12 Battalion, A company. 23 August 1918
Battle of Albert. 23rd August 1918
12th Battalion, 1st Scots Guards, Guards Division, VI Corp, 3rd Army (H12) (OH)
“A” Company 12th Battalion, had 8 tanks in action on 23rd August 1918
Major Campbell R
“A” company
Left section
L4, 4668, “ Lorraine”, Sgt Fleming
And 3 other tanks
Right section Capt Clarke
L1, 4554, “Ladybird”, Capt Clarke JP
L14, 2621, “Lassie”, 2Lt McGragor
L17, 4562, “Lightning”, 2Lt Thomas
and 1 other tank
Spare
L3, 2382, “Lupin”
Notes
All serial numbers and OIC names from 19 August orders, 12 Bttn Box, Bovington Tank Museum, (Courtesy of Gwyn Evans)
Captain J Clarke Section commander and OIC of L1 (S99.p80)
The unidentified tanks are presumably 4 of the following, all of which were with "A" company on the 19th August.
L2, 2802, "Leader", 2Lt Shaw
L6, 4510, "Lily", 2Lt Carmichael
L7, 8034, "Looter", 2Lt Wright
L8, 2356, "Lukoi", 2Lt Staub
L11, 8021, "Liaison", 2Lt Graty
L12, 8103, "Lochiel", 2Lt Kibbey
L13, 4565, "Love", Sgt Curtis
L16, 4006, "Lion", 2Lt Webb
L18, 2713, "Lioness", 2Lt Underdown
Orders
4 tanks were to support each flank company of the 1st Scots Guards as they attacked (H12) Hamlincourt village (OH) . 3 tanks were to lead each company and advance independently on the village, the other 2 tanks were to advance with the first wave of the infantry. Once the village was cleared the tanks and infantry were to advance on Hamel trench 500yds beyond the village. Zero was 4:55am. (H12) (W12a)
Account of Operations
L1 broke down and was replaced with L3. (H12) (W12a)
On the left L4 broke down and failed to start, another tank reached the railway 30 minutes late and thus failed to get into action. Three tanks from the right section also failed to start, L3 and L14 broke down and L17 belied on a tree stump near Moyennville. (H12) (W12a)
The remaining three tanks advanced with the infantry. The right section tank ditched on the edge of the village. The two tanks in the left section cleared Hamlincourt village and then Hamel switch (H12)(W12a), both were secured by 8am (OH); whilst returning they pulled the right section tank clear. (H12)(W12a)
The 3 tanks that engaged the enemy fired 150 6 pdr rounds and 3 case shot rounds, 870 rounds SAA. (W12a)
Summary
Total Tanks: 9
Failed to Start: 5
Engaged enemy: 3
Ditched / Broke Down: 1
Hit and Knocked out:
Rallied: 3
Rallied includes the ditched tank but not those that failed to start.
7 of the eight tanks that left the assembly point (i.e. excluding L3) rallied. (W12a)
Aftermath
L17 was handed to salvage, the other tanks rejoined the battalion.
L3, L4, L6, L7, L8, L11, L12, L14 and L16 were all in action on 31 Aug 1918.
Sources
W12 - War Diary of 12th Tank Battalion, Transcript from Bovington tank Museum
H12 - War History of 12th Tank Battalion, Transcript from Bovington tank Museum
W12a - War Diary of “A” Company,12th Tank Battalion, Transcript from Bovington tank Museum
OH – Official History, 1918 Vol IV. Pg.223f