Mark 1 tank will '˜appear' in town on anniversary

100 years on from the first tank attack in history, people in Aylesbury will be able to take a step back in time to locate and view a Mark I tank, externally and internally – and even place one in a location of their choice - thanks to a free app launched in association with The Tank Museum to honour the memory of pioneering British tank soldiers.

The virtual tank will be positioned near the Market Square on Thursday, September 15. The free Tank 100 mobile app, from the World of Tanks publisher and game developer Wargaming, is available for iOS and Android – also allowing the user to place a tank in a location of their choice, and even take pictures of it featuring themselves, family or friends.

Wargaming has partnered with The Tank Museum in Bovington to deliver the fascinating history behind the development of the first tanks during the First World War and the app was developed by Ballista Digital – a producer of history-based apps for museums.

Markus Schill, General Manager Europe Wargaming, said: “History is part of Wargaming’s DNA. We wanted to use all that technology has to offer to give everyone a new way to rediscover history, tanks and facts of WWI. The Tank 100 App will allow you to virtually see the first tank on the battlefield or see a life-size model of the Mark I - or view a smaller version pop up on a desk top.”

CEO of Ballista Digital, Tom Clifford, added: “We are very excited about working with Wargaming to create this opportunity for tank enthusiasts to ‘virtually’ experience the Mark I tank. The app will help bring the story of the development of the tank to life, and is the start of an ongoing AR & VR App experience that will track the history of the tank through the 20th Century.”

The Tank 100 app will continue to grow over the coming months. Future versions will have additional WW1 and later 20th Century tanks to coincide with key anniversaries. The augmented reality 3D model tanks will also be enhanced to allow users to interact and take control of the tanks themselves.

Wargaming is celebrating 100 Years of Tanks with a host of online and offline events in remembrance of the Mark I, the first tank to hit the battlefield. In addition to Tanks 100, there are numerous in-game events featuring the Mark I across World of Tanks PC, PS4 and Xbox from September 15, as well as World of Tanks Blitz from September 19. The main celebration is organised in partnership with The Tank Museum, Bovington, and will take place September 15, in London. During the event, a Mark IV replica (created for Steven Spielberg’s movie “War Horse”) will be showcased in Trafalgar Square, just as it was 100 years ago with the Mark I.

IOS - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/tank-100-world-tanks-in-association/id1118439755?mt=8

Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ballistadigital.tank100