The French Army's Tank Force and Armoured Warfare in the Great War by Tim Gale

Author:Tim Gale [Gale, Tim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Modern, 20th Century, Military, General
ISBN: 9781317031338
Google: jOC_CwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2016-03-16T16:13:39+00:00

Chapter 6

The Charge at Chaudun: The Tank Regulations and the Introduction of the Renault Light Tank into Service

The first half of 1918 saw the Allies on the defensive in the face of a series of ferocious German offensives. Although Pétain was very conscious of the need to keep his tanks in reserve for Allied offensives later in the year, these German offensives were so strong that it was inevitable that the tanks would be drawn into the defensive battles, particularly when OHL shifted its attention to the French part of the front. This chapter will discuss the tank regulations introduced at the end of 1917 and the light tank regulations of spring 1918. There is not enough space to discuss all the defensive battles fought by the AS during this period, so two examples of the Renaults’ initial actions will be compared to the prescriptions of the tanks regulations.1

The experience gained from the Nivelle Offensive and the Battle of Malmaison was considered sufficient to enable provisional tank regulations to be issued; the Instruction Provisoire sur l’emploi des chars d’assaut of 29 December 1917.2 This was followed by the first light tank regulations; Reglement Provisoire de manœuvre des unités de chars légers of 10 April 1918.3 The Instruction Provisoire received one set of major modifications, in the light of the Renaults’ employment and changes to the organisation of the AS, to become the Instruction sur l’emploi des chars d’assaut of 14 July 1918.4 The light tank regulations became, with minor modifications, the Instruction Provisoire de manœuvre des unités de chars légers of 24 June 1918.5 A number of other documents were issued which paraphrased the instructions and regulations, emphasising what were considered to be the most important prescriptions.6 These were generally not addressed to the AS but to those who would fight with the tanks, mainly the infantry commanders. Thus the tank regulations are best considered divided into two; those dictating the actions and preparation of the tank units themselves and those regulating how the tank units were used in conjunction with the rest of the army. Initially these two parts were bundled together in one large document; the Instruction Provisoire of December 1917. The light tank regulations were more concerned with matters directly affecting the AS units themselves, with the general methodology of use remaining as set out in the December regulations.

As the Instruction Provisoire of December 1917 remained the basis for tank operations throughout the rest of the war, albeit with some modifications, it is worth considering in depth. The instruction starts by defining the aim of the AS: ‘The artillerie d’assaut acts as accompanying artillery for the infantry, immediately acting to the demands and necessities of combat.’7 Certain conditions were required for the tanks to be able to accomplish this mission. The ability to fight with the infantry in all terrain was considered the most important factor, with sufficiently strong armament to be able to overcome any resistance that was stopping the infantry and invulnerability to any enemy infantry weapons being the other two conditions for success.

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