20/11/1917 Battle of Cambrai

[lightweight]

On this day in history Brigadier-General Hugh Elles led the Tank Corps to what is widely regarded as being the first armoured breakthrough.

 

Although the British failed to capitalise on their gains, which were wildly beyond their expectations, it was notable for many reasons.

 

The battleplan involved the co-operation of infantry, armour and artillery - an 'all-arms assault', which we take for granted now but was a revelation at the time.

 

A short, sharp artillery barrage using over 1000 unregistered guns and howitzers opened the battle at 0610hrs, this stopped the ground over which the tanks had to advance being churned up too much.

 

476 tanks took part over the course of the battle, of which more than 350 were proper 'fighting' tanks. Hugh Elles rode in a MkIV tank called 'Hilda'.

 

The tanks advanced 3-4 miles into German held territory at a cost of 4000 casualties in 6 hours - compare these figures with the Battles of Passchendale only a few months earlier!

 

Church bells were rung out all over England at the news of the breakthrough.

 

I did read somewhere that a lone Whippet tank penetrated some 8 miles behind the German front. Finding itself on its own, its commander spent most of the day roaming in the German rear areas, attacking supply dumps and relief columns before being captured. I can't find the info now, so if anyone can point me in the right direction.......

 

The Royal Tank Regiment - ancestors of the Tank Corps still celebrate the battle on this day. I have no doubt that there are many merry troopers out there now as I type this - cheers guys!

[Tony B]

As to the breackthrough. This was a perrenial problem for British forces in the Great War. the thinking was that cavalary would always be ready to exploit a gap. Trouble was the ground was so cut up and Maxim had invented the automatic machine gun. The other major problem was comms. The tanks couldn't tell HQ they had got through so renforcment couldn't be ordered forward. Doctrine was also in its infancy, with the RTC wanting to go in enmasse, what became Blitzkrieg, whilst the commanders on the ground doled out penny packets so each bit of the front had 2 or 3 tanks. Also until late 1917 early 1918 the British artillery did not have a timed fuse, so Hurricane bombardment was not possible, air spotting was also used. A lot of these tactics developed from the carnage on the Somme in 1917 . Cambri was chosen mostly because it had been a quiet sector and the ground was not carved up so tanks could operate.

[Snapper]

All good points and a good call. Elles road as passenger in Hilda which broke down and he was back in Albert by lunchtime but was pleased with himself. The tank branch was riddled with ambitious officers looking for notoriety and glory from the very outset. The Germans did manage to bring to bear a new anti-tank screen using 77mm guns (rebored in the next war!) and these were successful. The cavalry failed to break through, which was the primary reason for the battle taking place, because they were unable to exploit the tank's advance for many reasons, including being a bit windy in face of machine guns. The main reason the plan did not succeed further in the centre was the interference of General Harper of the 51st Highland Division, who quite rightly sought to protect his men and had seen the huge failure of the tanks at 3rd Ypres (where they foundered in the mud just as predicted by the tank command against the opinion of Haig etc); he would not accept the benefit of tanks at all and ignored accepted doctrine on using them making costly alterations to a sound plan. The HD Divisional emblem is perennially linked to him as Harper's Duds, which seems unfair from this distance because it progressed from being indifferent in 1915 to magnificent. But Harper's abilities remain questionable...just like many red tabs of that period.

[Tony B]

The old Lion's and donkey's debate. Prior to the Great War the British Army had undergone a massive re organisation following the disasters during the South African (Boer ) wars. The result was the British Army was the smallest most professional in Europe, but also scattered all over the Empire (Situation sound familiar?) there was also a Europe is nothing to do with us attitude. This plus the doctrine much accepted Europe couldn't afford to go to war, meant when the war started Britain despite having various secret alliances with France, the British Government did not declare war till Belgian Neutrality was violated. Then placed British Armies under French control, who naturally had their own agenda. In to this mix you add trench warfare, that was a mistake on both sides, and for most of the period a very undertrained under equipped British Army. The General's led to the best of their abilities, most of the anti war feelings arose after the war ended, and was political in nature when the Land Fit For Hero's failed to materialise. If the Schliffen plan and the French Plan 17 had worked out, the German's would have marched into Paris about the same time the French marched into Berlin.

[AlienFTM]

As to the breackthrough. This was a perrenial problem for British forces in the Great War. the thinking was that cavalary would always be ready to exploit a gap. Trouble was the ground was so cut up and Maxim had invented the automatic machine gun. The other major problem was comms. The tanks couldn't tell HQ they had got through so renforcment couldn't be ordered forward. Doctrine was also in its infancy, with the RTC wanting to go in enmasse, what became Blitzkrieg, whilst the commanders on the ground doled out penny packets so each bit of the front had 2 or 3 tanks. Also until late 1917 early 1918 the British artillery did not have a timed fuse, so Hurricane bombardment was not possible, air spotting was also used. A lot of these tactics developed from the carnage on the Somme in 1917 . Cambri was chosen mostly because it had been a quiet sector and the ground was not carved up so tanks could operate.

 

 

Allan Mallinson writes some interesting words about Cambrai in "Light Dragoons". If you check the map, you find that among the furthest advance at the Cambrai breakout were 13th Hussars, which was exactly according to plan. Sadly, because everybody had expected the tank to roll up everything, no allowance had been made in the plans to actually get the horsed cavalry through the gap and they were unable to exploit to the full.

 

Mallinson rightly goes on to describe Cambrai as the death knell for horsed cavalry, even in light of their successes at Cambrai.

[Bazz]

 

 

Neil,

 

you've just beat me to the post, about to make the same comments,

 

Baz.

[Snapper]

Quality comments from all.