Triangle Farm fell ten minutes afterwards. The garrison had put up a fight against the Tanks and our infantry killed them all, mostly with the bayonet.
At the Cockcroft the attacking Tank[40] got ditched within fifty yards of its victim. But at sight of it the garrison of over 100 “withdrew.” The Tank and its infantry immediately opened fire with their Lewis guns, and more than half the fugitives fell.
[41]“Our infantry then consolidated the Cockcroft. This completed the capture of all objectives.
“The Tanks waited till consolidation was well forward before returning.
“Casualties—Infantry: no killed, 15 wounded.
“Tank Personnel—Killed: Officers, none; other Ranks, 2. Wounded: Officers, 2; other Ranks, 10.”
In one of the strong points we found a German officer who had been hanged by his men.
The St. Julien attack, as it was afterwards called, proved a sufficient counterblast to the 5th Army report.
The friends of the Tank Corps made the most of it. It was a brilliant little exploit, and once brought to notice, the casualty figures pleaded too loudly to be ignored.
It is probably no exaggeration to say that it was in some measure to the Tanks which won the little Battle of St. Julien that the Tank Corps owed the opportunity of winning the Battle of Cambrai.