7and8companies23april1917
7 and 8 Companies 23 April 1917
The Tanks at Arras. 23rd April 1917
7 and 8 Companies, “C” Battalion with 51st Division, XVII Corps, 3rd Army (OH)
7 and 8 Companies intended to get 7 tanks into action on 23rd April 1917 (W21)
7 and 8 Companies -
C1, 792, 2Lt Bryce H
C4, 561, 2Lt Le Clair CM
C28, 790, 2Lt Saunders ER
C23, 582, 2Lt Wareham RC
C22, 776, 2Lt Kann, Sgt Noel
C27, 588, 2Lt Silver WE
C7, 716. 2 Lt Smith V
Note
C6, 752 was in action with 9th Company on this date.
Orders
Start point. All tanks started from H18d.2.1, halfway between Fampoux and the Chemical Works. (W21bg)
Objectives:
792 and 561 - Inn in I7a.2.7, then Gavrelle (W21) supporting 153rd Brigade (OH)
582, 776, 790 - The Chemical Works and the village of Roeux, via the Railway crossing in I13d.2.9. (W21) supporting 154th Brigade (OH)
588 and 716 - Mount Pleasant Wood and the village of Roeux, their route being via the Railway Arch in H18d.2.1. (W21) supporting 154th Brigade (OH)
Account of Operations
7 Company
792 broke its road-chain-driving sprocket, in left track soon after starting point, did not attack (W21).
561 set off from the start point at 5.20 am and encountered no opposition until it reached the enemy position at H5b where it was fired on by MGs from the direction of Gavrelle, it returned fire, advanced on the village and silenced MGs which allowed infantry, (W21) 153rd brigade (OH) to advance. MG AP bullets had penetrated the tank, wounding 6 of the crew; the tank returned to evacuate the wounded and collect more crew but was found to be too badly damaged to go back into action (W21).
The 153rd Brigade: lead battalions; 1/ 7 Gordon Highlanders on the left, 1/ 7 Black Watch on the right. Supported by the 1/ 6 Black Watch and 1 / 6 Gordon Highlanders. (OH)
8 Company
790 lost direction due to British Smoke Barrage, drove too far to the North. Engaged Enemy MGs and snipers in H12 and I7. AP bullets wounded three Other ranks and Killed a fourth so tank returned (W21).
582 was delayed by the British Smoke barrage. Engaged enemy near Fampoux-Chemical Works road in H18b., and I13a.. The tank was attacked with small arms at the N.W. corner of the chemical works, bullets entered through Lewis gun mountings and the sides of revolving turrets and wounded three crewmen. The OIC and a fourth crew man were temporarily blinded when bullets shattered the viewing prisms. Three Lewis guns were also put out of action by bullets through their cooling jackets (W21).
776 This tank was penetrated by AP bullets soon just after crossing the British front Line. The OIC and a Lance corporal were wounded and both front viewing prisms shattered. The tank returned to the British front Line, the two wounded were evacuated and the Prisms replaced. Sgt Noel now took command of the tank and advanced once more; overtaking the British infantry who were pinned down in the enemy’s front line trench by heavy MG fire from the German second line. Tank advanced and destroyed enemy MG with 6pdr thus allowing infantry to advance. 30 Germans raised a white flag to surrender, but attempted to escape when Lewis guns were turned elsewhere, “Lewis guns were at once turned on them and they became casualties”. 50 enemies were captured about 50 yds further on. Tank advanced with infantry (W21) 1/4 Gordon Highlanders (OH), they went into chemical Works, tank proceeded around north of factory. Infantry consolidated 300 yds beyond chemical Works. Tank attempted to return; having fired 197 of its 200 6pdr rounds, used almost all its petrol, having two of its four Lewis guns put out of action. About 400 yds from starting point tank ran out of petrol and then received a direct hit from an enemy shell. Of the eight man crew The Officer and 6 OR were wounded (W21). This was the first time a tank was commanded in action by a Sergeant, Noel received the DCM (S13.p60f). Bert Day was apparently the Driver of this tank and he left an account of its actions in “The Boiler Plate War” (S30.p50f) ; in addition to reinforcing the account given above he also states the tank carried a signaller into action to help establish communications in Rouex once the village was captured, this is not mentioned elsewhere.
Mixed Company
588 was hit by a shell at starting point. Did not attack. One OR wounded (W21).
716 was held up at the railway arch as it was full of wounded and blocked by a sandbag barricade. The Tank eventually caught up with the infantry (W21) 1/7 Argyll (OH) at the southern end of Mount Pleasant Wood where they were held up by MG fire from the northern end. The Tank engaged the enemy in the northern part of the wood and cleared it.
The tank proceeded to Roeux (W21) with the 1/7 Argyll (OH) and entered the village, eliminating a number of MGs that were stopping the infantry advance and clearing buildings with 6 Pdr fire (W21). The 1/7 Argyll occupied the village (OH) The tank retired towards Roeux Wood but was redirected towards Mount Pleasant Wood to deal with a sniper.
Finally the tank bellied in the Marshy ground near the railway arch whilst attempting to advance to deal with an enemy MG in the railway embankment that was holding up the infantry. 4 OR were wounded by AP bullets which penetrated the tank on several occasions (W21).
Summary
Allocated: 7
At start: 7
Failed to Start: 1
Engaged enemy: 5
Ditched / Broke Down: 2
Hit and Knocked out: 1
Rallied: 3
Penetrated by AP bullets: 5 (including a Mk I male and a Mk I female)
Note
Failed to start is 586 which was hit and KO at the start point.
Rallied includes 582 whose ultimate fate is not recorded.
All of the tanks that engaged the enemy were penetrated by AP bullets.
Aftermath
716 - Several photos were taken of 716 still in situ and derelict:
IWM Q 7037: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205238895
X13.fp49; 1918 - In German hands: X74.p9 (this photo confirms the tanks identity)
561, 776, 790, 792, 582 and 588 - No further record
Sources
W21 – C Battalion Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps. Battle of Arras. Narrative of Operations 9th to 11th April 1917. PRO 95/97
- Battle graphs for the above.
S13- Williams – Ellis, Clough (1919), The Tank Corps
S18 - Nicholls Jonathon (2005) Cheerful Sacrifice. The Battle of Arras 1917, Pen and Sword
S30 - The Boiler Plate War (1963) John Foley,
S74 - Beute Tanks (2011) Rainer Strasheim
OH - Official History. 1917 Vol 1 Pg.395f
Note: The transcription of C Battalion’s War Diary available from The Tank Museum, Bovington doesn’t start until after Arras.
7 and 8 Companies 23 April 1917 - Map