2 Battalion 9 August 1918

The Tanks at Amiens. 9^th August 1918

2 Battalion, with 2^nd and 3^rd Brigades, 1^st Australian Division, Australian Corp, 4th Army ^(OH)

2 Battalion had 14 tanks in action on 9^th August 1918 ^(H2)

Composite Company – Major Crouch TA ^(H2)

Probably:

9002, 2Lt Stammers AE

9302, 2Lt Clarke ADM

9305, 2Lt Teale FA

9031, Lt McLean RC

9415, Lt Botterill GV

9003, 2Lt Cameron D

9004, 2Lt Tattersfield

9010, 2Lt Albertson AH

9256, 2Lt Green WT

9325, 2Lt Rendle NC

9398, 2Lt Gorringe PH

9401, Sgt Smith WE

9432, 2Lt James AS

One tanks crew number was B27 ^(W18aus)

Note that B27 was tank 9309 which had been KO on the 8^{th (SBV BMA)}

And one other tank.

Notes:

Tanks are those that rallied on the 8^th. Identities and OCs may be incorrect for the 9^th.

Orders

To start at 1pm initially on support of attack of 2^nd Australian Brigade ^(H20) 7^th and 8^th Battalions, on Lihons Hill; 7 tanks attached to each of 2^nd Brigades Battalions. 3^rd Brigade were then to pass through ^(OH) and tanks were to support them ^(H2)

6 tanks with 7^th Battalion ^(w7aus)

Tanks spread across the front, 1 tank from each section in support, and Captaon Hamlets section in support.

Account of Operations

Tanks started on time and crossed the low ridge between Harbonierres and Guildecourt. They came under heavy fire so moved into low ground and awaited the infantry. Tanks and infantry then moved through the 15^th Australian Brigade which was supporting the flank of the Canadian Corps. The enemy offered little resistance and surrendered readily. Resistance stiffened when Rossierres Station and the nearby Factory (X26d.4.5 ^(W2a)) were approached; 3 tanks received direct hits there. German reinforcements arrived in Lihons and a field battery set up on high ground near there (X29a ^(W2a)), this battery knocked out five tanks (in a line running from X28a.8.5 to F4a.8.7 ^(W2a)) close to an abandoned German field hospital. These guns, and supporting MGs in the woods west of Lihons, held up the advance for an hour and an half. At 5:30pm the guns were silenced by artillery fire which knocked one out and forced the others to withdraw. The infantry, now without tank support in this area, pressed on and eventually reached their objective. The surviving tanks withdrew to the SW side of Harbonnieres where they were taken over by Major Diamond and fresh crews. ^(H2)

Sgt Smith’s tank [presumably 9401] received seven direct hits but was successfully brought to the rally point.

All the tanks were knocked out before the Green Line was reached, one did silence an MG. The tanks on the left veered to the right and thus didn’t help the infantry at this vulnerable point. ^(w2bAus)

5^th AIF Battalion on left all tanks knocked out by 4:45pm. ^(w5aus)

6^th AIF Battalion on right all tanks knocked out by 4:20pm. ^(w6aus)

Whilst crossing the high ground in W18a 7^th AIF Battalion, on the left, came under fire from a field gun battery in X23 and a 4.2 battery on the same vector but further back. The left flank tank capsized in a sunken road at W17b, the other tanks were already moving too far to the right. By the time the battalion passed through the 15^th Australian Brigade the tanks were well off to the right and thus did not support 7^th Battalion any further. ^(W7aus)

8^th AIF Battalion on the right all tanks knocked out after they had gone about 1500yds. A battery at X29c.7.7. Hospital in X7 central. ^(W8aus)

18^th AIF Battalion recommended one tank officer for a medal. Commander of B27, a short man with a wounded right arm. He directed his tank on foot until it was knocked out by a whizz bang and surrounded, managed to fight his way back to Australians with whom he remained for an hour despite being wounded. ^(W18aus)

The CWG states 2Lt Thomas TW died on the 14^th August 1918, he was 9256's OIC on the 8^th and thus may have been killed (or badly wounded) when in action on the 9^th.

Summary

Total Tanks: 14

Failed to Start:

Engaged enemy:

Ditched / Broke Down:

Hit and Knocked out: 8

Rallied: 6

Rallied is a guess.

Aftermath

Ten 2^nd battalion tanks were in action with different crews on the 11^th August; the account states all these tanks had been in action on the 8^th and 9^th August.

The following tanks were all in action on 23^rd August: 9002, 9004, 9031, 9305, 9312.

Sources

H2 – 2^nd Battalion War History. Transcript form Bovington Tank Museum.

OH – Official History, 1918, Vol IV, pg.103ff

W2bAus – 2^nd Australian Brigades War Diary.

W5Aus – 5^th Australian Battalions War Diary.

W6Aus – 6^th Australian Battalions War Diary.

W7Aus – 7^th Australian Battalions War Diary.

W8Aus – 8^th Australian Battalions War Diary.

W2a – Account of Action of 2^nd Battalion form Afternoon 8^th August to evening of 9^th August 1918

Amiens