1 Battalion 8 August 1918
The Tanks at Amiens. 8th August 1918
1st Battalion, with 4th Canadian Div, Canadian Corp, 3rd Army
1st Battalion had 34 MKV* tanks in action on 8th August 1918 (w1a) (H1)
A Company
11 Tanks (H1)
Section – Capt Brown (S43.p237f)
Section – Capt Keogh (S43.p237f)
Section – Capt Grove (S43.p237f)
Lt Oldham (S43.p250)
Tanks whose section is unknown:
2Lt Cassel (S43.p237f)
Lt F...... (S43.p237f)
B Company
C Company
Notes:
The Battalion wasn’t allocated a wireless tank. (W1a)
All the Battalion's tanks were MkV* (W1a)
Orders
1st Battalion was in reserve with the 4th Canadian Division, each tank was to carry 14 infantry Machine Gunners (2 Lewis Gun and one Vickers gun teams, 1 scout, 1 officer; a Total of 34 officers, 34 Scouts and 408 other ranks (W1a)). Tanks were to pass through the leading troops on the Red line (W24) and proceed directly to the Blue line and deposit the Machine gunners there, half the tanks were to remain to cover the consolidation and the other half were to return and support the advance of the Canadian reserves (H1) The 11th Canadian Brigade were on the right, the 12th on the left and the 10th in reserve. The infantry were to follow 200yds behind the tanks. “A” Company was to advance on La Quesnel (OH) “B” Company were on the left, “C” in the centre and “A” on the right. (W1a)
Rally point was the Gully at D18d (W1a)
Account of Operations
The Battalion made its way from Gentelles Wood to the Moreuil – Demuin line, sustaining no casualties despite having to traverse the bridge at Domart which was under intense shell fire. The tanks stopped at Dodo Wood to refuel and make last minute adjustments.
At 12 noon the battalion advanced. (H1) 12:10 according to the Official History, the Infantry followed 200 yds behind (OH) Two tanks broke down and failed to get into action (W1a)
The French having been held up on the right the battalion was subjected to heavy enfilade fire from the villages of Le Quesnel and Beaucourt. A Field Battery in the open at j6b.1.1. (w1a) near Le Quesnol fired at “A” Company over open sights and knocked out 9 of the company’s 11 tanks, it also hit a tenth tank from another company, many of the victims were set afire by shell hits and severe casualties inflicted, two tanks were apparently set afire by machine gun bullet splashes (w1a). 3 section commanders were killed and the fourth wounded and captured (H1), Captains Brown, Keogh and Grove were all killed (S43.p248ff). 2Lt Cassel and a number of his crew were killed when their tank was hit through the front after he turned to engage the battery (H1) Frank Mitchell states this was Lt Cassels first action, he was decapitated, his body identified by a letter in his pocket, his tank was far ahead of the others heading towards the copse in La Qusnoy. (S43.p254) The Official history states the guns were 1000 yds south of Beaucort Wood and fired on the tanks from 70 yds range (the report states 700 yds (W1a)) two guns camouflaged with corn stalks to the front of the tanks, two others dug in to a sunken road on the tanks left (OH). These are probably the 10 tanks that were bought to a standstill on the 8th August all in squares D29 and D30 (w1a)
Only 11 tanks made it to the Blue line, 1 of “A” company, 4 of “B” and 6 of “C” (H1). The “A” company tank reached the blue dotted line at Le Quesnel (W1a) The “C” company tanks passed north of Beaucort Wood (The Official history incorrectly lists “B” company twice) (OH). As the area was still under heavy fire from the right the “A” and “C” companies tanks carried their infantry back 1500 yds before depositing them. The 4 “B” Company tanks reached the Blue dotted line south of Caix at 3:30pm (W1a) unloaded their infantry and remained with them for two hours. (H1)
The 11th Brigade passed through the other two, came in contact with the Canadian Cavalry Brigade and advanced on Beaucourt Wood. The 54th battalion on the right was supported by three tanks, two of which were hit and set afire and the third disabled, (OH) it is not clear if these were 1st Battalion tanks.
Only one “A” Company tank rallied (S43.p247)
Lt F... was wounded and captured (S43.p252)
Two Canadian Machine Gunners who were passengers in the tanks are quoted in Amiens 1918 (S45). One of them, Lt MacDonald states his tank reached the Blue Line but was hit and destroyed there before the Machine Gunners had a chance to unload all their ammunition. The other Machine Gunner mjst have been in a “C” or “A” Company thank as he states they de byussed at the Blue Line only to re embark and withdraw 1500 yds. (S45.p164ff).
Summary
Total Tanks: 34
Failed to Start:
Engaged enemy:
Ditched / Broke Down: 2
Hit and Knocked out: 10
Rallied: less than 24
Note: None of the sources indicate how amny tanks rallied at the end of the 8th August.
The Brigade report indicates the 1st Battalion had lost 21 tanks by the13th August. 8 had suffered direct hits and were immovable, 5 had been hit but were moveable, 4 were burnt out, 1 had suffered mechanical trouble and 3 had ditched. This would leave 13 tanks on strength. (W24)
2 tanks were KO on the 9th, 3 on the 10th and one tank was damaged on the 10th. (OH) (w1a) (H1)
Thus on the 8th: 7 tanks should have been KO, 4 hit but movable, 1 broke down and 3 ditched. Assuming all these tanks were now unserviceable this would leave the battalion with 19 tanks at the end of the 8th August.
Aftermath
1st Battalion was next in action on the 9th August 1918
Sources
W1– 1st Battalion’s War diary. Transcription from Bovington Tank Museum
W1a – HQ 4th Tank brigade. Report on operations on 8th, 9th and 10th August 1918 in PRO WO 95 / 109
W24 – 4th Tank Brigade War Diary. Appendix 14. 4th tank brigade report on operations August 8th to 11th 1918. PRO WO 95 / 108
H1 – 1st Battalion’s War History. Transcription from Bovington Tank Museum
OH – Official History 1918 Vol IV Chap III, pg 55ff
S43 - Tank Warfare (1933, 1987 edition), Frank Mitchell MC
S45 – Amiens 1918 (2007), James McWilliams and R James Steel.