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The Tanks at Messines. 7th June 1917.
1 Company. A Battalion with 2nd Army
1 Company intended to get 12 tanks into action on 7th June 1917 (W21)
1 Section - Capt. Dorman
A1, 2001, 2Lt Cronin, Richard Thomas
A3, 2689, 2Lt Keogh, Frederick Bertram
A4, 2029, 2Lt Atkinson, Thomas Oswald
A5, 2690, 2Lt Wain, Robert Leslie
2 Section - Capt. McKinnon
A7, 2014, 2Lt Taylor, Sidney
A8, 2670, 2Lt Miskin,
A9, 2025, 2Lt Oldham, Edmund Ainsworth
A10, 2669, 2Lt Liles, RWL
3 Section - Capt. Vardy M
A16, 2016, 2Lt Kidd, Arthur
A17, 2683, 2Lt Cronin, John Carolan
A18, 2018, 2Lt Dawkes, Arthur Henry
A20, 2686, 2Lt Pearson, Thomas Wilson
4 section - Supply - Lt Jardin
A13, 767, 2Lt Hawkins
A14, Lt Cross
Note:
A3 and A4 serial numbers are from the Company Commander's report (p57 of Bovington transcript), they are incorrectly given as 2680 and 2020 on battle graph; 2680 was with crew A60, 2020 was with crew B31.
The Company Commander's report (p57 of Bovington transcript) gives A9 serial number 2026, it is confirmed as 2025 in several other sources (See lists).
A13's serial number from list in Battalion war diary, crew A13 may have been with a different tank on the 7th June 1917.
A14 may have been tank 749 which is listed as being with Crew A15 in June / July 1917. (W1)
Orders (W1)
1 Company were in Army Reserve. They were to move forward to reach the Mauve Line by Zero + 10 hours. (W1)
The Company as to support 33 Brigade of 16 Divisions attack on the Oosttarverne Line (WO 95-101-2, p63)
These are presumably the tanks the Official history states were to assist IX Corps in the capture of the Oosttarverne Line. (OH)
1 section to wait at the Haringhbeek before proceeding to the Mauve Line to start at a Zero hour to be determined during the attack.
2001 and 2689 to move to Mahieu Farm and then up Odour Trench and Odonto Trench to O22a.3.9
2029 and 2690 to move to Polka Estaminet then down Odour Trench to the Wambeek, then follow the railway to Oostaverne Wood
2 Section
2014 and 2670 to move to Van Hove Farm; and 2025 and 2669 to move to Joye Farm; all four tanks then to move beyond Farms to capture guns thereabouts.
4 Section
At 8:10am the section was ordered to move the Harenbeeke. Once there they were ordered to move to the Mauve line in time for the 6:10pm Zero hour. .
2016 and 2083 to move to Bug Wood, A16a.1.7; then Odyssey trench and Oostaverne Village
2018 and 2686 to move to Oostaverne, O8a.2.0; then to O22a.3.7; and along Odonto trench; to Bug Wood; then back to RP.
Once their objectives were secure all tanks were to help consolidate Odonto Line .
Rally Point (RP) : O20b.4.9
The afternoon Zero was initially Zero +10 (1:10pm) but was later postponed to Zreo +12 (3:10pm) (W13baus)
Account of operations
Two tanks assisted the 36th Division's advance to the south of Messines. Eight tanks reached the Observation Line with the infantry. (OH)
1 Section
The section left Lyonsberg between 8 and 8:09am. All four tanks reached Haringbeek without incident at 10:20am. The section was ordered to immediately proceed to the Mauve line, the new Zero being 3:10pm. Capt. Dorman was wounded at O19c.6.6 and 2Lt Duncan CW, the OIC of the spare crew, took charge of the section. The section refilled at O19d.1.5 and started forward once more at 12:45pm. 2689 ditched close the refilling point, was unditched by 2:20pm with the help of some enemy prisoners and reached Mahieu Farm, O22c.2.5 at 6pm. Meanwhile 2001's radiator boiled over and the tank stopped at Torreken Farm to let it cool down. About 2:15pm, at the request of an infantry Colonel from the Dublins 2001 moved forward once more as the 33rd Brigade had not yet appeared to reinforce the leading infantry waves. 2001 became ditched for 70 minutes at O20d.9.2, and the 33rd Brigade came up. 2001 eventually reached Mahieu Farm at 4:15pm, there were no enemy in sight and the infantry were in possession of the Oosterverne Line. 2001 thus joined 2686 in returning to rally, 2686 ditched at O21b.2.3. and was pulled clear by 2001. 2001 then broke down at O20a.3.8 and was towed by 2686 to A20a.8.8 where it was handed to workshops. At 9pm 2689 was sent to recce an isolated Australian post near Joye Farm, where the tank ditched at O22d.3.5. (continued in 2 section's account below)
2029 and 2690 headed for Polka Estaminet.
2690 reached the Mauve line at 2:15pm. The tank had seen no infantry, from either side so turned south for half a mile along the Mauve Line to look for some. The tank crossed the Wambeek at O21d.8.4 and then, at 3pm, got caught in the British Barrage; one man was wounded by a shell fragment that penetrated the side of the tank. The tank turned back through the barrage, met the British infantry and preceded them by a few yards to Odonto Trench. North of Polka Estaminet the tank got behind three German MGs in concrete emplacements and silenced all of them. The tank went North East and reached the Oosterverne line in the area of the 19th Division at whose request it fired into a hedge in O22b.1.9 to silence some snipers. The tank didn't see any enemy but fired into the hedge anyway. The tank left the Oostervarne Line at 6pm and reached the rallying point at 7pm.
2029 reached Torreken Farm at 2:30pm; got ditched for half an hour on the Mauve Line, O21d.2.2; finally made it to Polka Estaminet and then went up and down Odonto trench clearing it. At 6pm the tank broke down for an hour at O22c.2.5 with a broken fan belt. The OIC then intended to tow the broken down 2669 home but instead was sent to unditch 2689. (continued in 2 section's account below)
2 Section
The section left Lyonsberg just after 8 am.
2669 and 2670 reached the Mauve line at 2:55pm and then advanced with the infantry at 3:10pm. The Oostaverne line was reached at 4:15pm and found to already be in the hands of the 52nd AIF Battalion. The tanks split up, 2670 went to Van Hove Farm and became ditched, 2669 went to Joye Farm, found it unoccupied, reported same to infantry and then went to Van Hove Farm and unditched 2670. (w2) The infantry account says three tansk met them one (presumably 2670) went to Van Hove Farm, the other two went to C22a.8.3 to support the posts in the valley (W52Aus). As tanks 2689, 2029 and 2018 were all in the vicinity of Joye farm 2669 and 2670 headed back to the rally point; 2670 rallied, 2669 broke down almost immediately with 2 big ends gone. 2669's OIC requested a tow from 2029, but first offered to guide 2029 in its attempt to undictch 2689. 2069 unditched 2689 but became ditched itself. 2669, 2029, 2689 all remained near Joye Farm overnight and then helped A Coy, 6th Lincolns repel an enemy counter attack from 06:45am to 12 noon on the 8th.
2014 and 2025 refilled, about noon, at the Hospice, O13c.9.0; both tanks then then went towards Van Hove Farm but ditched after going 250 yards.
4 Section
Left Lyonsburg at 8:10am and advanced to the Mauve line via the Haringbeeke and the Hospice, where they refilled. 2686 became Ditched between the Black and Black Dotted Lines abut was unditched by 2001 and reached the Mauve line before the new 3:10pm Zero hour.
The tanks started from the Mauve Line with the infantry at Zero 3:10pm, they reached Offer Trench then split up, 2016 and 2683 went towards Bug Wood, A16a.1.7; 2018 and 2686 went towards Oostaverne, O8a.2.0.
2018 and 2686 went via Estaminet Corner to Oostarverne Village but found no enemy MGs there so headed straight for the Oostarverne Line at O16a.1.3 [ probably O16c.1.3 ] where the tanks silenced a field gun. Both tanks then patrolled Odonto Trench towards Bug Wood and covered the infantry's consolidation before returning and rallying. Whilst returning 2018 attempted, unsuccessfully to tow an undamaged German field gun at O22c.3.3. 2018 reached the RP at 9pm.
2016 and 2683 reached the Mauve line at Leg Copse at 2:30pm and followed the barrage from there to Bug Wood, which was already occupied by British Infantry. The tanks crossed Odonto Trench to the north of Bug Wood and patrolled in front of the Trench covering the infantry's consolidation by firing on enemy snipers. The tanks recrossed Odonto trench at 6pm and reached the Rally point at 9pm.
Note
4 section commander's report says Zero was 6:10pm. this appears to be an error (p55, Bovington Transcript)
3 Section - Supply
A13 and A14 both spent the night between the blue and black lines (W22)
Summary
Intended: 12
At start: 12
Failed to start: 0
Engaged enemy: 7
Ditched / Broke Down: 5
Hit and Knocked out: 0
Rallied: 7
Aftermath
“A” Battalion adopted official names sometime between the Messines battle and the start of 3rd Ypres on 31st July; these names all began with the battalion’s letter (i.e. “A”). The following names were given to the following tanks: 2001, “Armagh”; 2025, "Arethusa"; 2690, “Abou-Ben-Adam”; 2016, “Argus”; 2683, “Achilles”; 2686, “Apollo”; 767, "Auxiliary"; 749, "Attache".
2689, 2029 and 2669 all remained ditched on the 8th when then assisted in the defence of the Oosttaverne Line until noon. All three tanks were abandoned, possibly in no Mans land. There is no further record of any of these tanks.
2670 was in action with 3 Company on 31 July 1917
4 Section attempted to get into action on 27 August, the section may have still consisted of tanks 2016, 2018, 2683 and 2686
2001 was handed to Battalion workshops and was in action on 20 September.
2025 was unditched after 24 hours, and was in action on 20 September.
2690 was in action on 20 September.
2014 was Unditched after 27 hours, and was in action on 26 September.
767 and 749 both appear on the battalion list written in June or July 1917, they probably remained with the battalion until October 1917 when they were replaced with MK IV top tower supply tanks and sent to Central Workshops.
Sources
W1 - War Diary 1st / "A" tank Battalion - Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum.
W22 - Messines Ridge Battlegraphs in PRO WO 95 / 101
W13baus - War diary of 13th AIF Brigade, June 1917. Report of attack by 13th. Aus. Inf. Bde. on the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge: http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/awm4/23/13/awm4-23-13-17.pdf
W49aus - War diary of 52nd AIF Battalion, June 1917. Operational order No. 6 : http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/awm4/23/66/awm4-23-66-13.pdf
W52aus - War diary of 52nd AIF Battalion, June 1917. Report of Operations on 7th June 1917 : http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/awm4/23/69/awm4-23-69-15.pdf
H1 – 1st Battalion’s War History. Transcription from Bovington Tank Museum
OH - Official History. 1917. Vol 2. Pg.67. Pg.69; Pg.77;
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