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23 November 1917 E Battalion
The Tanks at Cambrai. 23rd November 1917
Composite Company, E Battalion, with 107th Brigade, 36th Division, 3rd Army
E Battalion had 11 tanks in action on 23rd November 1917 (W21):
Company Commander Maj.
1st Phase [13 Company]
?? Section. Capt Tatnell
4507, 2Lt Ball
Exterminator, 2Lt Green
?? Section. Capt Roberts in Explorer
Eclipse II, m, Lt Tripe
Explorer, m, 2Lt Lenard
?? Section. Unknown commander.
2815, Escapade, f, 2Lt Black
Eradicator II, 2Lt Briant
2nd Phase
[14 Company]
?? Section. Capt Bagshaw
Esme, 2Lt Johnson
Eve, 2Lt Fairbank
Eileen II, 2Lt Carter
[15 Company]
?? Section. Lt Battersby
Eager, 2Lt Bayliss
Essex, 2Lt Gower
Eager is named Eager II on the 20th November Battlegraphs
Escapade was a female tank.
Orders
1st phase
4507 and Exterminator: Objective: Starting from E22a.5.50 [possibly E28a.5.50] to clear up Hindenburg Support line to Canal
Eclipse and Explorer: Objective: Starting from E27b.3.5. Objective: Round Trench E of E21 Central.
Escapade and Eradicator II: Objective: Starting from E27c.3.9. To work up Canal Trench to Lock No: 5
2nd phase
Esme, Eve and Eileen II. Objective: Double Trenches in E15 central and E19c (or E9c).
Eager and Essex. Objective: Quarry Wood.
All five 2nd phase tanks and survivors of 1st wave to mop up continuation of Hobart Street.
Account of Operations
On 107th Brigade's the left the 8th RIR took Round Trench and Lock No 5 but were unable to advance any further due to determined enemy opposition. On the Brigade's right one tank was ditched and the other lost direction, thus the attack of 15th RIR was held up by MG fire. (WO 95-2502-1 p56) these two tanks are presumably 4507 and Exterminator.
4507. Ditched at start in a C.T. Rallied.
Exterminator. Lost direction, proceeded towards E17a and disappeared, it was later determined that it had been hit and burnt out, only 3 other ranks surviving (H5). This is presumably the tank that Maj WHL Watson of "D" Battalion mentions 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)
The other nine tanks all proceeded in front of their respective waves and engaged the enemy.
Explorer forced the enemy in Round Trench to surrender, but they picked up their rifles and resumed firing when the British infantry refused to advance; with four crewmen wounded and being out of ammunition Explorer now returned to resupply and then set off again but was recalled by the Company Commander due to the gathering darkness.
Eclipse II suffered a Direct Hit at about E21d central and left on field. OIC and 3 Other Ranks killed, 3 Other Ranks wounded.
Eradicator II reached Lock 5 and quelled enemy there until 1pm however the infantry refused to advance and occupy the position. The tank then advanced with tanks from 15 Company towards Quarry Wood via Round Trench, it finally stopped between Round Trench and Hindenburg support and fired on the later until dusk when it rallied.
Escapade advanced along Canal Trench until Lock 5 was reached, it then advanced on Round Trench but was hit and set afire. Whilst sheltering in shell holes two Other Ranks were killed and another three seriously wounded. Suffered a Direct Hit at about E21a.79 and left on field.
Round trench was still in enemy hands when the five 2nd Wave tanks set off at 10.20am.
The first group Eileen II, Eve and Esme all engaged the enemy in Round trench. The three tanks crossed the front line of Round Trench and then went up and down along the trench firing at the enemy. The trench being cleared of enemy infantry the tanks signalled for the infantry to come on, but the infantry were pinned down; at least partially by fire from Moeuvres on the far side of the Canal. Esme proceeded towards Lock 5 then turned back to Round Trench and became ditched at about E21a.3.8. [possibly E21d.3.8], Eileen II ditched in the German front line some time after Esme, both tanks were attacked by parties of German bombers who killed one of Eileen II’s crew and wounded four others. Eileens II was Unditched after about half an hour but then suffered three direct hits and was set afire. Esme’s crew were assisted by Eve which stayed at Round Trench but the British infantry still refused to advance. At some time after 3pm Eve was rolling out [flattening] some wire when it suffered a direct hit and was set afire at E21b.3.0.
Eileen II attacked SE of Moeuvres. The first wave failed to take its objective so he advanced on Round Trench, crossing and re crossing the system many times under fire, inflicting many casualties and crushing the wire. the tank became ditched for 90 minutes in the German front line. the enemy were held at bay with the tanks MGs. The tank was eventually unditched but not before the corporal was killed and two other crew members wounded. The tank was unditched but was then hit three times adn set afire. The crew sheltered in a shell hole for three hours before retiring to Graincourt. (H5)
The other group d of 2nd Wave tanks Eager and Essex both crossed over both trenches of the Hindenburg Support Line and drove along the rear line engaging the enemy. Essex was hit and knocked out at about E21 central, the Officer and one Other Rank were killed, two Other Ranks were wounded and four others were missing. Eager’s fuel tank was holed so the tank returned to rally at 6.30pm.
This above account is primarily based on the 1st Brigade tank Corps Summary of Operations 20th to 23rd November P34ff. The locations of the tanks are from the list on page 34 of the summary.
Summary
Intended: 11
Reserve: 0
At Start: 11
Started: 10
Engaged enemy: 10
Ditched / Broke Down: 1
Hit and Knocked out: 6
Rallied: 3
Note: 4507 also rallied after being unditched after dark.
Aftermath
Escapade was photographed in German hands:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/2184828321/in/set-72157601074582281/
http://wwimodeller.co.nz/category/6-interesting-photos/1-land/#jp-carousel-14298
Eve was photographed in German hands:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/2918617119/in/set-72157601074582281/
Eclipse II was photographed whilst derelict, presumably in German hands:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/2919458930/in/set-72157601074582281/
Eileen, Eclipse and Eve were all photographed close together by the Germans:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/2919462348/in/set-72157601074582281/
30th November and 1st December 1917
"E" Battalion deployed their remaining tanks as mobile strong points on the 30th November; they did not see action (H5).
"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) As indicated above "E" Battalion's the War Diary and War History make no mention of this attempted action.
Sources
W21= 1st Brigade Tank Corps Summary of Operations 20th to 23rd November in the 1st Tank Brigade War Diary. PRO WO 95 / 98
H5 – History of the 5th Tank Battalion. Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum.
S62 - A Company of Tanks (1919) WHL Watson
S62a - A Company of Tanks (1919) WHL Watson, with annotations by George Edwards, OIC "Dalliance", information courtesy of Stephen Pope.
WO 95-2502-1 - 107th Infantry Brigade War Diary, download from PRO Kew.
NOTES
E Battalion’s War Diary. Transcription from Bovington Tank Museum. (W5) does not contain the reports pertinent to this action.
107th Infantry Brigade's November 1917 Appendixes are not in WO 95-2502-1
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