6 Battalion 3 September 1918
The Battle of Drocourt Queant (Canal du Nord). 3rd September 1918
6 Battalion, with the 6th Brigade, 2nd Division, VI Corp, 3rd Army (OH)
6 Battalion had 6 tanks in action on 3rd September 1918 (H6):
Section - Maj Leslie J MC
Sgt Hornsey
Cpl Rees
and 3 other tanks.
Orders
6 Whippets had been placed into VI corps reserve at 4pm on the 2nd Sept. (H6)
The whippets were attached to the 6th Brigade, 2nd Division (H6) at 1pm (OH) on the 3rd when they were ordered to advance with a squadron of the (H6) Oxfordshire Hussars (OH) and secure the line Demicourt – Hermes which the enemy had apparently evacuated. (H6) Lying up place H6a.5.9 on the night of the 2nd / 3rd (W6)
Account of Operations
The line Demicourt – Hermes was captured by 2:20pm, no opposition being met. At 2:45pm the enemy started to shell Hermies so the tanks advanced towards the canal (H6) deploying across the ground in K13 and K19 (W6) and patrolled, without being fired on between there and the old trench system (H6) in K14 and K20 (W6) which was impassable; 2 tanks were abandoned Sgt Hornsey’s tank broke down at K19c.5.8 and Cpl Rees’ tank ditched at K19b.9.8 (W6). The remaining four tanks returned to Hermies and helped the infantry clear the sunken roads thereabout. All four tanks developed mechanical trouble and thus returned and rallied. (H6)
Summary
Total Tanks: 6
Failed to Start: 0
Engaged enemy: 6
Ditched / Broke Down: 2
Hit and Knocked out: 0
Rallied: 4
Aftermath
Sources
H6 – 6th Battalion War History, (1919) Naval and Military Press
W6 – 6th Battalion War Diary. Transcript from BovingtonTank Museum.
OH – Official History, 1918, Vol. 4, pg.419