From this date on, battalions of Renault tanks became available at the rate of one a week; this resulted in tired battalions being speedily replaced by fresh ones, consequently they were never so completely worn out as was the case in the British Tank Corps, which only received two fresh battalions between August and November 1918, one of which arrived too untrained ever to go into action.
The operations from now on will be very briefly described, as space does not permit of elaboration. It is, however, of interest that these tank actions should be enumerated, for they show that, without the assistance of the tank, a deadlock would have re-occurred.
On August 1, 45 French tanks took part in an engagement at Grand Rozoy. Then came the great British tank attack of August 8, in which the First and Tenth French Armies co-operated, 110 French tanks taking part on this day and the following, 80 advancing with the infantry a distance of 18 kilometres on the south of the Roye-Amiens road, whilst 30 made a 5-kilometre advance near Montdidier. Between August 16 and 18 the attack developed west of Roye; here 60 Renault and 32 Schneider machines were engaged; co-operation with the infantry was, however, difficult on account of the broken nature of the old battlefield across which the attack was now being pushed.
The next operation was a continuation of the Tenth Army’s offensive; it took place between the Oise and the Aisne, beginning on August 20, and being continued intermittently up to and including September 3. On the 20th and 22nd, 12 Schneider, 28 St. Chamond, and 30 Renault tanks were engaged north of Soissons.
During the week commencing August 28, three Light Battalions advanced five kilometres between the Aisne and the Aillette, 305 machines being employed at different times during these operations.
The next operation in which tanks were engaged was the cutting off of the St. Mihiel salient, French tanks being used with the Second French and American Armies. During the two days’ fighting, September 12 and 13, some 140 tanks took part in the battle.
On September 14, the Tenth French Army resumed its offensive east of Soissons, eighty-five Renault tanks co-operating between the 14th and the 16th. Ten days later an extensive joint attack was made by the Fifth and Second French Armies in conjunction with the American Army commencing on the 26th; this attack continued until October 9.
The Fourth Army attacked on a 15-kilometre front in the Champagne, and in all 630 Renault and 24 Schneider actions were fought. Meanwhile the Second French Army and the American Armies attacked on a 12-kilometre front between the Argonne and the Meuse, and advanced during the seven battle days some 15 kilometres; 350 Renault, 34 Schneider, and 27 St. Chamond actions were fought in connection with this advance.
At the urgent request of the Sixth French Army Commander, whose command had joined the “Grand Army of Flanders” after its work in the Soissons area had been concluded in July, a Renault battalion, less one company, and some heavy tank units were entrained for Dunkerque, the third company of this battalion having already been sent on detachment to Salonika at the urgent request of General Franchet d’Esperey. On September 30 and October 3 and 4, 55 tanks were employed north-west of Roulers, and from the 14th to the 19th, 178 tank engagements were fought, in which the enemy was driven back some 15 kilometres. This advance was continued on the 31st of this month in the direction of Thielt, and on this and the two following days 75 tank engagements took place.
From the end of September onwards, operations generally had consisted in following up the enemy all along the line and pressing back his rearguards. On September 30, a minor tank action was fought between the Aisne and the Vesle; on October 16 another on the eastern bank of the Meuse, and between October 17 and 19 yet another north-east of St. Quentin, in co-operation with the British attack further north. In this last attack the French Army advanced ten kilometres on a three-kilometre front. The last actions fought by French tanks took place between October 25 and 31, the first south of the Oise and in the direction of Guise, when, on a front of five kilometres, an advance of no fewer than fifteen was made, the second north-west of Rethel, and the third north of Cruyshantem in Flanders.