13 Battalion 24 September 1918

The Battle of Epheny. 24^th September 1918

13 Battalion, with 6^th and 1^st Divisions, IX Corp, 3^rd Army

13 Battalion had 20 tanks in action on 24^th September 1918 ^(H13a)

B Composite Company – Maj. Maurice ^(H13a)

1 section – Capt Bairstow

Capt Bairstow

2Lt Barker

2Lt Fenmore

+ 1 other tank

2 section – Capt Hill BB

Capt Hill BB

2Lt Benson

+ 2 other tanks

C Composite Company - Maj. Morrison – 12 tanks

3 Section – Capt Maitland VK

Capt Maitland VK

2Lt Whyte D

+ 2 other tanks

4 section – Capt B Lovell

Capt B Lovell

2Lt Millar

+ 2 other tanks

5 section – Lt Smith AC

Lt Smith AC

4 tanks

Two of “C” Companies tanks named “Marathon” and “Myooney” ^(W25m).

Myooney's number 9181 ^(W13Bv)

Note:

Tanks identities from August 8^th Battlegraph, OICs may be in different tanks on this date. ^(H13a)

2Lt Pilgram SAF had been killed on the approach march when his unditching beam came loose and fatally wounded him as he was standing with the top half of his body out of the front cab hatch. ^(H13a)

Orders

“B” Company with 6^th Division on the right, ^(H13a)

“C” Company with 1^st Division on the left. ^(H13a)

Zero hour was 5am. A very heavy smoke screen was to be deployed to cover the advance and make up for the lack of surprise.

Assembly point was 3 to 4 miles from the start lines as the enemy was drenching the forward areas with gas. ^(H13a)

3 section to work with Nothants Regt, 2^nd Brigade, in the north, strike east and clear the high ground south of Pontrouet and all woods and entrenchments on the way there. ^(H13a)

5 section was to operate just to the south. 2 tanks with the Royal Sussex Regt. 2^nd Brigade, in the front line. The other two tanks were to advance at Zero +45 minutes and help the KRR mop up any bypassed woods. ^(H13a)

4 section was to operate independently with the 3^rd Brigade, work around Fresnoy village, clear the cemetery and then attack Cornouillers wood, 2 tanks from the East and 2 from the west; their general line of advance being NE. ^(H13a)

To the south “B” company was to attack SE starting form Badger Cops with 16^th brigade . 1 section to attacking the trench system joining up Dom Wood to the Quadrilateral. 2 section to attack the Quadrilateral itself. ^(H13a)

Account of Operations

This was a continuation of the attack on the previous days and thus the enemy was expecting tanks. All the tanks started on time with their infantry. ^(H13a)

2 Section ^(H13a) with 18^th Brigade ^(OH) came under concentrate shell fire which hit one tank twice and knocked it out ^(H13a) soon after it started ^(OH). The other three tanks advanced on the Quadrilateral, a system of entrenchments that now included two sandbagged tanks from 2^nd Battalion which had been knocked out on the 13^th. The three tanks made it into the quadrilateral and inflicted heavy casualties, one was split in half by a landmine, only one NCO and an infantry observer escaping alive. The second tanks was hit twice and set afire, the crew bailed out with their Hotchkiss guns and joined the infantry. 2Lt Benson’s tank became ditched in the high bank at the back of the quadrilateral and was then hit and set afire, the crew bailed out and were captured. Without the tanks the infantry were unable to overcome the Quadrilateral. ^(H13a)

1 Section ^(H13a) with 16^th Brigade ^(OH) passed through severe fire, mainly from woods on their left, a MG post was silenced in these woods, the centre tank crushing two MGs. The right tank was hit, ditched and then set afire after going 600yds. The other tanks established their infantry in the final objective, as it was being enfiladed by fire from a field gun in Dom (Dum ^(OH)) Wood. 2Lt Barker closed on the gun, his tanks was hit and knocked out, the crew bailed out and then silenced the Gun Crew with Hotchkiss Gun fire. 2Lt Fenmore’s tank was also hit twice by the field gun but remained mobile and rallied. ^(H13a)

“C” Company reached the starting point by 4am, three tanks crews were completely overcome by Gas and petrol fumes, ^(H13a) presumably including those of “Marathon” and “Myooney” ^(W25m), a fourth crew was mostly killed or wounded by a close shell burst, the remaining crew members going to make up deficiencies in other crews. 7 (sic) tanks attacked with the first wave, greatly assisting the infantry but taking severe casualties. ^(H13a)

4 section forced the garrison of Fresnoy le Petit to surrender and took the fortified Cemetery East of the village. 2LT Millars tank was hit and set afire, the OIC being killed whilst vainly attempting to salvage the Hotchkiss guns, the rest of the section (2 tanks ^(OH)) went to the final objective, Cornouillers Wood. ^(H13a)

3 section came under heavy fire from Pontruet. Capt Maitland led his tank into action on foot and directed its fire on enemy troops that were preventing the infantries advance. 2Lt Whytes tank in the centre repeatedly went ahead of the infantry and silenced MGs. This tank was hit and damaged when almost at the final objective; it was nursed back to the rally point. ^(H13a)

The quadrilateral was outflanked on both flanks. ^(H13a)

5 section no account given

1 “B” company tank and 8 “C” company tanks rallied, some were towed in. 9 remained in the field under enemy fire. 1 Officer and 6 Other Ranks were killed and 4 officers and 26 other ranks wounded, of whom 2 officers and 9 other ranks remained on duty. 2Lt Benson and all his crew were captured. ^(H13a)

2Lt Millar J was missing, 2Lt Kermonde WA was wounded, 2Lts Plews AE, Bewker CR and 9 other Ranks were wounded but remained on duty. ^(W13a)

Summary

Total Tanks: 20

Failed to Start: 0

Engaged enemy:

Ditched / Broke Down:

Hit and Knocked out: 9

Rallied: 9

Notes:

Rallied includes some tanks towed in.

The fate of the remaining two tanks is not recorded.

Aftermath

13^th Battalion was next in action on September 30^th

9023, 9131, 9135, 9097, 9165, 9051, 9124, 9033, 9079, 9386, 9346, 9014, 9388, 9188, 9055 all possibly still operative.

Sources

W13a – War Diary of the 13^th Tank Battalion in PRO WO 95/115

W13Bv - 13th Battalion Records, Bovington Tank Museum, E2007.12298, Salvage notebook of 2Lt Seddon

H13a – History of the 13^th Tank Battalion in PRO WO 95/115

OH – Official History, 1918, Vol. IV, pg.499 -500

W25m - Tank Brigade War Diary. In PRO WO 95/112 reports on effects of petrol combustion gases during operations Septr. 24^th 1918. 13^th Tank Battalion.

W25 - 5^th Tank brigade War Diary. In PRO WO 95/112 – no other records found in authors photographs, more are probably in the file.

Epheny - 18 September (4th Army)