26 September 1916 - Supporting XIV Corp

The Tanks on the Somme. 26^th September 1916.

C Company with 5^th and 56^th Divisions, XIV Corp, 4^th Army

C Company intended to get 2 tanks into action on 26^th September 1916

C Company –

C – Lt Dashwood.

705, Lt Bates

523, Lt Sir J Dashwood

Notes:

Orders

To assemble at Wedgewood and support 56^th Division, XIV Corp.

At 1:45pm both tanks were ordered forward to clear up the situation in Mutton Trench, T17c, T17d, T23b. in support of 5^th and 56^th Divisions, XIV Corps. ^(S2)

Account of operations

Both tanks ditched and failed to get into action. 523 bellied at T17a.65.60 and 705 at T16c. The tanks may have spilt to attack Mutton trench from either side. The attack was cancelled. ^(S2)

Summary

Intended: 2

At start: 2

Failed to Start: 0

Engaged enemy: 0

Ditched / Broke Down: 2

Hit and Knocked out:

Rallied: 0

Penetrated by AP bullets: 0

Note

Aftermath

523 and 705 were both unditched and returned to the Loop on 1^st October.

Sources

W3 –C Company’s War Diary. Transcript from Bovington Tank Museam.

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

WIrn - Notes from Cpl Ironmongers notebook, Quoted on Accessed:

S1 - Pidgeon, Trevor (1995) The Tanks at Flers

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

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

26 September 1916 - XIV Corp Map

Somme 1916 Narratives