An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 www.dfmagazine.ie 36 | By PAul o'BRIEN MA A t dawn on 20th November 1917, the British Third Army launched an attack on the German lines, employing inno- vative tactics that were to form the template for future attacks and which would become the framework for mobile warfare in the decades to come. General Sir Julian Byng was given the task of spearheading the assault against the powerful Hindenburg Line defences between the Canal de l'Escault and the Canal du Nord near the town of Cambrai. An important supply point for the Germans, the capture of Cambrai and the nearby Bourlon Ridge would threaten the rear of the German line to the north. A breakthrough here would enable the Allies to open routes to the bridges on the River Sensée. If these were taken the Germans would be forced to retreat as their communications to the rear would be threatened. Nevertheless, the sector, defended by General Georg von der Marwitz's Second Army, had many under- manned positions because the German High Command consid- ered it 'quiet'. In planning the attack, Byng knew that the main obstructions to his advancing infantry was the deadly combination of the barbed wire and machine guns, the two components that had always en- tailed huge losses for little territorial gain. His answer to overcom- ing these obstacles lay with a massed tank attack supported by infantry. This required suitable terrain, which he found at Cambrai. Utilising an estimated 476 tanks from Brigadier Elles's force, General Byng also liaised with Major General Henry Tudor, Com- mander Royal Artillery of the 9th Scottish Division, to co-ordinate a new artillery/infantry technique. One thousand artillery pieces, amassed secretly and under camouflage netting, registered their targets silently, using mathematical calculations to work out their co-ordinates rather than the usual firing of live rounds. Mean- while, the troops and tanks were moved to staging areas where they remained under cover awaiting the order to attack. While the initial plan envisaged a raid, General Byng wanted more, and sought to penetrate deep behind the German lines. In order to achieve his goals, he intended to employ all his infantry and tanks, leaving him with no reserves of men or machines to consolidate any gains. At 06.00 hours the battle commenced with a short, intense bombardment, followed by smoke and a creeping barrage to cover the initial advance. The Germans, though having some knowledge that an attack in their sector was imminent, were taken by surprise at its ferocity. Tanks rumbled through no man's land, navigating over shell holes and through barbed wire en- tanglements towards the German front lines. Machine gun nests were knocked out by the tanks' guns and the infantry moved up to secure vital positions. The Hindenburg Line was quickly pierced to depths of 6-8 miles

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