3rd Bn Tank Corps on 29 Sep 1918

[delta]

Don't have a copy of the 3rd Bn War Diary, and the Bn history does not make it clear.

Whereabout did 3rd Bn Tank Corps fight during the break-in into the Hindenberg Line on 29 Sep 1918.

[ander11]

Hi there Anna here is a small clip from a link I found.

The 2nd Brigade's role was to follow the 1st up to the Marquion Line

and then extend to the left to capture the central portion of the Blue Line on the

divisional front. By two o'clock the 7th Battalion was firm on its objective

midway between Marquion and Haynecourt. During the afternoon the 5th

Battalion went on to occupy Haynecourt and push patrols almost to the main

Cambrai-Douai road. On the left, units of the 11th British Division passed

through, headed for Epinoy. By the end of the day (27 September) patrols of the

10th Battalion-which had passed through the 5th just east of Haynecourt were

approaching the Marcoing Line, coming first to a heavy belt of uncut wire

covered by enemy machine-guns. With mounting casualties the infantry cut the

wire and pushed forward; but confronted by a second wire barrier, which marked

the line itself, and with darkness approaching, the battalion consolidated on the

east side of the Douai-Cambrai road.102

On General Macdonell's left the 3rd Brigade had the important task of

driving northward beyond the Canal du Nord and capturing in turn the villages of

Sains-lez-Marquion and Marquion, thereby freeing the eastern bank to permit

crossings by the 11th Division. Leading the 3rd Brigade's advance the 14th

Battalion crossed south of Sains-lez-Marquion, and swinging north behind the

village, quickly captured its part of the Red Line. Four supporting tanks rendered

good service in crushing wire barricades and in mopping up the village, but

mechanical difficulties kept them from advancing past the Red Line.103 From

Chapel Corner, south-east of Marquion, the German opposition, which had

wavered before the initial rush of the 14th, rallied with heavy fire to stop the 13th

Battalion, which was following up the initial assault. It took a joint effort by the

13th and 15th Battalions with tank assistance to clear Marquion. The 15th

continued northward across the Arras road, mopping up the area east of the canal.

By 2:00 p.m. it was firm at the Blue Line, just south of Sauchy-Lestrée

This is what I found for 3rd tank Brigade?,I hope this is what are looking for.

http://www.cefresearch.com/matrix/Nicholso...n/Chapter14.pdf

It might be useful

IanAnder

[delta]

Ian - thanks indeed for the link - it's not quite what I was looking for but it adds a lot of missing detail

Stephen