Remarks: 00:29 This is basically a simplified map of the Battle of Cambrai. The black solid line shows the frontlines before the British advance, it is marked “2nd German Army before November 30th”. This is actually wrong, the attack started 10 days earlier, on November 20th, I believe this was intentionally written wrong to make the battle seem less significant(?). The dotted line shows the British advance until November 30th, before the German counterattack, it reads “Breakthrough of the English”. And the arrows on the left and right have “German counterattack” written on them, although it should be noted that the Germans counterattacked not only from the flanks, but also frontally. 01:07 As written in the intro, the British fielded a total of 476 tanks, out of which 378 were combat tanks (the other 98 were supply/repair tanks). Out of these 378, 350 were operational and were used on the first day of the attack. The Germans actually only captured around 70 tanks, although the exact number is a bit difficult to access, because many of the tanks captured were already destroyed. Around 40 of the Mark IV tanks captured during the battles were in running conditions and re-used by the Germans. 01:17 Fontaine-Notre-Dame is a small town before Cambrai and was the scene of intense fighting during the battle. Initially captured by the British, a German counter-attack recaptured the city, but on November 27th, the British did another costly attack on the city, capturing it in fierce street fighting, but had to redraw again in the face of another German counterattack. Of the 700 British soldiers who captured the town, only around 150 returned to their lines. 01:26 These tanks are British Mark IV tanks, the most numerous built British tank of WWI. A development of the Mark I tank, it had a crew of 8, up to 12mm of armor and a 105hp engine. It weighed 28 tons and had a top speed of 4kmh. Three variants were built, a “male” variant with two 57mm guns and three Lewis light MGs, a “female” variant with only five Lewis light MGs, and an unarmed “Tank Tender” supply variant. 595 Males, 420 Females and 205 Tenders were built between May 1917 and late 1918. It was intended to be replaced by the Mark V from July 1918 onwards, but that didn’t fully happen for the rest of the war. The Germans captured about 40 Mark IVs during the Cambrai battle. 02:19 Fritz Leu, a Sergeant of the Motor Troops, managed to recover a British mark IV tanks from No Mans Land near Fontaine-Notre-Dame on the morning of November 22nd, 1917, making him the first German soldier in history to drive a tank. 02:26 The tank in the background is a Mark IV of the female variant, only armed with machine guns and no cannon. 02:40 Camouflage nets were already used for years at this point to camouflage positions, artillery etc. against enemy air reconnaissance. 03:08 Many destroyed/damaged British tanks which were beyond repair were stripped down, the weapons, engine and other workable parts were sent back to Germany and the metal was used for scraps. 03:58 This tank in the background is most likely an unarmed supply/repair variant, as it has no visible guns. 08:01 These small entry hatches were typical of the female and unarmed variants. 08:10 Many of the captured tanks were sent back to Berlin for testing to evaluate them and help the Germans with their own tank designs. 11:57 The main armament of the Mark IV tank, the 57mm gun, can be seen here.
Remarks:
00:29 This is basically a simplified map of the Battle of Cambrai. The black solid line shows the frontlines before the British advance, it is marked “2nd German Army before November 30th”. This is actually wrong, the attack started 10 days earlier, on November 20th, I believe this was intentionally written wrong to make the battle seem less significant(?).
The dotted line shows the British advance until November 30th, before the German counterattack, it reads “Breakthrough of the English”. And the arrows on the left and right have “German counterattack” written on them, although it should be noted that the Germans counterattacked not only from the flanks, but also frontally.
01:07 As written in the intro, the British fielded a total of 476 tanks, out of which 378 were combat tanks (the other 98 were supply/repair tanks). Out of these 378, 350 were operational and were used on the first day of the attack. The Germans actually only captured around 70 tanks, although the exact number is a bit difficult to access, because many of the tanks captured were already destroyed. Around 40 of the Mark IV tanks captured during the battles were in running conditions and re-used by the Germans.
01:17 Fontaine-Notre-Dame is a small town before Cambrai and was the scene of intense fighting during the battle. Initially captured by the British, a German counter-attack recaptured the city, but on November 27th, the British did another costly attack on the city, capturing it in fierce street fighting, but had to redraw again in the face of another German counterattack. Of the 700 British soldiers who captured the town, only around 150 returned to their lines.
01:26 These tanks are British Mark IV tanks, the most numerous built British tank of WWI. A development of the Mark I tank, it had a crew of 8, up to 12mm of armor and a 105hp engine. It weighed 28 tons and had a top speed of 4kmh. Three variants were built, a “male” variant with two 57mm guns and three Lewis light MGs, a “female” variant with only five Lewis light MGs, and an unarmed “Tank Tender” supply variant. 595 Males, 420 Females and 205 Tenders were built between May 1917 and late 1918. It was intended to be replaced by the Mark V from July 1918 onwards, but that didn’t fully happen for the rest of the war. The Germans captured about 40 Mark IVs during the Cambrai battle.
02:19 Fritz Leu, a Sergeant of the Motor Troops, managed to recover a British mark IV tanks from No Mans Land near Fontaine-Notre-Dame on the morning of November 22nd, 1917, making him the first German soldier in history to drive a tank.
02:26 The tank in the background is a Mark IV of the female variant, only armed with machine guns and no cannon.
02:40 Camouflage nets were already used for years at this point to camouflage positions, artillery etc. against enemy air reconnaissance.
03:08 Many destroyed/damaged British tanks which were beyond repair were stripped down, the weapons, engine and other workable parts were sent back to Germany and the metal was used for scraps.
03:58 This tank in the background is most likely an unarmed supply/repair variant, as it has no visible guns.
08:01 These small entry hatches were typical of the female and unarmed variants.
08:10 Many of the captured tanks were sent back to Berlin for testing to evaluate them and help the Germans with their own tank designs.
11:57 The main armament of the Mark IV tank, the 57mm gun, can be seen here.
“Jane! Stop this crazy thing!”
Many Thanks For Sharing and Your Awesome Remarks ❤