Terry L | 19 Jan 2015 2:28 p.m. PST |
Does anyone know if there is a good book on French armour in WW1? Besides the development history I'm also interested in French tactics using armour in the Great War but haven't found anything. |
Sundance | 19 Jan 2015 2:41 p.m. PST |
AFAIK pretty much everyone used the tank as infantry support vehicles. This is born out by the very, very few tank v. tank battles that took place. I'm sure there were more specific guidelines for how the vehicles would be positioned and under what conditions they would be used, but that's the short of it, at least. |
Rrobbyrobot | 19 Jan 2015 3:07 p.m. PST |
The best I can offer is that I have a copy of Infantry magazine that has an article about tanks and their use in combat. It talked about how the French used their tanks in the Great War. As Sundance has already said, they were used as infantry support. The article was a study of the subject by a US Army Major and written prior to WW2. As for tactics, the article explained that French tanks were deployed in sections of five tanks each. The two earlier types were fielded as homogenous units. The later FT sections operated with three gun armed tanks and two MG armed vehicles per section. The author further stated that the most important weapon used by the tanks was the machine gun. An opinion very prevalent at the time. Tanks were used to support the infantry in crossing no man's land and to reduce enemy strong points with direct fire. I include all this as I know of no current book or other document to refer you to. I managed to find the issue of Infantry magazine some fifteen years ago in a used book store in Grand Rapids, MI. Hope the above helps… |
Ferd45231 | 19 Jan 2015 4:03 p.m. PST |
Yes,yes and oui. Contact George Nafziger at the Nafziger collection. He wrote and published two books, soft bound, from French sources on the use of tanks in French service. Should be just about everything you would want to know. Hank |
emckinney | 19 Jan 2015 4:27 p.m. PST |
Weren't the Whippets designed as (well, attempted to be) used as exploitation tanks? |
Oddball | 19 Jan 2015 4:47 p.m. PST |
The Whippets were greyhounds for the period at 8 mph. |
Bellbottom | 19 Jan 2015 6:32 p.m. PST |
I have this The Encyclopedia of French Tanks and Armoured Fighting Vehicles 1914-1940 Hardcover – 28 Aug 2014 by Francois Vauvillier (Author) a bit pricey at £23.77 GBP from Amazon, but as usual good pics
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Bellbottom | 19 Jan 2015 6:36 p.m. PST |
or this The French Army's Tank Force and Armoured Warfare in the Great War (Ashgate Studies in First World War History), a wopping £66.50 GBP for the Kindle edition! (you save £3.50 GBP – gee whizz) |
Terry L | 20 Jan 2015 12:41 p.m. PST |
Thanks everyone. Jarrovian that book you last mentioned looks like the one but what a price! |
monk2002uk | 20 Jan 2015 1:53 p.m. PST |
There is a nice Osprey, available in paperback or electronic versions – 'French Tanks of World War 1'. There are some super books in French, including the recent 'Les Chars de la Victoire' and my favourite in the bookcase 'Les Chars d'Assaut: Leurs création et leur rôle pendant la guerre 1915-1918', published in 1919. There were two broad categories of approach to armoured tactics. One was to use tanks in support of infantry. These tended to be smaller actions, either with very limited tactical aims (such as the numerous actions in June 1918 in defense of la Forêt de Retz) or because there were only scratch forces of tanks available. The second approach was to use infantry in support tanks. The Battle of Metz is a classic example of this approach, as was the Second Battle of Soissons. I am reproducing several of these battles in a Great War Spearhead supplement. Do you have any specific questions about the tactics? Robert |
Ferd45231 | 20 Jan 2015 2:21 p.m. PST |
Just want to add that George's two books covers organization and tactics. I really think you would be pleased with the amount of information and photographs he has included. Plus I'm sure he could guide you further since he is more than familiar with French sources. H |