Battle of the Sambre, 4^th to 10^th November 1918

2 Tank Supply Company, with 2^nd Tank Brigade and IX and XIII Corps

2 Tank Supply Company was part of 2nd Tank Brigade

2 Tank Supply company had 12 tanks in action on 4th November 1918

6102 (W2tsc)

6101

6069

8051, Lt Foster TB

6092

6046

8170

6066

Sub section Capt Gordon A and 2Lt Crosbie DF

8123

6100

6084

8137

Note

Tanks 6102 is the number given in the War Diary (twice), the War History gives the tank’s number as 6108.

Orders

6101 and 6102 were to lay cable for 18^th and 50^th Division’s signals.

6102 was to assist in laying cables from 151st Brigade HQ at G1d.2.3 to Rosimbois thence along the route de Landrecies keeping in touch with 151st Brigade [as they advanced to the final objective]. The tank was to carry 50 miles of cable and a supply of poles. (W50Div - PRO-WO-95-2812-1_6 p4, p6).

Capt. Gordon’s Sub section, 8123, 6100, 6084 and 8137 were to carry bridging equipment forward to Landrecies, the equipment consisted of petrol tin rafts and superstructure, weighing about 3 tons per tank.

6069 with 32^nd Division and 8051, Lt Foster TB with 1^st Division were to carry SAA, Mills bombs, Stokes mortar bombs, flares and water for the infantry

6092 was to act as a wireless tank for 10^th Tank battalion

8170, 6046, and 6066 were attached to 9^th, 10^th and 14^th Tank battalions respectively each to carry 4 refills for Mk V tanks. [This is presumed for 6066 as there are no details of what it was to do with 14^th Battalion in the sources)

Account of operations

6102 - 50^th Division signals

Left Basual at dusk on 3^rd November, proceeded to La Fayt farm and loaded up with 80 miles of cable contained on 15 large and 80 small drums and 80 coils. Also loaded 80 signalling poles.

On the 4^th the tank started at 0600 and spent two hours laying a cable to Fontaine-Au-Bois.

It left Fontaine at 1000 and spent the next hour and half laying a cable to Rosimbois.

It left Rosimbois at 1300 and spent the next five hours laying a cable to Drill House Corner.

On the 5^th the tank left Drill House corner at 0600 and laid a cable to Hatchette farm arriving at 1700. The remainder of the load was delivered to the Royal Engineers Signals HQ. The tank then rallied at Landrecies having driven approximately 24000 yards since 3^rd November.

6101 - 18^th Division signals

Left Epinette farm (57B L3) at 1700 on 3rd November loaded with 16 large and 2 small drums, 22 coils and 20 signalling poles. It arrived at 57B – F28d.9.5 at 1100 on the 4^th. The tank broke down in Boursies, was repaired and continued to A14c.7.4 reaching there at 2100

On the 5^th the tank set off at 0700 and reached A9c.0.0 where it awaited further orders. It unloaded 16 coils of wire to 18^th Division’s MG battalion.

It rallied at Epinette farm at 0700 on the 6^th having driven 18000 yards.

Sub section, with 25^th Division, Capt Gordon A and 2Lt Crosbie DF

8123

6100

6084

8137

These four tanks carried bridging equipment forward to Landrecies, the equipment consisted of petrol tin rafts and superstructure, weighing about 3 tons per tank.

8123 broke down, its load was taken on by 6100 and the remaining three tanks continued towards the bridge at Landrecies. The tanks stopped at the railway station as the infantry were being held up by an MG nest on the bank of the canal. 2Lt Crosbie carried out a solo reconnaissance and decided that the tanks might as well advance, 6100 having been hit and disabled, 6084 and 8137 advanced to the Lock (W2tsc p98) the tank’s advance was instrumental in causing the enemy machine gunners to surrender and enabling the infantry to cross the canal. 2Lt Crosbie was awarded the MC for this action. (BOH p232) [ it is worth remembering at this point that the tanks would have only had soft plate sponsons and thus they were not bullet proof, they also only had one Hotchkiss gun each] the tanks delivered their loads.

6084 and 8137 took on fresh loads and crossed the Sambre via the completed tank bridge at 1300 on the 5^th reaching G23b.8.8 that day.

On the 6^th 6084 and 8137 went towards Maroilles, 8137 broke down at G24d.5.3 and its load was transferred at 6084 which proceeded to Maroilles alone. 6100 had been repaired and caught up with 6084 and both tanks reached Maroilles that night.

The one remaining bridge over the Petit Helpe river at H16d.6.9 was too narrow for the tanks to cross without them damaging a power house so they were ordered to unload at this point and returned and rallied at the tankodrome at Landrecies having driven approximately 29000 yards.

6069 with 32^nd Division

Ordered to carry SAA, Mills bombs, Stokes mortar bombs, and water, a load of approximately 9,200 pounds.

6069 left Bazuel at 0700 on the 4^th and followed close behind the infantry to Favrill (H2tsc).

On the 5^th the tank left Ors at 0730 the tank followed close behind the infantry to H33c2.1 where the infantry were held up (W2tsc) by MGs. The tank was ordered to dump it load at H35a.0.0, as this point was still in enemy hands the tank instead unloaded at Favrill (W2tsc) H31d.3.2 under the orders of 97^th Brigade.

The tank returned and rallied at the tankodrome at Landrecies having driven approximately 30000 yards.

8051, Lt Foster TB with 1^st Division

8051 left Bazuel at 1645 on the 3^rd and went to the infantry dump at Mazinghien X2b.1.9. where it arrived at 2030. It loaded SAA, Mills bombs, Stokes mortar bombs, and flares to a total of 10,000 lbs

On the 4^th November it trekked to the tank bridge at Lock 1, S1d.3.4., Bois L’Abbaye unfortunately there was no way to cross the stream on the eastern side of the canal. The tank waited until 16.30 when it was determined no bridge would be built over the stream so, on the orders of OIC 2^nd Infantry brigade the load was left at the lock and the tank returned and rallied at Landrecies having driven approximately 23000 yards.

6092 and 6046 with 10^th Tank Battalion

6092 was fitted with wireless at Baseul, it left there at 1600 on the 4^th, crossed the canal at Ors on the morning of the 5^th and reached Le-sart that night.

On the 6^th it went to Le-gd- St Martin but broke down on the 7^th, it was repaired and returned and rallied at Landrecies having driven approximately 27000 yards.

6046 carried 4 refills for Mk V tanks. It left Baseul at 1300 on the 3rd and reached it objective (H4tsc) or left Basuel at 0800 on the morning of the 4^th (W2tsc), reaching R20d.6.6 at 1800. It unloaded here. The NCO tank commander was told by 10^th Tank Battalion that he was no longer needed so 6046 retuned to Baseul on the 5^th and rallied at at Landrecies on the 6^th having driven approximately 19000 yards.

8170 with 9^th Tank Battalion

8170 carried 4 refills for Mk V tanks. It left Bazeul at 0800 on the 4^th and went to G20b it left there at 1300 and sent to G9cent where it deposited two refills.

It waited at G9central until the 7^th when it was ordered to follow B company’s tanks to G29c.7.6 where the remaining two refills were unloaded then returned and rallied at Landrecies having driven approximately 16000 yards.

6066 with 14^th Tank Battalion, no details of action but still with them on the 10^th November (W2TSc p97) presumably carried 4 tank refills like the supply tanks with 9^th and 10^th Battalions.

All tanks rallied.

Aftermath

This was 2 Tank Supply Company’s last action.

Sources

H2tsc – War History of 2^nd Tank Supply Company, Pdf download from PRO Kew – PRO-WO-95-103-8

W2tsc – War Diary of 2^nd Tank Supply Company, Pdf download from PRO Kew – PRO-WO-95-103-8

W50Div - War Diary of 50 Division - Pdf Download from Kew - PRO-WO-95-2812-1_6 p4, p6

Sambre - 4 to 11 November 1918