3 Battalion. C Coy. 8 August 1918
The Battle of Amiens. 8th August 1918
3rd Battalion, C Coy with 7th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division, Cavalry Corp, 4th Army (W3)(OH)
15th Battalion, C Coy had 16 tanks in action on 8th August 1918 (w3)
C Company - Maj Price TR DSO MC (W3)
9 Section – Capt Henderson AK
C45, A290, “Cherubim II”, Lt Sewell CH
C46, A211, “Challenger”, 2Lt Hickson AG
C47, A253, “Conquer III”, Capt Henderson AK
C48, A259, “Caeser II”, Cpl Jervis T
10 Section - Capt Gross RM
C49, A264, “Cleopatra”, Capt Gross RM
C50, A265, “Conviviality”, 2Lt Archibald
C51, A271, “Chaperon II”, 2Lt Wilson R
C52, A280, “Consort II”, Sgt Perkins
11 Section - Capt Weber CF MC
C53, A229, “Coquette III”, Capt Weber CF MC
C54, A234, “Chanticleer”, 2Lt Wilcock
C55, A241, “Carnoustie”, 2Lt Dean SH
C56, A273, “Crusader II”, Sgt Ward AW
12 Section - Capt Purdy EL MC
C57, A240, “Cayenne”, Capt Purdy EL MC
C58, A227, “Chilli II”, Sgt Kennedy G
C59, A281, “Comet III”, 2Lt Thomas T
C60, A291, “Cummertrees”, 2Lt Cotton
Notes
Above list correct for 6th August (W3)
Orders
“C” Company attached to 7th Cavalry Brigade (W3)
The Cavalry Corp were to gain possession of the old Amiens Defence Line between Hangest and the Amiens Chaulnes Railway and hold it until relieved by the infantry (OH)
Account of Operations
Two tanks broke down and failed to attack. (W3)
The remaining tanks followed “B” Company across the bridge over the Ignaucourt. 10 and 11 sections assembled in D4d, 10 section on the right with the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons and 11 section on the left with the 7th Dragoon Guards. Both sections moved off with the forward cavalry screen, 9 and 12 sections, on the right and left respectively followed behind the cavalry. (W3)
The cavalry outran the tanks but were stopped by heavy MG fire after they crested the ridge and started advancing into valley in D10b. The fire came from Beaucourt and the woods in D10c and D11a, the 7th Dragoon Guards failed to advance into the woods in D11b. Both cavalry regiments joined the Royal Canadian Dragoons and took cover in the valley in D10b. 11 section forced the enemy to retire from the wood in D11b and thus the 7th Dragoon Guards were able to advance and occupy it. 11 Section continued to advance, the cavalry failed to advance with them. In D16d the tanks engaged many retreating enemies until their guns overheated and jammed. The cavalry were unable to follow and the tanks thus engaged the enemy independently. A280 was hit on the track and disabled (W3)
A211 and A229 cleared up Cayeux Wood and then patrolled E7, E8, E14a and E14b all afternoon; finding the Canadian infantry in possession of the blue dotted line the tanks rallied. (W3)
The 4th Canadian Division arrived about 2:50pm and the tanks helped them clear out the woods in D24, then the woods in E15 which were cleared by 4:30pm. The company turned to rally at 5:30pm. (W3)
Note:
The Official History states the tanks failed to keep up with the cavalry and so swung south and assisted the Canadian (OH)
Summary
Total Tanks: 16
Failed to Start: 2
Engaged enemy: 14
Ditched / Broke Down:
Hit and Knocked out: 1
Rallied: 13
Notes
Rallied doesn’t include the tanks that failed to start.
The Official history states 4 tank broke down, 2 were damaged and 1 was destroyed. (OH)
Aftermath
“B” company attempted to get into action on 9th August 1918.
Sources
W3 – 3rd Battalion War Diary - transcript from Bovington tank museum.
H3 – 3rd Battalion War History in PRO WO 95-104 (note: page 72 which deals with the latter part of this company’s action missing from authors copy)
OH – Official History, 1918, Vol. 4, pg.31 and pg.52f