12company3may1917
12 Company 3 May 1917
The Tanks at Arras. 3rd May 1917
12 Company. D Battalion with 62nd Division, V Corps, 3rd Army
Part of 1st Tank brigade.
12 Company intended to get 8 tanks into action on 3rd May 1917 (W21bg):
12 Company - Maj. Ward ROC DSO (S62.p74)
Section - Haigh (S62.p
D41, 793, 2Lt Knight CM
D42, 791, LT McCoull WS
D43, 598, 2Lt Lowrie AR
D44, 794, 2Lt Lambert FJ
10 Section - Head HG
D46, 795, Lt Smith EG
D47, 596, Lt Westbook T
D48, 785, 2Lt Chick HR
D49, 580, 2Lt Cooney RC
Note:
Both D44 and D46 are given the serial number 795 on the 3rd May Battlegraph. D46 is confirmed as 795 on its Battle History Sheet. D44 is given the serial number 794 on the 9th April Battlegraph.
OIC names and tank's Battalion Numbers are not given in the War Diary.
D48's inclusion in 10 section is speculative, the other three tanks Battle History Sheets are all signed by HG Head, OIC of 10 Section.
Orders
In conjunction with 62nd Division to capture the village of Bullecourt and hostile system of defences from U28b.8.8 to U21and U22b and to advance with the infantry and assist in the capture of the village of Hendecourt (W4).
Zero hour: 3:45am (bhs)
580 to start at Zero, catch up with infantry on first objective,clear trench system west of Bullecourt that started at U20b.3.7. then proceed with infantry past U9d.1.1. and into West side of Hendicourt. (bhs)
596 to start at Zero, go west of Bullecourt and clear trench and adjacent strongpoints running U21a.9.5. to U15d.5.0. to U15d.10.4, then proceed to Hendicourt. (bhs)
785 to start at Zero, meet infantry on first objective and then assist them by flattening wire and clearing up strongpoints , then proceed to Hendicourt and assist in capture of 2nd and 3rd objectives. (bhs)
795 to start at zero +45 mins and go by shortest route to second objective. There join the infantry and, conforming to the artillery barrage, help them capture the Chateau N.E. of Hendicourt village. (bhs)
Note
The author does not have the Battle History Sheets of 791, 793, 598 and 794.
Account of operations
The counter battery fire was very effective and succesfully suppressed the German artillery. (OH)
All the tanks reached and crossed the German front line (W21).
The leading waves of the 185th brigade on the right, 2/5th and 2/6th West Yorkshire (WY) captured Bullecourt but were unable to hold it as the 2/6th had suffered heavy casualties in the attack and the reinforcing 2/7th WY fell back when it was checked short of the wire and then saw the 186th brigade on the left retiring. (OH)
793 and 791 proceeded up the western side of Bullecourt before entering the village and engaging the Germans. (W4)
791 disappeared into the village (W4) for an hour and a half (OH). At 5.45 am it was observed to be returning towards the rallying point. Tank was hit by shells and abandoned at ?? c.5.5; [possibly 27b.5.5. ] the crew then reoccupied the tank which was hit by two more shells and caught fire. All crew missing presumed dead (W4). According to Maj. Watson Mac's tank crossed the Hindenburg line whilst supporting the infantry, it was then hit and Knocked out by a trench mortar whilst manoeuvring to cross a trench running at right angles of the Hindenburg line. Whilst evacuating one crew man was wounded and a second killed, the others, including the OIC made it back to British lines The tanks was left abandoned in no mans land. (S62.p84)
793 proceeded through Bullecourt and attacked a trench on the southern side of the village running from U27b.4.0 to U28a.6.7. He went back and forth along the trench on the southern side of Bullecourt but could find no [ British ? ] infantry beyond the German front line and as AP bullets had wounded four men the tank headed towards the rallying point, on the way a broken down tank was encountered and the four wounded crewmen exchanged for sound replacements. The tank re-crossed the German front line and was penetrated by AP ammo again, 3 more men were wounded, as the infantry had now abandoned the German front line trench the tank returned to the rallying point (W4) (S62.p82).
598 crossed the German front line at U21d.4.8, suffering 5 wounded from AP ammo in the process. The tank had outpaced the infantry so turned back, it was hit and burnt out at U24b.5 [ possibly U27b meant ] after receiving 5 direct hits from shells (W4). This is possibly the tank mentioned as being "on fire at L6d.5.4" (sic) in a message received by Maj. Watson (S62.p81) Also possibly the tank mentioned as turning back having five crew wounded by AP ammo (W62.p86)
794 Set off 45 minutes after Zero hour; she was gassed on her way to the front line and this practically blinded the crew, nevertheless the tank crossed the German front line at U21d2.3. By now the tank's radiator had been penetrated and three crew wounded [ gassed ? ]; the Tank therefore returned (W4).
According to Maj. Watson the fourth tank, OIC Head, remained in reserve and was not committed, this does not agree with the Battlegraph. (S62.p87)
The 2/5th Duke of Wellingtons (DOW) on the right of 186th brigade reached the support line and got in touch with the 185th brigade. The 2/6th DOW on the left of the brigades attack were stopped in no mans line by unbroken wire and enemy fire, including grenades. The 2/4th DOW in support came up but were also stopped. On the right the 2/7 DOW and 2/8 WY sucessfully followed the 2/5 DOW and established themselves around the factory in the North of Bullecourt. (OH)
The 187th brigade on the left was to advance to the first objective and then form a defensive flank. The 2/4 York and Lancaster (YL) on the right reached the support trench. The 2/5 YL on the left passed over the front line without realising they had done so and then became pinned down in the sunken Lagnicourt - St Martin road. The artillery barrage was brought back and a new assault launched at 9:30am but this failed under heavy MG fire. (OH)
795 started at Zero +45 as ordered. The tank was hit and set on fire at U21d.3.8. by a direct hit which also wounded three crewmen and the OIC. (bhs) The wounded Other Ranks were evacuated, the fire extinguished and the tank successfully returned (W4) being driven back by the wounded OIC (bhs).
596 crossed British front line at 4.45 am; then crossed the German front line at U27b.4.5 (W4) met infantry and at their request turned left and engaged several enemy MGs; AP bullets wounded three men and the infantry failed to follow so the tank returned to U27b.6.2. where another MG was silenced and thence back to U27b.4.5 where the tank was abandoned as five lewis guns were out of action and the engine and radiator had been damaged by AP bullets the crew fought on with the remaining Lewis gun until that was put out of action then they retired to the SP. (bhs) (W4). This is possibly the tank commanded by "Daddy" whose crew were mostly disabled by AP bullets, the OIC covered them with an MG as they evacuated (S62.p82)
785 went forward at zero as ordered, 20 minutes later it passed through large numbers of retiring British infantry. Then, at U20d.7.5. came across about 600 or 700 infantry under the command of a 2Lt who were held up by wire around and MG fire from U20b.3.4. the tank went there but the infantry didn't follow, on returning the tank only found 200 infantry remaining, under the command of a corporal, the rest having retired. As all (bhs) four of the (W4) the tank's gunners were wounded the OIC was unable to fight the tank and thus retired to the SP (bhs) by 7.30 a.m. (W4).
580 crossed the German front line at U20d.7.8, mopped up a strong point at U.20.b. and remained there for some time without infantry assistance. Four crew were wounded and so the tank returned, reaching starting point at 7.45 a.m. (W4)(bhs).
Bullecourt remained untaken (S62.p82)
Summary
Allocated: 8
At start: 8
Failed to Start: 0
Engaged enemy: 5
Ditched / Broke Down: 0
Hit and Knocked out: 3
Rallied: 5
Penetrated by AP bullets: 3 (see note below)
Note
All 6 rallied tanks were damaged and / or had wounded crewmen aboard.
At least 6 tanks indicate they had wounded gunners aboard, implying they were penetrated by AP bullets.
Aftermath
785 - With F Battalion at 3rd Ypres as supply tank "The Flying Scotsman". Now on display (as a female tank) in Bovington Tank Museum.
There is no further record of any of the other tanks.
Sources
W4 – "D" Battalion War Diary. Transcription from Bovington Tank Museum.
W21bg – "C" Battalion Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps. Battle of Arras. 3rd May Battlegraph- . PRO WO 95-97
bhs - Battle history sheets in Tank Corps HQ 1917 Appendixes PRO WO 95-91.
Author only has BHS for 580, 596, 785 and 795
S18 - Nicholls Jonathon (2005) Cheerful Sacrifice. The Battle of Arras 1917, Pen and Sword
S62 - Maj Watson WHL (???) A Company of Tanks
OH - Official History, 1917 Vol 1. pg.463f
NOTE
S17 - Graham Keech (1999) Bullecourt, Pen and Sword. Gives a fuller account of the whole attack but the description of the tanks part in the attack (p87ff) is based on W21 and thus is much as above.