Military Operations, France and Belgium 1917, vol. 3

20 November – 7 December 1917

Battle of Cambrai (1917)

THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI

THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI

PREFACE

The Battle of Cambrai, fought 20th November—7th December 1917, was the last considerable operation in which the British Armies in France were engaged during that year. It had little effect upon the general situation and, belonging neither to the Ypres operations generally known as ‘“‘ Passchendaele ”’ which preceded it, nor to the great events which followed in 1918, is conveniently dealt with separately in one smaller self-contained volume in this series. The events and decisions of November and December 1917 which had their repercussion in the following spring are fully treated n “ 1918” Volume I.

PREFACE

It will be seen that the idea of an offensive on the Cambrai front was one of several plans for subsidiary operations considered earlier in the year; but its form and character, and the time at which it was delivered were determined by many factors. In the course of 1917 British resources on the Western Front were strained to the utmost for the common good, so that it was impossfble to start the Cambrai offensive until the fighting at Ypres had been brought to a conclusion ; and it could hardly have been undertaken with any hope of success if mounted in the accepted fashion of the time.

THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI 1917

THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI 1917 Cambrésis : Scene of a Projected Offensive The Evolution of Unregistered Soeur The Réle of the Tank... Notes: I. Caporetto (Twelfth Battle of the Tsoiiea\ II. German Artillery Tactics .. ; =