9company23april
9 Company 23 April
The Tanks at Arras. 23rd April 1917
9 Company. C Battalion with 15th and 17th Divisions, VI Corps 3rd Army (W21)
9 Company intended to get 5 tanks into action on 23rd April 1917 (W21)
9 Company
C6, 752, Lt H Jones
C41, 780, 2Lt Norman
C43, 782, 2Lt Haseler
C45, 581, 2Lt: Ball
C48, 779, 2Lt Hinds
Note
The Battlegraph gives C6’s serial number as 776, but 776 is C22 which was in action with XVII Corps on this day.
C6 was 752 on the 9th April Battlegraph. (W21)
Three tanks of 9 Company had been destroyed by shellfire on 20th April whilst concentrated at Feuchy Chapel. (W21). Presumably 781, 584 and 587 as these were not in action on the 23rd.
Orders
581 and 780 to support 17th Division's attack on Bayonet Trench and Pelves.
779 to support 15th Division's attack
All tanks started from Feuchy Chapel.
Account of Operations
752 and 581 both failed to make the start point. 752 broke down, twisted her secondary gear shaft, near Athies .581 broke a track whilst unditching just after crossing Chapel Hill. (W21)
780 and 782 were to support 17th Division. The divisional staff decided not to use them in the first wave, instead they were to be used later in the attack on Pelves. Unfortunately the infantry were pinned down by MG fire and failed to reach their first objective. (W21)
780 set off at 8.45. Attacked North of Monchy-Le-Preux, reached the wood NW of Monchy where it was targeted by an enemy barrage; one shell hit the right sponson, one corporal was wounded so the tank returned and evacuated him. The tank set off again and proceeded towards Pelves, being fired on by enemy shells all the way. Stopped for 15 minutes with an overheating engine at point H36c.9.9., before reaching German front Line. The tank then received orders to attack Bayonet Trench but was Hit and burnt out near I31a.3.5. after restarting; the tank did not fire on the enemy. Casualties – 2 wounded, 1 missing. (W21)
782 set off at 8.45. Attacked North of Monchy-Le-Preux, reached the wood NW of Monchy and was attacked by an enemy barrage; the radiator received a direct hit, three of the crew were wounded and the Tank was abandoned; the tank did not fire on the enemy. (W21)
780 and 782 were supporting the 7th Border Regiment who had been spotted forming up. When they attacked they were caught on uncut wire in no mans land and mown down by MG fire. 419 were lost of the 524 who attacked. No ground was gained. (S18.p187f).
The second wave, 7th Lincs and 10th Sherwood Foresters did little better, only a small section of Bayonet Trench being captured (OH) The 7th Lincs attack was cancelled due to lack of artillery support, but the message had failed to reach them and they attacked anyway, loosing 200 men in five minutes (S18.p188
779 attacked South of Monchy-Le-Preux; unfortunately ditched for two hours just after starting, unditched, and reached the sunken road in N18a only to find the infantry retiring back to their original front line. (W21) The 50th Division to the south had been driven back by a counter attack and the Seforths in Guemappe had been enfiladed from across the Cojeul and thus had retired (OH) . The tank engaged the enemy, but was subject to an artillery barrage which intensified after an enemy Aeroplane swooped down to within 400 feet of the tank. As the tank was almost out of petrol and now well in front of the British lines the OIC abandoned the tank and destroyed it. (W21)
Summary
Allocated: 5
At start: 3
Failed to Start: 0
Engaged enemy: 1
Ditched / Broke Down: 1
Hit and Knocked out: 2
Rallied: 0
Penetrated by AP Ammo: 0
Note
Broke down is 779 which was abandoned and destroyed when its petrol supply ran out.
Aftermath
No further record - 581, 779, 780, 782
752 - Probably photographed abandoned in Athies (unable to reference)
Sources
W21 – C Battalion Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps. Battle of Arras. Narrative of Operations 23rd April 1917 in PRO WO 95 -97
W21bg - Battle graphs for the above.
S18 - Nicholls Jonathon (2005) Cheerful Sacrifice. The Battle of Arras 1917 ,Pen and Sword
OH - Official History. 1917 Vol 1 Pg.390f
Note: The transcription of C Battalion’s War Diary available from The Tank Museum, Bovington doesn’t start until after Arras.