3rd Battalion, 24 April 1918

The Tanks at Villers Bretonneux. 24^th April 1918

3^rd Battalion, with 8^th Division, III Corp, 4^th Army ^(OH)

X Company, 3^rd Battalion had 7 Whippet tanks in action on 24^th April 1918 ^(w3a)

H Section – Lt Hore

A286, "Crustacean III", Lt Hore

A255, 2Lt Roberts

A244, 2Lt Ritchie

A256, 2Lt Dale

E Section – 2Lt Elsbury

A233, "Crossmichael", 2Lt Elsbury

A236, "Crawick", 2Lt Oldham

A277, "Centaur III", Sgt Parrott

Note:

Tank names correct for 5^th August, they were probably not used in April. ^(W3).

A277 had a "P" on the turret, the first letter of the commanders name. ^(S42.p106) Presumably all the tanks were similarly marked.

Background

"X" company was formed from tanks in brigade reserve on 19^th April 1918 the crews being drawn from "B" Company 3^rd battalion which had been fighting as a Lewis Gun Company since the start of the German offensive. (^H3)

"C" Company 9^th battalion crews were transferred to 3^rd tank battalion on the 16^th April, a like number of 3^rd battalion personnel being transferred to 9^th battalion. ^(W23)

Orders

At 10:20am the Company was ordered to ascertain and clear up the situation in front of Cauchy ^(w3a)

Account of Operations

The tanks set off at 10:30am, ^(s42.p103f) moved around the North and East of Cauchy ^(w3a) and, having liaised with the infantry (Northampton’s) and determined the presence and location of two battalions of enemy infantry, Capt Price put the seven whippets in Line about 50 yards apart ^(s42.p103f) . They then charged southwards over a crest and into the two enemy battalion massing in U3 and U9, the tanks moved amongst the enemy, killing an estimated 400 of them and scattering the others.^(w3a) German accounts do not give such heavy losses but do acknowledge the German 77th Reserve Division fell back about 1,000M before the counter attacking infantry and Whippets ^(S73.p29). Two enemy tanks were spotted ^(w3a) A7V 525 “Siegfried” and, probably A7V 504 "Schnuck" ^(S73.p29) commanded by Lt Muller Albert, and they fired on the Whippets ^(S43.p114f), (233, 236, 255 and 286 BHS all record they were fired on by an enemy tank ^(95-93)), A7V 504 "Schnuck" did not see the Whippets but A7V 525 “Siegfried” claimed to hit three of the four that were hit ^{(S73.p29) (S43.p114f)}, though the commander of a nearby German Guards field battery claimed to have hit all 4 tanks ^(S73.p29) and the Whippet's company commander also put the losses down to artillery hits. ^{(w3a) (OH)} Three Whippets were knocked out and a fourth damaged ^(95-93)

From Summary of battle history Sheets:

244 fired 250 MG rounds and shot or ran over a large number of MGs ^(95-93) but was knocked out at U3c8.3 ^(w3a) its OIC was wounded ^(95-93)

255 fired 300 MG rounds and inflicted severe casualties on dense advancing waves of hostile infantry. Was shot at by a hostile tank but was not hit ^(95-93). The tank was knocked out at U9b.2.6 r. ^(w3a), one crewman was wounded ^(95-93).

256 was burnt out at U4d9.5. ^(w3a), inside the German lines, ^(95-93). The OIC was killed and the two crewmen captured ^(H3)

236 fired 250 Mg rounds, killed a number of enemy in shell holes, was shot at by a hostile tank, was damaged but rallied ^(95-93), its OIC wounded ^(W3) this tank was not in action on the 25^{th (95-93)}

The remaining three tanks were all in action for about two and half hours and rallied ^(95-93).

233 fired 500mg rounds and was shot at by a hostile tank, it also rescued another tank crew ^(95-93); this incident may have been observed by Frank Mitchell ^(S43.p194)

277 fired 200 MG rounds, shot or ran over a large number of enemy MGs. One Crewman was wounded ^(95-93).

286 fired 500 MG rounds and was shot at by a hostile tank ^(95-93).

The surviving tanks rallied at 2:30pm ^(s42.p106)

Note:

Capt Price later stated that only one whippet was lost, to a battery positioned in Hangard Wood ^(S42.p105). This does not agree with the accounts given just after the action ^{(W3a) (95-93)}

Summary

Total Tanks: 7

Failed to Start:

Engaged enemy:

Ditched / Broke Down:

Hit and Knocked out: 3

Rallied: 4

Note:

The report ^(W3a) indicates four tanks were knocked out this presumably includes 236.

Aftermath

233, 277 and 286 fought on the 25^th April. ^(W3a)

236 was back with the battalion by 8^th August ^(W3)

244 and 256 were both recovered by No 2 Salvage Company; they were initially unable to locate 256, but eventually did so. ^(W42)

255 is not mentioned in the sources again

Sources

W3 – 3^rd Battalion’s War Diary. Transcription from Bovington Tank Museum

W3a –3^rd Light Tank Battalion. Operations of “X” Company near Cauchy on 14^th and 15^th April 1918 in PRO WO 95 / 106

W23 - 3^rd Tank Brigade War Dairy Appendices in PRO 95 / 105

95-93 – Summary of Battle History Sheets of No. 3 Battalion Tank Corps in PRO WO 95 / 93

H3 – 3rd Battalion’s War History – in PRO WO 95 / 104

OH – Official History 1918 Vol II Chap XXI, pg 392f

S6 - German Panzers 1914- 1918 (2006) Steven J Zaloga

S42 – Tanks and Trenches (2001) David Fletcher

S43 - Tank Warfare (1933, 1987 edition), Frank Mitchell MC

S73 - Sturmpanzer A7V (2010) Rainer Strasheim and Max Hundleby

24 April 1918. Villers Bretonneux Map

1st Battalion 24 April 1918

German tanks. 24 April 1918

3rd Battalion. April 1918