9 Battalion B Company 2 September 1918

Battle of the Drocourt-Queant Switch Line.  2nd September 1918

B Company, 9 Battalion, with 12th Brigade, 4th Division, Canadian Corp, 1st Army (OH)

B Company, 9th Battalion had 8 fighting tanks in action on 2nd October 1918 (W9a)

B Company (W9a)

7 section – Lt Young

I26, Lt Isherwood (H9)

And 2 other tanks

8 section – Lt Atkinson

4 tanks

I29 with one of the above sections

Notes

I26 in action with Lt Isherwood on the 26th August. 2Lt Isherwood may have been in command of another tank on this date.

Orders

Army objective was to break through the Drocourt-Queant Line astride the Arras-Cambrai road, and then swing outward rolling up the line to the north and south. 3rd tank brigade was to support the attack, 11th tank battalion with 4th Division on the left, 9th Tank Battalion with the 4th CIF Division in the centre and 14th tank battalion with the 1st CIF Division on the right. (H9)

The first objective, (Red Line), was the village of Cagnicourt, Mont Dury, Dury and the high ground south of Etaing. (H9). The tanks were to lead the infantry to crush the wire and enable the infantry’s advance to the Drocourt Queant Switch line, capture Drury, then cover the consolidation. Finally they were to swing outwards to protect the flanks of the attack. (W9a)

Three further objective lines were also indentified but the tanks were not supposed to advance this far. (H9)

.A Company with 38th CIF Battalion in the centre, 500 yds frontage.  (W9a)

8 section on the right, 7 section on the left.

To lead the infantry to crush the wire and enable the infantry’s advance to the Drocourt Queant Switch line then cover the consolidation.

Also capture Drury and then swing outwards to protect the flanks of the attack.

At zero – 30 tanks to sectors, then to creep forwards to deployment point by zero 1-10 then pass through the infantry at zero – 2.

Account of Operations

I29 broke down and failed to reach the front line. (W9a)

The tanks set off at Zero -30mins and led the infantry over the British front line as the barrage opened at zero. (H9) 

The other 7 tanks all reached the final objective and covered the infantry’s consolidation, 70 MGs are estimated to have been silenced by the company during the advance, most of the crews surrendered. I26 and 2 other tanks were hit and knocked out whilst covering the consolidation, I26’s OIC, Lt Isherwood and 3 crewmen were saved by LCpl T Lane who was later awarded the DCM. I26 was later brought back under its own power.  (W9a) (H9)

Smoke grenades proved very useful in covering the tanks (H9)

The official history states the Canadians claimed the tanks arrived late, whereas the 9th Tank Battalion claim they started ahead of the infantry. The version in the official history says the infantry attempted to advance without the tanks but were held up until the tanks arrived and helped the infantry to take the first and support lines by 8am, three tanks being knocked. The official history also states Dury was taken without assistance from the tanks though this is contrary to the account of “C” Company’s actions. The second phase of the attack commenced but without artillery or tank support the Canadians were unable to advance much further. (OH)

The 38th CIF report on operation states the tanks didn’t catch up the infantry until they were passing through the last belt of wire; no other mention is made of tanks. (W38can)

One of the Battalion’s tanks, commanded by Sgt March did excellent work and stopped to assist a ditched tank whilst returning. (H9)

Casualties: 1 officers and 1 other rank killed, 2 officers and 5 other rank wounded, 3 other ranks missing, 1 officers and 3 other ranks wounded but remained on duty.(W9a)

2Lt Smith of 9th Battalion died on this day (CWG)

Summary

Total Tanks: 8

Failed to Start: 1

Engaged enemy: 7

Ditched / Broke Down:

Hit and Knocked out: 3

Rallied: 4

Note

Rallied does not include the tank that failed to start or the damaged tank that was later recovered.

Aftermath

9th Tank Battalion was next in action on 29th September 1918.

Sources

W9a – 9th Tank Battalion War Diary Appendix – Report on operations of 9th tank battalion on 4/9/18  in PRO WO 95-107

H9 – 9th Tank Battalion’s War History, Transcript from Bovington tank Museum.

W38 – War Diary 38th Canadian Battalion – available online: http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/warDiaryLac/wdLacP08.asp

OH – Official History. 1918. Volume IV. Pg. 401 

Drocourt / Queant - 2 to 3 September (1st Army)