12 Battalion, B and C Companies. 23 August 1918

Battle of Albert. 23^rd August 1918

12^th Battalion with 3^rd Division, VI Corp, 3^rd Army ^{(H12) (OH)}

“B” and “C” companies 12^th Battalion, had 12 tanks in action on 23^rd August 1918

Major Forestier-Walker

“B” company

8 tanks

L26, 2Lt Hayward WH

2Lt Porteous

L38

“C” company

4 tanks

L41

Section – Commander Capt. Dunn

Orders

8^th Brigade on the left with 4 tanks (probably “C” company), 76^th brigade on the right with 8 tanks (probably “B” company). Tanks to clear Gomiecourt and its outskirts and the network of sunken roads to the north of the village. Zero was at 4am. Assembly points north of Logeast Wood and in Courcelles village. ^(H12) 76th brigade were to attack Gomiecourt ^(OH)

Account of Operations

One tank was hit and knocked out just short of the assembly position in Courcelles village, a second tank broke down and failed to start.

The other ten tanks all started on time, some struggled to cross the railway and the enemy started shelling the crossing place heavily;

“B” Company

L38 silenced a three gun battery close to the railway and another tank silenced some guns near the village. ^(H12)

L26 fired almost all its 6pdr ammunition at MG posts in the village, then expended the remainder on Mg posts at the request of the infantry. Whilst advancing to crush another MG post, and before it crossed the railway, the tank was hit four times by field gun fire and knocked out, the driver killed and four crewmen wounded, the tank rolled backwards down the embankment and the crew bailed out into a sunken road. 2Lt Hayward, who was was walking outside L26 when it was hit, attempted to stop 2Lt Porteous’ tank which was approaching. Unfortunately the tank was hit and knocked out, just before it entered Gomeicourt, the OIC killed ^(H12)(CWG) and all the crew except the Sgt Roberts were wounded. Sgt Roberts then recovered two Lewis guns from his tank and the two crews combined before eventually withdrawing together. ^(H12)

Two more tanks were also knocked out and one had its radiator pierced; two of these tanks made it their objectives before being disabled. ^(H12)

Gomiecourt was cleared despite fallen trees making the main road all but impassable. The tanks then patrolled the far side of the village until the infantry, Suffolks and 4^th Gordons, consolidated. ^(H12)

The tank with the pierced radiator was abandoned after the Hawser being used to tow it broke. ^(H12)

As it was now light the tanks and infantry were strafed by enemy aircraft and the tanks were fired on by enemy 5.9s which could see them from Mory ridge. ^(H12)

“C” Company

The tanks supporting the 2^nd Royal Scots ^(H12), 8^th Brigade did excellent work obliterating several MG nests and rounding up prisoners ^(OH); L41 captured 100 prisoners ^(H12). Three tanks, including L41, were then hit by HE shells and knocked out, the fourth tank was disabled when all its crew were wounded by AT rifle fire. ^(OH)(H12)

Casualties: 1 officer and 3 other ranks killed; 2 offices and 11 other ranks wounded. ^(H12)

Summary

Total Tanks: 12

Failed to Start: 2

Engaged enemy:

Ditched / Broke Down:

Hit and Knocked out: 9

Rallied: 3

Note

Rallied doesn’t include the two tanks that failed to start.

Aftermath

12^th tank battalion was next in action on 2^nd September

Sources

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

H12 - War History of 12^th Tank Battalion, Transcript from Bovington tank Museum

OH – Official History, 1918 Vol IV. Pg.222f

Albert - 21 to 29 August 1918