PART I

I

We have said that the 1st and 3rd Armies were to strike first. Tanks belonging to the 7th and 11th Battalions of the 1st Brigade were to fight with the Canadians and the 4th Corps opposite Bourlon and Gouzeaucourt, and the 2nd Brigade was to contribute the 15th Battalion, which was to co-operate with the 17th Corps opposite Graincourt and Flesquières.

Altogether fifty-three fighting Tanks were to be employed.

As in the 4th Army sector, the peculiar lie of the country was the chief influence which shaped our battle tactics, as in the 4th Army area a canal was the central feature of the attack.

In the First Battle of Cambrai the Tanks had all attacked from south of the northward bend of the Canal du Nord near Havrincourt, and so worked up the enemy’s side of this great obstacle.

Now we were in a better position to force a direct crossing, both strategically and mechanically, and the hazardous venture was to be attempted. Direct ground reconnaissance of the Canal itself was impossible, as the enemy held the hither bank in strength, but every conceivable source of information was exhaustively exploited in the endeavour to find crossing-places for the Tanks, that might offer at least a possibility of success.

Daring flights were made by special observers in low-flying aeroplanes, and a wonderful mosaic was pieced together from successive sets of air-photographs.

This was annotated, re-photographed, enlarged, and circulated to all concerned for further amplification and annotation as additional information was collected; Major Macavity of the Canadian Corps Intelligence, and Captain Oswald Birly of 1st Army Headquarters, being largely responsible for the thoroughness of this, as well as of several previous “over-the-line” surveys.

In addition, the _Garde Champêtre_, the _Ponts et Chaussées_ service, and the engineers’ working drawings for the Canal, were all laid under contribution, as well as the evidence of a number of prisoners, refugees and _repatriés_.

From such sources and on such evidence the requisite number of crossings were at length determined on, and the Tanks definitely and severally allotted to them, for good or ill.

But when all had been done, there were one or two points about which there still remained a disquieting element of doubt.

At one of these, where aerial photographs showed a breach through the retaining banks of the dry Canal that just might, or that just might not, allow sufficient width for Tanks to cross, a crossing was imperative for the local success of the attack. Somehow, a passage had to be positively assured--and there seemed but one sure way of keeping our contract with the infantry, who were to storm the Canal at that place.

A bridge was to be formed of three old and obsolete Tanks, upon the broad backs of which their juniors and betters might scramble across and get to close quarters with the enemy. Four elderly machines, warranted unsound, were accordingly sought out, specially stiffened up with internal timber struts, and allotted the self-sacrificing task of slithering down into the Canal bed, and there swinging and shunting until they lay side by side ready for the fighters to crawl over them.

Under the heading “A BRIDGE OF TANKS,” the actual crossing was very vividly described in the Press.

“_Paris, September 28._

“A French correspondent relates the following interesting episode which happened in the battle yesterday.

“It had been decided that a Tank detachment of the older types should lead the attack, expose themselves to the enemy fire, and, on arriving at the brink of the Canal, drop themselves into the bed so as to form an improvised bridge from one Tank to the other. The fast Tanks were to follow, and this new rapid type was to pass over the backs of their older comrades, opening out a path for the infantry. Volunteers were asked for this post of danger, and for one crew wanted ten crews offered themselves. Lots had to be drawn finally to choose the heroic winners of this contest of honour. The wonderful feat was accomplished. The old scarred Tanks, covered with ancient gashes and wounds proudly gained in the fighting on the Somme, and in the fighting of over a year ago before Cambrai, took for the last time their slow and massive way, and plunged with noble abnegation over the edge. Over their bodies the new strong Tanks passed with giant strides, our soldiers followed them to victory, and shortly after eight o’clock they penetrated Flesquières.”

As a matter of fact, the actuality fell somewhat short of this description. The veteran machines found themselves quite unequal to the long trek, and even the least decrepit of the four finally doddered to a standstill whilst yet miles away from the Canal.

So there was no “Bridge of Tanks” after all, though, as things turned out, its absence embarrassed no one, with the possible though unlikely exception of the “close-up” correspondent.

Most fortunately the doubtful crossing proved practicable, and all machines, save one that struck a land-mine, passed safely over.

II

The attack was, as usual, at dawn, and, as the first-wave Tanks and infantry went over the top, they met with fierce resistance. On the right we encountered particularly strong opposition near Beaucamp Ridge.

The 11th Battalion History remarks upon the extraordinarily gallant fighting of the enemy on this sector.

“In some cases they even attempted to pull the machine-guns and 6-pounders out of the Tanks. We inflicted many casualties by actually running over machine-guns and infantry, as well as by our fire.”

Indeed, the Germans here constantly counter-attacked throughout the day, so important did they deem the position. In spite of them, however, we successfully established our right flank.

Just to the north of them the Guards and the 3rd Division forced a crossing of the Canal in face of their heavy machine and field gun fire, captured Ribecourt and Flesquières, the Guards taking Arival Wood and pushing north of Premy Chapel, where the 2nd Division took up the advance.

The 15th Battalion History tells the story of four Tanks which were co-operating with the Guards Division. It is typical of this part of the battle. On the northern outskirts of Flesquières they awaited the arrival of the 1st Grenadiers, filling in the interval by helping the Gordons in their occupation of the village.

When the Guards arrived the situation was still somewhat obscure, and Major Skeggs, commanding the Tanks, made a daring forward reconnaissance from Flesquières towards Premy Chapel.

The Tanks were brought round north of the village immediately, engaging a number of machine and field guns, which were firing from Arival Wood. In order to cover the advance of the infantry, the Tanks had to come up over a bare stretch of country, exposed to direct fire from a number of field pieces.

Two Tanks, “Orchid” and “Othello,” were soon knocked out, and 2nd Lieutenant Riddle’s “Orestes” and Sergeant Whatley’s “Oribi” only were left.

But it was in the centre that the Tanks fought their chief battle. Under cover of darkness, the Canadians and the 63rd Division had moved down the west bank of the Canal near Mœuvres and Sains-lez-Marquion. In the half light of dawn they stormed the Canal itself. The resistance here was far from well organised.

[92]“Silkem Chapel and Wood Switch were packed with enemy infantry, who were in great confusion, unable to move one way or the other. The Tank ‘Odetta,’ commanded by Second Lieutenant C. W. Luck, did great execution there, bringing all his guns to bear on the enemy, and using case shot at point-blank range.”

All day the 15th Battalion fought.

“About 4.30 p.m. the G.S.O.3, 63rd Division, brought up a Brigadier-General (brigade not ascertained), who asked if Tanks could go forward with his Brigade, who were then about to resume the advance. He was informed that they had very little petrol left, but would go on if he (the Brigadier-General) would accept responsibility for Tanks being stranded right forward without petrol. The Brigadier-General agreed to this, and said he wanted to get his Brigade on to the Marquion Line.

“The two Tanks went forward and picked up the infantry north of Graincourt. From this point they preceded the infantry, encountering practically no opposition.

“Beyond Anneux, the Tanks came under a lot of machine-gun fire from the direction of Fontaine-Notre-Dame. Both Tanks were turned broadside on, and fire was brought to bear on the German machine-guns in order to support the infantry advancing on the left. Parties of the enemy, who were seen coming over the crest towards the Marquion Line, were engaged by all Tank guns which could be brought to bear. The enemy ran away and many casualties were caused.

“Soon after this some heavy shells, believed to have been fired from trench mortars, fell very close to the Tanks. These two Tanks reached a point about 1000 yards from Cantaing before completing their work.

“Petrol was then almost finished, crews were much exhausted, having left the final lying-up place at about twelve midnight, on September 26–27. The work required of the Tanks was completed, so they were withdrawn to a point well east of the Canal.”

Meanwhile our line had been pushed on east of Anneux to Fontaine-Notre-Dame. Bourlon Village had been carried by the 7th Tank Battalion and the Canadians. We had passed through Bourlon Wood, which was now wholly in our possession.

On the extreme left a Division of the 22nd Corps had also crossed the Canal, cleared Sauchy-Lestrée and had moved on northward.

The air co-operation had been particularly effective throughout the day. The work of the 8th Squadron had, however, been a good deal hampered, as they had concentrated on the 4th Army front for the recent fighting there, and therefore had a long flight and difficult signal communications when ordered to work with the 3rd and 1st Armies. However, their arrangements with their Tank partners were, as usual, admirable. With the 7th Battalion, who, with the Canadians, had been set the task of crossing the Canal du Nord opposite Inchy, and then taking Bourlon Village, co-operation was particularly good; not only were vital messages dropped at Battalion Headquarters, but a gun which was firing on three of our Tanks from Bourlon Wood was effectively bombed, and twice the airman chased its crew away with his machine-gun.

On September 28 Tanks of the 7th and 11th Battalions fought again at Baillencourt. Seven Tanks of the 11th Battalion with the 5th Corps captured Villers Guislain and Gonnelieu.

By the evening of the 28th we had taken all our objectives, and had advanced beyond our old high-water line of the First Battle of Cambrai. Fontaine-Notre-Dame, Bourlon Village, Epinoy and Haynecourt were all ours, and we had captured over 10,000 prisoners and 200 guns. The Tanks had suffered heavy casualties, but they had not suffered them in vain.