Brigade and Battalion Organisation
NOTE: Not yet properly referenced, mostly based on Tank Corps General Organisation. Pamphlet in PRO WO 95-93
Tank Corps / Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps Brigade Organisation
Outline
1916
6 x 25 tank companies. 25 crews
- 4 x 6 tank sections and 1 spare tank
1917 and Early 1918
3 Tank brigades
- 2 or 3 Tank battalions, 60 crews each
- 3 companies of 12 fighting tanks and 2 supply tanks.
- 3 x 4 fighting tank sections, 1 x 2 supply tank section.
OR at Cambrai and mostly thereafter
- 4 x 3 fighting tank sections, 1 x 2 supply tank section.
1918 - August to October
5 (later 6) Tank brigades, 3rd Brigade is light
Heavy Brigades
- 3 x 36 Tank battalions, 60 crews each
- 3 companies of 12 fighting tanks and usually 2 spare tanks
- 4 x 3 fighting tank sections.
-1 x supply company – 24 supply tanks
- 4 x 6 supply tank sections.
3rd Light Brigade (only 3rd and 6th Battalions light, 9th battalion still heavy)
- 2 x 48 Light Tank battalions, 1 x 36 Heavy tank battalion, 60 crews each
- Light tank battalions
- 3 companies of 16 fighting tanks.
- 4 x 4 fighting tank sections
-1 x supply company – 24 supply tanks
- 4 x 6 supply tank sections
Narrative
1916
When the first tanks were being built several different proposals were put forward regarding their unit organistations.
Eventually it was decided to split the 100 Mk I tanks into four companies of 25 tanks each, when the order was increased to 150 tanks two more companies were allocated. The companies were initially numbered 1 to 6 but the numbers were changed to letters A to F prior to the tanks going into action.
Each of the four companies was to deploy four sections, each of six tanks; the 25th tank would act as a spare. The sections could be subdivided into 2 x 3 tank, or 3 x 2 tank subsections. Each section was to have 3 male and 3 female tanks.
In reality only A, C and D companies went to France with their full compliant of tanks, B Company deployed without vehicles, E and F Companies were still Training England at the end of 1916. No one had thought to build tanks specifically for training, or to make spare parts so serviceable tanks were broken up to provide spares for the others.
1917 and Early 1918
At the end of 1916 it was decided to expand the tank unit. The six companies were to form the nucleus of 6 Battalions, initially numbered 1 to 6 this was soon changed to letters A to F (H6); 3 more battalions, G, H and I would be formed and deployed to France when trained.
The new battalions would be assigned to three tanks brigades, 3 battalions to each brigade.
Each battalion was to have sixty tank crews, numbered 1 to 60 preceded by the battalion letter (i.e. A1 to A60 for the first battalion).
The crews were to be split into 3 x 20 crew companies each of which was to be further subdivided into 4 x 5 crew sections.
One crew in each section was to be a spare, the other four being given tanks.
In reality there were insufficient tanks to equip each company with the intended 16 tanks. Throughout 1917 and 1918 companies usually deployed 12 fighting tanks.
At Messines and 3rd Ypres 2 supply tanks were attached to each company. The companies allotted 4 fighting tanks to each of three sections, 2 male and 2 female; the fourth section in each company became the supply section and was assigned the two supply tanks.
When available spare tanks were sometimes assigned to the fighting sections as a fifth (spare) tank, and sometimes assigned to the Supply section as a reserve.
At Cambrai the companies’ 12 fighting tanks were mostly reorganised to deploy 4 three tank sections, the new MKIV sledge pulling supply tanks were usually assigned to a separate (13th) supply section. On the first day of Cambrai 4 supply tanks from each battalion were detached to form Brigade Wire pulling companies.
As the Sledge pulling tanks were all female fighting tanks they were often thrown into the fight over the next few weeks.
At the start of December the 3rd Brigade (C, F and I battalions) was redesignated as a light Tank brigade, the three battalions started training for their new role during the winter. By March only enough tanks had arrived to equip one battalion, a composite of A and C Companies 3rd battalion and C Company 9th battalion. The other 3rd and 9th Battalion Companies fought as Lewis gun companies, the 6th Battalion was equipped with Mk IVs.
In January 1918 all the battalions were assigned numbers instead of letters, i.e. A = 1st, B = 2nd etc.
By March 1918 a fourth brigade had been created, a fifth was created at the start of April.
The Company and section organisation in this period was the same as in 1917. Companies usually fielded 4 fighting tank sections of 2 or 3 tanks each depending on the number of tanks on strength.
1918 - August to October
The Five Tank Brigades were assigned 3 tanks battalions each, a sixth brigade was formed later.
Heavy tank battalion Company organisation was as in early 1918 except the supply tanks were withdrawn (see below). By 8th August companies were usually assigned 14 tanks, 12 fighting and 2 spare, the spare tanks went into action with some companies.
The 3rd Tank brigade was still a light tank brigade, 3rd and 6th battalions each deployed 3 companies of 16 tanks each on 8th August, these were split into 4 x 4 tank sections. 9th battalion was equipped with Mk Vs and remained a heavy battalion.
The 7th and 12th Battalions were equipped with Mk IV tanks until October 1918.
The 1st, 11th and 15th Battalions were initially to be equipped with Mk V * tanks (1st and 15th had 35 each by August 8th)
The other heavy tank battalions were all initially equipped with Mk V tanks.
Production could not keep pace with tanks losses in the 100 days battles so inevitably Battalions had far fewer than their assigned quota of tanks. Thus meant battalions deployed composite companies. In addition the Mk V battalions were supplied with Mk V * tanks so most Mk V Battalions fielded a mixture of Mk V and V* tanks by late 1918.
The Supply tanks were withdrawn from the battalions in June when the tank Supply (or Tank Carrier) Companies arrived. Supplies were in future carried by the 5 tank Supply Companies and the 2 Gun Carrier Companies. All seven of these companies deployed 24 tanks in 4 sections of 6 tanks each.
The Tank Supply companies fielded supply tanks, the Gun Carriers a mixture of gun carriers and Supply tanks.
Sources
Tank Corps General Organisation. Pamphlet in PRO WO 95-93