Embedded Files
The Tanks at Messines. 7th June 1917.
6 Company. B Battalion with 25th and 36th Divisions, and the II ANZAC Corps (H2), 2nd Army
6 Company intended to get 12 tanks into action on 7th June 1917 (W21)
9 Section - Capt. Croxford
B41, 2035, 2Lt Tuite
B42, 2699, 2Lt Harcourt
B43, 2008, “His Lordship Pushful Percy”, 2Lt Evans
B44, 2665, 2Lt Murphy
10 Section - Capt. Allan
B46, 2015, 2Lt Randell
B48, 2036, 2Lt Woodcock
B49, 2668, 2Lt Hollam
B50, 2664, 2Lt Black
12 section - Capt. Butcher
B56, 2034, 2Lt Morrison
B58, 2013, 2Lt Hamlet
B59, 2694, 2Lt Palmer
B60, 2682, "The Wytschacte Express", (W2a) 2Lt Clarke
11 Section, Supply - Capt. Wheeler
B51, 775, Lt Pick (W2r)
B53, 742, 2Lt Marchant (W2r)
Note:
2008's name is from sketches indicating the location of hits on tanks in PRO WO 95-101 (W22), nine of which were drawn by 6 Company on 12th June (W2); 2665 and 2669 give a nil return; the sketches for 2664, 2668 and 2034 are missing, possibly because they weren't hit by enemy fire.
Orders
From H2 and WO 95-101-2, p62
12 section to support 7 and 74 Brigades, 25th Divisions attack on the Black line immediately North of New Zealand Division sector.
10 section to support 107 and 109 brigade, 36th Divisions attack on Wytschaete and the Black line to the North of 25th Division sector.
9 Section in reserve with II ANZAC Corps, to start at Zero + 1 hour and reach a line 200-300 yards beyond the Black line then support
75 Brigade, 25th Divisions attack on the Oostaverne Line.
Account of Operations
10 and 12 Sections started at Zero, one ditched in no mans land, two in the German front line system, four operated between the Red and blue lines and thus did not reach the Black Line. (H2 and WO 95-101-2, p62)
The other three tanks all set off from the Blue Line on time, the infantry, Cheshires, they were to support had advanced ahead of the barrage and were already established on their objective so the three tanks covered the consolidation before returning to rally. (W2a)
9 Section
The reserve section started forward at Zero + 1 hour , three tanks reached their objective to find the infantry, who had started earlier than intended, already there. (H2)
2035 reached O27c at 9am (W2a) engaged (w22bg) a battery at 250 yards range and thus enabled the infantry to capture it (H2) then returned to the RP (w2a)
2699 reached O27c.9.5 at 9am and returned to the RP (w2a)
2008 reached O27 central at 9am, returned to rally and ditched at O32a.5.6 at 8:10am. Tried to unditch 2665 (w2a)
2665 ditched just after German Front Line (W22) O32a.5.6. at 8:10am (w2a)
The Battalion History states the three tanks that reached their objective and helped mop up, the battle-graph indicates only 2035 fired on the enemy.
10 Section
2015 ditched just after British Front Line (W22) in the bed of the Steenbeck, O31d.1.3 at 3:30am (W2a)
2036 broke down between German front Line and Black Line (W22) reached O31b.8.3 (w2a) and did not go into action (W2a) rallied (w2a)
2668 ditched just before German Front Line (w22) at N36d.8.9 at 3:45am, the OIC was wounded twice whilst trying to unditch the tank (W2a)
2664 got lost in the dark and ditched in a water filled crater, U1a.8.7 at 3:40am (w2a) just before German Front Line (w22)
12 Section
2034 ditched for an hour (w2a) just after crossing German front line (w22) at O25a.2.4 at 4:30am (W2a); then broke down at the same place (W2a)
2013 became lost in the dark, went too far to the right and ditched (W2a) just after crossing German front line (W22) at O25c.2.8 for 25 minutes, then ditched at O25a.4.1 at 6:30am (W2a)
2694 ditched twice between German Front Line and Black Line (W22) O19c.1.3 at 7.05am and again (W2a) finally just before crossing the Blue Line at O25a.3.7. (W2a)
2682 crossed the Blue line on time (W2a) and led the 1 / Munster Fusiliers of 47th Brigade, 16th Division (OH) into Wytschaete, at 7:40am, a tank from "A" battalion (A27, 2681) operating on its left. The tank did not fire in the village as it was surrounded by British infantry, fortunately the Germans were surrendering readily. The tank then went with the infantry to the Black Line where it waited whilst the infantry consolidated before turning to rally, whilst returning, at 11:30am, the tank ditched in between the Black Line and German Front Line at O25b8.4 (W2a) it was eventually unditched and returned. (W22) The tank fired on the enemy (W22bg)
11 Section - Supply
775 started from the PD at 5:30am, suffered from engine trouble and thus only crossed the British front line at 12 noon. returned and rallied O31 central at 2:30pm. (w2a)
742 reached RP at O25c.3.9 at 10:15am and got ditched there (w2a) whilst returning (W22) whilst attempting to unditch 2013 (W2a) unditched and returned. (W22)
Summary
Intended: 12
At start: 12
Failed to start: 0
Engaged enemy: 2
Ditched / Broke Down: 9
Hit and Knocked out: 0
Rallied: 3
Aftermath
The surviving tanks were all renamed by 31st July.
2694 was recovered on the 10th; no further record.
2036 was possibly lost whilst moving forward to the start point on 31st July.
2008 was recovered on the 9th, returned to the tankodrome on the 13th; and was in action on the 31st July.
2665 and 2699 were recovered on the 9th; and in action on the 31st July.
2013 was recovered on the 10th; and in action on the 31st July.
2015, 2035, 2664, 2668 were all in action on the 31st July.
2034 was in action on the 20th Nov 1917 at Cambrai.
2682 was in action on the 20th Nov 1917 at Cambrai with crew B1
742 and 775 probably remained with the battalion until October 1917 when they were presumably replaced with MK IV top tower supply tanks and sent to Central Workshops.
Sources
H2 – 2nd Battalion War History. Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum.
W2 – 2nd Battalion War Diary. Transcript from BovingtonTank Museum.
W2r - B / 2 Battalion War Diary Appendixes, Radio Messages summary in PRO WO 95 - 113
W22 - Messines Ridge Battlegraphs in PRO WO 95 / 101
OH - Official History. 1917. Vol 2. Pg 68.
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