ABSTRACT
The first half of 1918 saw the Allies on the defensive in the face of a series of ferocious German offensives. Although Pétain was very conscious of the need to keep his tanks in reserve for Allied offensives later in the year, these German offensives were so strong that it was inevitable that the tanks would be drawn into the defensive battles, particularly when OHL shifted its attention to the French part of the front. This chapter will discuss the tank regulations introduced at the end of 1917 and the light tank regulations of spring 1918. There is not enough space to discuss all the defensive battles fought by the AS during this period, so two examples of the Renaults’ initial actions will be compared to the prescriptions of the tanks regulations. 1
