12 Battalion, B and C Companies. 23 August 1918
Battle of Albert. 23rd August 1918
12th Battalion with 3rd Division, VI Corp, 3rd Army (H12) (OH)
“B” and “C” companies 12th Battalion, had 12 tanks in action on 23rd 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
8th Brigade on the left with 4 tanks (probably “C” company), 76th 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 4th 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 2nd Royal Scots (H12), 8th 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
12th tank battalion was next in action on 2nd September
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
OH – Official History, 1918 Vol IV. Pg.222f