Battle of Cambrai (1917)
The Battle of Cambrai (20 November – 7 December 1917) was a British offensive and German counter-offensive battle in the First World War. Cambrai, in the Nord département(Nord-Pas-de-Calais), was a key supply point for the German Siegfried Stellung (part of theHindenburg Line) and capture of the town and the nearby Bourlon Ridge would threaten the rear of the German line to the north. Major General Tudor, Commander Royal Artillery (CRA) of the 9th Division, suggested trying out new artillery-infantry techniques on his sector of the front. During preparations, J. F. C. Fuller, a staff officer with the Royal Tank Corps (RTC), was in
the process of looking for a place to use tanks as raiding parties. General Julian Byng, commander of the British Third Army, decided to incorporate them into the attack.
The battle is remembered in popular consciousness as the first use of large numbers of tanks in a successful combined arms operation. However, tanks had been introduced in 1916, and the French had deployed large numbers of tanks in April (130+), May (48) andOctober (92) of 1917. The British had used more than 200 in Flanders in June and July. These actions had not been associated with similar results. Further, despite British success on the first day, mechanical vulnerabilities and German artillery and infantry defences exposed the frailties of the Mark IV tank. On the second day, only about half of the original number of tanks was available. Subsequent British progress was limited. The British Official History, published in 1948, and modern scholarship do not place exclusive credit for the first day on the tanks, but discuss the concurrent evolution of artillery, infantry and tank methods. Numerous ongoing developments in evidence at Cambrai, such as predicted artillery fire, sound ranging, infantry infiltration tactics, infantry-tank coordination, and air support continued to mature and played a vital part during the Hundred Days Offensive, along with replacement of the Mark IV tank with improved types, in 1918.
From the German perspective, the early, rapid reinforcement and successful defense of Bourlon Ridge, as well as the subsequent counter-attack were notable battle achievements.
Warfare is a fascinating subject. Despite the dubious morality of using violence to achieve personal or political aims. It remains that conflict has been used to do just that throughout recorded history.
ReplyDeleteYour article is very well done, a good read.
Warfare is a fascinating subject. Despite the dubious morality of using violence to achieve personal or political aims. It remains that conflict has been used to do just that throughout recorded history.
ReplyDeleteYour article is very well done, a good read.