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

American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) was a formation of the United States Armed Forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I, composed mostly of units from the United States Army, U.S. Army. The AEF was establis ...

(AEF) on the Western Front during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

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) is a French light tank that was among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history. The FT was the first production tank to h ...

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

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, 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) 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 to 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 again ...

as part of the US IV Corps 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 Allies of World War I, Allied Offensive (military), offe ...

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. 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 Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

;

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.

Post-war

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

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The Tank Corps, which formed part of the National Army, was formally disbanded in 1920, when the National Army was demobilized and consolidated into the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...

. After transfer to Camp Meade, Maryland, the 304th and 305th Tank Brigades were consolidated and redesignated several times, together eventually forming the 1st Tank Regiment on 1 September 1929. This unit was again reorganized and redesignated as the 66th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks) on 25 October 1932, and remains in active service as of 2024. Now known as the 66th Armor Regiment, it is the oldest armored unit in the modern US Army.

References

*{{cite book, last=AK-Interactive S.L., title = WWI: The First Mechanized War, year=2014, publisher = AK-Interactive S.L., url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AE5yBgAAQBAJ&dq=301st+tank+battalion+ww1+bellicourt,&pg=PA90 - Total pages: 172 1917 establishments in the United States 1920 disestablishments in the United States Military units and formations established in 1917 Military units and formations disestablished in 1920 Army units and formations of the United States in World War I American Expeditionary Forces