Timeline Tuesday 20 November 1917

Events on Tuesday 20 November 1917 4

• 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.
• 1917 Deraa Deraa, Ottoman Syria Captured while scouting in disguise, Lawrence was beaten and, by his own account in Seven Pillars, sexually assaulted before escaping. Historians disagree about what happened; he described it as the night his will broke.
• 1917 – 2010 Robert Byrd (1917-2010) Died 28 June 2010, aged 92 Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia who served longer than any other senator in American history, spanning more than 50 years in office. He was a leading advocate for Senate procedure and constitutional authority. He died in office of natural causes.