German soldiers posing for a photograph with an abandoned British Mark IV tank, ca. 1917.

German soldiers posing for a photograph with an abandoned British Mark IV tank, ca. 1917.

During the First World War, tanks were often abandoned on the battlefield either due to mechanical malfunctions or getting stuck in the terrain. 

For an example, in the Third Battle of Ypres in, tanks had initially been planned to play a supporting role for the infantry and artillery in maintaining the momentum of the offensive. Their specific task was to push forward after the infantry had conquered the German frontlines and needed time to consolidate.

The terrain in Flanders was mostly flat, which was ideal for tanks. However, 3 years of incessant shelling had destroyed the draining system in Flanders, meaning whenever it rained the battlefield was turned into a muddy quagmire.

When heavy rains began pouring down in early August 1917, the tanks struggled to advance through the muddy terrain, with several tanks having to be abandoned on the battlefield. Even on good grounds tanks were mechanically unreliable, making the challenge for the tanks at Passchendaele was even greater.

In the end, tanks were only used in 10 days of battle during the 4-month-long Third Battle of Ypres, and even then in very limited numbers compared to operations such as the Battle of Cambrai and Battle of Amiens, where they were deployed in their hundreds.