1st Battalion. 3 May 1918
The Tanks at Villers Bretonneux. 3rd May 1918
1st Battalion, with 12th brigade, 4th Austrailan Div, 4th Army (OH) (AOH)
1st Battalion had two MK IV tanks in action on 3rd May 1918 (H1)
Company
Section – Captain Foxwell (H1)
female (AOH), 2Lt Hume
Male, 2Lt Donnelly
Note:
The crews of the other two tanks in the section were gassed on the 2nd and were unable to go into action (H1)
The following tanks were salved by No 2 field Salvage Company in May and June 1918 from the Villers Brettenoux (mostly Querrie Wood) area and were therefore presumably with 1st battalion:
2037, 2315, 2320, 2606, 2627, 2682, 2732, 2738, 2831, 2867, 4086, 4611, 4612, 6009
In addition 6039 was probably with 1st Battalion as on 15th to 17th May 1918 (OIC Lt Ashworth) when it and 2738 helped the French recover a German A7V (A7V, 542, Elfriede (S6.p14) ) from near Villers Bretonneux 95-109
Orders
The Australian 48th battalion was to attack at 2am (Moonrise) and capture Monument Wood and Orchard (AOH)
To start at 5am and patrol Monument Wood. (AOH)
Account of Operations (H1)
At 4.30am, realising that the attack had failed the Australian OIC sent a runner to stand down the tanks; the message did not arrive. (AOH)
2Lt Donnelly’s tank attacked first on the right, an enormous German attempted to attack the tank with a grenade, when inches form a 6pdr barrel the gun fired and blew him apart; the tank then spent twenty minutes driving around in circles crushing the wire, and beat off another German attack, doing great execution to the enemy with case shot. The tank then rallied. (AOH) (H1)
Lt Hume’s tank now attacked, it drove behind some trees where it fell into a sap and was heavily bombarded, the OIC was mortally wounded and the crew were captured (AOH) (H1). 2Lt Hume died on the 21st May 1918 (CWG).
The attack was a failure, twenty one prisoners were captured but the Australians had to retire to their start line when the Germans brought up reinforcements. (OH)
Summary
Total Tanks: 2
Failed to Start: 0
Engaged enemy: 0
Ditched / Broke Down: 1
Hit and Knocked out: 0
Rallied: 1
Aftermath
On the 15th two tanks, 2738 and 6039, went into no mans land and helped the French recover the German A7V tank (H1) 542, “Elfriede “ (s6.p14)
The following tanks were salved by No 2 field Salvage Company in May and June 1918 from the Villers Brettenoux (mostly Querrie Wood) area and were therefore presumably with 1st battalion:
2037, 2315, 2320, 2606, 2627, 2682, 2732, 2738, 2831, 2867, 4086, 4611, 4612, 6009
This was 1st battalions last action with MkIV tanks, the battalion was withdrawn to 4th Army reserve on 6th may. On 14th of June and handed their tanks to central workshops on the 17th . (H1)
The Battalion was next in action on 8th August 1918 in MKV* tanks. (H1)
Sources
H1 – 1st Battalion’s War History. Transcription from Bovington Tank Museum
OH – Official History 1918 Vol. III pg 10
AOH - Australian Official History. Vol V. The AIF in France during the Main german Offensive, 1918. p652
https://www.awm.gov.au/histories/first_world_war/AWMOHWW1/AIF/Vol5/
There is no mention of this action in the war diary:
W1– 1st Battalion’s War diary. Transcription from Bovington Tank Museum
W1a – Report on operations south of the Somme today [28th April 1918] in PRO WO 95 / 109