Battle of Cambrai, 1st
Leads 380 tanks in the 1st large scale mobilization of the tank
First World War · permanent subject timeline
The 1917 battle associated with massed tank operations. This page combines historical context with 12 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database World War I battle archive.
Historical context
British forces attacked near Cambrai on 20 November 1917 using tanks on an unprecedented scale alongside artillery and infantry. The initial advance penetrated parts of the Hindenburg Line before German counter-attacks recovered much of the ground.
Cambrai demonstrated both the potential and limitations of early armored warfare. Its tactical lessons contributed to the increasingly integrated use of tanks, infantry, artillery and aircraft in 1918.
World History Database records
The records below are selected from the 572-record World War I battles archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
Leads 380 tanks in the 1st large scale mobilization of the tank
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
A surprise British tank attack.
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
During the battle casualties were high, the Germans suffered losses of approximately 50,000 and the British 45,000.
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
Orders an immediate counter-attack only to discover that reserves could not be brought forward for a further two days, at one stage he even contemplates a general withdrawal from the Cambrai front.
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
Within hours the lightly defended Germans are forced back 6 km to Cambrai, the three trench systems of the Hindenburg Line pierced for the first time in the war.
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
20 divisions are deployed during the German counter-attack, the so-called Hutier infiltration tactics (named after the German commander who had first deployed them, Oskar von Hutier), within a week virtually all lost ground had been reclaimed
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
During the battle casualties were high, the Germans suffered losses of approximately 50,000 and the British 45,000.
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
In pressing home wave after wave of German counterattacks, starting 20 November, he worked to recover all ground lost to the British. Facing the British attack is the German Second Army led by Georg von der Marwitz.
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
Within hours the lightly defended Germans are forced back 6 km to Cambrai, the three trench systems of the Hindenburg Line pierced for the first time in the war.
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
A German counter-offensive wipes out British gains
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
After the Battle of Cambrai, No. 8 Squadron was involved in Army cooperation, directing tanks and artillery
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
Participates in the worlds 1st major tank battle
Editorial provenance
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database First World War records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
Imperial War Museums · Commonwealth War Graves Commission · Australian War Memorial
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