"WW1 German use of British or French Tanks" Topic

Does anybody which kinds of British (& French?) tanks that the Germans captured and reused during WW1?

Even better, do you know where and when they were used?

Wikipedia says that the Germans deployed 50 tanks, most of which were captured British tanks. I know they only built 20 A7V, so logic says they reused 30 captured tanks.
link

I have seen pictures of British tanks with German crosses and guess that they were mostly Mk 1V female tanks. I have read that the Germans also captured two Whippets but did not use them.

I have also read that recognition stripes (white, red, white) were painted on British tanks from June 1918 onwards, so I guess that this is shortly after the German deployment of British tanks.

Thanks
Mick

They captured all sorts, but the main one they actually used was the British Mk IV, which equipped several companies – 40 vehicles seems to be the consensus, although some sites say 30.

The German a7v osprey book, features information on captured booty panzers, saying that they preferred field gun armed mark fours, over any other tank.

It also states twelve a7v tanks saw service, but suggests sixty to eighty captured tanks were also used.

At least two FT17 were captured with one (hex turret and gun) used in combat.

Numerous armoured cars were used in the East and many still floating around in Freikorps employ in the 20s.

Reportedly none of the captured whippets were deployed in the Great War but one was used by the Freikorps.

Also, some of the St Chamond and Schneiders were captured but only the former used (a couple of first models) as the latter was considered worthless.

Thank-you all.

I just found this on youtube.
YouTube link

Thanks for sharing the video Mick.
I enjoyed it.
Joe

Beutepanzer were used in actions near the following locations:

Juvincourt-et-Damaine May 27th 1918
Fort de la Pompelle June 1st 1918 (near Reims)
Souain July 15th 1918
Niergnies and Séranvillers Oct 8th 1918
Machault and Rilly Oct 1918
Iwuy Oct 11th 1918
Sebourg Nov 1st 1918

Robert

Yes, with Germany producing only the 20 A7Vs, once they saw how "useful" tanks could be if used properly, it only made sense they'd use captured AFVs. Something they also did frequently in WWII …

Check out the book "Hitler's Gladiator" by Charles Messenger – a biography of Sepp Dietrich. Dietrich served in the fledgling German WW1 armored corps and the WW1 chapter of the book cites several engagements in which the Germans employed British 'booty' tanks.

There are also photos of war-captured British tanks still in the possession of the post-war German Freikorps, who employed them against communist revolutionaries in Germany proper. This might explain the famous 1945 photo of the British WW1 Mk5(?) in the Russian assault upon Berlin

B