7 Battalion 21 August 1918

The Battle of Albert. 21^st August 1918

7^th Battalion, with 37^th, 63^rd and 5^th, IV Corp, 3^rd Army ^{(H7) (OH)}

7^th Battalion was part of 1^st Tank Brigade

7^th Battalion had 33 MKIV tanks in action on 21^st August 1918 ^(H7)

A Company – Maj. Winters JW

1 section – Capt Wright EV MC

4 tanks

3 section – Capt McChelery GC

4 tanks

4 section – Capt Custance ECN

4 tanks

B Company – Maj. Rossi Ashton CG

6 section – Capt Fitzherbert PH

4 tanks

7 section – Capt. Gregory F

4 tanks

8 section – Capt. Baker AG MC

4 tanks

C Company – Maj. Guy OV MC

9 section – Capt. Merchant HG

4 tanks

10 section – Capt. Allden J MC

4 Tanks

11 section – Capt. Burton CR MC

4 tanks

Notes:

“B” and “C” Companies had drawn 24 tanks from Erin on the 4^th August ^(W7)

“A” company drew 12 tanks from Blangy on the 8^th August ^(W7)

The battalion drew 6 extra tanks on the 8^th August ^(W7)

Orders

First Phase to Blue Line.

4:55am zero hour. ^(H7)

To assist 37^th Division in capturing Ablainzeville; and Bucquoy the objectives being roughly a line drawn form F24 central to L9 central. ^(W7)

“A” company to support 111^th Brigade ^(W7), “A” company on the left ^(H7) operating in the area F28d.6.0 to F24a.5.5 inclusive. ^(W7)

1section to operate between Ablainzeville; and Bucquoy, four tanks to operate in Ablainzeville; two from 3 section and two from 4 section. Two 4 section tanks to operate north of Ablainzeville, two tanks of 3 section to operate south of Ablainzeville. ^(W7)

One ”A” company section was reinforced to 6 tanks, the transcript is unclear as to which. ^(W7)

“B” company to support 63^rd Brigade^(W7), “B” company on the right. ^(H7) operating in the area F28d.6.0 exclusive to L9 central. ^(W7)

6 section to operate in the northern part of Bucquoy. Two tanks from 8 section to operate in southern Bucquoy, 2 tank to the south of Bucquoy. ^(W7)

Second Phase to Green Line [ 7 Battalion to Brown line ].

63^rd and 5^th Divisions to pass through the 37^th on the Blue line at zero + 90 mins and capture the railway line from G4c.5.9. to G19c.2.0. ^(W7) 200yds further on from the Blue Line ^(H7) [ this distance is incorrect ]

Northern boundary from A19a central to G4c.5.9; southern boundary from L8 central [ L9 central ] to g19c.2.0. Inter divisional boundary 400yds north and parallel to the Bucquoy – Achiet Le Petit Road. ^(W7)

C Company, reinforced to 16 tanks with the addition of 1 section from “A” company, was to support 63^rd Division. 9 and 10 sections with 188^th Brigade, 1 and 11 sections with 189^th Brigade. ^(W7)

“B” company was to reinforce 7 and 8 Sections to 6 tanks each and then support 5^th Division. 8 section with 15^th Brigade; 7 section with 95^th Brigade. ^(W7)

Tanks were to follow the barrage at 100yds every 4 minutes to the brown Line; A27a.3.3 to G7 central – to L22a.5.5. The barrage will proceed another 250 yds and then die down. 7^th battalion tanks will rally [ after reaching brown Line ], 10^th Battalion will pass through. ^(W7)

Rallying points:

C Coy and 1 sect: L6c.4.5.

B Coy: L16b.5.8

A coy: L11b central

Supply tanks were to be used NW of Bucquoy and west of Achiet Le Petit ^(W7)

Account of Operations

In a thick mist which limited vision to 20yds the tanks advanced on time with the infantry behind the creeping barrage and captured the first objective without encountering any effective resistance. “B” company lost one tank to a direct hit. ^{(H7) (OH)}

The KO tank may have been commanded by Lt GD Maclean, B Company, 7 Tank battalion, who died on this day ^(CWG)

Lt L Clegg died on the 22^nd and thus may have been woudned on the 21^{st (CWG)}

At 6:25am the advance resumed. 3 tanks from “A” company joined 8 tanks from “C” company and advanced with the 63^rd Division on the left. “B” company was reinforced by 5 reserve tanks and advanced with the 5^th Division on the right. The second objective was secured by 7:30am and the tanks returned and rallied. 3 tanks were hit by artillery and disabled at the rallying point. ^{(H7) (OH)}

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 fie form the German guns on the far side of the railway, this was particularly effective near to Achiet le Petit where the Whippets of 3 battalion's C Company were severely mauled, suffering seven JO tanks out of nine.Whilst some tanks exploited onto the far side of the railway most did not.

Summary

Total Tanks: 33

Failed to Start:

Engaged enemy:

Ditched / Broke Down:

Hit and Knocked out: 1

Rallied:

Note:

7^th Battalion was next in action on the 24^th August 1918

Sources

H7 – 7^th Battalion’s War History. Transcription from Bovington Tank Museum

W7 – 7^th Battalion’s War diary. Operation Order No 1 of August 18^th 1918

Amendment to operation order No 1

Operation Order No 2 of August 19^th 1918

Transcription from Bovington Tank Museum

OH – Official History 1918 Vol IV, pg181, pg188f

21 August 1918 - Map

Albert - 21 to 29 August 1918