Featured battle : Cambrai

Part of First World War

Date : 20 November 1917 - 05 December 1917

The first major Tank battle in history. Although the recently invented tanks had been used in the Ypres area in small numbers earlier, Cambrai was the first coordinated major attack using them. Three brigades of tanks numbering 378 vehicles, supported by 19 divisions of infantry and 5 divisions of cavalry in reserve attacked the Hindenburg towards the town of Cambrai without an initial artillery bombardment. The surprise was almost total, and great gains were made very quickly. These were not sufficiently followed up, however, due to lack of further reinforcements and problematic communication. German reinforcements did arrive though and as the offensive began to run out of steam they counter-attacked. The British lost much of their initial gain, and were left with an uncomfortable salient, but this should not detract from the great success of the Tank Corps and this signal for future armoured warfare.

Fighting Through to Hitler's Germany

Mark Forsdike
If you want to learn the real story of how the Second World war was won in Europe read this book. Packed with the personal stories of the men who were there in the First Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment. The Corps, the division and the brigade barely get a mention. The action is with the battalion, companies, platoons, sections, and individuals. Advances are measured in metres and lives. A sobering statistic revealed at the end of the book is that of the 850 Suffolks who landed in Normandy only 187 made it to VE day. Also as an appendix is a list of medals and commendations awarded to members of the battalion.
A nice set of photographs and some very useful maps round out the text.
Though this book purports to be the story of one battalion of one regiment it is really the story of every one of the ‘poor bloody infantry’ of the British army who fought from Normandy to Germany. This ought to be read by everyone interested in WW2 in Europe because it acts as a reminder that when you see the arrows on a map showing the movement of a corps or division at the very sharpest point of that arrow is one man moving forward wearing a steel helmet and carrying a rifle with bayonet fixed and with his mates behind him. Without his skill and determination the arrow does not move.
We very warmly recommend Mark Forsdike’s book to you.

Pen & Sword Military, 2020