10company23april1917

Tanks to be at cross roads N.29.a by Zero -3 hours; Zero – 90 minutes hours to proceed to Railway Cutting N.24.a.5.0. Arriving there at “Z”. Advance with infantry to cutting in 0.19.a. ^(W21) 783 to deal with a strongpoint at O19a.0.7 ^(bhs) and Banks in 0.19.b; while the infantry consolidate the Blue Line, tanks to move to N.24.a and await the second advance. At Z plus 7 hours tanks to move forward with the infantry to Tangle of trenches in O.21.a and b, ^(W21) south of the St Rohart Factory ^(OH) when the infantry had secured the red line, the tanks were to return to the Rallying point in the sunken road at N.29.a.9.6. ^(W21).

“B” Section attached to 2^nd Royal Scots Fusiliers, 90^th Brigade, 30^th Division ^{(W21) (OH)}

Divisional objective the high ground overlooking Cherissy ^(OH)

Tanks to leave starting point N.29.a.63 at Z and follow infantry to red line at O.31.c and O.25.d. One tank to work through N.39.b. and along the road running from O.25.a. to 30^th Division boundary in O.25.b., at this point to turn right handed and follow the enemy’s trenches to the road at O.31.c.55., then return to rallying point. One tank to work down the road to O.25.c, thence to follow the enemies trenches to O.31.c.55 and return to rallying point N.3.b.55. ^(W21).

“C” Section attached to 98^th Brigade, 33^rd Division

The 98^th Brigade was to capture the Hindenburg Line astride the Sensee ^(OH)

To leave the starting point T4b.6.4 at Z – I ½ hours, reaching our front line ^(W21) T4b.4.5. ^(bhs) to go over with the infantry ^(w21) to the Hindenburg line at T6a.0.5 ^(bhs). To proceed along the Hindenburg Line via T5b,T6a and T6c to the Sensee River, ^(W21) at u7a.4.4. ^(bhs) and thence along the northern bank of the river to rallying point at the Factory, Croisilles. T.24.b.16. ^(W21).

“D” Section attached to 100^th Brigade, 33^rd Division

100^th Brigade, 1 / Queens supported by 16 / KRRC, was to capture 500 yards of the Hindenburg Line on the east bank of the Sensee and thus prevent the enemy firing across the stream into the main attack. ^(OH)

Tanks to leave starting point at T.24.b.55 at Zero, one moving up the south side of the Sensee River to the Hindenburg Line at U.7.a. and thence to rallying point, T.24.b.16.; the other moving south of the sunken road via U.13.a. and U.7.a to the Hindenburg Line and thence to the Rallying point. The special task of these tanks being to break wire and clear strong points. ^(W21).

Report of Operations

The day was misty until 8am when the mist (and smoke) lifted and the day became sunny and fine ^(OH)

“A” Section

This section’s starting point was Henin-Sur-Cojeull

The 1/4^th East Yorkshire (EY) and 1 / 4^th Green Howards captured the whole first objective on time, except in the centre where they were held up by fire from a small copse ^(OH, [ presumably the copse in O19d ]. This was captured by 8am with the invaluable assistance of a tank, presumably ^(OH) 522 which had crossed the British front line at Zero and then captured a German Machine gun and a party of 30 men who emerged from a dugout in the German front line. ^(W21) The tank then crossed the German front line before developing Engine trouble. She was repaired and returned to British lines despite being hit twice by artillery in no mans land. 2 crew members were wounded ^(W21).

783 also successfully set off at 4.45.am, but got lost in the mist in no mans land. She eventually reached the first objective at 5.20am then proceeded to deal with several snipers. The tank then advanced on the second objective but noticed the British infantry were retiring. The tank went forward and provided covering fire for the infantry, drawing a great deal of Machine gun fire onto the tank. The machine guns were dealt with the 6 Pdrs, but a German Anti Tank gun managed to hit the tank 6 times, break both tracks and set the spare petrol in the box on the rear afire ^(bhs) at o19b.0.5. ^(bhs) , all the crew escaped unscathed ^(W21). the tank fired 40 rounds of 6 pdr ^(bhs)

The attack on the second objective was postponed whilst the first objective was consolidated. AT 11am the 50th Division was counter attacked from three sides, its flanks being exposed, and driven back to its start line by 11:30am. ^(OH)

“B” Section

This section’s starting point was Henin-Sur-Cojeull.

A heavy counter Barrage was fired almost as soon as the infantry jumped off at Zero ^(OH)

576 managed to cross the German frontline and cleared four to five hundred yards of two lines of trenches fireing 3,000 Lewis Gun rounds before she broke down with radiator trouble at point O.19.a.83 and was then hit and burnt out, the OIC, 2Lt Rankin and one other rank were burnt to death and another O/R severely burnt. ^(W21).

577 crossed the British front line at Z hour and proceeded to N.30.c.58 where she ditched whilst attempting to cross the German front line; at 7.30 a.m. she was hit several times and burnt out, one man was wounded in the process. ^(W21).

The infantry managed to capture part of the enemy front line wherein was a battery of four AT guns, heavy enemy fire then cut the leading battlions to pieces. The AT battery consisted of three 77mm guns and a 150mm howitzer all fitted with small wheels, only one was successfully brought to British lines. ^(OH)

“C” Section

This section set off from T4b.4.5. ^(bhs)

565 reached U1c.32. Through the mist the tank crew noticed troops in the German front line signalling with a British steel helmet, these troops them proceeded to fire on the tank, implying they were Germans who had learnt the Tank signals. An Anti Tank gun was observed but was apparently unable to traverse sufficiently to fire on the tank. The tank advanced to attack Machine guns emplaced in the road running from U1c.O.4. to T12b.2.0. but was hit and had three Lewis guns put out of action, 5 wounded and had its radiator pipe shot through. The tank thus returned to British Lines. ^(W21).

784 crossed the enemy’s wire at T6a.0.5 ^(W21) but the OIC felt the front line trench was too wide to cross so the tank ^(bhs) assisted the infantry by working along the trench knocking out mainly concrete MG emplacements ^(W21) all the way down to U1c.5.0. The infantry followed and captured the occupants of the strongpoints after the tank had subdued them ^(bhs). Thus the 1/4 Sussex supported by two companies of the 2 / Royal Welch Fusiliers took hundreds of prisoners and advanced 2000 yards to the Cherisy - Croiselles Road but was there held up 300 yards from their objective. ^(OH) The tank reached the sunken road at U1c.5.0. ^(W21) and being now visible to the village ^(bhs) came under intense artillery fire, all 6 pdr ammo having been used the tank returned to the rallying point ^(w21) crossing the sunken road at T12b.5.3 ^(bhs), being heavily shelled whilst retiring. ^(W21).

The other two infantry battalions, the 2 / Argyll and Sutherland and the 1 / Middlesex both captured part of the Hindeburg Line but were later driven out by enemy counter attacks ^(OH)

“D” Section

554 and 785 both broke down at 11.30 on the 22^nd just after leaving T.29.a.47 before reaching their starting point at Croissilles. ^(W21).

The infantry found the wire uncut but managed to capture the front line, they were unable to capture the support line and were driven out of the front line by a counter attack in the afternoon. ^(OH)

A further attack by 3rd Army in the evening succeeded in advancing the British line 1500 yards and 50^th Division captured 3 Russian guns, apparently intended for use as AT guns.

1 Officer, 2 Other ranks Killed; 11 other ranks wounded. ^(W21).

9^th – 28^th April inclusive: 12 tanks in action; 4 destroyed; 2 left at Neuville Vitasse for Salvage; 6 successfully survived. ^(W21).

Summary

Allocated: 8

At start: 6

Failed to Start: 0

Engaged enemy: 5

Ditched / Broke Down: 0

Hit and Knocked out: 3

Rallied: 3

Note

Two of the rallied tanks were damaged

Aftermath

No further record - 522, 783, 576, 577

565 reserve tank on 3rd May

784 in action with crew D6 on 3rd May.

554 in action with crew D1 on 3rd May.

785 in action with crew D48 on 3rd May.

Sources

W21 – C Battalion Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps. Battle of Arras. Narrative of Operations 9^th to 11^th April 1917. PRO 95/97

- Battlegraphs for the above

bhs - Battle History sheetst for 23rd pril 1918 in PRO WO 95-91

The Author only has photographs of the the battle history sheets for 783 and 784

S18 - Nicholls Jonathon (2005) Cheerful Sacrifice. The Battle of Arras 1917, Pen and Sword

OH - Official History. 1917 Vol 1 Pg.383

10 Company 23 April 1917 - map

Arras Narratives