What secret weapon did the British use during the Battle of Cambrai?
What secret weapon did the British use during the Battle of Cambrai?
Mark IV tanks
In November 1917, during the Battle of Cambrai, the massive use of new-generation Mark IV tanks enabled the British Army to make significant advances into the enemy’s lines and this episode marked a real turning point in the war.
Who won Battle of Cambrai 1917?
Battle of Cambrai (1917)
| Date | 20 November – 7 December 1917 |
|---|---|
| Location | Cambrai, France 50°10′36″N 03°14′08″ECoordinates: 50°10′36″N 03°14′08″E |
| Result | See Aftermath section |
| Territorial changes | British capture Havrincourt, Flesquières, Ribécourt-Dreslincourt Germans capture Gonnelieu |
What happened in the Battle of Cambrai?
Cambrai was the first battle in which tanks were used en masse In fact, Cambrai saw a mixture of tanks being used, heavy artillery and air power. While the battle of Passchendaele was being fought, Douglas Haig approved a plan to take on the Germans by sweeping round the back of Cambrai and encircling the town.
Who lost the Battle of Cambrai?
The British
The British casualties amounted to 44,000 killed, wounded and lost in action (including 6,000 prisoners) and the Germans 45,000 (including 10,000 prisoners).
What strategies were used in the Battle of Cambrai?
The attack began with significant gains on the opening day through a combination of effective artillery fire, infantry tactics and tanks. British forces made advances of around 5 miles, taking a number of villages. But by the end of the first day, over half of the tanks were out of action.
What was the land between two enemy trenches called?
No Man’s Land
“No Man’s Land” was a popular term during the First World War to describe the area between opposing armies and trench lines.
What was the largest tank battle in WW1?
Battle of Cambrai
Battle of Cambrai, British offensive (November–December 1917) on the Western Front during World War I that marked the first large-scale, effective use of tanks in warfare.
What was the cause of the Battle of Cambrai?
The plan for the battle came about as a result of an idea initially put forward by Lt-Col JFC Fuller, GSO1 of the Tank Corps. He initially devised an Anglo-French attack supported by tanks, to capture St Quentin. This evolved into the operation at Cambrai.
Was the Battle of Cambrai a success?
The Battle of Cambrai ultimately had little strategic impact on the fighting on the Western Front. Yet in the tactical methods used by both sides it was a precursor to the fighting of 1918 and also pointed the way towards more sophisticated combined arms tactics and armoured warfare.
What technologies were introduced at Cambrai?
It was the new tactical way of combining airpower, artillery, infantry and armour by using infantry infiltration tactics, predicted artillery fire, sound ranging, battlefield intelligence and infantry-tank co-ordination. This new tactic was called ‘combined-arms warfare’.
