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Cambrai. 27th November 1917
8 Company, C Battalion, with 186th Brigade,62nd Division, IV Corps
8 Company had 4 tanks in action on 27th November 1917 (W3a):
? Section. Lt ER Saunders
C27, m, 2383, Centaur II, 2Lt. EC Wood,
C28, f, 2842, Corncrake II, 2Lt HE Calcutt,
C29, m, 8089, Curiosity II, 2Lt. CN Roberts. With 6 Section
F6, m, 2310, “Feu d’Artifice”
Notes
F6 is included here, it has not been included in the F battalion Narrative.
Orders(W3a)
Section were to attack with tanks of F Battalion, Assembly point E24.d.0.5. F6 was attached to this section. All four tanks reached the start point at the Chalet in Bourlon Wood, F13b.3.4 by 4.30am.
Account of Operations (W3a)
Tanks started at Zero, 6.30am and drove northwards along main road towards the village.
At the five cross roads C28 and C29 went left and dealt with the Swamp, F7a and Factory F7b.3.1; firing a large number of 6pdr shells into the later and seeing infantry occupy it and take prisoners. Meanwhile C27 and F6 had continued straight on to the East corner of the village. F6 was penetrated by AP ammo and set afire but managed to return to the Chalet where she was abandoned and burnt out. C27 drove down the main street of the village firing 120 6pdr shells and silencing a battery of 4.2s with Lewis gun and 6pdr fire. C28 and C29 now followed C27, all three tanks rallied at 7d.2.2 and awaited the expected counterattack. The tanks all turned for the rally point at 4.30pm, being unable to operate effectively in the gathering darkness, the tanks reached the RP between 10 and 11pm, they were heavily shelled whilst returning.
Summary
Intended: 4
Reserve: 0
At Start: 4
Started: 4
Engaged enemy: 4
Ditched / Broke Down: 0
Hit and Knocked out: 1
Rallied: 3
Total includes the attached F6.
F6 is not included in f battalions totals.
Aftermath
F6 was possibly photographed destroyed in Bourlon Wood, behind Grasshopper II, (X60.p58)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/3871818760/in/set-72157601074582281/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drakegoodman/5407427892/in/set-72157625639179301/
IWM 56828: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205306286
Some C battalion tanks were readied for action on the 30th but were not engaged.
C battalion was told it was to be renamed 3rd (Light) battalion and convert to whippets on 10th December.
By 17th all tanks and personnel had withdrawn from forward Area.
Sources
W3 – C Battalion War Diary, Battlegraph and Narrative of Operations PRO WO 95/106
H3 - C Battalion War History PRO WO 95/104
S60 – Track Prints (2009) Richard Pullen
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