12 Battalion, C Company. 8 October 1918

2^nd Cambrai. (Niergnies). 8^th October 1918

“C” Company, 12^th Battalion with 2^nd and 3^rd Divisions, VI Corp, 3^rd Army ^(H12)

12^th Battalion, “C” Company had 8 tanks in action on 8^th October 1918 ^(W12)

“C” company – Maj. Richardson DH MC

8 tanks including

2Lt Ransley

L54, f, 2Lt Walters JB

L45, m, 2Lt Clark

L49, m, 2Lt Sherratt

Orders

3rd army to capture a line running from Niergnies to Esmes. VI Corp, 2^nd and 3^rd Divisions in the centre to capture Seranvillers and the large farms thereabouts ^(H12): The first objective was a trench running past the western edge of Seranvillers and Niergnies; the second objective Seranvillers, la Targette, Forenville and Maison Neauve; the right division was then to advance to a third objective Wambaix village and Halte, with the line bent back to Forenville. ^(OH)

9^th and 99^th brigades were to lead the attack, 9^th brigade committing 1^st Northumberland Fusiliers and the 4^th Royal Fusiliers to capture the first objective; the 2^nd Suffolk (attached from 76^th brigade) and the 13^th Kings were then to pass through and secure the second objective. ^(OH)

“C” Company was to support 2^nd and 3^rd Divisions. Specifically to cross the front line at Zero + 30 mins and mop up any MGs missed by the 9^th and 99^th brigades in the dark; then, if needed, help establish the infantry on the final objective across the Cambrai – Esnes Road. ^(H12)

Zero was at 4:30am ^(W12)

Account of Operations

One tank broke down before reaching the jumping off point. The other seven tanks all advanced at 5am and caught the infantry up on the first objective, having little to do until then. Seranvillers Village, La Targette Farm and Forenville Farm were all captured with the tanks help. 2Lt Ransleys’s tank silenced several MGs in the village and a copse on the far side but was hit four times and burnt out. ^(H12) The north eastern portion on Seranvillers and La Targette were not captured ^(OH)

The infantry having consolidated on (most of ^(OH)) the final objective the tanks turned to rally and were caught by the enemy counterattack ^(H12) at 8:30am ^(OH). L54 (female) engaged two female beutepanzers ^(H12) , No.134 and No. 138, ^(S75.p105) from Abtielung 15 ^(S6.p40), and succeeded in driving them both off with damaged weapons ^(H12), one of these beutepanzers, commanded by 2Lt Semmler ^(S75.p105) was then knocked out by artillery fire ^(H12) from the 99^th light trench mortar battery ^(OH) A third beutepanzer was knocked out by the 2 British tanks assigned to the 2^nd Division ^(OH), this isn’t mentioned in 12^th Tank Battalion’s war History ^(H12). L45 and L49 (both male) met near a sunken road east of Seranvillers, ^(H12) , nosing out of a line of trees along the Cambrai road they closed to 300 yds and ^(S75.p105) engaged two female beutepanzers ^(H12) from Abtielung 16 ^(S6.p40) commanded by 2Lt Lueg and 2Lt von Alten ^(S75.p105) which had got in the rear of the 13^th Kings ^(OH) and were firing on the British infantry as they retreated from the second objective. Both Beutepanzers were hit with 6pdr shells and set afire ^(H12). These tanks were knocked out whilst advancing towards Esne from the North east ^(OH)

Abtielung 15’s third (male) beutepanzer, 2Lt Hoffmann ^(S75.p105), was not seen or engaged by the British tanks, it engaged British infantry ^(s6.p40) to the north of Seranvillers, having all its Lewis guns disabeled and 5 crewmen wounded ^(S75.p105) before it ran out of ammunition, withdrew and rallied. ^(s6.p40)

The tanks then returned and rallied. ^(H12)

Summary

Total Tanks: 8

Failed to Start: 1

Engaged enemy: 7

Ditched / Broke Down: 0

Hit and Knocked out: 1

Rallied: 6

Aftermath

This was “C” company’s last action.

2 tanks from B Company were next in action on 23^rd October, the battalion’s, and the MkIV’s last action.

Two interesting photographs show what appears to be the same man posing with a knocked out beutepanzer X8.p39; and a male Mk IV, X8.p44. The beutepanzer carries an inscription indicating it was captured by 12^th Battalion. The author has no direct evidence for this but believes it is possible the man is either 2Lt Clark or 2Lt Sherratt posing with L45 or L49 and one of the tanks victims.

Rainer Strasheim states one of the knocked out Beutepanzers was photographed (He doesn't reference the photograph but possibly means that in Mr Fletcher's book, X8.p39) and suggests it may have been beutepanzer No. 132. A photograph in Mr Strasheim's book shows 132 in German workshops prior to deployment: X75.p166, as mr Strasheim states the camouflage pattern appears to be the same the same but, the crosses have been changed.

Sources

W12 - War Diary of 12^th Tank Battalion, Transcript from Bovington tank Museum

H12 - War History of 12^th Tank Battalion PRO WO 95 / 100

OH – Official History, 1918 Vol V. Pg.206f

S6 – German Panzers 1914 – 1918 (2006) David Zologa

S8 – British Mk IV tank (2004) David Fletcher

S75 - Beute-Tanks, Vol 2 (2011) Rainer Strasheim

12 Battalion. 8 October 1918. Map

2nd Cambrai - 8 to 9 October 1918