![]() ![]() Like most WW1 tanks they were handicapped by structural frailty and slow speed. However, they proved more successful in recapturing Chemin-des-Dames, and in subsequent offensives they filled a marginal but helpful role. 76 of 128 were lost, and mechanical failures were a particular concern. Prematurely deployed in April 1917 to support the Nivelle Offensive, the Schneiders were indicted by that offensive’s failure. ![]() Germany only deployed 20 tanks during the war, while the Allies deployed thousands – this could be seen as a cause of their failure to defeat the Allies in the 1918 Spring offensives, and the subsequent overall defeat. Its successes were generally limited to supporting actions, and soon after the war other designs were planned. It had a mixed record in World War One, seeing action at the Third Battle of Aisne and the Second Battle of the Marne. The only tank to be used in field operations by the Germans, the A7V was developed in 1918. Plans to create 5 tank battalions each containing 36 Whippets were abandoned, but it remained a useful asset throughout in 1918 and was a major force in the breakthrough at the Battle of Amiens. In one celebrated incident at Cachy, a single Whippet company wiped out two entire German battalions, killing over 400 men. ![]() It first saw action in March 1918 and proved very useful in covering Allied forces recoiling from the Spring Offensive. The Whippet was a highly mobile tank, developed in the latter stages of the war to complement the slower British machines. Overall, while dogged by initial unreliability problems, the Mark series proved an effective weapon, having a potent psychological impact on the enemy as well as supporting several large offensives. It saw mass action at the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917. Of subsequent models the Mark IV was the next significant version. Learn who is considered the true father of the RAF, why a flag must be evacuated in the event of a fire and why there are two portraits of World War One German flying aces in the college library. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |