16company31july1917
16 Company 31 July 1917
The Tanks at 3rd Ypres. 31st July 1917
16 Company, F Battalion, with 164th Brigade, 55th Division, XIX Corps, 5th Army (W63)
16 Company had 12 fighting tanks in action on 31st July 1917(W23):
Company Commander: Maj. Inglis A DSO |MC (w3b)
1 Section, Capt R Darby – Support 1/4th Lancashire Regt. On right of attack on green line in following order from the right:
F1, 2696, “Firespite”, f, 2Lt Renwick AE
F3, 2698, “Frolic”, f, 2Lt Wheatley RC or 2Lt Roach B (Pigeon message)
F4, 2704, “Flirt”, f, 2Lt Lennard
F5, 2712, “Firefly”, f, 2Lt Bouter R
2 Section. Capt RCF Bown MC – Follow 1st wave as mopping up tanks after 30 mins, in following order from the right:
F6, 2310, “Feu D Artifrice”, m, 2Lt Roach RS
F9, 2715, “Feu Follet”, f, Lt Sanders VG
F10, 2716, “Feu D'enfer”, f, 2Lt Seymour D
F7, 2314, “Feu De Ciel”, m, 2Lt Smith AR
3 Section. Capt FS Laskey - Support 3/5th Lancashire Fusiliers. On left of attack on green line in following order from the right:
F11, 2319, “Fizyama”, m, 2Lt Macmeenen AP
F13 ,2717, “Falcon”, f, 2Lt Ready NHA
F15, 2319, “Fifinella”, f, Connell RTO
F12, 2321, “Friar Tuck”,m, 2Lt Ryric A
4 Section. Supply (?)
F16, 581, Lt Horsley W, Signal Tank
F17, ?, “Follow the Crowd”
F19, ?, “Fill up”
Notes
Mk IV crew and serial numbers from list of 3rd Brigade Tanks dated 13 July 1917 in PRO WO 95 / 91. Courtesy of Gwyn Evans.
Section numbers, section commanders, orders, tank sexes and tank commanders names from War Diary (W3b)
Tank crew numbers and names from War History (H6)
F1 and F7 serial numbers from War Diary of 2 Tank Field Salvage Coy (W32).
F10 photographed some time prior to the action: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/3003572099/in/set-72157601074582281/
Orders
Sections 1 and 3 to pass through the Black Line at Zero plus 6 hours 20 mins and assist infantry of 164th Brigade in capturing the Green Line (Third Objective) (W63)
2 Section to follow on and mop up.
Account of Operations
Sections 1 and 3 left St Jean at Zero, followed at 4.20 am by no 2 section and the two supply tanks and the wireless tank.
1 Section
F1. Ditched in German front line system, five crew wounded. Tank taken over by crew F5 (h6). Pigeon message: 7:40 am Ditched at Jasper Farm, second German line (W23) (probably nearer Von Hugel Farm, see sketch map). Four crew wounded whilst attempting to unditch. Tank unable to proceed with remaining crew. (W23)
F3. Ditched four times, magneto hit and tank thus disabled and abandoned in German Front Line system; OIC wounded (H6) . Pigeon message: 7:15 am - ditched and penetrated by shell fragments secondary gear left track broken, Camel Drive, 29a.2.3.(W23)
F4. Attacked. Crossed German Front Line, ditched and Unditched (W23). Assisted 164 Brig, 55th Div, XIX Corp in capturing Green line objective Toronto. (Second wave ) (W63)
OR
arrived too late to assist infantry (H6) . Returned (W23, but ditched and abandoned (H6) just before rally point (W23) at Polizee Wood (H6).
F5. Ditched in German front line system and broke down whilst attempting to unditch, crew transferred to F1 (H6).
2 Section.
F6. Attacked. Crossed German Front Line, broke down (W23) Twisted Extension shaft.
F7. Attacked, Ditched four times and abandoned in German Front Line system (H6). Pigeon message: 10:00 am. Ditched in second German line, 200yds of marked route form St Jean (W23)(W32)
F9. Ditched and unditched in German front Line system (H6). Arrived at Green Line late. Reached green line and assisted infantry (W63) Hit through petrol tank near Hill 35 whilst returning, tank abandoned. Pigeon message: 5:10pm. Tank no petrol. Gallipoli Farm (W23)
F10. Came into action after F13 had been knocked out. Reached Black line and ditched, was unditched and reached Green line where she assisted the infantry. She returned to the company rallying point where she received a direct hit, OIC KIA, most of crew severely wounded (H6).
3 Section.
F11. Broke down before crossing British front line, repaired returned and rallied (W23)
F12. Attacked late due to mechanical trouble. Ditched twice and abandoned in German Front Line system (H6): Pigeon message: 8:09 am. Broken down, fan shaft belt broken, engine seized. 23d.95.25. (W23)
F13. Crossed German Front Line, ditched, unditched. Fired on Germans South of Spree farm who were holding up infantry. Advanced ahead of infantry from Black line then suffered a direct hit, which completely wrecked the tank (W23) and killed the OIC (H6).
F15. Attacked, Ditched twice and abandoned in German Front Line system; OIC and one OR wounded (H6). 1 Aug - Ditched. Being worked on by battalion Workshops and tank crews (W63)
4 Section Supply
F17. Ditched and unditched 3 times in German front line system, returned and rallied. (H6)
F19. Ditched and unditched 3 times in German front line system, returned and rallied (H6), broke down (W23)
[Wireless tank].
F16. Reached British front line (W23) and took up station at Weiltje Dug -out (H6). Wireless Broke Down. Returned and rallied (W23)
24 tanks were to support XIX Corps advance from the second to the third objective (9 and 16 Companies) , only 9 came into action and only three reached the third line, at Kansas Cross, Winnipeg and also at Springfield in XVIII Corps area. (OH)
Summary of fighting tanks
Intended: 12
Reserve: 0
At Start: 12
Failed to start:
Engaged enemy: 4
Ditched / Broke Down: 8
Hit and Knocked out: 3
Rallied: 1
Notes
Engaged enemy total includes F4.
Ditched / broke down includes F11 which was repaired and rallied.
Hit and Knocked out includes F3 and F9
Rallied is F10 which was Hit and KO after reaching the rally point.
Aftermath
F1 - 08 Aug - Ditched. Being worked on by battalion Workshops and tank crews. Note: Tank handed over to salvage on 9th August after suffering a hit on the 7th. 28th Aug - Salvage: Moved to no mans land. 29th Aug - Moved 200 yds, heavily shelled. 30 Aug - Salved whole from C29b18 to H6b44. 31 Aug - Could not be entrained as it caught fire. 8 Sept - entrained for Central Workshops
F3 - 1 Aug - Ditched. Being worked on by battalion Workshops and tank crews (W63) 9 Aug - In Oosthoek Wood (W23)
F4 - 1 Aug - Ditched. Being worked on by battalion Workshops and tank crews. 9 Aug - to Salvage (W63)
20 Aug - Salved whole to I.3a.5.5. 22 Aug - From I.3a.5.5 to Reigersburg Chateau ((W32)
F5 - 1 Aug - Twisted Extension shaft. Being worked on by battalion Workshops and tank crews. 5 Aug – Unditched (W63) . 6 Aug - Salved and brought back to St Jean Tank park. 9 Aug - At La Brique (W23)
F6 - 1 Aug - Being worked on by battalion Workshops and tank crews. 9 Aug - At C23d.44.00 (W23) 20 Aug - Unditched at C29.b.6.2. 22 Aug - From Salvage to 3rd brigade. 25 Aug - Salved whole from C29l13 to I2b78 handed to battalion
(W32) 31 Aug - Broke down and thus failed to retire to Osthoek wood with the rest of 16 and 18 Companies (W23)
F7 - 1 Aug - Ditched. Being worked on by battalion Workshops and tank crews (W63) 3 Aug - Unditched by Salvage team at Sheet 28 NW C.23.c.9.2 (W32) 9 Aug - At C29g.2.6 (W23) 11 Aug - From 2nd Brigade to No 2 Salvage Coy for Salvage 25 Aug - Moved 200yds then broke down. 28 Aug - Salved Whole from C29b57 to H6b44. 31 Aug - Loaded for CW
F9 - 1 Aug - To Salvage. Hit and too badly damaged to repair (W63)
F10 - 1 Aug - To Salvage. Hit and too badly damaged to repair (W63)
F12 - 1 Aug - Ditched. Being worked on by battalion Workshops and tank crews (W63) 5 Aug - unditched. 6 Aug - Salved and brought back to St Jean Tank park (W23). In action at Cambrai.
F13 - 1 Aug - To Salvage. Hit and too badly damaged to repair. (W23)
F15 - 9 Aug – At C23c.5.1(W23) 20 Aug - Salved whole to I.3a.5.5 left Sponson hit 22 Aug - From I.3a.5.5 to Reigersburg Chateau and from Salvage to 3rd brigade (W32)
F17 - 11 Aug - From 2nd Brigade to No 2 Salvage Coy for Salvage (W32)
F19. 1 Aug - Ditched. Being worked on by battalion Workshops and tank crews (W63)
Sources
W32 = War Diary of 2 Tank Field Salvage Coy
W3 = F Battalion War Diary, transcription form Bovington Tank Museum
W3b = F Battalion War Diary, appendix 7 in PRO 95 / 107
W23 = 3rd brigade War Diary
W63 = Preliminary report on tank operations on 31 July 1917 in PRO WO 95 / 104
95/91 = List of 3rd Brigade Tanks dated 13 July 1917 in PRO WO 95 / 91. Courtesy of Gwyn Evans.
H6 – F Battalion War History (1919) Reprint Naval and Military Press
OH – Official History, 1917, Vol 2, Pg.168
FF - http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/3003572099/in/set-72157601074582281/
Note: F / 6th Battalion War Diary, transcription form Bovington Tank Museum (W3), does not contain an account of this action.
F / 6th Battalion War History contains a detailed tank by tank account of this action
C & F Battalions 31 July 1917 - map
3rd Ypres Narratives - By date
3rd Ypres narratives - By Unit