Landships II

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Tanks -> Armies that had to fight against tanks in WW1
Post Info TOPIC: Armies that had to fight against tanks in WW1
Albert


Brigadier

Status: Offline
Posts: 299
Date:
Armies that had to fight against tanks in WW1
Permalink   

Hello Gentlemen,

Only four nations used tanks in WW1: British, French, Germans, and Americans and they were used only on the Western Front (the only exception being British tanks in Palestine).

But soldiers of which nations had to fight against tanks? Of course Germans, British, French and Turks. But what about others? Have Australians fought against German tanks or they only captured Mephisto without meeting any tank during the battle (I don't remember this and temporarily I have no access to my books)? What about New Zealanders, Canadians, Americans (and maybe others?) on Entente side and Austrians on Central Power's side (I'm pretty sure that Bulgarians had no occasion to meet tanks in battle, because they hadn't fought on the Western Front - or maybe I'm wrong?)? In Osprey book on Austro-Hungarian army there is information that Austrians were attacked by tanks and they had no answer for that. The book is good and the author (who sadly passed away before the book was published) is considered as reliable, but I know that this is uncertain: http://landships.activeboard.com/t11845680/austro-hungarian-troops-vs-tanks/ Does anyone know any new facts?

I am also interested in various WW1 instructions on anti-tank defence (both made for armies which in fact have met tanks on the field of battle and those that haven't). Please share if you know some documents of this kind. Maybe some of you have found something in archives, maybe some instructions were reprinted in some books? For example - does anyone know the instructions mentioned here? http://books.google.pl/books?id=vCwV1bC47-cC&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&dq=us+army's+instructions+for+anti-tank+defence&source=bl&ots=sFyzQaCUKz&sig=kVhwhsizHUVht92YZ3uhjHeHeLI&hl=pl&sa=X&ei=mB1iUI7XJY2Vswb8yoG4Cg&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=us%20army's%20instructions%20for%20anti-tank%20defence&f=false

Best regards,

Albert



-- Edited by Albert on Tuesday 25th of September 2012 10:19:45 PM

__________________
Rob


Legend

Status: Offline
Posts: 1329
Date:
Permalink   

Why don't Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians (and other Commonwealth/Empire troops) come under 'British'? As far as i'm aware there was no restriction on these nationalities serving in the Tank Corps, and they all fought together as part of the British Army

__________________

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roblangham
Albert


Brigadier

Status: Offline
Posts: 299
Date:
Permalink   

Rob wrote:

Why don't Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians (and other Commonwealth/Empire troops) come under 'British'? As far as i'm aware there was no restriction on these nationalities serving in the Tank Corps, and they all fought together as part of the British Army

 

Yes, but they had their own units (ANZAC and so on), I just wanted to distinguish them from English troops smile Sorry for being inaccurate in my previous post.



__________________
Bunkermeister


Lieutenant

Status: Offline
Posts: 55
Date:
Permalink   

I would think Russians fought tanks, at least in the immediate post war revolutionary period.

Also colonial French and perhaps other Colonial British Empire forces, like India may have encountered tanks.

What about Italy? They were at least trying to make tanks.

Mike "Bunkermeister" Creek
http://www.mediatealways.org/
http://bunkermeister.blogspot.com/
http://sgtsays.blogspot.com/
http://hystericalrightwing.blogspot.com/

"As our nation's forefathers would likely agree, the beguiling problem with quotes seen on the Internet is that you can never be certain they're genuine."
-- Abraham Lincoln



__________________
Mike "Bunkermeister" Creek
Albert


Brigadier

Status: Offline
Posts: 299
Date:
Permalink   

Bunkermeister wrote:

I would think Russians fought tanks, at least in the immediate post war revolutionary period.

Also colonial French and perhaps other Colonial British Empire forces, like India may have encountered tanks.

What about Italy? They were at least trying to make tanks.

 

Russians did not fight against tanks during WW1, because from Central Powers only Germans used tanks and all were used on the Western Front. I think there was some Russian expeditionary force on the Western Front, but they did not meet enemy tanks. Of course during Russian Civil War tanks were used by both sides.

Colonial French and Colonial British also did not encounter tanks for the reason written above.

Italy did build two Fiat 2000 tanks and bought (or were given for free?) a few (one or two Schneiders and three Renaults FT) from French. But they certainly did not use them during WW1 and tanks were not used against them (although there were some Italian troops on the Western Front, they did not face German tanks and Austria-Hungary did not have tanks at all).

I started this topic because I was curious if any other soldiers than German, English, French and Turkish had to fight against tanks. The answers are in books, some of which I have (but I'm busy right now and don't have time to study them carefully - job, flat renovation, girlfriend and so on wink), some of which I'll buy in the near future. If no one can answer, then I'll do it when I'll have more free time to read those books smile



__________________
Albert


Brigadier

Status: Offline
Posts: 299
Date:
Permalink   

A few days ago I was informed on one of Polish forums by one of our WW1 experts that Italians did meet German A7V tanks on 15th July 1918, during the second battle of Marne! This information is confirmed by French sources. Very interesting, surprise for me, but as they say (at least in Poland) "we learn during whole life".

Italians, who had a small force on the Western Front, were very "lucky" to meet not numerous, as we all know, German tanks - interesting story!



-- Edited by Albert on Wednesday 17th of October 2012 01:12:43 PM



-- Edited by Albert on Wednesday 17th of October 2012 01:13:21 PM

__________________
Tanker


Field Marshal

Status: Offline
Posts: 461
Date:
Permalink   

Bonjour,

From 28 May to 15 June 1918 - 3° and 8° italian Infrantry Division was under Opcom of V° French Army

From 9 June to 27 July 1918, 2° italian Army Corps was under Opcom of V° French Army

From 27 July to 8 August 1918, 2° italian Army Corps was under Opcom of IV° French Army

From 12 September to 3 October 1918, 2° italian Army Corps was under Opcom of V° French Army

See in box n°19 N 924 from SHD Vincennes :

                    "Opérations du 2° CA Italien à la V° Armée ".

The fith Army was in sector Reims /La Pompelle during Germans attacks with Mark IV and A7V.

I am not sure that Italians troops was exactly in front of tanks during these attacks. . . .

Bonne journée - Michel



__________________
Albert


Brigadier

Status: Offline
Posts: 299
Date:
Permalink   

Thank you for the above post, Michel.

Here's the proof for you: http://batmarn2.free.fr/italien3.htm

This fragment:

D'autres éléments du 20ème d'infanterie, par contre, réussissent à rompre le cercle qui désormais les enveloppe de tous côtés et se faufilent le long de l'Ardre vers Marfaux où ils se relient au IIème bataillon du régiment. Le commandant du 20ème régiment à 7h.30, attaqué directement par un char d'assaut réussit, avec difficulté, à échapper à l'étreinte de l'ennemi et à se replier sur Marfaux.

 



__________________
Ironsides


Legend

Status: Offline
Posts: 1626
Date:
Permalink   

Interesting Article from the NYT on the Battle though it only mentions tanks ....

 

Cheerssmile

 



Attachments
__________________

"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazggimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul"

 
Albert


Brigadier

Status: Offline
Posts: 299
Date:
Permalink   

Good find, thank you, Ironsides smile



__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Tanks -> Armies that had to fight against tanks in WW1
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard