THE 17TH TANK ARMOURED CAR BATTALION
In March 1918 the 17th Tank Battalion was in process of formation at
the Tank Training Centre at Wool, when the German spring offensive
resulted in so great a demand being made on the home resources that
it was converted into an Armoured Car Battalion on April 23. On the
following day the drivers were selected, and sixteen armoured cars,
which were earmarked for the eastern theatre of war, were handed over
to it, the Vickers machine guns being replaced by Hotchkiss ones.
On April 28 the cars were embarked at Portsmouth, and on the 29th the
personnel, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel E. J. Carter, left
Folkestone for Boulogne. Thus in six days the whole battalion was
formed, equipped, and landed in France.
Immediately on landing the 17th Battalion was attached to the Second
Army and ordered to proceed to Poperinghe, but the tactical situation
improving these orders were cancelled and it was first sent to the Tank
Gunnery School at Merlimont for instruction, and later on to the Tank
Depot at Mers.
After some ten days’ training the 17th Battalion joined the Fourth Army
and went into the line at La Hussoye, being attached to the Australian
Corps. A few days later the battalion was transferred to the XXIInd
Corps, which was then resting in G.H.Q. reserve, immediately behind
the right flank of the British Army, and battalion headquarters were
established at Pissy. Here training continued until June 10, when at
9.30 a.m. instructions were received by Lieutenant-Colonel Carter to
report to the headquarters of the First French Army at Conty.
At Conty orders were issued for the battalion to proceed to Ravenel
near St. Just. The battalion was notified of this by telephone, and,
although the night was very dark and wet and the roads crowded with
traffic, it reached Ravenel by 5 a.m. on June 11, after a sixty-mile
journey, and went into action with the Tenth French Army in its
counter-attack at Belloy on that day. In this battle two sections of
armoured cars engaged the enemy with machine-gun fire, but the quantity
of debris scattered on the roads, and the fragile nature of the chassis
of the cars, prevented their being freely used. On the conclusion of
these operations the battalion returned to the XXIInd Corps.
On July 18 the 17th Battalion was ordered to join General Fayolle’s
Army, but did not come into action on account of delays on the road
due to congested traffic. Ten days later it was attached to the 6th
French Cavalry Division, which was operating north of Château-Thierry
following the retreating enemy towards the river Ourcq. On this river
the Germans took up a defensive position, covering its approaches
by machine-gun fire; this brought the French cavalry to a halt, but
not the armoured cars, which were able, on account of their armour,
to approach quite close to the bridges and open fire on the enemy’s
machine-gunners. At Fère-en-Tardenois the battalion greatly aided the
French by moving through the main streets of the village, which was
held by Germans. Similar assistance was rendered to the Americans at
Ronchères.
When the 6th French Cavalry Division was withdrawn to rest the 17th
Battalion proceeded to Senlis, and at 9 a.m., having just entered this
town, it received orders to proceed forthwith to Amiens, and report to
the headquarters of the Australian Corps. Amiens, which was nearly 100
miles distant, was reached the same night.
On arriving at Amiens Lieutenant-Colonel Carter was informed that
his unit was to take part in the projected attack east of this town.
The chief difficulty foreseen in an armoured-car action in this
neighbourhood was the crossing of the trenches. Although only one day
was available wherein to find a solution to this difficulty, it was
accomplished by attaching a small force of tanks to the battalion.
These tanks were used to tow the armoured cars over the obstacles, or
rather, along the tracks the tanks formed through them. This solution
proved eminently successful.
For the Fourth Army operations the 17th Armoured Car Battalion was
placed under the orders of the 5th Tank Brigade. On the morning of
August 8 the battalion moved forward with its accompanying tanks,
which successfully assisted all its cars over “No Man’s Land.” Beyond
Warfusée, several large trees, felled by shell fire, had fallen across
the road, entirely blocking it; these were speedily removed by the
towing tanks, thus clearing the road not only for the armoured cars but
for our guns and transport. After this delay the cars moved rapidly
forward and passed through our attacking lines about twenty minutes
before the infantry were timed to reach their final objective. To
accomplish this the cars had to run through our own artillery barrage;
this they did without casualty.
The road was now clear and the cars proceeded through the enemy’s
lines, scattering any infantry they found on the road. They made for
the valley near Foucaucourt, where the headquarter troops of a German
Corps were known to be encamped. These troops were completely surprised
and many casualties were inflicted on them by six cars moving through
the valley. The confusion caused soon developed into a panic, the enemy
scattering in all directions, spreading the alarm.
Whilst this surprise was developing, several sections of armoured
cars turned south and north off the Amiens-Brie road. The former met
large columns of transport and mounted officers and teams of horses
apparently belonging to the German headquarters at Framerville. These
were fired on at short range, four officers being shot down by a single
burst of fire. Shortly after this the German headquarters were reached,
and the Australian Corps flag, which had been carried in one of the
cars for the purpose, was run up over the house which, until a few
minutes before, had been occupied by the German Corps Commander. At
about this time one car came in sight of a German train: the engine was
fired at and put out of action; later on the cavalry arriving captured
it.
The cars which had turned northwards entered Proyart and Chuignolles,
two moving up to the river Somme. At Proyart the cars found the German
troops at dinner; these they shot down and scattered in all directions,
and then, moving westwards, met masses of the enemy driven from their
trenches by the Australians. In order to surprise these men, who were
moving eastwards, the cars hid in the outskirts of Proyart, and, when
the enemy was between fifty and one hundred yards distant, they rapidly
moved forward, shooting down great numbers. Scattering from before the
cars at Proyart the enemy made across country towards Chuignolles,
only to be met by the cars which had proceeded to this village, and
were once again fired on and dispersed. Near Chuignolles one armoured
car obtained “running practice” with its machine guns at a lorry full
of troops, and kept up fire until the lorry ran into the ditch. There
were also several cases of armoured cars following German transport
vehicles, without anything unusual being suspected, until fire was
opened at point-blank range.
Although more than half the cars were out of action by the evening of
the 8th there were no casualties amongst their personnel sufficiently
serious to require evacuation.
After repairing the damages sustained on August 8, the 17th Battalion
was transferred to the First Army, and on August 21 took part in
the operations near Bucquoy. At the entrance of the village a large
crater had been blown in the road, over which the cars were hauled
after a smooth path had been beaten down across it by a Whippet tank.
The cars then made their way through the enemy’s lines and reached
Achiet-le-Petit ahead of our infantry, where several machine guns were
silenced by them. In this action two of the cars received direct hits,
one of them being burnt out and destroyed.
On August 24 the battalion operated with the New Zealand Division in
the attack on Bapaume, the cars penetrating to the Arras-Bapaume road,
where severe fighting took place.
In the attack of September 2, the 17th Battalion operated with
the Canadian Corps in the assault on the Drocourt-Queant line. In
this action four cars were hit by shell fire, but two squadrons of
aeroplanes co-operating with the cars attacked the German battery so
vigorously that the crews of the disabled cars were able to escape
being captured.
On September 29 the armoured cars operated with the Australian Corps
and the IInd American Corps in the attack on the Hindenburg Line near
Bony; here numerous casualties were inflicted on the enemy and four
cars were put out of action by being burnt. This position was captured
by the Australians on the following day.
On October 8 the armoured cars were attached to the Cavalry Corps,
which was operating from Beaurevoir towards Le Cateau. On this day the
cars kept touch with the cavalry, but on the following morning they
moved forward through Maretz. About two miles beyond this village a
section co-operated with South African infantry and drove the German
machine-gunners from a strong position they were holding. The cars
were able to run right through the hostile machine-gun fire, and by
enfilading the enemy’s position killed the German machine-gunners and
captured ten machine guns and two trench mortars.
A section of cars made a dash to cross the railway bridge on the
Maretz-Honnechy road, but the enemy’s demolition party saw them coming
and, lighting the fuse, fled. The leading car, however, got across
safely, the charge exploding and blowing up the bridge immediately this
car had crossed and thereby cutting it off from the second car, which
was some fifty yards behind. The leading car then went through Maurois
and Honnechy, all guns firing; both of these villages were crowded with
troops. Near Honnechy church the car ran into a by-road by mistake;
at the same moment a group of Germans came out of a house and the car
accounted for five of them in the doorway. This incident was described
with enthusiasm by a French woman, the owner of the house, to
Lieutenant-Colonel Carter on the following day. After passing Honnechy
the car was run towards a bridge which was known to exist. Profiting by
his previous experience the commander of the car determined to save the
bridge from demolition and so not only effect his retreat but secure
it to the British Army. To accomplish this the car rapidly moved round
a corner of the road leading to the bridge, with its guns pointing in
the direction where the demolition party would probably be. This action
proved successful, the demolition party being scattered by a burst of
bullets before the charge could be fired. The bridge was thus saved
and proved of great importance to the British forces later on. The car
then crossed the river and proceeded to the spot where the second car
had been unable to cross, picking it up; both cars returned to report
their action, one at least having accomplished a very daring and useful
journey.
On November 4 the armoured cars were attached to the XVIIIth Corps and
were detailed to operate with the 18th and 50th Divisions in the forest
of Mormal. In this district the roads are narrow and at this time of
the year were very slippery; armoured-car action was therefore most
difficult. On the next day the cars of the 17th Battalion, now much
reduced in numbers, were operating with no fewer than five divisions
simultaneously. On the 9th all cars were concentrated and attached to
the Fourth Army advanced guard to assist in the pursuit of the retiring
enemy. In the action which followed the cars were cut off from the
advanced guard by all the river bridges being destroyed, but in spite
of this they were able to continue advancing on a line parallel to the
pursuit. At Ramousies and Liessies three complete trains of ammunition
were passed and numbers of heavy guns, lorries and artillery transport,
the enemy being in full flight and in a high state of demoralisation.
On November 11 the armoured cars were reconnoitring towards
Eppé-Sauvage and Moustier (twelve miles east of Avegnes), near the
Belgian frontier, some seven or eight miles in advance of the nearest
British troops, when at 10.30 a.m. an officer from the 33rd French
Division informed the officer in command that he had heard rumours of
an armistice; a few minutes later a dispatch-rider corroborated this
information, stating that hostilities were to cease at 11 a.m. Firing
went on until about three minutes to eleven, when it ceased, breaking
out in a final crash at eleven o’clock--then all was silence; a silence
almost uncanny to the men of the 17th Tank Armoured Car Battalion, who
had not been out of gunshot since July 17, the date upon which the
battalion opened its eventful history with the French Army on the Marne.
Dramatic as had been the short and brilliant career of the 17th
Armoured Car Battalion, its work was not yet ended. On November 13 it
assembled at Avesnes, and joining the cavalry of the Fourth Army moved
forward towards the Rhine. On the 26th four sections of cars were
ordered to Charleroi to deal with a reported disturbance. In this town
they were received with the greatest enthusiasm by the inhabitants,
and at Courcelles were surrounded by excited townsfolk who, having
collected all available brass instruments, crowded round the cars
playing the British National Anthem at a range of about five yards.
From Charleroi, the 17th Battalion joined the Second Army, moving on
Cologne, and were attached to the 1st Cavalry Division. On December
1 the German frontier was crossed at Malmédy, whence the battalion
was immediately sent on with the 2nd Cavalry Brigade to deal with
disturbances which had broken out in Cologne. Five days later, on the
6th, the cavalry halted outside the town, and the G.O.C. 2nd Cavalry
Brigade, escorted by cars of the 17th Battalion, proceeded to the
Rathaus to discuss the administration of the town with the burgomaster.
Cologne was entered at midday, the crews of the armoured cars being the
first British troops to enter. That afternoon the western end of the
Rhine bridge was occupied, and the colours of the Tank Corps run up to
flutter over the famous river.
The record of this battalion is a truly remarkable one. It was formed,
equipped, and landed in France in the short space of six days. In six
months it fought in ten separate battles with English, Australian,
Canadian, New Zealand, South African, French, and American troops, and
was three times mentioned in German dispatches. Every car was hit and
some of them many times, and yet the total losses in killed in action
throughout this period was only one officer and four other ranks. At
the cost of these five men and seven cars totally destroyed, this
battalion must have inflicted scores if not hundreds of casualties on
the enemy. That the British Army was not equipped with many more of
these units will be a problem which will doubtless perplex the minds of
future military historians.