The Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces was the mechanized unit that engaged in

tank warfare Armoured warfare or armored warfare (mechanized forces, armoured forces or armored forces) (American English; see spelling differences), is the use of armored fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of ...

for the

American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...

(AEF) on the Western Front during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Organization

Brigadier General Samuel D. Rockenbach, as the Chief of Tank Corps for the American Expeditionary Forces under Pershing, organized, trained, equipped and then deployed the first American tank units to the Western Front of 1918 Europe. An initial plan for 2,000 light

Renault FT The Renault FT (frequently referred to in post-World War I literature as the FT-17, FT17, or similar) was a French light tank that was among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history. The FT was the first production tank to ...

tanks and 200 heavy British Mark VI tanks was changed to 20 battalions of 77 light tanks each and 10 battalions of 45 heavy tanks each. A total of eight heavy battalions (the 301st to 308th) and 21 light battalions (the 326th to 346th) were raised, but only four (the 301st, 331st, 344th and 345th) saw combat. Captain

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

, the first officer assigned to the unit, set up a light tank school at

Bourg Bourg or Le Bourg may refer to: Places France Bourg * Bourg, Aisne, a former commune in France, now part of Bourg-et-Comin * Bourg, Bas-Rhin, a former commune in Bas-Rhin, now part of Bourg-Bruche * Bourg, Gironde, also known as Bourg-sur-Gir ...

, France, starting on 10 November 1917. In the first half of 1918, the 326th and 327th Tank Battalions were organized at Patton's school, while the 301st Heavy Tank Battalion was raised at

Camp Meade Camp George G. Meade near Middletown, Pennsylvania, was a camp established and subsequently abandoned by the U.S. Volunteers during the Spanish–American War. History Camp Meade was established August 24, 1898, and soon thereafter was occupi ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, USA and transported to the British Tank School at Bovington Camp in southern England, for training.

Combat operations

The American Army in France during the First World War Q49398

The 326th (under the command of

Sereno E. Brett Sereno Elmer Brett (October 31, 1891 – September 9, 1952) was a highly decorated brigadier general in the United States Army who fought in both World War I and World War II and played a key, if little recognized today, role in the developme ...

) and 327th Tank Battalions (later renamed the 344th and 345th and organized into the 304th Tank Brigade, commanded by Patton), were the first into combat, beginning with the

Battle of Saint-Mihiel The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...

as part of the

US IV Corps IV Corps was a corps-sized formation of the United States Army that saw service in both World War I and World War II. World War I The corps was first organized on 20 June 1918, during World War I as part of the American Expeditionary Forces. Un ...

on 12 September 1918. The small French

tanks they were equipped with found the going hard and many were lost or ran out of fuel crossing the battlefield – the Germans, forewarned, had largely retreated from the salient. The tanks then took part in the

Meuse–Argonne offensive The Meuse–Argonne offensive (also known as the Meuse River–Argonne Forest offensive, the Battles of the Meuse–Argonne, and the Meuse–Argonne campaign) was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along th ...

as part of the US V Corps on 26 September. Major Brett assumed command of the 304th after Patton was injured on 26 September, the first day of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive near Cheppy, France. 111-SC-24439 - NARA - 55208485 (cropped) (cropped)

111-SC-24439 - NARA - 55208485 (cropped) (cropped)

During the war, two members of the Tank Corps (both from the 344th Battalion) were awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

;

Donald M. Call Donald Marshall Call (November 29, 1892–March 19, 1984) was a United States Army soldier during World War I who received the Medal of Honor. Biography Call was the son of the late Edward Payson Call, once business manager of The Journal of C ...

and

Harold W. Roberts Harold William Roberts (October 14, 1895 – October 6, 1918) was a United States Army corporal and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War I. Roberts, a tank driver, was m ...

Post-war

When the fighting ended on November 11, 1918, the AEF Tank Corps and the units in American had about 20,000 men. The AEF Tank Corps was removed after 11 November 1918, armistice and remaining tank corps personnel transferred to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, where the

Tank Corps, National Army The Tank Corps, National Army, was the stateside tank unit of the United States Army during and after World War I. Preceded by the Tank Service of the National Army of 15 February 1918 in the 65th Engineers at Camp Meade, the service was removed ...

, was disbanded with the National Army in 1920. Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 304th Tank Brigade, Tank Corps, were transferred to

, Maryland and consolidated with HHC, 305th Tank Brigade on 22 June 1921, reorganized and redesignated HHC, 1st Tank Group. This organization was reorganized and redesignated HHC, 1st Tank Regiment on 1 September 1929. The 1st Tank Regiment was reorganized and redesignated the 66th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks) on 25 October 1932.

References

*{{cite book, last=AK-Interactive S.L., title = WWI: The First Mechanized War, year=2014, publisher = AK-Interactive S.L., url=https://www.google.ca/books/edition/AK273_WWI_THE_FIRST_MECHANIZED_WAR/AE5yBgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=301st+tank+battalion+ww1+bellicourt,&pg=PA90&printsec=frontcover - Total pages: 172 Military units and formations of the United States in World War I