Moulin de Laffaux

As part of the Nivelle Offensive, VI French Army launches its assault on the Chemin des Dames at 04:45. Here Saint Chamond tanks enter action for the first time in the war. Their orders are to support infantry assaults by …

1917-05-05

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As part of the Nivelle Offensive, VI French Army launches its assault on the Chemin des Dames at 04:45. Here Saint Chamond tanks enter action for the first time in the war. Their orders are to support infantry assaults by 158 Dl and Brécard Division, centered on the Malmaison Plateau in the Laffaux sector. Tanks of 3rd Batterie of the AS31 (Groupement Lefebvre) quickly reach the La Pertuisanne trench and start to clear it. But Batterie commander, Capitaine Calmels, soon realizes that the infantry assigned to them (3rd Co of the 17 BCP), is pinned down by HMG fire and cannot assist them. Having advanced too far ahead, the Saint Chamonds have no other choice than to drive back over the newly captured trenches and make their way to safety.

Laffaux, France

The Second Battle of the Aisne was the main part of the Nivelle Offensive, a Franco-British attempt to inflict a decisive defeat on the German armies in France. The Entente strategy was to conduct offensives from north to south, beginning with an attack by the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) then the main attack by two French army groups on the Aisne. General Robert Nivelle planned the offensive in December 1916, after he replaced Joseph Joffre as Commander-in-Chief of the French Army.

Wikipedia: Second Battle of the Aisne

German

French