Timeline Friday 7 December 1917

Events on Friday 7 December 1917 2

• 1917 Battle of Cambrai First massed use of tanks in warfare British forces launched a surprise offensive near Cambrai using hundreds of tanks en masse for the first time, achieving rapid early gains before a German counterattack recovered most of the lost ground. The battle proved the tactical potential of armored warfare and influenced military doctrine for decades.
• 1917 Cambrai Cambrai, France Nearly 400 tanks attacked together over firm ground without a preliminary bombardment, and broke through. Church bells rang in Britain. A German counter-attack took most of the ground back.