1company20september1917

1 Company 20 September 1917

The Tanks at 3^rd Ypres. 20^th September 1917

1 Company, A Battalion, with 69^th Infantry Brigade, 23^rd Division, X Corps, 2^nd Army

1 Company intended to send 5 tanks into action on 20^th September 1917 ^(W22):

1 Company - Maj Tilley JC

1 Section – Lt Grove CFS

A1, 2001, “Armagh”, 2Lt Cronin RT,

A2, 2690, “Abou-Ben-Adam”, 2Lt Duncan CW,

A3, 2773, “A-Merry-Car”, Lt Cross JH

A5, 2016, “Argus”, 2Lt Atkinson TO

A10, 2025, “Arethusa”, 2Lt Liles RW,

Spare tank

2014, "Arabia", m ,

NOTE:

Tank names from Battalion list in Battalion War Diary dated June / July 1917 ^(W1)

In his report the Company commander states 2016 was crewed by crew A5, it is listed as A16, 2016 on the report on action of tank A16 It seams likely the tank still carried the crew number A16 but was in fact crewed by crew A5.

A10 was filmed at some point, possibly after the action: IWM 158, Reel 2, 00:57 - 01.44: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060008199

Orders:

Tanks to advance after infantry, mopping up strong points, infantry’s plan of attack did not depend upon tanks.

A5 and A10 to start at Zero and advance along Menin Road to Kantintje Cabt on the Blue Line then turn south towards Tower Hamlets engaging dugouts and strong points to the NE of Dumbarton Lakes. When Blue Line is consolidated the tanks were to advance on Green Line if infantry request it and the tanks OIC's think it is possible ^(W1a) .

Three tanks A1, A2, A3 to start at Zero hour, 5:40am from Clapham Junction / Stirling Castle, J13d.5.8, pass north of Inverness Copse and catch up infantry on the Red Line, then advance with them to objective, Northampton Farm (A1) and Veldhoek Farm and get to the Green Line by the best route.

Starting point: J13d.5.8. ^(w1a)

Account of Action

A3, 2773, Sheared the teeth off its rear sprocket wheel on starting the approach march; the crew transferred to 2014 which broke its left track after proceeding a few hundred yards. ^(W1a)

A1, 2001, Negotiated a large shell hole 150yds from the start point but then misunderstood the instructions given by the lead tank and turned left instead of right thus entering boggy ground. The tank thus ditched about 150yds from the start point. Despite strenuous efforts the tank could not be unditched and was abandoned at 5:15am; the guns were left on the tank in the hope it might be unditched later. ^(W1a)

A2, 2690 started on time but got slightly lost in the bad light and smoke and thus went towards J14 central and engaged snipers on the fringe of the attack. The tank regained direction and went to the edge of Inverness Copse but didn't reach the Blue Line, J14d.95.50 until Zero plus 100 by which time the infantry had already captured and consolidated the line of concrete emplacements there. A2 then went to J15c.5.4 and advanced with the infantry at 9:55am (Zero plus 255) and ditched at J21a.7.9 whilst aiming for the gap in bad ground at J21a.7.5. by the time the tank unditched the infantry had secured the Green Line so it turned back towards the rally point, proceeding via the Northern edge of Inverness Copse. The tank became ditched at J14c.9.7 and was then damaged by a shell which hit the top of the tank, blew off the unditching gear and penetrated the radiator. The tank was abandoned two two boxes of Small Arms ammunition were handed over to the 10^th Duke of Wellingtons. ^(W1a)

A2 drove 9 miles in four hours and fired 45 rounds of Small arms Ammunition.

A5, 2016 and A10, 2025 proceeded down the Menin road into the shattered remains of Inverness Copse. 400 yards along the road A10 was fired on by an MG that had apparently been overlooked by the advancing Infantry; both tanks returned fire and the MG was silenced with 6pdr and Lewis gun fire; the Officer and one crewman of A10 were wounded by splinters that flew off the inside of the tank. ^(W1a)

Despite the appalling state of the road, covered with fallen trees and other debris which forced the tanks to turn off the road to the left twice, the tanks reached Kantintje Cabaret; here the going became impossible so, after covering the infantry's consolidation by firing on likely MG emplacements on the ridge the tanks turned back. On the return journey just before it reached the tank trap A5 was knocked out by a direct hit on the right sponson which killed three crewmen and wounded the officer and four other crewmen. ^(W1a)

A10 picked up the wounded crew of A5 and successfully reached the rally point. ^(W1a)

A5 drove ten miles in two and a half hours and fired 45 rounds of Small arms Ammunition; A10 drove eight and a half miles in five hours and fired 35 six pounder rounds and 100 rounds of small arms ammunition.

The Official History gives a brief and inaccurate account of the tanks part in this action, saying the tanks did not assist the infantry ^(OH)

Summary

Intended: 5

At Start: 3

Failed to start: 0

Engaged enemy: 3

Ditched / Broke Down:

Hit and Knocked out: 2

Rallied: 1

Note

Totals don't include the spare tank.

Both knocked out tanks were ditched prior to being knocked out.

Aftermath

2690, 2016 - no further record

2001 was photographed ditched on 21st September 1917 and, post war still in the same position when derelict.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/4311433327/in/set-72157601074582281/

IWM Q 17868: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205252396

2773, 2025 - in action on 20^th Nov 1917 at Cambrai.

2014 - in action on 26^th Sept and then on 20^th Nov 1917 at Cambrai.

Sources

W1 - War Diary No1 / A Battalion Tank Corps / A Coy HBMGC 1916 – 1919 Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum

W1a - War Diary No1 / A Battalion Tank Corps: Appendixes in PRO WO 95 - 109

Company Commanders report and tank Commanders reports on operations on 20th September 1917

W22 – War Diary 2nd Tank Brigade– Relevant Appendices and Battlegraphs