The Tank Corps

by Clough Williams-Ellis; Amabel Williams-Ellis

“Three Tanks of ‘A’ Company were due to attack with the main assault on November 13; and one of them succeeded in penetrating into the enemy’s position and advancing for some distance along the enemy’s support line and nearly reaching the Ancre before it became ‘ditched.’

“Further north the attack had met with considerable success, except that the village of Beaumont-Hamel had held out for some hours. Tanks had been called upon to assist, and two of them had advanced along the road to Beaumont-Hamel; just about the time that they reached the village the remainder of the German garrison capitulated. Between Beaumont-Hamel and the river Ancre a considerable body of Germans were holding out in the enemy front and support trenches; although troops of the 63rd Division had reached the outskirts of Beaucourt well in the rear of this body of men, they continued to hold out throughout the day. Tanks were again called upon to deal with this situation. They reached the position the next morning, being led up by a trench mortar officer of the Division concerned. One Tank succeeded in crossing the very large German front trench, but, unfortunately, became stuck soon afterwards; the second Tank came to grief just before it reached the enemy front trench. It appeared that a deadlock had again been reached, and the crews of the Tanks were in a precarious position. On examining the ground about them the Officer Commanding the leading Tank (which incidentally was leading no longer, since it was stuck and all too stationary) noticed that the whole area appeared to be shimmering with white. On opening the front flap of the Tank and obtaining a better view, it was seen that all the German garrison, some 400 in number, appeared to have found something white to wave in token of surrender; those who could not produce anything better were waving lumps of chalk about or bits of board or rifle-stocks which they had rapidly chalked white. The situation was rather an embarrassing one for so small a number as the crew of Two Tanks to deal with; fortunately, however, it was possible by signs, and with the assistance of the infantry, to ‘mop up’ these 400 prisoners before they realised that both the Tanks were stuck and out of action.

“Some of the worst of the ground was now in our line, and an effort was made to get the Tanks through this bad zone in order that they might continue to attack in the neighbourhood of Beaucourt. Efforts were made to prepare a track for the Tanks by means of a considerable digging party, but when the Tanks reached the very broken ground just north of the Ancre, they became one after another firmly stuck; with enormous efforts they were dug out, and succeeded in getting a few yards further, only to stick again. It was heart-breaking work, which would undoubtedly have been rendered far easier if the Tanks had then had the unditching beams which were only introduced some time later.

“Finally, on the evening of the 17th, only one Tank had succeeded in getting through this bad zone and reaching the comparatively good ground beyond. The crew, to whom great credit is due, had already been working continuously for some days and night, and were not only exhausted, but had had no time to carry out any reconnaissance of the position which was to be attacked at dawn the next day. There being, however, only one Tank, made it of greater importance than ever that it should be made the most of. It was decided that it should be used against the very strong position known as the Triangle, which was a redoubt on the high ground, roughly midway between Beaumont-Hamel and Beaucourt. The ground about this redoubt was, unfortunately, also very heavily shelled, and a frontal approach with the infantry was impossible, and it was necessary for the Tank to go in on the flank while the infantry attacked the position frontally. It was realised that the first necessity was that the Tank should reach this redoubt as rapidly as possible, and during the night a route was taped slightly beyond our front line and directing the Tank straight for the Triangle. The weather was now much colder, and the frost rendered the ground less hopelessly outside the capacity of the Tank.

“Just before dawn, however, a fresh difficulty arose, and tried still further the already severely tried expedition. It began to snow, and the white tape which was to guide the Tank was obliterated.”

Captain Hotblack (now Major, D.S.O., M.C.), the Reconnaissance Officer who had done the taping, was the only man who had reconnoitred this piece of ground, and he immediately volunteered to lead the Tank upon which so much depended.

Taking what little cover he could in shell-holes full of ice and water, he walked in front of the Tank past our front line close up to the Triangle. Marvellously enough, not one among the hail of bullets which greeted him and the Tank found its mark. Having succeeded in this arduous enterprise and having guided the machine to its position, he returned to report on the progress of the action. The light was now improving, and the Tank started its “rolling up” movement along the German trenches.

The machine was now so much in the midst of the enemy that the German artillery did not dare to open upon it, and the Tank poured in a devastating fire from its machine-guns not only upon the men in the trenches, but also upon some horse transport behind the enemy lines.

But, meanwhile, the infantry was hung up in another part of the field, and the Tank was urgently needed.

At that time signal communication to the Tanks was very imperfect, and there seemed no way of letting the Tank Commander know of the new development.