Islamic Headstones in Cerny-en-Laonnois Cemetery, France for Douro Koudiougou, killed April 17, 1917, and Sarkou Modey, with no known date of death. © 2014 by John M. Shea
Sarkou ModeyMort pour la FranceDouro Koudiougou69e BTS.Mort pour la France le 17.04.1917
"I respectfully inform you that the tank attack of 16 April has passed the second German line between the Miette and the Mauchamps farm by a very short distance only . . . Many tanks of my squadron and the squadron of captain Pardon, operating between the Miette and Mauchamps, have been set on fire by shells. Concerning squadrons 4, 5, 9, I also saw many tanks burning. Major Bossut is among the dead."
The French first used the Schneider CA1 tank in the Nivelle Offensive. Because the terrain of the first and second German lines was so dug up by artillery fire, the tanks were to be used for attacking the third and fourth lines. The Bossut group supporting the Fifth Army Corps had to cross a bridge at the Miette River in a column before regrouping on the other side.
The 1917 Spring Offensives: Arras, Vimy, Chemin des Dames by Yves Buffetaut, page 150, publisher: Histoire et Collections, publication date: 1997
Schneider CA1, Schneider CA1 tank, Schneider tank, CA1 tank, Bossut, Bossut group, Second Battle of the Aisne, Battle of Chemin des Dames, Nivelle Offensive
