11company11april1917

11 Company 11 April 1917

The Tanks at Arras. 11^th April 1917

11 Company. D Battalion with Australian Corps, 5^th Army

11 Company intended to get 12 tanks into action on 11^th April 1917 ^(W21):

11 company - Maj. Watson

Section - Lt Swears

D23, 796, Lt Skinner

D30, 797, Lt Birkett

D22, 531

D27, 800

Section - Wyatt

D24, 593, Lt Puttock

D25, 711, Lt Morris

D26, 799, Lt Davies

D28, 586, Lt Clarkson

Section - Field

D21, 798, Lt Burnstein

D29, 590, Lt Money

D32, 585,

D52, 702

Notes

Tank crew and serial numbers from battlegraph in W21

Commanders names from S17.p52f and S62.

Section commanders and section composition of tanks with named commanders from S62.p61ff.

The section allocation of the tanks without named commanders are educated guesses based on their fates given in S62. .

Account of Operations ^(S17.p47ff)

702 had broken down at the railhead.

711 and 593 were both engaged by heavy enemy fire, failed to reach the German wire and withdrew back to the railway where 593 was hit and KO. 711 towed 796 over the embankment and then made for Norieuil as its clutch was slipping, the tank broke down and was then hit and KO.

799 and 586 became separated. 799 veered right, crossed the wire, in front of balcony trench, about half a mile North West of Queant. It crossed the front line trench but was hit and KO before reaching the second line trench. 586 also crossed the first trench line, it reached the second and turned back, it was then hit and KO whilst trying to re-cross the first line.

585 was hit and knocked out just after leaving the start point. 590 went through the central depression but became stuck in the wire and was then KO and set afire by bombs.

798 was hit twice soon after leaving the start point, the second shell decapitated the driver and stunned the crew who thus failed to get into action.

531 and 800 were the only two tanks to start on time in advance of the infantry of 12^th AIF Brigade, both were hit and KO during the initial advance. 531 in front of the wire to the east of Bullecourt, 800 was knocked out near Vraucout Copse whilst rallying.

797 only reached the 48^th AIF bttn. HQ at 6;30am, at the infantry’s request the tank silenced and MG in Bullecourt, it was later hit and KO on the railway.

796 failed to negotiate the embankment at the start point, only doing so with 711’s help two hours after Zero. The tank entered Bullecourt where it was subjected to heavy enemy MG fire, several of the crew were wounded. The tank then stopped at the edge of a large crater; the crew couldn’t change gear and thus reverse the tank. The crew held the enemy at bay for some time until a field gun started to fire at the tank from a house. The OIC then decided that discretion was the better part of valour and withdrew taking the LGs and ammunition.

The Australians managed to capture parts of the first and second line trenches, suffering heavy causalities whilst doing so. Later in the day they were driven out by German counter attacks

Lt Swears disappeared whilst going forward to ascertain what had become of Lt Skinner's tank ^(S62.p64). He is listed as killed on this date by the CWGC.

Notes

Major Watson was 11 company's Commander and has left a detailed description of events (S62. p50ff).

The Official Australian Historian traced the routes of the tanks using German sources and has challenged the ascertion made in the War Diary that two tanks (799 and 586) made it as far as Hendecourt before being knocked out.

The whole action and the resulting controversy is discussed in detail by Graham Keech (S17.p47ff)

Summary

Intended: 12

At start: 11

Failed to Start: 1

Engaged enemy: 11

Ditched / Broke Down:

Hit and Knocked out: 9

Rallied: 2

Note: Hit and Knocked out includes 799 and 586 which were captured.

Aftermath

593 is probably the tank photographed close to a junction of "Tank Avenue" after the ground was capture by the Germans in March 1918 ^(X77.p283).

The tank appears to be in position C4b.5.8

799 and 586 were both captured by the Germans; 799 was apparently used for target practice before being destroyed^(s17.p55). Numerous photographs exist of these two tanks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/937591396/in/set-72157601073015696/

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