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Post Info TOPIC: Anti Tank measures


Legend

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Anti Tank measures
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Given the threat posed by British heavy and medium tanks (and later the French Renault FT) I'm surprised at the seeming paucity of specialised anti tank weapons adopted by the Central Powers. Yes they may have underestimated the threat as a result of the Battle of Arras but they certainly were aware from 1st Cambrai onwards. I've read eyewitness accounts (in the Boiler Plate War) of sand bags filled with grenades being hurled against tanks as a sort of crude mattress charge and in the same battle anti tank traps consisting of water filled pits, concealed with earth covered chicken wire and canvas, were encountered. I've seen  the anti tank rifle issued in the latter part of 1918 in small numbers (with a recoil that could sometimes break a collar bone), looked at an illustration of a very agricultural looking gun in one of Ian Hoggs books and as a young lad I met an ex tank driver whose tank was blown up by a nmine in 1918 buts thats it. Scouring the pages of both 'Tanks and Trenches' and  'The Boiler Plate War' (two excellent books full of eyewitness accounts and interviews with surviviors with almost no duplication between them) reveals nothing else. Did the Germans largely rely on using conventional field guns and armour piercing bullets (not originally developed for anti tank use)?


Did Britain, France  or America develop any specialised anti tank weapons?


One further anti tank conundrum - I've founf a reference on an Austro Hungarian army history web site to certain mountain artillery pieces also being suitable as antt tank guns. Having looked at Jones Rarey and Icks's description of all the British, French and American tank actions I cannot see any place that Austro Hungarian troops ever faced a tank attack (not even on the Western front). Was this allocation just a prudent precaution?



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aka Robert Robinson Always mistrust captions


Captain

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Hello Centurion


I have found two documents concerning German Anti Tank measures:


- Hauptmann Arnold (Captain Arnold), San.Kraftw.Abt.7, sent a message to the Armee-Oberkommando 19. in October 1918. Hauptmann Arnold was "Führer der Gelände-Fahrschule der Sturmpanzerwagen auf dem Truppen-Uebungsplatz Zossen bei Berlin" ("leader of the terrain- driving school of the Sturmpanzerwagen (A7V?) at Zossen).


Captain Arnold had discovered that tanks should avoid woods. He recommended to build "anti tank zones", 50 - 100m wide, in front of barbed wire obstacles. He said it would be the best to dig in railroad profiles and wooden poles (diameter minimal that of telegraph poles).


The captain described the problems these obstacles wood cause for the tanks.


Later he asked to build such an anti tank zone under his command.


- The second document says: "Im Bereich der 5. Armee ist zur Bekämpfung von Tanks eine leichte behelfsmässige Mine, die sogenannte "Flachmine 17" hergestellt worden..." My clumsy translation: "In the sector of the 5th Army a light, improvised mine, the so called "Flachmine 17" has been produced..."


The report states that British tank crews confirmed that on the 8. 8. 18 such mines were successful in several cases. There are nice drawings, which show the "Flachmine 17" and the "Flachmine 18", too. 


The report describes minefields, too. Even "mock"-minefields are mentioned!


I hope this helps a little.
Kind regards


Thomas


 


 



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Legend

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Canadian anti tank guns in 1918
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The diaries of B H Cox 60th Battery Artillery Canadian Army indicate that on April 21 1918 he was attached to an anti tank gun crew in advance of Vimy Ridge. It was a five man crew commanded by a corporal. Any idea anyone what the gun would have been? Just a plain old 18 or 13 pounder or something more exotic?

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aka Robert Robinson Always mistrust captions
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