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Battle of Albert. 25th August 1918
A Company, 9th Tank Battalion, with 3rd Guards Brigade, Guards Division, VI Corp, 3rd Army (OH)
A Company, 9th Battalion had 8 fighting tanks in action on 25th August 1918 (W9)
A Company (W9)
2 section – Lt Roney
I6
I7
One other tank
3 section – Capt Davy
I12
Two other tanks
4 section – Capt Sykes
I18
I20
Officers with unidentified tanks:
2Lt Gudgeon possibly OIC of I7
2Lt Harrop
Notes
Orders
VI Corps was to attack at 9am, but the Guards mistakenly attacked at 4:30am (OH)
Objective to capture and consolidate Banks Reserve Trench (H9)
2 section on the right with the 1st Grenadier Guards, 1000 yds frontage. (W9)9OH)
3 section on the left with the 1st Welsh Guards, 1200 yds frontage. (W9)(OH)
4 section in the centre with the 2nd Scots Guards, 1500 yds frontage. (W9)(OH)
Zero hour was 4:30am.
2 and 4 sections to meet their infantry at zero and attack with them.
3 section to proceed around the southern and eastern sides of the village and met the Welsh Guards who were attacking form the north.
The infantry were not to enter villages, they were to be left to the tanks (OH)
Account of Operations
A thick fog descended from 4:20am to 7:30am, this made it impossible to see more than 20yds, the tanks had no compasses and thus had difficulty keeping direction.
2 section met the Grenadier Guards and helped them into Banks trench. I6 was penetrated by AP bullets which damaged the engine and wounded five crew.sometime before 8.30am I7 was hit and burnt out at B4d.3.2; all crew missing. The attack did not progress further as the infantry were unable to make contact with their flanks. The third tank in this section rallied at 7.45am. (W9) The official history states the grenadiers advanced a mile in the mist with their three tanks but were then stopped short of Banks Trench, the mist lifted and two tanks were knocked out, after clinging on for some time the Grendiaers withdrew to a trench north east of Mory Copse. (OH)
4 section couldn’t locate their infantry. I20 went over the greater part of his sector. I18 completely lost direction, it was met by the company commander at 7am and directed up Scout Trench where it silenced some MGs before being told it was no longer needed as the advance had come to a halt. (W9) I18 is presumably the tank which was with the Scots Guards when they were held up close to banks trench. (OH)
3 section went too far to the right. I12 was hit on the right sponson door early in the action and retired. The other two tanks were uncertain as to where they went. (W9) The Welsh Guards thus attacked without tank support and were forced to return to their start point when they encountered uncut wire. (OH)
Only two tanks reached the final objective (H9)
Casualties: 1 officers and 10 other ranks wounded, and 5 other ranks missing. 1 other rank wounded but remained on duty (W9)
Officer casualties: Capt Davy CL MC wounded. (W9) 2Lt Gudgeon TW killed (H9)(CWG), 2Lt Harrop RH captured (H9)
Summary
Total Tanks: 8
Failed to Start:
Engaged enemy:
Ditched / Broke Down:
Hit and Knocked out: 4
Rallied: 4
Note
Hit and knocked out includes the two damaged tasnk both of which rallied.
Rallied does not include the two damaged tanks.
Aftermath
“A” Company were next in action on 2nd September 1918.
Sources
W9 – 9th Tank Battalion War Diary Appendix – Report on operations of on 25th August 1918 Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum
H9 – 9th Tank Battalion’s War History, Transcript from Bovington tank Museum.
OH – Official History. 1918. Volume IV. Pg.277
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