First use of tanks

Written by Mike
British Mark I Tank British Mark I Tank

The next major attack on the Schwaben Redoubt started on September 26. 

This time the objective was to capture the western part of the ruins of the village, and then the Schwaben Redoubt itself which was about half a mile beyond the village.  The attack was assisted by two of the early tanks. 

Initially everything went well – until as before heavy machine-gun fire from the ruins of the château caused serious problems. 

The difference this time was the advance was able to progress again when a tank was brought up to silence the German machine-guns. 

The fighting continued over the next few days – the losses mounting all the time as mud and rain combined to make the troops’ life very difficult. 

Mike

Mike

Mike McCormac has been a photographer since about ten years old.  He's a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, and lives in a village in the hills near Paphos in Cyprus.

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