14 November 1916 - Supporting 63rd Division

The Tanks on the Somme. 14^th November 1916.

D Company with, 63^rd Division, V Corps, 4^th Army

D Company intended to get 2 tanks into action on 14^th November 1916

D company

Section - Capt Mortimer

male, Lt Drader HCF

Lt Robinson FA

Reserve tank

male, Lt Bell

Notes:

Orders

Support 63 Div by silencing a strongpoint at Q17b.7.4 which had stalled the attack. Zero was 6am. ^(s2.p140)

Account of operations

Robinsons tank was hit and knocked out whilst moving to the start point, Lt Bell’s tank replaced it. The other two tanks started at 6am and crossed over the German front line, they were engaged by MG fire from the German strongpoint which was in the second line. Lt Drader’s tank silenced this with 6pdr fire, the tank ditched 50 yards form the strongpoint but continued firing on it. Lt Bell and also ditched, before crossing the German front line, but was also able to engage the strongpoint. The Germans surrendered the strongpoint, the tank crews dismounted to take the five or six hundred Germans prisoner. The infantry occupied the position later. ^(S2.p141f)

Summary

Intended: 2

At start: 2

Failed to Start:

Engaged enemy: 2

Ditched / Broke Down: 2

Hit and Knocked out:

Rallied:

Penetrated by AP bullets:

Note

Aftermath

Sources

W4 - D Company’s War Diary. Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum.

S2 - Pidgeon, Trevor (2010) Tanks on the Somme

S12 - Chris McCarthy. (1998) The Somme. The Day by Day Account. Brockhampton Press.

S22 - Staedman, Michael (1995) Thiepval, Leo Cooper P. 86ff

14 November 1916 - 63 Division map

Somme 1916 Narratives