18 November 1916 - Supporting 32nd and 37th Division
The Tanks on the Somme. 18th November 1916.
D Company with, 32nd and 37th Divisions, III Corps, 4th Army
D Company intended to get 6 tanks into action on 18th November 1916
D company
2Lt Partington, W
Notes:
Orders
Assemble at Q12 central. Five tanks ditched whilst proceeding to the assembly point on the 16th November. (s2.p145)
Lt Partington ordered to start at Zero and move north to cross Beaucourt Trench near its junction with Frankfort Trench. Continue along Frankfort Trench to Leave Alley. Cover infantry’s consolidation then return by same route and rally in Beaucourt Avenue. (s2.p145).
Account of operations
The tank crossed the junction of Beaucourt and Frankfort trenches at 6.45am, fired continuously on the enemy, reached as far as Q6b.2.4, silencing many MGs, then, as the infantry hadn’t advanced, re-crossed the German front line at 9.07am and rallied (S2.p145).
Chris McCarthy writes III Corp, 3rd Div attacked this area but makes no mention of a tank (s12).
Summary
Intended: 1
At start: 1
Failed to Start: 0
Engaged enemy: 1
Ditched / Broke Down: 0
Hit and Knocked out: 0
Rallied: 1
Penetrated by AP bullets: 0
Note
Aftermath
The tanks were next in action at Arras in April 1917.
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 - Stedman, Michael (1995) Thiepval, Leo Cooper P. 86ff