Tanks: ‘Sparks, Steel, and Shattered Faith’ At Bullecourt on 11 April 1917, Australian soldiers advanced with 12 tanks for the first time. ‘The tanks made a terrific row and spat sparks all over the place,’ recalled Private Carpenter. Sergeant Rule called them ‘crab drawers,’ their low chug-chug-chug and flying sparks impossible to hide. At first, their size and noise terrified German troops, but as the lumbering machines broke down or crawled forward, the Germans recovered and struck back. Firi