Existing comment:
Training at Wool:
The first American heavy tank unit was created at Camp Meade, Maryland in early February 1918. On March 5, 1918 the unit was detached from the Engineer Corps and renamed the 1st and 2nd Separate Battalions, Tank Service. The men who joined the regiment took their basic training at Camp Meade. The 1st Battalion went to England in march to a training camp near Wool, England. The British Army trained them to operate heavy tanks. American soldiers enjoyed learning how to drive "the armored behemoths." The tank needed two gear men and a driver to make it move.
"... the thrill of pulling a monster out of a deep trench, nose pointing to the sky with the engine's deafening roar, the acrid, never-to-be-forgotten smell of exploding gas, scorching oil and grease, and hot steel..."
But living in England was hard. Soldiers found the British physical training harsh and the rations awful. They were often hungry. Soldiers often bought extra food to fill their stomachs.
The battalion was renamed the 301st Tank Battalion in June 1918. When their training was complete, the battalion was shipped to France in late August. On August 30th, they were issued used Mark V and V* tanks. The men spent a week servicing and repairing the vehicles. On September 21, trains took the men and their tanks to the front. They were about to experience their first taste of combat against the Germans at the Hindenburg Line. |