The Cambrai operations, 1917 (Battle of Cambrai)
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/ ... f-cambrai/
Naine roolis, masin kraavis....… until it all went wrong
Yet two months later, a court of enquiry convened at Hesdin to examine what had gone wrong at Cambrai. This unusual step was taken after questions had been asked by the War Cabinet, following a German counter attack that had apparently come as a surprise and against which the British forces lost ground and suffered heavy losses. Initial success, even if containing the seeds of a war winning approach that would germinate on the Santerre plateau in August 1918, had been short lived, and there was bitter disappointment at the net result. One respected commentator, a former junior officer, said that “Cambrai was a highly speculative gamble which I find inexplicable, so out of character is it with the rest of Haig’s career, not because it was inventive but because it was haphazard, not thought through” and that it was a “harum-scarum affair, ill-planned and feebly directed, yet in military history it stands as the most significant battle of the First World War“
Dawn of the Tank Age: the Battle of Cambrai, 1917
http://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-w ... 917-m.html
Kood: Vali kõik
The bombardment opened up at 6:10 AM, with the tanks and infantry advancing at 6:20 AM. Even the bombardment was a display of new technology. By teaching their artillerymen and NCOs ballistics, and some of the more complicated mathematics behind calculating bore wear (which limited the range of artillery guns) the British were able to fire accurately without the need for ranging shots. This meant that when their guns let loose their first volley, they were on target without any indication that a bombardment was coming
As this mass assault pushed forward, the tanks crushed the wire, and pounded the German defenses. While the German troops retreated in the face of these beasts the British infantry would pour into the lines. Finally, the front lines had been broken, and the British began pushing for their initial objectives before they pushed forward to the town of Cambrai proper.
.....By the end of the first day, the British troops had advanced an astonishing five miles into one of the hardest points of the Western Front. Unmatched by any other major western assault since the start of the war, this must have seemed miraculous to the troops there. It was clear to them that tanks were the trump card they had been waiting for. But things quickly went downhill for these men....
.....Over the next ten days, these amazing advances would crumble in front of the very men who had won them. The British high command was focused on capturing Cambrai at all costs and continued to push forward. Over 100 tanks had been wiped out on the first day of combat, and they were never used in a true combined arms sense after that assault. Instead, troops would advance with a small tank support, or limited artillery, as the guns were still being pushed forward into new firing positions. Finally, the British decided to consolidate their victories and dug in on the 27th of November.
"Tank nimega Hyacinth" - hilisema BBC poolt vändatud teleseriaali "Keeping Up Appearances" naispeakangelase prototüüp:The next day the German counterattack began, hitting Boulon wood with gas followed immediately by infantry. Later, on the 30th they hit the sides of the British salient, hoping to cut off the head. They employed a new infantry tactic, using light infantry to bypass any hard points or machine guns, rather pushing forward to destabilize the enemy. This cut off the rear defenses and prevented an orderly retreat. After the initial light infantry, heavier troops would follow up to knock out the hardpoints and secure any gains. This proved to be an incredibly effective tactic, and in a few days, the British were pushed back to their lines from before the November 20th assault.