Smoke and gas mixed with fog to reduce visibility to a mere 30 metres. 'The beleaguered defenders once again donned gas masks, and vacated low-lying and heavily forest areas to avoid the worst effects of the oily, brownish-yellow mustard agent, not to mention falling trees.” “After targeting British artillery positions for half an hour, the Germans adjusted their fire to hit the town for 15 minutes, before returning to a further 30 minutes of battery-suppression fire. 62 Squadron.”Ī huge German bombardment consisting of artillery, gas and smoke opened up on April 24.Īgain, as Higgins explains, there was real method to the madness: '173rd Brigade held a sector to Bois d’Hangard, while 174th Brigade idled further west near Cachy and its aerodrome, recently abandoned by the Royal Flying Corps’ No.

'To it’s right, 23rd Brigade’s 2nd Middlesex and 2nd West Yorkshire occupied front-line positions, with 2nd Devonshire behind along the Cachy Switch and the gully south of the town. “Under the skilled tactical leadership of Major-General (substantive) William Heneker, the defending British 8th Division’s sector protecting Villers-Bretonneux included 25th Brigade north of the Roman road, with its 2nd Rifle Brigade forward, 2nd Royal Berkshire in support, and 2nd East Lancashire garrisoning the town. The tanks met near Cachy, to the south.Īs David Higgins explains in ‘Mark IV vs A7V: Villers-Bretonneux 1918’: The tank clash was really a side element of the larger battle taking place largely in and around Villers-Bertonneux.

One of these was a male, or ‘bull’ tank, equipped with two 6-pounder artillery guns and three machine guns those equipped entirely with five Lewis machine guns were in turn labelled as female tanks, or ‘bitches’. Those that would actually be at the forefront of the battle were the three British tanks of 1 Section, ‘A’ Company, 1 Battalion. Of course, the Allies anticipated an attack and a defending force of British, French, Australian and Moroccan troops was cobbled together, supported by Mark IV tanks, Mark A Whippets (light tanks) and French Renault FTs.

First tank battle in ww1