WW1 and Tanks
Charge 7
Master Gunner
The tank was useful in WWI, much more so in WWII of course, but none-the-less, it did make some important movements possible. The most important battle for the tank was at Cambrai, though there were plenty of other actions since it's debut at the Somme. The tank in WWI was used primarily as an infantry support weapon rather than as a combat arm of decision as happened in WWII.
bush musketeer
Active member
tanks
they were quite handy for carrying supplies forward as well
they were quite handy for carrying supplies forward as well
Whispering Death
Active member
The big problem was that by the time the Allies learned how to exploit breaches in the German line, the Germans learned how to fight back against tanks.
The first few times tanks gained victories the allies just sat in their trenches and where like
"Yay we won!"
'Uh, think we should, like, move the infantry over there?'
"Nah, too tired from watching all this fighting, let's do it tomorrow, surely the Germans won't come back and retake the position. I mean, really, why would they do that?"
<germans zero in artillery on the tanks that are just sitting there and charge back into their old positions>
"Well, don't I just look silly right now"
The first few times tanks gained victories the allies just sat in their trenches and where like
"Yay we won!"
'Uh, think we should, like, move the infantry over there?'
"Nah, too tired from watching all this fighting, let's do it tomorrow, surely the Germans won't come back and retake the position. I mean, really, why would they do that?"
<germans zero in artillery on the tanks that are just sitting there and charge back into their old positions>
"Well, don't I just look silly right now"
Stosstruppen
New Member
"The most important battle for the tank was at Cambrai"
And the Germans subsequently retook the lost ground with infantry, spearheaded by assault troops using infiltration tactics.
Plus, you have to remember that most WW1 tank's armor were really only "proofed" against rifle fire. They just needed a way to overcome the withering fire of machineguns during the attack and most weren't armored more than 12mm. Direct hits from field artillery of any caliber was catastrophic, and by the end of the war the Germans had become well versed in knocking out tanks both with field artillery and Mauser 13.2mm Tank Abwehr Gewehr rifles. However, when these weapons weren't readily available the german infantry had little defense against tanks except concentrated charges of stick grenades. The design and role of WW1 tanks wasn't a novelty, but it was still in it's early stages of evolution, as were the means to combat them.
And the Germans subsequently retook the lost ground with infantry, spearheaded by assault troops using infiltration tactics.
Plus, you have to remember that most WW1 tank's armor were really only "proofed" against rifle fire. They just needed a way to overcome the withering fire of machineguns during the attack and most weren't armored more than 12mm. Direct hits from field artillery of any caliber was catastrophic, and by the end of the war the Germans had become well versed in knocking out tanks both with field artillery and Mauser 13.2mm Tank Abwehr Gewehr rifles. However, when these weapons weren't readily available the german infantry had little defense against tanks except concentrated charges of stick grenades. The design and role of WW1 tanks wasn't a novelty, but it was still in it's early stages of evolution, as were the means to combat them.
Stosstruppen said:
Very cool rifle, I googled it and figured I might share what I found: http://www.antitank.co.uk/ww1_anti-tank_rifles1.htm
behemoth79
Active member
i think the coolest use for tanks in WWI was when they put bulldozer blades on the front of them and used the tanks bury soldiers in the trenches. :twisted: :twisted:
LeEnfield
Active member
They came as a complete shock to the Germans but they used first of all in the heavy mud at Paschendale and they lost a lot of there effectiveness in the mud. They were next used at Cambria and the chalk ground there they did far better. Another place they were used was the attack on the German Gustav line. This was the fore runner of the German Blitz tactic's, the attacks on this position went in with a creeping barrage followed by tanks and infantry, the Air force also flew strafing and bombing mission either to stop reinforcements making their way to the front or to keep the Germans heads down in the trenches. The Germans had claimed that this line was impregnable, but the whole lot fell in two weeks of fighting and it was the fall of this German defence line that actually brought WW1 to an end.