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The Battle of Albert, 21st August 1918
10th Battalion with 63rd Division, and 5th Division, III Corps
10th Battalion had 16 tanks in action on August 21st 1918.
A Company - Capt C Palmer
2 Section - Lt Winchcombe-Taylor J in J7
J1, 9036, Lt Collins, No 6 crew
J3, 9335, 2Lt Hamilton FR, No 2 crew
J4, 9043, Cpt Lambert FJ, No 9 crew
J7, 9334, 2LT Hart AEB, No 3 crew
4 Section - Capt Cacey WR in tank J12
J8, 9253, 2Lt Sampson JW, No 18 crew
J9, 9342, 2Lt Thompson CA, No 16 crew
J12, 9266, 2Lt Linden, No 19 crew
J13, 9404, c, 2Lt Evans, No 1 crew
C Company – Capt Comp Robinson H. MC. 2IC Cpat Ponsford WS
Left section - Capt Harrap SJ
J44, 2Lt Webb C
J39, 9191, Capt Harrap SJ
J40, Lt Day WG
J45, 2Lt Biss GW
Right section - Lt Larter CB
J36, 2Lt Crawshaw LH
J37, 2Lt Lane Bayliff GT
J47, Lt Gardiner G
J48, 9366, c, Lt Larter CB
B Company (8 tanks) were in reserve at L9a.7.7.
Note
"A" company's details from original notebook in Bovington (W10Bv)
Lt Collins typed BHS states the tank was J6, 9063; the handwritten notebook says J1, 9036 twice.
Orders
A Coy
Support 95th brigade, 5th Division. To attack from Brown line to Green Dotted line at Zero plus 2 hours 42 mins. Lying up point f25a.3.9.
J1, J3, J8, J13 to join second wave of infantry on Brown line at Zero +157 mins. To assist Inf in taking railway embankment SW of Achiet le Grand and help them consolidate on green line roughly 300yds east of the railway.
J9 to proceed between first and second waves of infantry and assist them to the Railway running NE form Achiet Le Petit, then push on 500yds and cover consolidation.
C Coy
Support 189th brigade, 63rd Division. Lying up point F19
A contact patrol was to support the operation. The aircraft with the contact patrol would be marked by a black band under the right hand side of the tail. Before dropping a message they would fly low over the dropping place and fire Green very lights.
Two aircraft were to fly counter attack patrols on the brigade front [which brigade is not stated]. they were to bomb and machine gun any gun they saw actually firing on a tank and were also to periodically fire at any places enemy [anti tank] guns were likely to be located. they would also drop messages if they had valuable information to impart. The aircraft with the counter attack patrol would be marked by a black band under the left hand side of the tail.
Th tansk could signal the planes as follows:
green very lights - "Tank out of Action"
White very lights - "Anti Tank gun" fired in direction of gun.
these signals were to be repeated twice.
(W10t p26)
Account of operations
A Coy
Summary
All eight tanks left starting point at Zero, seven set off from the brown line on time at Z+162 mins, the eighth tank broke down and crossed the Brown line 6 minutes later (w10Bv) in heavy mist which confused infantry but not tanks. Mist lifted and 6 tanks were KO by enemy shellfire, remaining two rallied. (W10a)
J1 / J6 – Fired 20 six pdr and 250 SAA rounds. Struggled to keep direction in mist but attached itself to infantry and stayed with them down Loupart line until the railway embankment at G19d.6.4 was reached. Infantry started digging in 300 yds behind so tank turned to rally, but had engine trouble and was KO by shell fire at L17b.5.5. One crewman Killed and one wounded. (BHS) . Tank got lost in mist, attacked with NZ, reached huts in Achiet Le Petit where tank stopped to effect repairs on troublesome engine, this position still unsecure so commander attempted to withdraw tank behind Gommecourt [unclear] ridge, en route was KO by a shell.at L17b.30.40 (W10Bv)
J3 - hit and burnt out at G14d.1.2, all crew missing believed captured (BHS)
J4 – Fired 50 six pdr and 1000 SAA rounds. Left starting point at zero, reached deployment point at Zero +125 mins and took up position at L17b.6.6. Other three tanks in section, J1, J3 and J7 all passed J4 and took up positions ahead. Failed to make contact with infantry due to mist, waited 30 mins then joined by J1 and J3 which had returned. Placed J1 and J3 within sight at intervals on right and led 200 infantry from various units along communication trench running SE through L17b and L18a and L18c. the infantry followed to the ridge NE of the hutments in G19b, tank moved to railway embankment (BHS) G19b.4.0.(W10Bv) but infantry didn’t follow so tank returned to G19b central, where the tank was hit and the right track broken at G19b.5.5. (BHS) the OIC returned to the Company command post, the crew remained with the tank. (W10Bv)
J7 – Fired 50 six pdr and 1000 SAA rounds. Got lost in mist and reached jumping off point ten minutes late. Couldn’t find any infantry so pushed on, came across three abandoned German large caliber guns at L23b.4.7. Sopped from 8.30 to 8.40 to cool engine. Then crossed railway at L30a.4.2. and followed railway north, came under heavy MG and shellfire so, as tank still alone, retired. Penetrated by Anti tank Rifle Bullet just after re-crossing railway, passed through consolidating infantry and rallied. (BHS) at L4a.0.4 (W10Bv)
J8 – Fired 30 six pdr and 300 SAA rounds. Set of with second wave, found first wave hung up to right of Achiet le Petit so moved forward and came alongside J123 and J13 and then returned to correct position. Entered Achiet Le Petit to find infantry and KO 3 Mgs in a house which were holding them up. Passed first wave who were digging in 200 yds short of the railway, proceeded with other tanks to railway but second wave of infantry didn’t follow and started digging in [presumably on the line reached by first wave]. (BHS) Rallied with a hole in one petrol tank (W10Bv)
J9 – started at Z + 162 mins, Reached green line and led infantry towards green dotted line. Hit and Knocked Out at G21 central. All crew missing.
J12 - KO at L18c.2.8, OIC seriously wounded (W10Bv) No BHS
J13 – Fired 50 six pdr and 1500 SAA rounds. Set off with infantry and KO several MGs near Achiet le petit. Crossed green line in company with infantry at G15c.4.0. tank turned to rally but was hit and KO at G14c.3.2, (BHS) or G5c.9.4 (W10Bv) one Crewman killed, OIC and three crewmen wounded.
C Coy
(from Company commanders report)
Left lying up point for brown line at midnight on 20th / 21st. J39 broke down after 300 yds. Tanks went through Bucquoy and Logeast Wood and then deployed on F30c.
The tanks attacked, J45 broke down put was repaired and followed later.
The right section
Summary (from Company commanders report)
Section reached the south west portion of Logeast Wood, got in touch with “The Hoods “ of 189th Brigade, one tank was assigned to each company and the Green line was attacked in the mist. At 10:20am J36 rallied, 2Lt Crawshaw was wounded whilst reporting to the company commander. J48 was knocked out, her commander escaped and reported back at 11am. J37 and J47 were both knocked out at the crossroads south of Achiet-le-Petit, J47’s OIC was wounded, J37s OIC and crew missing.
Reports from Battle History Sheets (BHS)
J36 Fired 110 six pdr and 300 SAA rounds. 3rd tank from right in right section. [proceeded along roads and over light railway to Achiet le Peteit. About a quarter of a mile beyond light railway ran over and destroyed an MG and AT rifle nest. OIC and 1 crewman were wounded, one Hotchkiss damaged and put out of action and a 6pdr broke down and stopped working. Tank reached objective, them rallied.
J37 – no BHS
J47 Fired 50 six pdr and 400 SAA rounds. 2nd tank from right in right section. Attacked with “hoods” Silenced MGs firing from left, reached objective and returned to rally. Whilst returning met infantry officer who requested help in dealing with MGs in huts between Achiet le Grand and Achiet le Petit. These posts were dealt with and the tank proceeded to the south of Achiet le Petit, subduing small pockets of the enemy, the tankwas then hit and knocked out. 2 crew were killed, the OIC and 2 crewmen wounded, 2 crewmen were missing
J48 Fired 12 six pdr and 1000 SAA rounds. Rightmost tank of right section. Tank went right of Logeast Wood, was fired on by an MG on the left, turned to engage it and lost touch with infantry. 6pdr’d firing pin broke, tank proceeded towards the railway, was hit twice and burnt out. OIC and 5 crewmen wounded.
The left section.
Summary (from Company commanders report)
J40 and J44 proceeded towards the Brown line and met some royal Irish rifles and members of the 63rd Division. The tanks joined these infantry and attacked the Green Line at G3c [ G4c ? ] at the junction of the Railway and main road.
J40 on the right and J43 on the left. J45 caught up 20 minutes later but was
hit and KO near the cemetery in G3d, J40 was also hit but retired to Bucquoy with the wounded from J45. J44 was apparently hit and burnt out NW of the cemetery.
Reports from Battle History Sheets (BHS)
J39 broke down, repaired but did not get into action.
J40 Fired 30 six pdr and 600 SAA rounds. Attacked in mist, used 6 pdr and Hotckiss to silence some MGs which fired on tank from left and right. Lost touch with infantry but met J45. Lt Day went to find some infantry, the tanks came under heavy fire, J45 was hit several times and burnt out. J40 was also hit and damaged, 1 crewman and OIC wounded; she retired with the wounded from J45..
J43 – no BHS
J45 Fired 1 six pdr and 100 SAA rounds. Started 20 mins late, met infantry and attacked green line. Hit three times and burnt out close to cemetery between Achiet le grand and Achiet le Petit. OIC and 4 crewmen wounded.
Outcome
Overall both sides correctly claimed a victory in their accounts of this action. The British had reached their main objective, the Arras-Albert railway; and the Germans had successfully withdrawn from their forward zone to their main line of resistance, the Arras-Albert railway (OH). From the tanks perspective the advance had gone well in the mist, though the infantry apparently led the tanks in most places. When the mist lifted the tanks were subjected to direct fire form the German guns on the far side of the railway, this was particularly effective near to Achiet le Petit where the Whippets of 3rd battalion's C Company were severely mauled, suffering seven KO tanks out of nine. Whilst some tanks exploited onto the far side of the railway most did not.
Summary (from report)
Total Tanks: 16 (15)
Failed to Start: 1
Engaged enemy: (14)
Ditched / Broke Down: (0)
Hit and Knocked out: (11)
Rallied: (4)
Note:
Aftermath
B Coy Only J36 fit for action
J45 presumably the Mk V visible on an aerial photograph of the area including G3d taken on 22nd August 1918: X42.p146
Sources
W10t - W10 t - 10th Tank Battalion War Diary, pdf download from PRO Kew,
PRO-WO-95-103-3_2
p26 - Instruction No 3. Extract from addendum to [1st Tank Brigade] order No. 37. Tank and RAF Co- Operation.
BHS - Battle History Sheets in PRO WO 95-103
W10a - Company Commanders account of operations in PRO WO 95-103
W10Bv - Original Notebook in 10 Battalion's Box, Bovington tank Museum
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