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tanks
Tag
(18)
1916
September
15
Key event
Start of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette
On 15 September 1916 tanks went into battle for the first time, on the Somme. The British took Flers, Martinpuich and High Wood; the Canadians took Courcelette.
October
01
Key event
Start of the Battle of the Transloy Ridges
On 1 October 1916 the British Fourth Army attacked on the Somme at Eaucourt l’Abbaye and the Flers Line, aided by tanks and New Zealanders. Next day it rained.
1917
April
16
Key event
Nivelle offensive begins
At 6 a.m. on 16 April 1917 the French attacked on the Chemin des Dames. Meant to break through in two days, by evening they were stuck below the ridge.
17
Second Battle of Gaza begins
On 17 April 1917 British infantry crossed the Wadi Ghazze and, at little cost, took the Sheikh Abbas and Mansura ridges, from which they were to storm Gaza.
19
End of the Second Battle of Gaza
On 19 April 1917 the British assault on Gaza, despite tanks and gas, broke on the Turkish redoubts. The British lost over 6,000 men and failed to take the town.
July
28
Formation of the Tank Corps
On 28 July 1917 the British tank units were separated from the Machine Gun Corps as an independent Tank Corps. It was commanded by General Hugh Elles.
August
02
End of the Battle of Pilckem Ridge
On 2 August 1917 downpours halted the first attack at Ypres. Gough postponed further attacks, and British losses exceeded 30,000 men.
October
23
Battle of La Malmaison begins
At 5.15 a.m. on 23 October 1917 the French Sixth Army attacked the western end of the Chemin des Dames. Zouaves took Fort La Malmaison; Chavignon fell too.
November
20
Key event
Battle of Cambrai
On 20 November 1917 hundreds of British tanks, with no preliminary bombardment, broke the Hindenburg Line at Cambrai. Over 4,000 prisoners were taken.
23
Fighting for Bourlon Wood
On 23 November 1917 the British 40th Division with tanks broke into Bourlon Wood near Cambrai and took the ridge. Bourlon and Fontaine villages were not taken.
1918
April
24
Key event
Fighting at Villers-Bretonneux
On 24 April 1918 the Germans took Villers-Bretonneux with tanks, and at Cachy tanks fought tanks for the first time. That night the Australians retook the town.
June
14
End of the Battle of the Matz
In mid-June 1918 the Battle of the Matz died down. After Mangin's counter-attack of 11 June the Germans broke off their attack without reaching Compiègne.
July
04
Key event
Australians take Hamel
At 3.10 a.m. on 4 July 1918 Australians with Mark V tanks and Americans attacked Hamel on the Somme. In about 90 minutes they took the village, woods and ridge.
18
Key event
Mangin's counter-offensive
On 18 July 1918 Mangin's French Tenth Army, with Americans and hundreds of tanks, struck the German flank from Villers-Cotterêts without a bombardment.
August
08
Key event
Battle of Amiens begins
On 8 August 1918, in fog, Canadians, Australians and tanks broke the front at Amiens, taking over 15,000 prisoners. Ludendorff called it the "black day".
21
Key event
Second Battle of Albert begins
In thick fog on 21 August 1918 Britain's Third Army attacked with tanks north of the Ancre, took Bucquoy and Achiet-le-Petit and reached the Albert–Arras line.
September
12
Key event
Start of the Battle of Saint-Mihiel
On 12 September 1918 Pershing's American First Army attacked the German Saint-Mihiel salient. In the rain it got through the wire and advanced about 8 km.
October
08
Key event
Battle of Cambrai begins
On 8 October 1918 the British Third and Fourth Armies and the Americans attacked between Sequehart and Cambrai. At Niergnies the Germans used captured tanks.