Battle Of Cambrai

The Battle of Cambrai, fought in northern France between the British and Germans from November 20 to December 4, 1917, was the first time battle tanks were utilized in battle on a large scale. Tanks were used in conjunction with air power and heavy artillery. About 476 tanks were manufactured by the nineteen British divisions, 324 of which were battle tanks and the rest were supply and service vehicles. The combat began on the morning of November 20, 1917, when the British Third Army launched an offensive on the Germans in the direction of Cambrai. Initially, eight British divisions surprised three German divisions and captured 7500 Germans. To alleviate pressure on French forces, the third army, under by General Julian Byng, struck the German Hindenburg defensive line. Despite initial victories, the British were eventually overwhelmed by German counterattacks, which were aided by terrible weather.

The British had advanced 5 miles and captured a number of settlements. Over half of the British tanks were destroyed before the conclusion of the first day. Even as the conflict intensified, this halted the British advance. The British reached the summit of Bourlon Ridge on October 28th. However, German forces launched a counter-offensive two days later, employing heavy artillery and infantry tactics. According to the Imperial War Museum, the British army was forced to retreat after only capturing the villages of Havrincourt, Ribécourt, and Flesquières. In the years that followed, the Battle of Cambrai paved the door for the adoption of complex weapons tactics and armored warfare. Both the Germans and the British suffered 45,000 casualties.

When: 1917