Armor of the Great War

[vitara]

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[vitara]

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[vitara]

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[MAGNA]

Originally Posted by krieg

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Nice set of pics Kreig. That last one was definitely a bad design too.

[TRDG]

Originally Posted by MAGNA

Here you go TRDG. George S. Patton in France - World War One, where he established the first American tank training centre at Langres in North eastern France (early 1918). I think it was the 304th Tank brigade. The volunteers were so raw Patton had to get up in the middle of the night to personally drive the first shipment of tanks off the flatcars at the railhead - he was the only man in the whole brigade who could actually drive one.

The first action, though not significant, came in the Mihiel salient. Pattons appetite was whetted. His last action in the war came in September where his tanks became seperated from the main infantry attack and ended up assaulting a German position with some infantry in support. Five tanks broke in but the infantry wasn't keen on following them. Patton and five or so volunteers charged in. Patton was wounded in the thigh by shrapnel, thus ending his war but not his passion for action and the belief that tanks had a key role in the future ("missing half my bottom but otherwise all right").

The tanks used were French Renaults as the picture of George S. shows.

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COOL, thanks, that was PERFECT for me, and others I bet to!!!

Cheers, did he have any personal comments about the Renault, his likes. dislikes by chance?

Tom

[MAGNA]

I'm sure he would have had thoughts on the Renault but I haven't seen any info on it.

[McCoy]

The FT-17 was to become the basis for the tanks to come, you could even call it the first modern tank in that it was the first that utilized a turret (360°) for the main gun.

[MAGNA]

More info for you TRDG.

Heinz Guderian. During World War One, Guderian served as a technical / staff officer. This may seem strange considering his later role in the development of armoured warfare, but it served him well. He was involved with the newer technical aspects of transport and communication including trucks and radios.

This in turn lead him to the conclusion that a combination of equipment within a division was the only way to win in mobile warfare.

After World War One there were two main schools of thought concerning the use of tanks.

1. The tank would be invincible and all that had to be done was to build enough with trained crews to be unleashed on a helpless enemy.

2. The tank was only any use as an infantry support weapon and as such should be attached as necessary to help with breakthrough missions, much like the artillery arm.

Guderian's experience lead him to a middle ground where whole divisions of combined arms would be able to perform all tasks associated with attack and defence. Hitler agreed and the first three operational German tank divisions were born.

[MAGNA]

Bernard Montgomery.

Saw service as an officer first during the retreat in 1914 around Mons.

Shot through the lung in 1914 while leading a counter attack at Meterenin.

In 1915 he was involved in the training of the New Army and he held to strong beliefs that training was an essential part of an effective fighting force.

1916 - staff officer on the Western front and witnessed terrible carnage - Somme - Arras - Passchendaele.

This service gave him the necessary insight for later operations. By the time of his service in World War II he had come to realise the need for proper planning as well as use of combined arms to lower casualties. These theories were along the same lines as those of other good commanders of World War Two who had also gained experience in World War One.

[TRDG]

YEP, I can see where we can connect the dots from their previous experience to what they ended up doing (or not doing) in WW II compared to WW I, very nice!!

Cheers

Tom