It was on this occasion that the airmen’s now famous message was sent back, a message whose repetition rather galled the Tank Corps in the days of ill-rewarded effort that still lay between it and its final triumphs:
“A Tank is walking up the High Street of Flers with the British Army cheering behind.”
Of two other Tanks which did particularly well, the first, a male, entered Gueudecourt, where it attacked a German Battery and destroyed a field gun; the other gave great assistance to attacking infantry which was held up by wire and machine-guns. The Tank Commander placed his machine astride the trench and enfiladed it; the Tank then travelled along behind the trench and 300 Germans surrendered and were taken prisoners.
The following is a short summary of the returns of Tanks engaged.
The casualties among Tank personnel were insignificant, though one officer of great promise was lost:
| 49 | Tanks were employed. |
| 32 | reached their starting-points. |
| 9 | pushed ahead of the infantry and caused considerable loss to the enemy. |
| 9 | others did not catch up the infantry but did good work in “clearing up.” |
| 5 | became ditched. |
| 9 | broke down from mechanical trouble. |
Of these last fourteen, some served as useful rallying-points for the infantry after they had become immobile, and several could have been extricated in time to render some service if they had not been knocked out by indirect hits.
Crews who had been obliged to abandon their Tanks either got out their machine-guns and continued fighting or helped the wounded.
III
The battle had been essentially experimental. What opinion had been formed of the Tanks?