The Vezdekhod: Russia’s Forgotten First Tank

    When people speak of the first tanks of the Great War, British Mark I machines usually dominate the conversation. Yet far from the Western Front, Imperial Russia quietly experimented with its own answers to the problem of crossing trenches and wire. While the colossal Tsar Tank often steals attention for its sheer audacity, it was not the only concept under consideration. Alongside such grand experiments, Russia produced something far more compact and practical in intent: the Vezdekhod, a strange prototype that many historians still debate as Russia’s first true tank.

What the Vezdekhod Was

Designed in 1914–1915 by Alexander Porokhovshchikov, the Vezdekhod was radically different from the heavy, multi-crew tanks that would later define armored warfare. Instead of multiple tracks or wheels, it relied on a single wide rubberized track wrapped around a lightweight armored body. Steering was assisted by side wheels, and the entire vehicle was intended to be fast, agile, and capable of crossing uneven ground that stalled infantry.

At its core, the Vezdekhod was less a battlefield juggernaut and more an experiment in mobility. It reflected Russia’s need for rapid solutions rather than industrial brute force.

Armament and Role

The original design allowed for light armament, most commonly envisioned as a single machine gun mounted forward. Its role was never meant to be direct tank-on-tank combat. Instead, it was intended for reconnaissance, infantry support, wire crossing, and harassment roles, operating ahead of larger formations.

In theory, the Vezdekhod could suppress enemy positions while maneuvering through terrain that conventional vehicles could not handle.

Crew Capacity

Historically, the Vezdekhod was designed as a one-man vehicle, with the operator driving and fighting simultaneously. This alone limited its effectiveness. Managing movement, situational awareness, and weapons at once proved unrealistic under combat conditions.

In the Trench series, this flaw is addressed through modification. The vehicle is reworked to carry two crew members: one dedicated driver and one gunner-observer. This change alone transforms the Vezdekhod from an experimental oddity into a viable specialized asset for selective missions.

Why It Failed to Advance

Despite promising tests, the Vezdekhod never progressed beyond the prototype stage. Several factors worked against it:

• The single-track system struggled with reliability under battlefield stress

• Armor protection was limited

• Russian military leadership favored more conventional solutions

• Industrial strain and shifting priorities during the war slowed development

Like many early armored concepts, it was simply too early for the infrastructure and doctrine of its time.

A Place in the Trench Universe

Within Trench, the Vezdekhod is treated not as a miracle weapon, but as a specialized platform. Its modifications allow it to serve in reconnaissance, rapid response, and escort roles, particularly in terrain where larger machines would fail. It stands as a symbol of early mechanized warfare still searching for its identity.

Rather than rewriting history, the series explores how such machines could have been refined and used selectively, without changing the broader course of the war.

What If It Had Been Deployed?

Had the Vezdekhod entered limited service on the Eastern Front, it likely would not have reshaped the war overnight. However, it could have influenced tactics earlier: faster probing attacks, improved reconnaissance, and limited armored support in sectors lacking heavy fortifications.

More importantly, it might have accelerated Russian understanding of mechanized warfare, laying the groundwork for designs that came far too late.

Final Thoughts

The Vezdekhod represents a moment when warfare stood at a crossroads. It was neither a failure nor a success, but a glimpse of what armored combat could become. In the chaos of the First World War, such experiments mattered, even when they never reached mass production.

In Trench, the Vezdekhod finally finds a battlefield worthy of its ambition.