6 Battalion 10 August 1918

The Battle of Amiens. 10^th August 1918

6^th Battalion, with 6^th Cavalry Brigade, 3^rd Cavalry Division, Cavalry Corp, 4^th Army ^{(H6) (OH)}

6^th Battalion had 14 tanks in action on 10^thAugust 1918 ^(H6)

Composite company: - Major West RA

Composite Section: - Company commander: Capt Renwick RA

342

343, Lt Ryrie

354

257

282

352

367

Composite Section: - Company commander: Capt Chapman Capt Farrar

2 from “A” company

1 from “B” company

4 from “C” company

The following tanks divided between the two composite companies.

Notes

Orders

Capt. Renwick’s section were to go through the south end of Rouvroy then the track from Rick to point 101 ^(H6)

Capt Chapman’s section went along a track to Le Quesnoy ^(H6)

The Cavalry deployed one and a half miles west of Vrely behind the Canadian Corps left, ready to exploit any breakthrough or pursue the beaten enemy. Patrols reported the ground ahead was impassable to mounted cavalry so they remained in reserve until the afternoon ^(OH)

At 2:25am the 3^rd Cavalry Division was ordered to occupy the High Ground North of Roye (OH)

Account of Operations

Capt. Renwick’s section was shelled in L14b whilst moving forward, Capt Farrar’s tank was hit and damaged, it later rallied. ^(W23) A343 was hit and Knocked out at W24 central, ^(W23) by fire from Rouvroy which also knocked out a tank of 3^rd Battalion ^(OH). The remaining six tanks ^(W23) advanced towards Parvillers ^(OH) all reached the old Somme trench system and ditched and were then hit and knocked out: A354 and A342 at L22central, Lt Ryrie was killed; A257, A282, A352 and A367 at L28^(W23)

Capt Chapman went forward on foot and spotted two German field guns in Bois de Mileu covering the Parvillers road, he thus decided to cancel the advance.^(w23)

At dusk all the surviving tanks rallied: 2 from A” company, 1 from “B” company and 4 from “C” company. ^(H3)

Summary

Total Tanks: 14

Failed to Start: 1

Engaged enemy: 0

Ditched / Broke Down:

Hit and Knocked out: 7

Rallied: 7

Notes

Rallied presumably doesn’t include Capt. Farrar’s tank.

Aftermath

Sources

W23 – 3^rd Tank Brigade’s War Diary. Report of Operations – 8^th to 12^th August 1918 – PRO WO 95 -105

H6 – 6^th Battalion War History, (1919) Naval and Military Press

OH – Official History, 1918, Vol. 4, pg.122, Pg.126, pg.127

Amiens