10company9april1917

10 Company 9 April 1917

The Tanks at Arras. 9^th April 1917

10 Company, D Battalion with 14^th and 56^th Divisions, VII Corps, 3^rd Army ^(OH)

10 Company intended to get 12 tanks into action on 9^th April 1917 ^(W21):

10 Company – Maj. Haskett Smith ^(BHS)

2 Section

D1, 554

D2, 789

D3, 522

D4, 783, “Diana” ^(s18.p.118), 2Lt Nelson LA

3 Section

D5, 785, "Dahlia", Lt Humphreys

D6, 505, Lt Martin JM ^(BHS)

D7, 524,

D8, 565,

“X” Section

D9, 770, 2Lt Ching SJ ^(BHS)

D10, 784,

D11, 576,

D12, 577

Notes:

D11 assigned serial number 565 on 9^th April Battlegraph, but given 577 on 23^rd April BG.

565 is assigned to D8 in both summaries.

785, "Dahlia"'s name from forum: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=84526&hl=

785's OIC in D Battalions War Diary ^(W4) .

783's OIC from information received from 2Lt Nelson's granddaughter via Stephan Pope. Mr Pope also identified the tank that flattened the wire as 783.

One tank was called "Daphne" (S13.p55). This tank reached the Blue line and, assuming it was with D Battalion, must therefore have been 554, 504, 524 or 565 as: 10 Company's tanks wall ditched prior to reaching the German front line and 11 company was not in action on the 9th; also excluding those tanks whose names are already known only those four D Battalion tanks reached the blue line.

Orders

56^th Division was to capture 350 yards of the Wancourt – Feuchy system; the Brown Line at this point. Assaulting in turn: the heavily fortified village of Neuville vitesse; the Hindenburg trenches, three deep at some points; then advance a mile across the open and capture the heavily wired Wancourt – Feuchy system ^(OH)

168^th Brigade on the left, stopping on the Hindenburg line, and 167^th on the right to advance and take the Wancourt Feuchy line. ^(OH)

167^th Brigade advanced with 8 Middlesex on the left and 3 / London on the right, they were to capture the southern half of Neuville Vitesse, 1 / London were then to pass through and capture the Hindenburg line, finally 7 Middlesex was to pass through and capture the Wancourt Feuchy Line. Neuville Mill was to be attacked by 2 platoons of 3 London , a half section of 167^th light trench mortor battery and one tank ^{. (OH)}

168th Brigade led with the 12^th London (Kensington) and 13^th London (Rangers) ^(OH), presumably attacking the north of Neuville Vitasse . The 14 London (London Scottish) were then to pass through and assault the Hindenburg Line. ^(OH)

Zero was 07:45am ^(OH)

Two tanks were to move around the village to the north and two were to move around it to the south ^(OH)

14th Division was to attack and capture the rightmost third of the Harp, the rest of the Harp being captured by 3^rd Division; 14 tanks were to support this attack. ^(OH)

The Blue Line was to be captured by the 42^nd and 43^rd brigades on the left and right respectively; each brigade had two battalions in line. The 42^nd Division's lead battalions were to capture “the String”, a third battalion then passing through to occupy the eastern side of "the Harp"; the 43^rd Division's lead battalions were to capture the whole Hindenburg Line, a single battalion passing through to capture the brown line, two companies from 42^nd Brigade were also to advance to the Brown Line on 43^rd Brigade's left. ^(OH)

43^rd Brigade was supported by ” D” Battalion tanks ^(OH), presumably 3 section.

”X” Section: starting point Mercatel. ^(W21)

577 failed to make the start point as she ditched at Achicourt and damaged her tracks.

770 was to proceed from Mercatel to the Zoo Trench system through Cojeul Switch to Nepal Trench, from there with the infantry to Wancourt. ^(BHS) The plans in PRO WO 95-92 (Not PRO WO 95-91) indicate this section was to start forward when the second phase of the attack started . i.e. much later than the other sections and the companies North of them.

2 section: starting point Beurains.

Objectives: Neuville Vitasse, Vitasse Mill and the Supporting Hindenburg Line ^(W21).

3 Section: starting point Beurains.

505 to support attack of 14^th Division on attack Telegraph Work at 7:30am then work along Hindenburg Line to Neuville Vitesse until infantry advanced towards Wancourt, then support infantry’s attack on Wancourt. ^(BHS)

Account of Operations

2 Section

783 started at Zero + ¾ of an hour, fired on the enemy and then ditched just before the German front line ^(W21); after flattened the German Wire allowing the 12^th London Battalion (The Rangers) to resume their advance after they had been stopped by the wire and pinned down by a machine gun ^{(s18.p.118)(W99.p86)} in Pine Lane a trench running North West from Neuville Vitasse ^(OH) The tank fired on the Germans before un-ditching and returning to the Rally point ^(W21). Her driver, Jim Luxom, describes conditions inside the “Diana” in Jonathon Nicholls book ^(s18.p.118)

522 started two hours after Zero. She ditched in no mans land, was un-ditched and returned. See didn't fire on the enemy. ^(W21).

554 and 789 both started one and half hours after zero. Both crossed the German front line and fired on the Germans. 789 then ditched just short of the Blue line. 554 made it to the blue line then ditched whilst returning just before re crossing the original German front line, the tank remained ditched for 4 hours, 789 was ditched for 5 ½ hours during which time he fired on the enemy. Eventually both returned to the rallying point ^(W21).

NOTE: The above is from the Battle graph. The written narrative states 789 bellied near Neuville Vitasse, but that the other three tanks reached their objectives namely Neuville Vitasse, Vitasse Mill and the Supporting Hindenburg Line ^(W21).

3 Section.

785, 505 and 565 started at Zero + ¾ of an hour ^(W21) or left the start point at 6:30am, crossing the British front line at 7:27am ^(BHS). Three tanks crushed the wire before a strong redoubt halfway between the front line and the Hindenburg Line and thus enabled the 6 / KOYLI on the right of 43^rd Brigade capture it ^(OH). All four tanks gained their objectives, Telegraph Hill and the South side of the Harp in the German front line. They then worked their way down the German front line towards Neuville Vitasse, firing on the Germans en route. Whilst approaching Neuville Vitasse all three females ditched ^(W21), 505 fell into a trap consisting of a large gun pit covered in turf about 1000 yards North East of Neville Vitesse, 505 was then hit and damaged by shellfire, ^(BHS), 524 was hit and destroyed by shellfire. Despite being wounded, Lt Humphries led 785 into Neuville Vitasse where he engaged the enemy, then returned to the Rallying point. ^(W21).

The 6 Somerset LI of 43^rd Brigade advanced without tank support at 11:30am ^(OH)

“X” Section

The three tanks all started very late ^(W21), 770 broke down ^(BHS) and started at Zero + 6 Hours; 784 and 576 started at at Zero + 6 ¼ hours. All three tanks fired on the Germans in their front line. 784 ditched in the German front line at N20.c.2.5 and was destroyed by a shell. 576 advanced from the Sugar Factory towards the junction of the trenches at N.20.d.6.7, but ditched upon reaching the German front line at Neuville Vitasse Trench ^(W21). 770 started alone and eventually found the other two tanks disabled, it continued to advance and silenced on a sniper post but then ditched in a communication trench of Neville Vitesse Trench on the far right of the British Line, the tank remained in action as a strongpoint for three days until it was finally unditched. ^(BHS)

One male tank, presumably from this section, neutralised Neuville Mill on the Mercatel Road at zero hour by driving up to it and firing a 6 Pdr directly through the embrasure. This killed nine of the thirteen occupants and destroyed their machine gun; the four survivors were rounded up by B company of the supporting 1/3^rd London Regt ^(s18.p.121). [note: this is something of a mystery as it doesn't agree with the fact that the tanks failed to start until late].

Overview

56^th Division advanced 2000 yards, captured 612 prisoners and suffered 881 casualties ^(OH)

Summary

Allocated: 12

At start: 11

Failed to start: 0

Engaged enemy: 10

Ditched / Broke Down: 4

Hit and Knocked out: 2

Rallied: 5

Penetrated by AP Ammo: 0

Aftermath

524 is not mentioned again.

565 was recovered on the 10^th April and was in action on the 23^rd April ^(W21

576 was extracted on the 11^th April ^(W21).

554, 789, 522 and 783 were all in action on the 11^th April ^(W21).

770 was extracted on the 12th April and was in action on the 3^rd May ^(W21

505 is not mentioned again; it is Incorrectly listed as being in action on 3rd May 1917.

784 and 785 were both in action on the 23^rd April ^(W21

Sources

W4 - War Diary of "D" Battalion HBMGC, transcript from Bovington Tank Museum.

W21 – Reports on proceedings of “D” Battalion H.B.M.G.C. during operations of period 9^th to 13^th April 1917. and relevant Battle graph. PRO WO 95 - 97

W99 - the Tank Corps Book of Honour, Naval and Military Press facsimile edition.

HQbg - Battlegraphs in Tank Corps HQ War Diary Appendixes. PRO WO 95 - 91

HQto – Tank operations April 9^th to 13^th in Tank Corps HQ War Diary Appendixes. PRO WO 95 – 91

OH – Official History, 1917, Vol 1, Pg.210ff

BHS – Battle History Sheets of tanks 505 and 770 in PRO WO 95-91.

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

10 Company 9 April 1917 - Map

Arras Narratives