Published seven months after the war, this is an account of the first American armoured units that ever existed. The preferred tank of the American Army of World War One was a light tank made by the French called a Renault. It had a crew of two, measured 13 feet (4 meters) in length and weighed 6.5 tons. The tank’s 35 hp. engine moved it along at a top speed of 6 miles per hour. This article outlines where American armour fought, which units they supported and who was in their command; some readers may be interested to know that reference is made to the First American Tank Brigade and the officer in charge: Lieutenant Colonel George S. Patton (1885 – 1945).
“During the course of the Meuse-Argonne battles, the tank units of the 1st Brigade had lost 3 officers and 16 enlisted men killed, and 21 officers and 131 enlisted men were wounded. These losses were suffered in 18 separate engagements…”
Of note was one of the concluding sentence that pointed out that the Tanks were not used after November 1, 1918 -for that is when the Germans were no longer entrenched and the combat “assumed a character of open warfare”.
Read about General Patton, Click here
Click here to read about the Patton Tank in the Korean War…
Read other articles from 1919.
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