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Thread : Artillery mounted on caterpillar tracks?

Source: British Gun Carrier Units

Many thanks to sotonmate for pointing me in the right direction regarding the British Gun Carrier units.

WO95/100 War Diary for No 1 Gun Carrier Company, Tank Corps,and runs from Jan 1918 to Jan 1919 plus Apr 1919. The Diary is digital and downloadable.

So I downloaded the diaries to find that they also contained a short history of the unit....

Initially during the experimental stage the gun carrying tanks were manned by the Royal Garrison Artillery and Army Service Corps drivers. Initially formed into independant sections of 6 tanks, they were embodied into the Tank Corps. The RGA provided one NCO per tank whose duty it was to take charge of the mounting and dismounting of the guns.

One of those RGA NCO,s , Corporal A Hokins was one of the first caualties killed when tank no 100 received a direct hit from a German 5.9 inch shell, 29th september 1917.

CWGC - Corporal Albert Hopkins- Royal Garrison Artillery attached Tank Corps died 1st October 1917.

A veteran of the Boer War, he was a native of Small Heath, Birmingham.

The four sections were concentrated together to form 1st Gun Carrier Company Tank Corps on 22nd November 1917. Experienced had proved that the services of the RGA NCO’s could be dispensed with, and they were returned to their units on 31^st January 1918.

The Company were not called upon until May 1918, by which time it had been decided that the tanks were better employed as supply carriers, and consequently the heavy gun tackle and fittings on the tanks were removed in preparation for their new role.

The use of Gun Carrying tanks therefore ceased in May 1918.

History of 1^st Gun Carrier Company Tank Corps July 1917 to May 1918

Source: History of the 1^st Gun Carrier Company Tank Corps. WO95 / 100 Image 519 page 122

During the First Battle of the Somme, difficulty was experienced in moving guns of a heavy calibre forward. To alleviate this problem the gun carrier was developed, capable of carrying a 6 inch Howitzer or 60 pounder gun, together with a supply of ammunition. The designed allowed the gun to be quickly mounted / dismounted of fired from the carrier tank. The carrier could then be used to as a mechanism to supply ammunition to the guns.

The first gun carrier tank (no 100) was built at Leeds by Kitson & Company and brought to France in July 1917. The tank was manned by personnel of the Royal Garrison Artillery, with Army service Corps NCO’s and drivers attached. Experimental work was carried out at Erin and Proven (near Ypres).

It was then decided to embody the gun carrying tanks into the Tank Corps. Arrangements were then made to form independent Gun Carrying sections.

A Section Formed 9th Jul 1917 at Leeds deployed France 31^st Aug 1917

B Section Formed 6^th Sep 1917 at Bovington deployed to France 3^rd Sep 1917

C Section Formed 23 Sep 1917 at Bovington deployed to France 7^th Nov 1917

D Section Formed Oct 1917 at Bovington deployed to France 4^th Dec 1917

Each section included six Royal Garrison Artillery NCO’s (one per tank), whose duty it was to take charge of the mounting and dismounting of the guns.

On formation, A section initially conducted driving training and mounting / dismounting of guns in Leeds. Experimental firing at Shoeburyness preceded

embarkation to France 31^st August. On arrival at Erin, training was continued until 6^th September, when six gun carrying tanks were drawn from the central workshops. The section then deployed to Ouderdon. Here further trials were conducted, when it became apparent that owing to mechanical troubles and the nature of the ground the tails, as then fitted to the tanks, were undesirable and accordingly abandoned before actual operations were commenced.

Operations commenced a with the deployment of 4 tanks to Zillebekke and 2 tanks to Three Kilo Point (near Woodcote House), where they were employed carrying 6 inch Howitzers and 60 pounder guns and ammunition. It was during this action that the first casualties were sustained when tank 106 received a direct hit from a 5.9 inch shell. The section commander Lt EM Brown[CWGC Information] and 6 Tank Corps soldiers were killed or died from wounds. An RGA Corporal, Albert Hopkins was also killed.

With further sections being formed in the UK, the sections were to be amalgamated to form a company under the command of Major AB Tawse, and further additions would be made to bring the strength up to the establishment.

Operations continued until 19^th November when the section entrained at Riegersburg ramp en route to Erin where the tanks were handed into the Central Workshops, where two were found to be non-operational.

They deployed again on the 22^nd November 1917, detraining at Ypres moving to Hermies to take part in the first battle for Cambrai. They were employed moving ammunition from the Decauville railway to the batteries positioned on the line of the Grand Canal du Nord. They continued until 20^th December when they returned to Erin, before moving to the Depot Camp at Treport.

B section embarked for France on 3^rd November after initial training at Bovington. After a few days at Erin, they entrained for Happy Valley near Fricourt where they drew 5 gun carrying tanks. After moving to Le Platrau, they entrained on the 19^th November for Ypres. Deploying to Havrincourt Road, they undertook work supplying fighting tanks, then subsequently gun / ammunition carrying for the RGA from 20^th to 27^th November. They continued until 20^th December when all but two tanks returned to Erin. The remaining two gun carriers carried guns and ammunition for 63^rd H.B. group. They continued until 19^th January 1918, one tank transferring to salvage work, the other to entraining to the central workshops.

When A & B sections met up at Erin, their tanks were sent to the central workshops. The personnel moved by train to Treport, where they were able to spend Christmas in billets at the Depot Camp.

C section arrived at Erin on the 12^th November. Whilst continuing their training, they shared in the work of maintaining supplies of ammunition to the battle tanks in action at Cambrai. On 2^nd December they moved to the Depot Camp at Treport.

D section embarked for France 4^th December, and proceeded directly to the depot Camp at Trecourt.

The 1^st Gun Carrier Company was officially formed 22^nd November 1917, however it was not until January 1918 that formation arrangements could be carried out as the sections concentrated at the camp. Organisation and training as a company commenced, culminating with an inspection by Commander Tank Corps 19^th January 1918.

Experienced had proved that the services of the RGA NCO’s could be dispensed with, and they were returned to their units on 31^st January 1918. On 5^th February 1918, Major Moore assumed command.

The Company’s initial tasking was the provision of working parties from 14^th February till 14^th March. It was not until 10^th April before 12 gun carrying tanks arrived from at the Mers ramp. The intervening time being spent training, the tedium of in action being relieved by many football matches and concert parties. Time was now spent preparing the tanks, and bringing the company ip to strength with the arrival of 10 subalterns and 3 OR’s from the depot, as well as 19 OR’s from no 2 gun carrying company.

The next deployment commenced 26^th April when the company with 10 tanks moved to Erin. After training, they moved to Humeroruille . Further experimentation with gun carrying work was undertaken, and the company drew a further 14 gun carrying tanks from central stores, bringing the total to 24.

On 22^nd May, 12 gun carrying tanks were handed over to no 2 Gun Carrying Company. The other 12 tanks were moved by train for Foulainville , then then tracked to Querrieu Wood on the Amiens-Albert Wood. The remainder of the company remained at Humeroruille to draw 12 more tanks. In Querrien Wood, a camp was established.

Whilst in this location it was decided that the carriers were best used in the moving of stores for Battle Tanks, Infantry, Artillery and Engineers. Consequently the heavy gun tackle and fittings on the tanks were removed in preparation for their new role.

The use of Gun Carrying tanks therefore ceased in May 1918.