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Remembered Today:

WW1 tank stuff from me


Landsturm

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It's really been a long time since I last ventured to this forum (really miss those Monthly "Great War" Art Threads we used to have).

Found little time to paint once again and now I was thinking of starting an illustration series of WW1 tanks (as it'll be 100 years soon since their debute) and I start with this. I'll add more when ever I get something done...

In the middle of the battle of the Somme, September 15th 1916 marks the first use of "tank" in warfare. Here, a British Mark I tank C5 "Crème de Menthe" arrives to support the Canadian troops near the Sugar Factory on their way to Courcelette.
Out of the six tanks operating here, only C5 (despite the broken steering tail wheel) and C6 managed to get to their objective and back. The others broke down or got stuck in the no-man's land.

Larger version here: http://orig09.deviantart.net/cbee/f/2016/073/b/4/mark_i___somme_1916_by_tuomaskoivurinne-d9v2rk4.jpg

post-1862-0-96336600-1457905691_thumb.jp

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In the middle of the battle of the Somme, September 15th 1916 marks the first use of "tank" in warfare. Here, a British Mark I tank C5 "Crème de Menthe" arrives to support the Canadian troops near the Sugar Factory on their way to Courcelette.

Out of the six tanks operating here, only C5 (despite the broken steering tail wheel) and C6 managed to get to their objective and back. The others broke down or got stuck in the no-man's land.

An excellent rendering of that grim and fateful day, the enlarged version is particularly effective.

Hopefully, we shall see more of your WW1 paintings.

Regards,

LF

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And welcome back. A very nice piece of work.

Cheers Martin B

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  • 2 weeks later...

The First World War saw a great number of different armoured cars, before and after the first tanks appeared in the battlefield. Here are just a few examples used;

Top left: Belgian Minerva car patrolling on the outskirts of a German occupied town, August 1914.
Top right: British Rolls-Royce Mk I, in Egypt, 1916. The upper panels of the armour has been removed from the turret, as it was often the case in desert regions.
Lower left: After the war, German E-V/4 Panzerkraftwagen Ehrhardt being used by the Freikorps in Berlin, during the uprising January 1919.
Lower right: Russians decided to produce a domestic version on the chassis of British Austin. Due the revolution of 1917, the "Russian Austins" didn't quite make it to the WW1. But it was extensively used in the following Civil War and the related conflicts, especially by the Reds. This car became known as Austin-Putilov.

Larger version here: http://orig01.deviantart.net/7ca5/f/2016/089/3/0/some_armoured_cars_from_ww1_by_tuomaskoivurinne-d9x31tu.png

post-1862-0-17177300-1459284403_thumb.jp

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  • 3 weeks later...

The first French tanks at the beginning of the disasterous "Nivelle Offensive", April 16th 1917.

Schneider CA1 tanks of the Groupement Chaubès have reached the German frontline and are being mauled by the enemy artillery. The machines were unable to cross the purposely widened trenches and many didn't even manage to pass the their own trench line! The later photographs show a graveyard of tanks in front of "Tranchée de la Plaine".
Further east, near Berry-au-Bac another strike was made by Groupement Bossut, between Aisne and Miette. Despite casualties, some tanks managed to push some 5 km behind the German lines.

The individual tank in the foreground is number 61057 (from Groupe Artillerie Spéciale 3) and was commanded by Sous-lieutenant Payotte. The vehicle was among those destroyed during the day.

Larger version here: http://orig11.deviantart.net/4b6e/f/2016/105/0/1/schneider_ca1___aisne_1917_by_tuomaskoivurinne-d9z0vnv.png

post-1862-0-02858000-1460669131_thumb.jp

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Hi Lands...great atmospheric painting....dirty and grim. Like you I've not been on the forum for a while as I've been pre-occupied on other projects. Seeing your work again is a nice reminder of the talent out there amongst like minded individuals.

cheers, ET

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Hi Lands...great atmospheric painting....dirty and grim. Like you I've not been on the forum for a while as I've been pre-occupied on other projects. Seeing your work again is a nice reminder of the talent out there amongst like minded individuals.

cheers, ET

Likewise! Cheers, mate!

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  • 1 month later...

Mark tanks in both desolate quagmire and open country in the Western Front.

Top inset: Female version of Mark II C21, 578 named "Perfect Lady" during the Arras offensive. This particular tank had ditched before reaching the British frontline on the opening of the attack on 9th April 1917. It was in action once again two days later, but it's destiny was to be knocked out by a friendly artillery barrage in Monchy-Le-Preux, on 11th April.
Although considered a British "victory", the Arras offensive (together with the ill-fated French offensive at the same time) didn't achieve a breakthrough and resulted high casualties.

The year 1918, saw the armoured warfare at its best. In the foreground, Mark V B56, 9003 of the (C Coy, 2 Battalion, Tank Corps), while advancing in support of the Australian troops in Amiens, 8th August 1918.
This was the start of a final Allied offensive and the opening day led Ludendorff to name it "the black day of the German Army".
This battle was also the debut of a lengthened model, Mark V*, that can be seen in the background accompanied with infantry.

Larger version available here: http://orig00.deviantart.net/b8a8/f/2016/151/d/8/mark_ii___arras_1917__mk_v_and_mk_v____amiens_1918_by_tuomaskoivurinne-da4h4ok.png

post-1862-0-27120500-1464630704_thumb.jp

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Mark tanks in both desolate quagmire and open country in the Western Front.

More excellent paintings, always nice to see.

Regards,

LF

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Very expressive work there! Thanks for sharing with all on GWF.

Trajan

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Do you have any of C5 Cordon Rouge at the Battle of Flers as I have the medals to Lt John Allan. There are pictures of him coming back down the road with cheering Canadian soldiers.

17tankman

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It's wonderful to see some real creativity back on the forum. The first pic is grittily awesome. The others are really good cameos of the various vehicles beattifully rendered.

Welcome back

Jonathan

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Well done, Tuomas! Fine paintings of armor in action! Went to your web site and was surprised you also paint dinosaurs. I particularly like the Hadrosaur (?) Christmas card.

All the best,

Dan

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  • 3 months later...

The Mark IV was the most produced British tank of the war. Introduced in early summer 1917, they were used in the famous battle of Cambrai, later that year. But before that, they were also deployed in the notorious Third battle of Ypres.

Depicted is one remarkable incident. On 22nd August 1917, tanks of 18th Company (F Battalion) were making an attack against series of fortified farm buildings. After engaging the enemy positions named "Somme Farm" and "Gallipoli", one individual F41 "Fray Bentos" stumbled into a shellhole and got stuck in the mud. And, as we now, mud was sort of the "thing" of Third Ypres.
The tank remained ditched in no-man's land, with casualties, under fire from both sides and fighting off three German counter-attacks until the crew abandoned the tank and managed to get back to their own lines on the night of the 24th.
The remaining crew received several awards for this action. The commander, Captain Richardson (now a recipient of a Military Cross) would fight later at the Battle of Cambrai, in a tank named "Fray Bentos II". This vehicle was also put out of action and captured by the Germans. Richardson's son was killed while serving in the Royal Tank Regiment, at El Alamein 1942.

 

Larger version available here: http://orig00.deviantart.net/5243/f/2016/260/a/d/mark_iv___flanders_1917_by_tuomaskoivurinne-dahwe29.png

 

mark_iv___flanders_1917_by_tuomaskoivurinne-dahwe29.jpg

Edited by Landsturm
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Excellent images Landsturm - the differing styles of painting are particularly effective.

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  • 4 months later...

As their Spring offensives continued onto early summer, Germans launched "Operation Gneisenau" against the French and Americans, in June 9th 1918. In Compiègne, the French (under General Mangin) started their counter-attack with four divisions and 160 tanks, surprising the Germans and eventually stopping their offensive.

Seen here, two French Saint-Chamond tanks (improved version) are spearheading the counter-attack from Méry, June 11th 1918.
The 62668 ”Pas Kamarad” (from 2° Batterie, Groupe Artillerie Spéciale 38) broke down and was captured by the enemy in the town Lataule.

 

Larger version available here: saint_chamond___matz_1918_by_tuomaskoivu

sc1.jpg

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  • 4 months later...

Medium Mark A Whippet medium tanks in action, Frémicourt August 29th 1918.

Section of Whippets from 3rd Battalion (Tank Corps) was tasked to aid the New Zealand Division against the German machineguns east of Bapaume. While under intense fire, one tank (A233) slipped into a shell hole and caught fire, trapping the crew inside. Lieutenant Cecil Sewell, commanding A259 "Caesar II", stopped his tank and ran out across open ground under enemy fire and managed to rescue the crew. After this, while attending to his own wounded driver, Lt. Sewell and his gunner were both killed. For this action, Lt. Sewell was awarded posthumous Victoria Cross.

 

Larger version available here: http://orig00.deviantart.net/8d44/f/2017/143/5/2/mark_a_whippet___fremicourt_1918_by_tuomaskoivurinne-dba7qfs.png

2017-ww1.png

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