15 Battalion A Company 27 September 1918

Battles of the Canal du Nord, 27^th September 1918

15^th Battalion, “A” Company with 8^th Brigade. 3^rd Division, VI Corp, 3^rd Army

15^th Battalion, “A” Company had 8 tanks in action on 27^th September 1918

A Company – Maj Allen DC. 2IC Capt Unwin JD

1 Section. Section Commander 2Lt Luck CW, MC, MM

O6, “Odette”, 2Lt Luck CW, MC, MM

O11, “Oliva”, 2Lt Payton

2 Section. Section Commander Captain Clayton SA

O52, “Odiham”, Sgt MacGregor A

O48, “Ockbrook”, Sgt Gibson

O46, 9550, "Opossum", Lt Uzielli CF,

O43, 9833, "Ournan", Lt Ferguson,

4Section. Section Commander Captain Ibertson EL MC, DCM

O42, 9831, "Omar", Cpl Morris

O8, “Orick”, 2Lt Taplilis B

Notes

Tank Names and Crew numbers from Battalion War Diary.

Other information from Battlegraph in Brigade War Diary

Orders

“A” company to start form Havrincourt village. “A” and “C” companies, less one section of c company, were to support the 8^th and 76^th brigades attack on the Hindenburg Support line and Flesquires. The detached section of C Company were to assist the 2^nd Guards Brigade taking the red and then the brown line, 2 tanks wre to be retained to deal with the northern part of Flesquires. Once these objectives were secured “C” Company (including the detached section) were to support the 1^st Grenadier Guards attack Premy Chapel.

Start time was 4.55am

Account of Operations

1 and 4 Sections went down Putney Avenue, 2 Section on their left. Both of 4 section’s tanks ditched in a sunken road and had to be dug out by German POWs. O3 was hit and KO before it crossed the German front line. The remaining five tanks crossed the first objective, O6 fired case shot at point blank Range on Germans who were packed in a confused mass in Silken Chapel and Wood Switch. O6 then went to the rear of the Hindenburg Support trench and fired into the back of some Mgs therein, silencing them and thus enabling the Infantries advance.

The first objective having been taken the tanks rallied and waited for 15 minutes. The tanks then led the infantry towards Flesquires. The tanks entered the village and engaged in heavy fighting. O6 was hit and knocked out just beyond the village. The four surviving tanks advanced in front of the infantry to the Brown line, 1000yds beyond the village. Hostile MGs were silenced in Skull support and Kaiser trenches. O48 was hit and KO. O46 broke down. The division successfully captured the Brown line, mainly due (according to the records) to the presence of the tanks who silenced the numerous Mgs on the Brown line. Capt Clayton was awarded the MC; Sgt McGregor was awarded the DCM.

Summary

Total Tanks: 8

Failed to Start:

Engaged enemy:

Ditched / Broke Down: 3

Hit and Knocked out: 3

Rallied: 2

Aftermath

This was 15^th battalions last action.

Sources

Tank Names and Crew numbers from Battalion War Diary.

Other information from Battlegraph in Brigade War Diary

W15a - 15th Battalion War Diary Appendices, relevant reports and battlegraphs – PRO WO 95-103

Canal Du Nord - 27 September to 1 October 1918