On the 105th anniversary of the Battle of Cambrai, we look back at how the victory was celebrated with the ringing of joy bells back home in Britain….
Operation Michael
The awaited German attack came on the morning of the 21st March 1918. Codenamed Operation Michael, it was the first of a series launched over the next few months….
30th Anniversary of the Gulf War
24th February marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the coalition ground campaign to remove Saddam Hussein’s forces from Kuwait, during the First Gulf War….
The Battle of Amiens: Part 2 – The Attack
All the planning and preparation for the Battle of Amiens culminated at 4:20am on the 8th August 1918….
The Battle of Amiens: Part 1 – The Plan
The Battle of Amiens began on the 8th August 1918 and lasted until the 11th….
The Mark V*
The Mark V* tank was created for one purpose – its extra length….
Action Debut of the Whippet Tank
On 26 March, 1918, the Medium A Whippet tank saw its first battle action, when it took a mass of German infantry by surprise….
Action Debut of The A7V
The first action of the German A7V tank, on 21 March 1918, is not very well known from the British side. Probably because most of those in action against them were either killed or captured and very little information reached the British authorities at the time. However we now have a German account to work…
Savage Rabbits
In early 1918 the Allies awaited a German attack. Defeating it would be a practical military challenge for the entire British Army, but it also posed a more existential problem for the Tank Corps. …
The Situation in 1918
Looking back from 2018, we know that the First World War ended with an Allied victory in November 1918. However back then, as 1917 ended and the New Year dawned, the Allies saw their position as perhaps the worst it had been for a long time. The Germans, on the other hand, had a small…
The Legacy of Cambrai
After the Battle of Cambrai, what lessons were learned by both the Allied and German troops? How did the affects of a battle which is seen as a draw influence the last year of the First World War? …
The Battle of Cambrai: The German Counterattack
The Battle of Cambrai had begun at 6:20am on the 20th November with a stunning advance, spearheaded by tanks and supported by new artillery techniques, but within a few days the British had been fought to a standstill. …
The Battle of Cambrai: Graincourt
Pride of place at the entrance to the Tank Men Exhibition is the Graincourt gun – captured by Albert Baker during Cambrai. This is its story. …
Richard Wain at Cambrai
Richard William Leslie Wain was the second of four Tank Corps soldiers to be awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War. …
The Battle of Cambrai: Flesquières Ridge
The Battle of Cambrai (20 November 1917) is always deemed to have been a British success, this is true, up to a point, although it had its setbacks….
The Battle of Cambrai: The Fascine
One of the adaptations added during the Battle of Cambrai was the fascine, enabling tanks to cross deliberately widened trenches. …
Tank Corps War Diaries: 17 – 19 November 1917
During November 1917 preparations for the Battle of Cambrai were well underway. Each battalion of the Tank Corps recorded day to day events in War Diaries….
Tank Corps War Diaries: 13 – 16 November 1917
During November 1917 preparations for the Battle of Cambrai were well underway. Each battalion of the Tank Corps recorded day to day events in their War Diaries. …
Tank Corps War Diaries: 1 – 6 November 1917
During November 1917 preparations for the Battle of Cambrai were well underway. Each battalion of the Tank Corps recorded day to day events in their War Diary….
Victoria Cross: Cecil Sewell
One of the most moving stories of the WWI soldiers in The Tank Museum is that of Lieutenant Cecil Sewell, who gave his life to save those of another tank crew….