23nov1917dbattalion
OH - Official History, 1917, Vol 3 - not yet referenced for 23rd Nov action
NOTE
D Battalion’s War Diary. Transcription from Bovington Tank Museum. (W4) does not contain the reports pertinent to this action.
G Battalion 23 November 1917 - Map
23 Nov 1917 D Battalion
The Tanks at Cambrai. 23rd November 1917
Composite Companies, D Battalion, with 121st Brigade, 40th Division, 3rd Army
D Battalion had 14 tanks in action on 23rd November 1917 (W21):
No 1 Composite Company Company Commander - Maj. J.H.L Watson
1 Section. Capt J.M Martin
D2, 8064, m, “Duke Of Cornwall II”, 2/Lt. W.G.J. Wallace, (W21)
D3, 2693, f, “Drone”, 2/Lt. A.S. Heffill, (W21)
???, 4569, ?, , Lt HF Smith, (W21)
2 Section. Capt E Mackeown
D1, 8072, m, “Druid II”, 2Lt RC Baker, (W21)
D4, 2634, f, “Dryad II”, 2/Lt. S. Knox, (W21)
D21, 8057, m, “Dreadnought III”, 2/Lt. H.L. Richards, (W21)
D23, 8067, m, “Dashing Dragoon III”, 2/Lt. E. Hemmings, (W21)
D27, 2655, f, “Double Dee III”, 2/Lt. FCB Lloyd, (W21)
D34, 2861, f, “Dalliance“, Lt. J.A. Edwards, (W21)
No 2 Composite Company - Company Commander Maj. R.F. Cooper
? Section. Capt H G Head
D44, 8053, m, “Dracula II”, 2/Lt. C.L. Symonds, (W21)
D46, 8050, m, “Dragon III”, 2/Lt. J.T. Clark, (W21)
? Section. Capt G Nixon
D42, 8054, m, “Daphne III”, 2/Lt. G.C. Killey, (W21)
D48, 2621, f, “Diablo II”, 2/Lt. F.J. Tritton, (W21)
D54, 8048, m, “Diadem II”, 2/Lt. E. Owen, (W21)
Notes
D13 (2859) recorded as being detached to G Battalion as Tank G75 (W21)
Orders
Objective for all tanks: Bourlon Wood Village and Heights
Account of Operations
4569 Broke down and failed to start.
The other 13 tanks all attacked, Engaged the enemy, Reached their objectives (Bourlon Wood Village and Heights) and Rallied. D21 had its Crew reduced and radiator pierced by AP MG fire; D34 also had its Crew reduced and all guns put out of action by AP MG fire and splinters (W21).
An account of this action is contained in S62 = A Company of Tanks (1919) WHL Watson - IT HAS NOT YET BEEN USED FOR THIS NARRATIVE
Maj WHL Watson mentions seeing a tank being hit and set afire on the ridgeline (S62.p190) George Edwards, who commanded "Dalliance" on this date, annotated a copy of Watson's work and states this was an "E" battalion tank. (S62a) This is almost certainly "Exterminator".
Summary
Intended: 14
Reserve:
At Start: 13
Started: 13
Engaged enemy: 13
Ditched / Broke Down: 0
Hit and Knocked out: 0
Rallied: 13
Note
The Narrative of operations in W21s states that only 7 D Battalion tanks reached their final objectives. Two of the remaining tanks had their Lewis guns shot away, one broke down in Bourlon Wood and the remaining three expended all their ammo before rallying.
Aftermath
D Battalion had twelve tanks ready to be transported to the rear when the German Counter attack started on 30th November. (H4)
"E" and "D" battalions were supposed to deploy a fourteen tank composite company to support the attack of the 3rd Guards brigade on the 1st December 1917, however this company did not get into action because the "E" Battalion tanks got lost and the "D" Battalion tanks could not obtain petrol. (OH.p240) However two unidentified "D" Battalion tanks were apparently eventually committed to action.(H4) these may be some of the supposed nine that supported the Guards.
"D" Battalion's remaining tanks were transported to the rear and handed over to 12th Battalion in January.(H4)
D2, 8064, D23, 8067, D44, 8053, D46, 8050, D54, 8048, D27, 2655, D4, 2634, D3, 2693, 4569 - No further record
D1, 8072 - possibly captured when Germans overrun Bray in March 1918
D21, 8057 - Photographed as a supply tank in 1918.
D42, 8054 - 26th March 1918 handed from 12th to 1st battalion.
D48, 2621, D34, 2861- Aug 1918, with 12th battalion
The battalion drew new tanks in February.
Sources
W21 = 1st Tank Brigade War Diary relevant Battlegraphs
W21s = The Summary of Operations 20th – 23rd November 1917” in PRO WO 95/98
H4 = History of the 4th Tank Battalion. Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum.
S62 - A Company of Tanks (1919) WHL Watson - NOT YET USED IN THIS NARRATIVE
S62a - A Company of Tanks (1919) WHL Watson, with annotations by George Edwards, OIC "Dalliance", information courtesy of Stephan Pope.