Sturm-Panzerkraftwagen-Abteilung (Beute)

[Regulus 1]

I'm looking for more information on the units 11, 12 and 13 and especially for details on battles in which they were involved.

Thanks and best from Johan

[Robert Dunlop]

To avoid duplication, what information do you have so far?

Robert

[egbert]

here

and

here

[Regulus 1]

Robert,

I have exactly the kind of information as there is on the two sites mentioned by Egbert, nothing more...

Thanks and best from Johan

[Borden Battery]

This may or may not be news to you ... Borden Battery

Achtung-Panzer - Heinz Guderian (1937) pp 184-186

2. THE TANK ACTION AT VILLERS-BRETONNEUX

"At 0345 on 24 April 1918 the German artillery opened up in preparation for an attack on the sectors held by British III Corps and French XXXI Corps. The bombardment was sustained with great violence for three hours and at 0645, in dense fog, the German attack was launched on a frontage extending from north of Villers-Bretonneux to the wood of Senecat (three kilometres south-west of Thennes). There were three divisions in the German first line, namely 228th Jägers, 4th Guards and 77th Jäger Reserve. They took under command the following numbers of tanks: three with 228th Jäger Division; six with 4th Guards; four with 77th Jäger Division.

These thirteen machines were all we had available at the time.

When the bombardment began the German tanks went off to the assembly areas, from where they set out a few minutes before the attack opened, in order to be able to cross their own front line on time. At first the assault made slow progress, since the thick fog limited visibility to fifty metres, and the contact between tanks and infantry was immediately lost. Whenever the British offered the least resistance the German troops stopped, hung about and sometimes even fell back. Towards 1100, however, the fog lifted, and the infantry resumed contact with the tanks and began to make more rapid progress.

The three tanks with 228th Jäger Division gained their objective, and were then ordered to assemble at Viencourt.

On the frontage of the central division, 4th Guards, four of the tanks likewise reached their objective; one tank stuck in a shell crater, and the -sixth broke down from engine failure. On the sector of the left-hand division, 77th Reserve, one of the tanks managed to silence several machine-gun positions and stretches of trench, but towards 0845 it became lodged sideways in a sandpit and was unable to get out (it was later retrieved and spirited away by a French recovery team working between the lines). The second machine destroyed a number of machine-gun positions and actually came within 700 metres of the edge of Cachy village, which it took under gun and machine-gun fire.

The third tank likewise accounted for a number of machine-guns, cleared several hundred metres of trench and, having reached its objective, was on the point of turning around to return to its assembly area. The fourth tank was doing the same, after it had joined in the fire attack on Cachy.

At this juncture the second tank spotted three British tanks emerging from the southern tip of the wood of Arquenne - two females in the lead and a male Mark IV following. What had been happening? As a safeguard against any German attack the British had sent a tank company ahead into the wood of Blangy from where a platoon of three tanks was pushed first into the wood of I'Abbe and then, because of the German artillery fire, to a position behind the southern tip of the Arquenne wood. Between 1000 and 1100 the platoon in question received the rather vague order to secure the Cagny blocking position.

As soon as they left cover the two female Mark IVs spotted four German tanks and at once advanced to attack the nearest machine. The German tank immediately faced about and, taking advantage of some cover, opened fire. One of the British females was seen to be hit, and both machines gave up the attack. The third British tank, the Male Mark IV, now materialized at two hundred metres from the German tank and scored several hits with a 57mm gun. Five of the crew were killed; the survivors abandoned the tank, though they were able to reoccupy it later and bring it back behind their own lines.

The commander of the male Mark IV lost contact with the other German tanks - in fact they had returned to their assembly area, knowing nothing of the action that had just taken place. Shortly afterwards the British tank was knocked out by a direct hit.

A little later seven British Whippets pushed out from Cachy, evidently on reconnaissance. They caused considerable disorder and casualties among the German infantry, but they were detected by the third German tank under Lieutenant Bitter, who was in the process of turning round, as we have seen. Bitter restored contact with the infantry and went over to the attack. He engaged the British tank on the far right at a range of 200 metres and set it on fire with the second round-, he then fired at the tank 700 metres away on the far left and again set it ablaze with his second shot. Unfortunately the spring of his firing pin broke at this moment, but he opened fire with his machine-gun on the second British tank from the left and was able to knock it out. Surprisingly the remaining four Whippets meanwhile made an about turn and drove back towards Cachy. The German tank pursued and proceeded to silence the enemy at the nearest edge of Cachy by fire at a range of 150 metres, which enabled the German infantry to establish themselves 400 metres from the village. At 1445 Bitter returned to the assembly area."

[Robert Dunlop]

Thanks Johan. I see the details are very limited. I will check my sources for you.

Robert

[Regulus 1]

Borden Battery,

Great material ! Exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for ! Thank you very very much !

Robert,

Thanks for looking into your material !

I have to do a lecture at the end of August about tanks in WW I and I have some gaps in my material, as this is not exactly one of my specialisations...

Best from Johan

[Malte Znaniecki]

Thank you very much, Johan, Egbert and Borden Battery

for these excellent materials.

Will watch this thread

Best from Malte

[Borden Battery]

You are welcome. Also, about 18 months ago there was discussion thread on this item and I think there was some additional information presented - will see if I can find it on this site. You might try these two websites from the CEF Study Group Recommended List of Great War Websites. Borden Battery

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Interplay between Technology, Tactics and Organisation in the First AIF

MA (Hons) Thesis, Australian Defence Force Academy, 1999

The Australian perspective looks at progress of tactical, technological and organisational developments that ultimately supplied the solutions to trench warfare but how new technologies and military thinking were introduced and developed. The thesis chapters include: Going to War, Gallipoli, The Western Front, Semi Open Warfare, Messines and Third Ypres, Sinai and Palestine, The German Offensives and The Final Offensives. [April 2006] [Note: There are sections which discuss the Canadian Engineers]

http://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/~rmallett/Thesis/

Australian War Memorial

The website provides sections on Australian Military History, First World War Official Histories, Australian Military Units and Military Organizational and Structure.

http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/index.htm

[Borden Battery]

Here are two previous discussions I am familiar with on the GWF regarding tank to tank actions. Borden Battery

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...342&hl=tank

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...810&hl=tank

[Guest Simon Bull]

Regulus

Your query related to Mark IVs in German use. You probably know already that most (if not all, I am not sure) of the tanks in action on 24/4/1918 being described in the extract from Guderain were the Germans' own A7V. The first tank described as being knocked out by Bitter (in an A7V) contained my grandfather!

[Regulus 1]

Gentlemen,

Thank you very much for the added information and the links, this way I'll be able to introduce some personal stories into the lecture and also a lot of information I had not before, and which will be most interesting I'm certain for the audience !

Great !

Best from Johan

[Robert Dunlop]

ATD 11 was ready on March 8th, 1918. It attacked British positions north of St Quentin on March 21st. The tanks were accompanied by elements of ABn 5 (Halb-Bataillon Hoffman) in support of 50th Infantry Division. The tanks set out at 0940 hours. Initially, the fog meant that the ABn stayed in touch. When the fog lifted, the tanks got left behind. They attacked MG nests and other positions. Two tanks were knocked out by British artillery. The rest ran out of petrol.

ATD 11 & 12 were assigned to Operation Georgette in the Lys valley. The tanks bogged down and none made it into the attack.

ATD 13 supported 238th Infantry Division in Operation Blücher, May 31st 1918. Two tanks broke down. The other three got held up by a lorry lying across the road, along with a pile of poison gas shells. One further tank overheated and stopped on the battlefield. The commander decided to blow it up but his Unteroffizier insisted on rescuing the bottle of Schnapps first. One tank successfully attacked a line of trenches until hit by artillery. The crew abandoned the tank and fought with the infantry. The last tank helped the infantry to reach the French second line, whereupon it was hit in the track and abandoned.

ATD 11 was in reserve for the action at Souain, July 15th 1918. ATD 13 was assigned to support 24th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Bavarian Infantry Division. One tank broke down and another was knocked out by the pre-emptive French artillery fire. Three tanks reached the French front line. One tank was then hit by multiple shells and exploded. The remaining two tanks progressed a little further until both were knocked out by anti-tank guns. I don't know if these were 75mm field guns or the one pounders. ATD 12 attacked with 426th Infantry Regiment. Two tanks failed to cross the German trenches. A third tank was hit and exploded when crossing a rise. The remaining two tanks continued to advance deeper into the French trap, whereupon both were lost. "The last tank was seen advancing together with elements of ABn 2 and InfRgt 426 beyond that. Yet, this party vanished in the turmoil, and the vehicle met its fate too."

After heavy losses, ATD 11 was merged into ATD 15, forming ATD ® in October 3rd. This unit took part in the tank versus tank battle near Awoingt.

On October 11th, remnants of ATD 13 were to participate in an attack near Chateau d'Avesnes. One caught fire, a second seized the engine and the third tank developed clutch and transmission problems.

ATDs 12 & 13 tried to support a counterattack near Valenciennes but most failed to get to the battle. Two German tanks were disabled by shellfire.

Robert

[Regulus 1]

Robert, again sincere thanks. That's all I need for the lecture !

Best from Johan