[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

Yeah, that definitely looks....superior....

The first NI left the factory on August 20, 1941. Another two machines were built before it saw its first combat on September 1 in a local engagement on the outskirts of the city. When German troops saw an armoured formation including the unusual looking machines noisily making their way toward them, they retreated back to their starting positions. It was then decided to pull the tanks back to keep their nature secret.
Even though the tanks' speed was a very slow 7 km/h (4.3 mph), their armour was able to withstand small arms fire. In the second half of September, a battalion was formed equipped with NI tanks. In one memorable episode, the tanks entered a village occupied by German troops and while under fire were able to tow away 24 German guns.