraction while another battalion of soldiers makes their way on
either side of the Turkish soldiers and envelops them. Once all 3 sides attack (front, left, right),
the Turkish forces will be surprised and overwhelmed by the forces on either side. Those are
just some possible offensive tactics that M-Shields can be used for.

All in all, I believe that M-Shields are extremely versatile and will help combat our greatest
tactical disadvantage and prove to be a major asset in this campaign.

From Lieutenant Tom Smith

Bibliography

Australian Army. n.d., 'Commissioned Officer Ranks', Australian Army,

https://www.army.gov.au/our-people/ranks/commissioned-officer-ranks.

Australian War Memorial. 2016, 'A Difficult Landing', Australian War Memorial,
https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/anzac-voices/landing.

Doyle, P & Bennet, MR. 1997, 'Military Geography: The Influence of Terrain in the Outcome of
the Gallipoli Campaign, 1915', The Geographical Journal, vol. 165, pp. 306-320.

Forces Network. 2019, 'Take A Tour Of WW1 Trenches At RAF Halton', Forces Network,
https://www.forces.net/stories/take-tour-ww1-trenches-raf-halton.

Frontline Ulster. 2020, 'Field Fortifications: How Thick Was Thick Enough?', Frontline
Ulster,https://www.frontlineulster.co.uk/blog/field-fortifications-how-thick-was-thick-enough.

Global Defense Technology. 2019, 'Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Tracks vs Wheels', Global
Defense Technology, no. 104.
https://defence.nridigital.com/global_defence_technology_oct19/armoured_fighting_vehicles_tra
cks_vs_wheels

National Army Museum. 2019, 'Gallipoli Campaign', National Army Museum,

https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/gallipoli.
National Library of Australia. (1915). Photograph of the original 3rd Australian Light Horse
Brigade Headquarters Staff, including the Commanding Officer Brigadier General J.R. Royston
[Photograph]. Australian War Memorial Collection, A18611. Retrieved from
https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/resources/media/image/nla-item-3791-a18611

New Zealand History. (n.d.). View of Anzac Cove, 1915 [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/view-anzac-cove-1915

Rance, P. 2004, 'The Fulcrum, the Late Roman and Byzantine Testudo: The Germanization of
Roman Infantry Tactics?', Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 261-283.

Anzac Portal. n.d., 'Landing at Anzac Cove 25 April 1915', Anzac Portal,
https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/where-australians-served/gallipoli/landin
g-anzac-cove.

Annotations
https://www.army.gov.au/our-people/ranks/commissioned-officer-ranks was useful in my
research as it allowed me to accurately state the rank and background of the senior officer and
the junior officer. After some light reading, I learnt that the Major General position has command
over entire divisions so I decided that it would be the perfect position for the senior officer. After
some more research, I read that the lieutenant position commands a small squadron of soldiers
but is still a junior position. This website was essential in ensuring that I had accurate titles.

https://defence.nridigital.com/global_defence_technology_oct19/armoured_fighting_vehicles_tra
cks_vs_wheels was valuable in the design phase of my machine. I was conflicted between
using wheels or treads in my machine and this website explained the advantages of treads.
Treads have better mobility and weight distribution which means that it won’t be hindered by the
rough terrain. Machines with treads also have greater resistance to ballistic damage which
makes them extremely suitable in this situation. The website had plenty of information about this
topic and really helped enhance my design.