Landships II

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Miscellaneous -> Tank surprise
Post Info TOPIC: Tank surprise
Centurion


Legend

Status: Offline
Posts: 2332
Date:
Tank surprise
Permalink Closed

I've seen a number of accounts of the French blaming the British from using tanks prematurely (at Flers) and therefore alerting the Germans in time for them to take measures against the French use of the Schneider. I've always seen this as an early version of spin to cover some of the serious failings of both the Schnieder and the St Chamond. However rereading 'The Boiler Plate War for the first time in many years I was struck by an interview with of one of the first German soldiers to encounter British tanks (near Flers). In this he states that they had already been alerted to possible attacks by significant numbers of armoured vehicles being built in French factories (my italics) and had been issued with armour piercing bullets (originally developed to deal with armoured machine gun and snipers loopholes) as a precaution. Does this imply thet the French armoured build up had already been blown? They were however surprised by the nature and efectiveness of the British machines.


On the same subject the same book contains an account of a British use of a small number of MKIs a few days before Flers to deal with comparitively minor tactical problems, apart from being amazingly bad security this must also count as the first tank engagements.



__________________
aka Robert Robinson Always mistrust captions
eugene


Field Marshal

Status: Offline
Posts: 498
Date:
Permalink Closed

there has been much about this, for instance the Germans when first using the a7v took great measures to hide the program, from their experiances about the first French and British tanks, which were spotted in the air when moving by rail, and also alerted by local spies.

you must remember Germany had a very advacned spy/sabotage infustructure even reaching the US shores, they knew much about big projects like tanks, especially since before the battle of Flers many soldiers viewed the tanks.


__________________
Centurion


Legend

Status: Offline
Posts: 2332
Date:
Permalink Closed

eugene wrote:

there has been much about this, for instance the Germans when first using the a7v took great measures to hide the program, from their experiances about the first French and British tanks, which were spotted in the air when moving by rail, and also alerted by local spies. you must remember Germany had a very advacned spy/sabotage infustructure even reaching the US shores, they knew much about big projects like tanks, especially since before the battle of Flers many soldiers viewed the tanks.

Yes but its whether thay had specific knowledge of the French buld up that I'm trying to discover.


If you want good coverage of German intelligence and sabotage operations in the US in WWI read ' The Dark Intruder' written by Captain von Rintelen - the man who ran the operation in 1916.



__________________
aka Robert Robinson Always mistrust captions
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Miscellaneous -> Tank surprise
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard