4company23august1917

4 Company 23 August 1917

The Tanks at 3^rd Ypres. 23^rd August 1917

4 Company, B Battalion with 43^rd Brigade, 14th Div, II Corps, 5^th Army

4 Company had 4 fighting tanks in action on 23^rd August 1917 ^(W22):

1 Section - Capt Groves HBM

B3, 2520, “Blue Bird”, Lt Goodhall AH

B4, 2043, "Bulwark", 2Lt Chambers PC

B5, 2511, “Bystander”, 2Lt Colley EV

B33, 2707, f, “Bushranger”, 2Lt Lane WI

Notes:

Tank names and commanders from the Report on action of tanks ^(W2a)

B3 and B5 Crew numbers from the Summary of battle history sheets. ^(W22)

2043 is missing from the summary of battle history sheets, presumably because it failed to start.

2707 is not given a crew number in the summary of battle history sheets, it has the crew number B33 in the list in the war diary ^(W2) , it was possibly with a different crew on this date.

Orders ^(158/839)

Starting point: J13d.6.8.

Tanks to advance ahead of infantry and deal with strong points in Fitzeclarence Farm and L Shaped Farm ((J.14.b.25.30).

B3 and B4 to start at 4:40am and proceed to L shaped farm, J14b.25.30, demolish it and then turn south and return via the north end of Inverness Copse, dealing with Fitzeclarence Farm if necessary. ^{(158/839)(W1a)}

B5 and B33 to start at 4:35am and proceed directly to Fitzeclarence Farm, demolish it then turn north towards L shaped Farm J14b.25.30 ^{(158/839)(W1a)}

Account of Operations

B4 broke down, ^(W1a) was repaired and went forward to the staring point but was then hit and burnt out ^(158/839).

B3 started at 4.30 am ^(158/839) and possibly proceeded towards Fitzeclarence Farm. It must have run into the German counterattack which started at 4.30 am ^(s35.p60). It engaged the enemy near Inverness Copse, inflicting severe casualties on them as they retired. It then suffered a Direct hit ^{(W22)(158/839)}.

B5 and B33 also set off at 4.30 ^(158/839) as the German Counter attack started ^s35.p60). Both tanks helped drive the enemy back, with heavy loss, into Jap Trench. B5 suffered 3 Direct hits and was abandoned ^(W22). 2^nd Lt Colley was presumably wounded as he died of his wounds ^(W2) on this date ^(CWG). B33 rallied ^(W22).

Note: Chris McCarthy appears to date this action to the 24^th August. ^(s35.p60)

The Official History incorrectly states 3 tanks ditched on the way forward and only one came into action and supported the infantry. ^(OH)

Summary

Intended: 4

At start: 4

Failed to Start: 1

Engaged enemy: 3

Ditched / Broke Down:

Hit and Knocked out: 3

Rallied: 1

Aftermath

2520 -Photographed derelict: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rescuedbyrover/

2043 - no further record, probably one of the tanks at the tank Graveyard near Clapham junction.

2511 - no further record

2707 - Fought with crew B13 at Cambrai. may have been renamed.

Note:

According to "Following the tanks" 2511 was in action at cambrai.

4 Company's OB in ‘Following the Tanks, Cambrai’ is based on the list in the War diary which is incorrectly dated to Cambrai.

5 Company's OB is accurate for the 20^th November according to the notes. A “Bushranger II” is listed with crew B37; presumably “Bushranger” did not therefore survive 3^rd Ypres in operable condition.

Sources

W2 - War Diary No2 / B Battalion Tank Corps / B Coy HBMGC 1916 – 1919 Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum

W2a - War Diary No2 / B Battalion Tank Corps / B Coy HBMGC 1916 – 1919 Appendixes.

Report on action of tanks on the morning of 23rd August - PRO WO 95 - 113

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

OH – Official History, 1917, Vol 2, Pg.204

158/839 - PRO WO158 /839

S35 - Chris McCarthy (1995) Passchendaele. The Day by Day Account

S37 - Jean-Luc Gibot and Phillippe Gorczynski (1999) Following the Tanks, Cambrai. OOB excerpt.

4 Company 23 Aug 1917 - map

3rd Ypres Narratives - By date

3rd Ypres narratives - By Unit