Of the twenty-five Tanks which went into action only six came out undamaged, and the Battalion was not really in a fit state to fight again without reorganisation.
But the enemy were still advancing, and the Albert-Bapaume road had to be defended at all costs.
So on the 24th the surviving Tanks were manned and sent forward again, and the Tankless crews were formed into Lewis gun detachments.
They waited all through the night of the 24th expecting to be sent forward.
No orders came till midday on March 25, when they were sent to the 3rd Tank Brigade Camp near Bray, which they later in the day were ordered to burn to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy.
All next day the infantry fell back, and with them the Lewis gun teams.
Some idea of the confusion may be gathered from the fact that at this moment the 2nd Battalion was separated into no less than eight parts, none of which could communicate quickly enough with its fellows to make any combined action possible.
The 8th and 10th Battalions still had some Tanks in going order, and, on the day when the 3rd Army was forced across the old Somme battlefield, they fought an exceedingly good rearguard action on either side of the Albert-Bapaume road. The Tanks received a special message of commendation from the General Commanding the 3rd Army.
Another incident—of which the authors have not been able to obtain many particulars—was the action fought by a scratch Tank force formed out of all the fighting Tanks from the driving school, Aveluy.
The 7th Battalion was one of several which were not in the path of the hurricane, and consequently lost no Tanks.