Capt. Spray's Composite Company. 1st December 1917
The Tanks at Cambrai. 1st December 1917
Capt. Spray's Composite Company, H Battalion, with 1st and 3rd Guards Brigades, 1st Guards Division, Corps
Capt. Spray's composite company had 8 tanks in action on 1st December 1917 (H8)
Company. Capt Spray (8 tanks)
Section. Capt GA Grounds (4 tanks) (W8a)
H21, f, “Harlech”, 2Lt Jones KAH,
H26, m, “Honfleur II”, 2Lt Noonan FJ,
H32, f, “Huguenot”, 2Lt McAllister JA,
No name, [possibly 6018] f, 2Lt Grinham R
Section. Capt Gerrard, (with McCleod) (4 tanks) (W8a)
H27, Hermosa, f, Lt Bown CW, (with crew H24)
McCleod
2Lt Guy also in action, he was the only survivor of his KO tank (S30.p170)
The following 20 tanks were in action on 1st December (W8a). The account implies these tanks were those in Major Pratt and Capt. Spray's composite companies.
4563 possibly HW2
4565, HW3
2372
2616
2640
2654
2865 possibly “Hermit”
2867, "Huntress"
2870, “Hoick Holloa”
2887
2893 possibly “Hiawatha”
2896
2898
6018 possibly a top tower supply tank
8008
8017
8018
8055
8086 possibly “Henry VIII”
8095
Notes
HW3 is serial 4565 in "H" battalion's War Diary entry in January 1918
2870 is “Hoick Holloa” according to its March 1918 Battle History Sheet.
H5, “Hornets Beauty”, and H8, “Huntsman” were in action and KO, their company allocations are unrecorded, they may have been with Captain Garrard's section, the author has included them with Capt. Pratts Composite Company.
2Lt Guy's presence is recorded by Hickey (S30.p170), he may also have fought with Capt. Pratt's Composite Company.
Background
"H" Battalion initially sent eight tanks forward on the 30th, these formed the two sections of captain Spray's Composite Company, commanded by Capt Gerrard and Capt Grounds. One of the tanks was “Hermosa” which was chosen because it was female and therefore didn't have its sponsons pushed in for entrainment. [For this reason it is therefore possible that all eight tanks were female]. Twenty two other "H" Battalion tanks joined the others as they were made ready. (s61.p134ff)
"H" Battalion did not go into action until the morning of the 1st December when the Battalion's thirty tanks were joined by nine from "A" and "B" Battalions.
Orders
Company to assemble at Q36d (last letter indistinct)
Objectives:
The 3 Guards Brigade's attack was supposed to be supported by a composite company of fourteen tanks from "D" and "E" Battalions however this company did not arrive at the start point because the "E" Battalion tanks got lost and the "D" Battalion tanks could not obtain petrol. (W3GB) (OH.p240)
Two unidentified "D" Battalion tanks were apparently eventually committed to action.(H4)
Capt Ground's four tank section was lent to 3 Guards Brigade from 1 Guards Brigade, all supported the 1 Welsh Guards. (OH)
The two sections were thus each allocated to adjacent infantry battalions in separate infantry brigades - 1 Welsh guards were in 3 Guards Brigade and 3 Coldsteam Guards were in 1 Guards Brigade.
Capt Ground's section - To support the attack on Gonnelieu, working under Quentin ridge with Welsh guards, R32d.0.7 to X2d.0.8 (H8) (OH)
Capt. Gerrard's section – to support 3 / Coldstream guards attack on Quenrtin Ridge (OH)
Account of Operations
The attack started at 5.30am.
Captain Grounds Section failed to failed to get in touch with the infantry before they advanced (OH) ; “Harlech” H21 had broken a track South of Gouzecourt, the track was repaired but the tank then broke down again at R31b.8.6. eventually it it was successfully repaired and returned. Meanwhile “Honfleur II” H26 had ditched in a trench, was unditched but broke down and was abandoned after giving her Lewis guns to the Guardsmen. 2Lt Ginham’s tank had been knocked early on out by a direct hit. (W21)(H8a). This left “Huguenot” H32 which followed the infantry.
The Guards attacked without the tanks at the appointed time, the attack stalling when they were fired on by MGs in an old British trench called Green Switch, (OH) in front of which was an previously unknown belt of wire (W1WG) two thirds of the Guardsmen were hit. (OH). “Huguenot” H32“, (H8a) commanded by a sergeant assisted by Captain Grounds now arrived and, sheltered by the lie of the ground from direct artillery fire, engaged the Germans in Green Switch with her Lewis guns. The Germans surrendered, the surviving Welsh Guards rushed forward and took possession of the trench, 300 prisoners and 26 Machine Guns (OH) . 200 yds of trench, 15 MGs and numerous prisoners according to Hickey (s61.p134ff) “Huguenot” H32 may now have moved north as a tank fired a few rounds in support of the 4 Grenadier guards before it retired (W4GG) the tank then attempted to reach the rally point but broke down and was hit and KO (W8a)
The 3 Guards Brigade War diary states nine tanks supported its attack (W3GB) , this is almost certainly incorrect as it at odds with the information given above and also with the 1 Welsh Guards and 4 Grenadier Guards war diaries that indicate one tank supported each battalion, presumably “Huguenot” H32.
However "D" Battalion's War History states that two of their tanks did eventually see action (H4); these may be some of the supposed nine that supported the Guards.
The 4 Grenadier Guards war diary implies it was somewhat annoyed not to receive the tank support it expected. (W4GG)
Capt Gerrard’s section supported the 3 Coldstream Guards attack on Quentin ridge [X1b to R31d]. (H8a) They arrived just before Zero and led the attack (W3CG)(OH) . McCleod’s tank led the advance against the St Quentin ridge and became irretrievably ditched. The other three tanks continued and were all knocked out in quick succession whilst Gerrard was making his way towards them. “Hermosa” was hit 8 or 9 times and destroyed along with her OIC and four crewmen, the other three crewmen being wounded. (s61.p134ff) The Guards successfully captured Quentin Ridge as far as the Mill, the tanks help was said to be "invaluable", (OH) the tanks enabled the infantry to reach the objective with enough men to hold it. (W3CG)
Alfred Briscoe stated in 1969 that he was the driver of "Hotspur" which had been KO earlier in the battle. He drove a workshop tank forward from Fins sometime between the 26th and 30th. On the 1st he drove "Havoc" with a new officer who was fresh out of training, he did not come into action and the tank broke down at the Rally point. (WbvCam) If true this indicates that some of the tanks in action on the 30th November and 1st December were possibly drawn from the 48 new tanks at Brichicourt (OH.p170) .
Tanks probably lost (Hit and KO or abandoned) from above accounts.
“Hermosa” (H27 with crew H24), “Honfleur II” (H26), “Huguenot” (H32), 6018 (Lt Ginham's tank, no name or crew number)
Rallied from above accounts:
“Harlech” (H21)
In total 73 tanks were sent forward against the enemy on November 30th and December 1st (W22)
Summary
Intended: 8
Reserve: 0
At Start: 8
Started: 8
Engaged enemy: 8
Ditched / Broke Down: 3
Hit and Knocked out: 5
Rallied: 0
Note -
H21 is included in the ditched / broke down section not in the rallied total. It did rally
Aftermath
2372, 2616, 2640, 2654, 2887, 2896, 2898, 6018, 8008, 8017, 8018, 8055, 8095 - no further record (13 tanks)
4565, HW3 handed to salvage on 1 Jan 1918
4563, 2865, 2867, 2870, 2893, 8086 in Action with battalion in March 1918
“Hornets Beauty” may have been salvaged by the Germans and converted to Beutepanzer 102 "Annchen" as this tank appears to carry a name containing the letters OR (X75.p130). Other candidates are possible (e.g. Horsa)
Sources
W3GB - War Diary of 3rd Guards Brigade
W3CG - War Diary of 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards. Narrative of Operations from November 27th to December 5th 1917
W1WG - War Diary of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards
W4GG - War Diary of 4th Battalion Grenadier Guards. Narrative of events leading to and including the attack on Gonnelieu. Decr 1 / 1917
W8a – War Diary of 8th Tank Battalion PRO WO 95/114
W22 - War diary of 2nd Tank Brigade, Appendix, Action of 2nd Tank Brigade tanks on 30th November and 1st December in PRO WO 95 / 92
WBv1917 - Bovington Tank Museum, Cambrai Box 1. MH.3.355.48.3
OH - Official History, 1917, Vol 3, P239f unless otherwise indicated
S61 – Rolling into Action (1936) Capt DE Hickey
S30 – The Boiler Plate War (1963) George Foley
Major Pratt's Composite Company. 1st December 1917