301 US Tank Battalion 23 October 1918
Battle of Selle. 23rd October 1918
301st US Battalion with 18th and 71st Brigades, 6th Division IX Corp, 4th Army
Part of 2nd Tank Brigade.
301st US battalion had 9 tanks in action on 23rd October 1918.
4 sections of 3 tanks each
Note
The identity of the tanks is unknown
9043, 9047, 9060, 9117 and 9389 were all handed to 14th Battalion on 31st October 1918 and thus may have fought in this action.
Orders
6th Division was attacking between 25th Division on the left an 1st Division on the right.
6th Division deployed 71st Brigade on the left and 18th Brigade on the right. (W18b p77f)
71st Brigade attacked with .... on the left and 9th Norfolk on the right
18th Brigade attacked with 1st West Yorkshire on the left and 2nd DLI on the right. (W18b p96)
Red Line: Light railway from L33d.6.2 to R4c.8.2
Brown Line: L29a.7.7 to L39c.7.0
Green Line: g25d.99.80 to L24a.1.0
301st US Tank battalion deployed four sections of tanks.(W10t)
One tank section was to be kept in reserve. (W10t)
Three sections of tanks were allocated to 6th Infantry Division
One section was to assist 71st Brigade's attack, presumably with the 9 Norfolk on the right of the Brigade front. (W71b p6f)
One section of tanks was to support the left battalion of 18th Brigade, 1 West Yorkshire and assist in the capture of the enclosures in R15b and R16a (le Planty) and then proceed along the Eastern edge of Eveque Wood.( W10t) (W18b p78f)
Before joining 18th Brigade the third section of tanks was to co operate with 2nd Royal Sussex, the left battalion of 2nd Brigade, 1st Division against La Haie Tonnoile, it was then to join the right battalion of 18th Infantry Brigade, 2 DLI, and assist in clearing Gibremont farm and the enclosures around it. (W18b p75f,p p96) (W2Ssx) once the Battalion reached its objective this section was to join the other two tank sections along the edge of the wood and support 71st Infantry brigade. (W10t)(W9Nrf, p8 and p 59)
Zero Hour was 0120. ( ) to take advantage of the full moon. (WWvets)
A signal tank was to established at R15b central (W18b p89)
Account of operations
The approach march was carried out on clear nights and thus went without mishap. At the Start Point the tanks were subjected to gas shelling on Y / Z night which inflicted some casualties. (W10t)
The tanks started on time in bright moonlight. (W10t)
The infantry of 18th and 71st brigades were both held up by thick and numerous hedges, these proved an obstacle to the infantry despite the a passage of the tanks and the provision of numerous bill hooks. The 71st Brigade was able to advance assisted by the good work of the tanks. At 21.00 the left battalion of 18th Brigade, 1 West Yorkshire, was in position along the main road of La Planty, and were pushing forward in conjunction with a tank. (W18b, p7 to 9)
German artillery broke up the attacking infantry, they kept going forward in isolated groups. The left flank of 18th Brigade was held up at la Plantin, 700yds short of the first objective, one tank helped them achieve the first objective. The other tanks all operated behind the infantry and successfully mopped up all the ground between he starting line and the first objective. (OH)
The section of tanks detailed to support 71st Brigade advanced to the Red Line by 06.00 but were unsupported as the infantry had been held up at the start line by heavy MG fire, wire fences and hedges. The tanks were fired on by a 77mm gun at the edge of the wood in R4c.00.90 and so returned to the start Line and were ordered to re-join the 9 Norfolk. Two tanks met the 9 Norfolk and helped them resume the advance by clearing up the enemy MGs that had held the Norfolks up (W71b p7)
"Early on the tanks could easily see the routes, and gunners could identify their targets. Later, however, the Germans gassed them, and the use of the gas masks greatly limited visibility. " Quoted from WWVets
The two sections operating with the 1st Division started at Zero reached their objective without meeting any serious opposition; often getting ahead of the infantry and having to turn back to collect them. They successfully cleared all the ground between R10 and the Basuel-Catillon Road. They rallied temporarily and two tanks then went towards R9a and R10a where they cleared up the situation. (W10t)
The 2nd Sussex War Diary states that despite definite assurances that the tanks would be with the leading waves when they reached Le Hai Tonnoile, the tanks didn't arrive until after the infantry had captured and consolidated the objective which had been accomplished before dawn (W2Ssx p25)
The other section also started at zero, one tank lost its way just after crossing the British front line, the second becoming ditched within 400 yds of the Objective, the third tank successfully came into action. (W10t)
Summary
Total Tanks: 9
Failed to Start: 0
Engaged enemy: 9
Ditched / Broke Down: 1
Hit and Knocked out: 0
Rallied: 8
Notes
The ditched tank was presumably unditched as the preliminary report states all nine tanks rallied.
Totals don’t include the three reserve tanks
Aftermath
This was 301st Battalions last action.
Notes
Sgt Rosenburg of 301st US tank battalion has left an account stating he was in in action with twelve tanks from 1.20am to 6pm on 6 November (W98.p15) but there is no other record of a tank action on this date. It seems likely that Sgt Rosenburg has his dates mixed up and that he is describing the action on 23 October which has the the 1.20am start time he mentions.
Sgt Rosenburg indicates he was in a Mk V* tank numbered J23 , which had not been in action (W98.p15), this may have been 9554, one of the two Mk V* that were with 10 Battalion's B Company on 23 October but had failed to start due to a broken track.
Sources
W2tb - 2nd Tank Brigade War Diary, pdf download from PRO Kew, WO 95-102-3
p36ff - Handwritten report on 2nd tank brigade Action 23/10/18, timed 21:45 on 23/10/18
p41ff - Report on Operations 23rd & 24th October 1918
W10t -10th Tank Battalion War Diary, pdf download from PRO Kew, WO 95-103_3_2
p41ff Preliminary Report on Operations of 10th Tank Battalion & 301st American Tank Battalion with the XIII and IX Corps 23rd October 1918
OH - Official History, 1918, Vol 5, pg.356
WWvets - http://www.wwvets.com/WW1_Tanks.asp
W71b - 71st Infantry Brigade War Diary, pdf download from PRO Kew, WO 95-1620-4_1
W9Nrf - 9 Norfolk Battalion War Diary, pdf download from PRO Kew, WO 95-1623-4_3
W18b - 18th Infantry Brigade War Diary, pdf download from PRO Kew, WO 95-1615-5
p7 to 9 - War Diary entry for 23rd October
p77f - 6th Division Instruction Series "E", dated 21st October 1918
p96ff - Instructions for forthcoming operations, dated 22nd Oct 1918
p108 - Map [NOT YET USED]
W2Ssx - 2 Sussex Battalion War Diary, pdf download from PRO Kew, WO 95-1269-1_4
p25ff - Account of operations in diary entry
p35 - Map
p36 - Orders
S13 - The Tank Corps (1919) Major Clough Williams Ellis
Notes
W1WY - 1st West Yorkshire War Diary, pdf download from PRO Kew, WO 95-1618-2_4
This document only mentions a section of tanks was in support of the attack on the 23rd. no other details are given.