French Tanks of the Great War : Development, Tactics and Operations

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gale, Tim

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Tanks (Military science).

World War, 1914-1918.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (256 p.)

Place of Publication:

Pen and Sword Military

Summary:

A detailed history of France's development of tanks and the combat the tanks served in during World War I, by an armored warfare expert. The French tank corps was an essential part of the French army from 1917 onwards, yet its history has been strangely neglected in English accounts of the Western Front. Using information derived from the French military archives at Vincennes-much of which has never been published in English before-author Tim Gale describes the design and development of the tanks, the political and organizational issues that arose between the French military and civilian bureaucracy, and the record of these pioneering fighting vehicles in combat. All the major engagements in which French tanks participated are depicted in graphic detail, often quoting directly from recollections left by individual tank commanders of their experience in battle, and each operation is assessed in terms of its impact on French tactics in general and on tank tactics in particular. The Nivelle offensive and the battles of Malmaison, the Matz, Soissons, and Champagne are featured in the narrative, and the actions of the French tanks serving with the U.S. army are covered, too. Much of the material in Tim Gale's study will be entirely new to non-French speakers. The story will be fascinating reading for anyone who is interested in the Great War, the French army, military innovation and the history of armored warfare. Praise for French Tanks of the Great War "Gale's book . . . is very easy to dip into." - Military Modelling "It is a wealth of information and I would definitely recommend it." - Forgotten Weapons

Contents:

1.The French Tank Force in the Great War

The Artillerie Speciale

2.'Very Bad Conditions'

The Nivelle Offensive, 1917

3.The Turnaround at Laffaux and the Aftermath of the Nivelle Offensive

4.'A Masterpiece of Tactics'

The Battle of Malmaison and the Tank Regulations

5.Paris in Peril

The Battle of the Matz, 11 June 1918

6.Engine of Victory

The Renault Light Tank

7.'The Greatest Day Since the Maine'

The Battle of Soissons, July 1918

8.With the Americans: From Cantigny to the Meuse-Argonne, 1918

9.Fourth Champagne

The Battle of Somme-Py, September

October 1918

10.The Final Battles of 1918 and the Armistice.

ISBN:

9781473881938

1473881935