9company9april1917

9 Company 9 April 1917

The Tanks at Arras. 9^th April 1917

9 Company. C Battalion with, XVII^th Corps 3^rd Army

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

9 Company

C41, 780, 2Lt Norman S O

C42, 778, 2Lt Innes A

C43, 782, 2Lt Haseler

C44, 781, “Iron Duke”, 2Lt Street

C45, 581, 2Lt Arnold

C46, 584, 2Lt Ball

C47, 788, “Lusitania”, 2Lt Weber

C48, 779, 2Lt Hinds

C49, 587, 2Lt Dowell

C50, 583, 2Lt Williams

notes

OIC names from WMH "Position of tanks on 11th April"

Orders

Objectives: Extended from the northern end of The Harp (inclusive) to the River Scarpe. ^(W21)

Start Point: Arras Cemetery

2 tanks to support 15^th Division’s attack on The Triangle. - 788 and 779 ^{(WMH) (s18.p107)}. Primary objective: The Railway triangle and guns in railway embankment. Secondary Objective: Feuchy redoubt Thence to North end of Brown line where it crossed railway Then southward along brown line to Feuchy Chapel redoubt ^(WMH) These tanks were to attack the triangle from the rear, then they were to advance on the Wancourt – Feuchy line and roll it up from the Northern end ^(OH.p223)

2 Tanks to support 12^th Division’s attack on Island redoubts – none made it to the start line. ^(s18.p107) 581 and 584 Primary objective: Line of redoubt Hapel Herron Holt Hotte and Houlette. Secondary objective: Feuchy Chapel redoubt and brown line northwards. ^(WMH)

2 Tanks to support 12^th Division’s attack along the Arras – Cambrai Road – none made it to the start line. ^(s18.p107) 781 and 782 Primary objective: Northern and western defences of Tilloy village and Chalk pit. Secondary objective: Feuchy Chapel redoubt and brown line northwards. ^(WMH)

2 tanks ^(WMH) to support 9^th Brigade, 3^rd Divisions attack on Tilloy – 780 and 778. ^{(s18.p115)(WMH).} Primary objective: Southern and western defences of Tilloy village and Chalk pit. Secondary objective: Feuchy Chapel redoubt and brown line northwards ^(WMH)

2 tanks ^(WMH) to support 9^th Brigade, 3^rd Divisions attack on The Harp – 583 and 587 ^{(S18) (WMH)} Primary objective: North boundary trench of the Harp and Noisy redoubt. Secondary objective: Feuchy Chapel redoubt and brown line northwards ^(WMH). The 4 / Royal Fusiliers were to capture the String, the 2 / Suffolk (attached from 76^th Brigade) to pass through and capture the eastern edge of the Harp. In the centre and on the left the 12 / West Yorks and 13 / Kings were to pass through and secure the Blue Line. ^{(W21) (OH.p215f)}

781 and 788 were both photographed moving up through Arras ^{(IWM Q 6418), (X11.p78), (X18.photo 12), (X58.p26)}

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/937591790/in/set-72157601073015696/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/936748457/in/set-72157601073015696/

788:

Great War Primary Document Archive: Photos of the Great War

Account of Operations

5 tanks: 581, 778, 779, 782 and probably 781 all ditched on the approach march in the low-lying valley west of the Crinchon River, they were all unditched too late to participate in the attack on the 9th. ^(W21)

584 – Broke down at the Start point ^(W21) in Feuchy Chapel ^(WMH)

587 – Ditched at G36b1/2 41/2 unditched and moved forward at 3:39pm, stopped again, overheating at H22c.2.8 ^(WMH) in Arras Cemetery ^(W21), H22c Possibly photographed in this location. ^{(IWM Q 6431), (X58.p38)}

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/4164303473/in/set-72157601073015696/

788 - Ditched soon after leaving start line, reached start point by 4am but had sheered four bolts on back axle connecting shaft; Crewman sent to get replacements from Arras citadel. Tank finally repaired and set off at 9.30 am ^(S18.p108). About noon ^(S18.p108) he caught up the infantry who were pinned down in front of the Blue Line at Feuchy Redoubt ^(W21). The tank mounted the railway embankment at the end of the flattened triangle and followed the railway. The 6pdr was used to destroy MGs in Fred’s Wood, North of the Railway, about H20c.6.6. The tank then stopped for several minutes to refuel ^(s13.p56) whilst the infantry attacked and captured the Blue Line, taking prisoners ^(W21). The tank resumed its advance, ^(W21) going down the railway line ^(BHS) and attacking Feuchy Redoubt which was hastily abandoned by the enemy who fled to a dugout near Spider Corner ^(S18.p108). Upon reaching the vicinity of the Railway Arch the tank found itself beneath the British Artillery Bombardment ^(W21) and being fired on by an AT gun ^(BHS) and turned back to call the infantry forward ^(s13.p56). The Infantry came forward and took the position, taking prisoner Germans hiding in Spider Corner and Railway Arch. The tank then left the railway embankment and attacked ^(W21) 400 yards ^(BHS) along a sunken Lane ^(W21), it attempted to exit the lane ^(S13.p56) and cross the railway embankment ^(BHS) but broke down with magneto trouble ^(s13.p56) ; stopping for half an hour to let engine cool down ^(W21). The magneto was repaired, the bank was crossed ^(BHS) and the tank advanced on the Brown line, attacking and routing the enemy from a small redoubt on the Brown line at 28c.4.7 ^(W21). Then the tank assisted in the capture of two snipers ^(W21). Finally the tank attacked south along the German held Brown line ^(BHS) . It was probably at this point that the camouflage cover was set afire as a result of being pulled over the exhausts by lengths of enemy barbed wire the tank had gathered up, Sgt Latham, one of the tank’s crewmen, climbed on top of the tank and extinguished the fire for which he was later awarded the Military Medal ^(s13.p58) [ this isn’t mentioned in the BHS ] . The tank turned to rally but was intercepted after 300 yards by an infantry Colonel at whose request the tank returned to attack the Germans in a trench ^(BHS). The tank got to about 50 yards from the German trench when it was engaged by 4 MGs, two of which it silenced ^(BHS) before the magneto packed in completely; unfortunately the support promised by the infantry Colonel did not materialise and ^(W21), after firing on the Germans for some time ^(BHS) the tank had to be abandoned in the German held line at 9.30pm ^(W21) about ten yards from the German wire ^(BHS) at H34a.3.1 ^(WMH). The Crew left one by one and saved the Lewis Guns. The tank had fired all but three of its 6 pdr rounds and about 50 Lewis Gun drums ^(BHS) The tank was destroyed the following day by a British Artillery bombardment. ^(W21) 2Lt Weber was awarded the Military cross ^(s13.p58).

44^th and 45^th Brigades of 15^th Division were both held up at the railway triangle; at 11:30am the barrage was brought back to the eastern side of it, and this, along with the support of a tank [ 788 ] which passed to the south of the triangle and silenced enemy MGs in the railway embankment enabled the infantry to secure the triangle by 12:30pm. ^(OH.p223)

The 46^th Brigade were on their jumping off point on the blue Line at 12:30pm, unfortunately the attack had been delayed until 2pm so the British Barrage started behind them, they went to ground and let the barrage pass over them (with little loss), and were thus able to follow it closely. They successfully advanced on the brown line capturing part of Battery Valley and Feuchy en route. The cavalry then passed though and captured Fampoux. The Brown Line itself was secured alonf its whole length by 5:30pm, the infantry being helped by a tank [ 788 ]. ^(OH.p224)

583 - Ditched and was hit by a shell in the conning tower just before the blue Line, the shell also broke two guide rails for the right track. The tank was repaired and the tank resumed the advance after four hours, only to become ditched for a further hour and a half near the Cambrai Road. The tank eventually caught up with the infantry who were held up 400 yds beyond the Brown Line, unfortunately it was too dark for the tank to render assistance. The tank returned to the refuelling point. ^(W21)

One of the tank’s gunners, William Dawson, has left a more detailed account which is quoted in Peter Barton’s Book ^(S77.p153f)

780 – Left starting point, Cambrai Road at Zero. Reached German front line at 6am and ditched therein, unbditched at 6:30am and went to second line where soft ground forced the tank to steer a South Easterly direction along the trench until somewhere was found to cross it. The tank then headed towards Tilloy going via the Harp due the bad ground south of Devils Wood. 20 rounds of 6 pdr were fired at Tilloy from the German third line trench. The tank entered Tilloy at 9:30am but became ditched and then broke down for two hours in the eastern part of the village. After being repaired the tank proceeded to the Brown line, passing through the infantry who were sheltering in shell holes 300 yards from the Brown line ^(BHS) As British infantry initially refused to follow the tank ^(W21) it crossed over the German trenches on the ^(BHS) Brown line and made a lone attack on the enemy, disposing of two snipers and setting a very light dump on fire ^(W21) north of the Cambrai Road. The tank went 200 yards beyond the trenches where it broke down briefly, it was fired on from the rear by MGs and one gunner was wounded. The tank was restarted and re crossed the German trenches, stopping again 150yds in front of them due to overheating caused by holes in the radiator ^(BHS) The tank stayed in the German lines until 3 am on the 10^th, then it returned to the refuelling point nears the Maison Rouge. ^(W21) at N3b.4.8, ten Lewis gun magazines and 150 rounds of 6pdr were fired ^(BHS)

Despite the reduced tank support 3^rd Division captured almost all its objectives on time except for Tilloy which was captured late. The second phase of the attack, to capture the Wancourt - Fuechy was launched on time by 8^th Brigade and initially went very well, Germans surrendering readily. The advance was stopped about 600 yards short of the objective by MG fire from the front and form Fuechy Chapel on the flank. Attempts were made to take the Brown line but all failed and the infantry was withdrawn to the line of the Neuville – Feuchy chapel Road. ^(OH)

12^th Divisions also had a successful day, despite none of the tanks reaching them. Observation Ridge and battery Valley were taken; the only failure was at Chuch Work to the south east of Feuchy Chapel where uncut wire prevented its capture. ^(OH)

Summary

Allocated: 10

At start: 5

Failed to Start: 2

Engaged enemy: 2

Ditched / Broke Down: 1

Hit and Knocked out: 0

Rallied: 2

Penetrated by AP bullets: 1

Aftermath

788 as indicated above was destroyed by British Artillery on the 10^th April 1917 whilst derelict.

583, 778 were both in action again on the 10^th April.

780 attempted to get into action on the 10^th April.

On the 11th April the tanks positions are given as follows: 583, 584, 778 and 780 as above. 581, N4a.6.2, ditched OK; 779 and 782 were both in the Citadel having new radiators fitted; 781, at N3b.1.6 its extension shaft coupling having been repaired. ^(WMH)

Three tanks of 9 Company were destroyed by shellfire on 20^th April whilst concentrated at Feuchy Chapel. ^(W21). Presumably 781, 584 and 587 as these were not in action on the 23^rd.

779 and 782 were both in action on 23^rd April 1917

Sources

W21 – C Battalion Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps. Battle of Arras. Narrative of Operations 9^th to 11^th April 1917. PRO 95/97

- Battle graphs for the above.

BHS – Battle History sheets of indicated tanks in PRO WO 95-91

The author only has copies of the BHS for 780, 788

WMH - Henshall papers IWM 73 / 126 / 1

- Position of tanks on 11 April 1917.

- 9 Company orders [undated]

OH – Official History, 1917, Vol 1, Pg.215f, pg.223f

S13 - Williams – Ellis, Clough (1919). The Tank Corps

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

S58 - Buffetaut, Yves (1997) The 1917 Spring Offensives

S77 – Peter Barton (2011) Arras

Note: The transcription of C Battalion’s War Diary available from The Tank Museum, Bovington doesn’t start until after Arras.

9 Company 9 April 1917 - Map

Arras Narratives