Over 600 German tanks and 25,000 soldiers squared off against 600 French and Dutch armored vehicles and around 20,000 soldiers. It was both the largest tank battle of the campaign, and the largest battle in armored warfare history at the time.

It was part of the Wehrmacht's thrust into the Ardennes region, and was meant to tie down the French First Army. The Battle of Hannut was fought during the Battle of Belgium, Nazi Germany's invasion of the Low Countries. Two destroyed French SOMUA S35s and an artillery piece being inspected by German soldiers, May, 1940. The German Army launched a massive counterattack, and brutal trench warfare ensued.īy the end of the battle, almost all the British gains were lost, over 100 tanks were lost or destroyed, and both sides suffered around 40,000 casualties each. The British had torn through four miles of German defenses and captured up to 7,500 prisoners with low casualties.īut by the end of the day, more than half of the tanks were out of action due to mechanical failure. The initial attack on November 20th was met with huge success. Nineteen British divisions were assembled for the battle, including 476 tanks and five horsed cavalry divisions. The objective was to take the commune of Cambrai, an important supply point for the Germans at the heart of the Hindenburg Line, in order to reduce the pressure on the French. The Battle of Cambrai was the first time tanks were used on a large scale for a military offensive. A Mark IV (Male) tank of 'H' Battalion, 'Hyacinth', ditched in a German trench while supporting 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment near Ribecourt during the Battle of Cambrai, 20 November 1917.

Tank battles 2