CHAPTER XXIV
TANK SIGNALLING ORGANISATION
In battle, co-operation between the commander and his troops, and between the troops themselves, depends very largely on the efficiency of the signal organisation. In a formation such as the Tank Corps, the chief duty of which was close co-operation with the infantry, the necessity for a simple though efficient communication was fully realised by Colonel Swinton as far back as February 1916, when he wrote his tactical instructions for the use of tanks, extracts from which have been given in [Chapter IV]. Though time for instruction was limited, special wireless apparatus was prepared and men trained in its use, but as orders were received not to equip the tanks with this apparatus they were dispatched to France in August 1916 without it.
On September 11 the first instructions relative to tank signals were published with the Fourth Army operation orders; they read as follows:
“From tanks to infantry and aircraft:
Flag Signals Red flag Out of action. Green flag Am on objective. Other flags Are inter-tank signals. Lamp Signals Series of T’s Out of Action. Series of H’s Am on objective. A proportion of the tanks will carry pigeons.”
| Flag Signals | |
| Red flag | Out of action. |
| Green flag | Am on objective. |
| Other flags | Are inter-tank signals. |
| Lamp Signals | |
| Series of T’s | Out of Action. |
| Series of H’s | Am on objective. |
The use made of these signals is not recorded, and no time was available, until after operations were concluded in November, wherein to organise more efficient methods.
In January 1917 steps were taken to introduce into the Heavy Branch some system of signalling in spite of the many difficulties, the chief of which were:
(i) No personnel other than the tank crews could be obtained.
(ii) At most only two months were available for training.
(iii) Neither the Morse nor semaphore codes could be read by infantry.