Bonjour,

Here is the copy of a document found in Vincennes

It was during a lunch in General Estienne's Head-Quarter of Montigny-sur-Loing. It was the Artillerie Spéciale Head-Quarter since April 1918. Montigny was not far away from Fontainebleau, and just near Bourron (the new Tank Training Center since march 1819) and Recloses (The future Allied Center). 

MEMORANDUM

(by Lt-Colonel STERN from the Anglo-American Committee - July 14 th. 1918)

      " Left for Fontainebleau in two cars ; General Seely, Prince Antoine, sir Percival Perry, Admiral Moore, Colonel Drain andmyself.
       We lunch with Général Estienne and discussed the question of Heavy Tanks for the French Army. A demand had been put in for 300 Heavy Tanks from the French as per telegram of the 1 st. July to Mr. Churchill.
        General Seely explained that he had 400 Mark IV's to offer General Estienne, but General Estienne stated that he had only personnel sufficient to manhis Renault Tanks and his old heavier tanks, on type weighing 14 tons and the other 22 tons. He did not want to take his men who were ready to fight at a moment's notice off these figh­ting machines until he could put them into a machine that was really better such Mark *, or still better Mark VIII.
       It would mean that he would have to make one change and then another change, and utilise men in training at the present moment.
        As to whether he could get the 300 Heavy Tanks from the English. General Seely said that he would explain the output or England to see what where available. At the present moment owing to many troubles they had in England of labour etc. the output or Tanks was far below than was expected.
       General Seely then explained the position quite clearly. He said that at the present moment there are 400 Mark IV Tanks vhich he offer to the French. The British Army has 400 Mark V's which are part of the equipement of their force of Tanks, and some 100 or 150 MarkV* and by the end of September they only expected to have 370 in all Mark. It is clear, therefore, that in the world as far as England is concerne there will be only 770 Mark V of all sorts in existence by the end of September.
        The amount required by the British Army without remplacements of 720. Therefore, unless General Foch says that the English Army is to give up parts of its equipement to the French Army there are no surplus Tanks in sight until the end of September for the French Army.
       General Seely expressed surprise that with great shortage of tanks, the Americans did not take over the new Mark IV which had won the only battle of Tanks, the battle of Cambrai. "

Source SHD Vincennes - carton n° 4N11
             (Comité interallié des Chars d'Assaut et Centre Interallié de Recloses)
- 30 th June 1918, Loucheur write to Churchill to command 300 Mark V ** . . .
           (Ministère de l'Armement n° 7672 4/M du 1° Juillet 1918)
- 19 th July 1918 Churchill write to Loucheur to said that he only could to give 50 Mark V* at the end of September
            (War Office 0144/5170)
- 25 th July 1918, Estienne write that is agree for 300 Mark V* 
             (Artillerie d'Assaut n° 7993 du 25 Juillet 1918)

June and July was a very hard period for the artillerie Spéciale with the first fights with Renault FT Bataillons and the defence of Villers-Cotteret sector.
At the end of September, when the French Army received its first Mark, the men from the Schneider's Groupement Lefebvre begun training on this new tank. they were not at all ready at the end of November.
General Estienne was right, it was a training problem for the French Army, and in January 1919, the Mark VIII was not built and ready for 1919 future attacks.

Bonne soirée - Michel