14 battalion 3 Composite Company, 27 August 1918

The Battle of the Scarpe. 27^th August 1918

14^th Battalion, 3 Composite Company, with 5^th Brigade, 2^nd Division, Canadian Corp, 3^rd Army

3 Composite Company - OIC Captain Cameroon, 2IC captain Gilmore

a section - Captain Hodgekinson

9572, Sgt Caunt G

9584, Sgt Smith H

9863, Lt Weeks CH

Lt Street RC

b section

9559, 2Lt Forrester C

9561, Cpl Webber

Notes

3 Composite Company had received 6 tanks from 11^th Battalion (two from “A” Company, 11^th) on the 25^th August.

Orders

General final objective line E of Cagnicourt and Villers Les Cagnicourt. 5^th Canadian Brigade on right of Division. One section (3 tanks) to operate on right of brigade front with 26ht and half of 24^th CIF, other section on the left with 25^th and other half of 24^th CIF. Tanks to support infantry and not to advance in front of them unless the tactical situation demands it.

Zero hour was 10am.

Tanks didn’t start for lying up place until the early hours of the 27^th, two tanks, Lt Street’s and 9863 broke their tracks at N22a.8.3. the whols company then stopped there as it was getting light. The remaining four tanks were combined into a composite section under the command of Captain Hodgekinson.

Account of Operations

Lt Streets tanks was not repaired and took no part in the action. 9863 was repaired after Zero and followed the other tanks but shed its track again at N30b.5.2 on the German front line. 9572, 9584, 9559 and 9561 all advanced from N22a.8.3. at Zero, 10am. They crossed the German front line at 10.30am being heavily shelled all the way. By 12am the tanks were moving up the crest just west of Cherrisy in their correct positions just behind the leading infantry wave still being subjected to salvos of 8” shells which were clearly being fired at the tanks. The tanks reached the line Cherrisy, Fontaine Croisillies at 1.45pm and then patrolled to the north and South behind the line held by the infantry. At 2pm 9584 was hit and knocked out (left track) at O32b.9.4 in Cherrisy village. 9561 patrolled the Cherrisy Fontaine Line until it was hit in Fontaine Wood (two casualties); the crew managed to bring the tank back as far as U1b.6.4 where it was abandoned. 9559 and 9572 both proceeded ESE towards Hendecourt but met no enemy, they retuned to the forward rally point, 033a.0.5 and were ordered to the rear rallying point at 5.30pm; both tanks had been penetrated by shell fragments

Summary

Total Tanks: 6

Failed to Start: 1

Engaged enemy: 4

Ditched / Broke Down: 1

Hit and Knocked out: 2

Rallied: 2

Notes

Aftermath

9559 in action again on 2^nd September

Sources

Relevant Battlegraph in PRO WO 95-103

Report on operations on August 27th in PRO WO 95-103

The Scarpe (1918) - 22 to 30 August