5thbattalion-outlyingtanksmarch1918

4th Battalion - Outlying tanks March 1918

B Company A Section

Capt .A. Cochlan Supporting 9^th Division.

2378, 2Lt R.G. Vergette

4082, m, 2Lt J.L.Steane

2880, 2Lt E Hemmings

21 March 1918. Lying up at Tyke dump, W.3.c.56. Fell back from Red line to West Corner of Dessart Wood. Behind 9th Division (who's front was unbroken).

22 march 1918. Fell back to behind Green Line at Equancourt

23 march 1918. Withdrew to Hermois Wood west of Manancourt. Thence to Div HQ at Maurepas, Combles.

24 march 1918.

Overnight took up position West of Rancourt. Enemy Broke through to North at 10 am. Section led some infantry in a counter attack eastwards towards a ridge, tanks in line at 130 yd intervals. the tanks successfully drove back the enemy inficting heavy casualties.

The three tanks Tanks withdrew towards Combles, 2378 ran out of petrol on the ridge and was abandoned and destroyed by crew, the OIC and two crewmen were wounded. 4082 picked up 2378's crew, though the OIC and 5 crewmen are listed as missing in the Summary..

2880 broke its differential in Combles and thus was abandoned and destroyed, one crewman missing. .

4082 was led through Combles by the section commander, Capt Caoghlan who was called upon to surrender by a group of enemy infantry and then fired upon when he fled. 4082 engaged these infantry with its 6 Pdr and withdrew another 200yds through the village, being fiired upon from all sides. Upon reaching its western outskirts 4082 ran out of petrol and was thus abandoned and destroyed by its crew, one crewman was wounded and three missing.

Note

4023 (a male tank) Was under the command of Lt E.L. Sartin when it broke down en-route to Tyke Dump on 12th March at D.17.d.92. A replacement tank was sent out. 4023 was still awaiting repair when it was abandoned and set afire on 23rd march 1918.

B Company B Section supporting 21st Division

Capt. F.W. King

4021, m, 2Lt W.O.R Head / 2Lt R. Frank

4684, f, 2Lt W.O.R. Head / Sgt G Taylor / Lt R.G. Grant

Lying up at Genin Well copse, W17.b.41. Crew left dugouts at W.23.b.41 at 5.30am and attempted to reach tanks. Only 2Lt Head, Sgt King and 4 OR reached the tanks at 7.30am, all the other crewmen were wounded by enemy shells or lost in the mist and gas clouds. 4684 was got into action SE of the Copse by 2Lt Head who used several infantry as Lewis Gunners.

Hearing a rumor that the enemy were also using tanks 2Lt head returned 4684 to the lying up place, split the crew in two, handed over command of 4684 to Sgt Taylor and himself took command of 4021. (Sgt Taylor only had one OR from 5th tank battalion, 5 infantry men made up the remainder of his crew.

Tanks attacked, 4021 received a direct hit which knocked out the tank and wounded 2Lt Head and three crewmen. 4021 Possibly photographed in German hands: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/8272959639/in/set-72157601074582281/. Sgt Taylor picked up 2 wounded crewmen from 4021 and then retired behind the infantry as all but two of 4684’s Lewis Guns were out of action. Tank retired W of Heudicourt where it was laid up.

A Relief crew was sent up from battalion overnight. Thus on 22 March Lt Grant commanded the tank and attempted to retire tank to Buire wood, running out of oil and petrol after about a mile. Supplies were brought from the tankodrome and 4684 retired to Buire Wood (see Reserve tanks narrative for the rest of 4684’s story).

B Company C Section supporting 21st Division

Capt H. E. Armitage

4606, Lt J.H.C. Devey / Lt E.L Sartin

2398, 2Lt T.P Cronin / 2Lt N.W. Flannagan

Lying up N.W. of Peiziere, W.30.c.88. At 10.30am counter attacked against enemy breakthrough at the railway cutting E. of Peiziere. 4606 and 2398 attacked towards Bridge at X.25a.67, clearing the railway cutting before rallying back at the lying up point. Tanks lay in wait at Bridge, thence retired to W.29.c.75 at dark.

Relief crews were sent up from battalion overnight.

At 6.30 am on 22^nd tanks 4606 and 2398 returned to Bridge to await an enemy counter attack which never occurred. Thence they returned to lying up place where tanks were heavily gased. Tanks moved out at 9am to counter enemy breakthrough between the railway line and Peiziere-Epheny village. Tanks reached X25.c where they were stopped by an enemy smoke barrage. Tanks withdrew to HQ of 7th Leicesters at E.5.c.d.45 . Both tanks then sent to Southern end of Epheny about E.11.b.8.7. where they engaged enemy infantry, inflicting heavy losses and forcing the enemy to retire. Both tanks turned SE down a small valley and were knocked out. 4606 suffered five crewmen wounded and one missing, 2398 three crew missing; all other crew members, including the section commander Capt. telfer, successfully rejoined the company at Buire Wood at 6pm.

C Company D Section

Capt H. E. Armitage

4020, m, Lt H.H. Dobinson

2760, 2Lt. E.J. Lord

On 21^st March these tanks were lying up at St Emile, F19.a.28. They attacked towards Esclairville Wood with 2 companies of the 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers. The enemy were forced to retire, relinquishing some British guns they had captured. The infantry did not follow the tanks who patrolled the gun emplacements firing on isolated parties of Germans until the tanks retired to St. Emilie, here tank 2760 was hit four times and knocked out. 2Lt Lord was killed ^(CWG)

4020 helped the Munster rangers attack in Ronson Wood. Tank moved ahead of infantry and turned to left to engage enemy advancing form Malassise Farm, throwing them back across the Epheny-L'Empire Road. Tank returned to infantry and suffered a direct hit on a track. Tank continued, silencing an enemy MG that had infiltrated to the infantry's right. Tank returned to St.Emilie where all the crew were wounded by a shell burst whilst refilling. The tanks 6pdr blocks were removed, the Lewis guns taken and the tank abandoned.

Note: 2760 not included in Summary.

Summary

Allocated: 10

Reserve: 0

At start: 9

Started: 9

Engaged Enemy: 9

Ditched / Broke down: 3

Knocked out: 5

Rallied: 1

The tank that failed to start is 4023 which was destroyed but isn't included in the other totals.

Primary Sources: Appendix to 5^th (sic) Battalion’s War Diary in PRO WO 95 / 111