Prior to July 1, 1918, no definite aeroplane and tank co-operation had been organised, though the want of such co-operation had been long felt, and in one of the attacks on Bourlon wood, during the battle of Cambrai, aeroplanes had proved their value in protecting tanks from the enemy’s field guns.

The assistance which aeroplanes can afford tanks falls under the two main headings of information and protection; in the future, no doubt, those of command and supply will be added.

Prior to the battle of Arras, in February and March 1917, certain experiments were carried out in communication between tanks, aeroplanes and captive balloons by means of the Aldis daylight signalling lamp, as already mentioned in Chapter XXIV; these experiments did not prove a success. During the battle of Messines aeroplanes, with considerable accuracy, reported the whereabouts of tanks on the battlefield. At the Third Battle of Ypres this useful work was continued, and again at the battle of Cambrai, but during these last operations the days were usually so misty as to forbid much useful work being accomplished.

After the battle of Cambrai every endeavour was made by the Tank Corps to get this co-operation regularised and placed on a sound footing, but except for some remarkable tests carried out by the 1st Tank Brigade in the vicinity of Fricourt, in February 1918, in which it was conclusively demonstrated that low-flying aeroplanes could render the greatest protective assistance to tanks, nothing was done to institute a definite system of co-operation. To do so, only one thing was required—namely, the attachment of a flight or squadron of aeroplanes to the Tank Corps for experimental purposes. At length on July 1, 1918, some five weeks before the battle of Amiens began, No. 8 Squadron, R.A.F., equipped with eighteen Armstrong-Whitworth machines, was attached to the Tank Corps, for the purpose of co-operating with the tanks and carrying out experiments with a view to future development. This squadron was under the command of Major T. Leigh-Mallory, D.S.O., and it was due to the energy of this officer that, in the extremely short time available, such extensive progress was made in aeroplane and tank co-operation, especially in contact work. The benefit which resulted from this co-operation cannot be over-estimated.

Early in June, No. 42 Squadron, R.A.F., had already carried out experiments with smoke flares and Very lights which were successful, whilst No. 22 Squadron attempted wireless telephony, and No. 15 Squadron visual signalling communication by means of discs swung out from the fuselage. These experiments formed the basis of the work which No. 8 Squadron now started on with the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tank Brigades, continuing it up to the opening of the August offensive.

The account of the co-operation of No. 8 Squadron may be conveniently divided into three periods:

(i) The period of preparation, July 1 to August 8.

(ii) The battle of Amiens.

(iii) The battle of Bapaume to November 11, 1918.

During the last-mentioned period No. 8 Squadron was reinforced by No. 73 Squadron, which, being equipped with Sopwith-Camel machines, was able to deal effectively with the enemy’s anti-tank guns.

The first essential of successful co-operation being comradeship, a firm alliance was at once established between the flights of No. 8 Squadron and the tank units with which this squadron was working. This was carried out by attaching tank officers to the flights, these officers frequently flying, whilst pilots and observers were given rides in the tanks. The battle of Hamel, on July 4, was the first occasion upon which aeroplanes were definitely detailed to work with tanks, C Flight of No. 8 Squadron being attached to the 5th Tank Brigade for this operation. The morning was a peculiarly dark one, with clouds at 1,000 ft.; nevertheless one aeroplane managed to get off at 2.50 a.m. and a second at 3 a.m. These two machines flew low over the enemy’s lines with the object of drowning the noise of the approaching tanks. Later on another machine, flying down into the smoke of the artillery barrage, silenced some guns which were giving considerable trouble. Altogether the assistance that No. 8 Squadron rendered the Tank Corps, on this the first occasion upon which these two mechanical arms co-operated, boded well of the future.

After the battle of Hamel, tests and training were continued, “B” Flight concentrating on wireless telegraphy and telephony with the 1st Tank Brigade, and “A” Flight on visual signalling with the 3rd Tank Brigade.

The wireless telephony tests, though of exceptional interest, did not prove very successful. Under very favourable conditions speech could be heard in a moving tank from an aeroplane flying at an altitude of 500 ft. and not more than a quarter of a mile away. It was consequently decided that, for immediate use, wireless telephony was not a practical means of communication.

Towards the end of July a series of most successful tests were carried out in wireless telegraphy, tanks clearly receiving messages from aeroplanes at 2,500 ft. altitude and 9,000 yards away. Successful as these experiments proved, they were destined to be still-born, for time was insufficient to develop them or to apply them during active operations.

The disc signalling carried out by “A” Flight was instituted as a means of directing Whippet tanks on to their objectives. By degrees a complete code of signals was evolved so that the aeroplane was able to communicate both the nature and direction of the target. In conjunction with disc signalling, various kinds of smoke bombs and Very lights were experimented with, and by means of these several very successful manoeuvres were carried out at the Tank Gunnery School at Merlimont.

In spite of the fact that the period of preparation was too short to enable the results of tests to be applied in battle, pilots and observers had got to know a great many of the tank officers with whom they were going to co-operate, and in addition had learnt much concerning the limitations of tanks, and the kind of information required by their staffs and crews during action.

The programme of work for No. 8 Squadron on the opening day of the battle of Amiens was as follows:

(i) Machines to fly over the line for the last hour of the tank approach march in order to drown the noise of the tank engines.

(ii) Contact and counter-attack patrols to keep tank units constantly informed, by dropping messages at fixed stations, as to the progress of the battle.

(iii) All machines were instructed to help the tanks whenever an opportunity arose.

On August 5 the Squadron concentrated at Vignacourt, “C” Flight being detailed to work with the 5th Tank Brigade and “B” and “A” Flights with the 4th and 3rd Brigades.

At 2.50 a.m. on August 8 three machines “took off” to cover the tanks during the last hour of the approach march. The morning was dark and the clouds appeared high. Each of these machines dropped six 25 lb. bombs, at intervals, over the enemy’s lines. Between 4.50 a.m. and 5 a.m. the first four tank-contact patrol machines “took off.” The valleys were already coated with thick mist and within an hour the whole country for miles was obscured. By flying very low and making use of gaps in the mist, one of these machines was able to report that tanks had passed through Demuin, and consequently it was known that the bridge there must be intact. The first message to be dropped at the Advanced Headquarters of the Tank Corps read as follows:

“To Advanced H.Q. Tank Corps
“(per aeroplane).

“W.4. 8th.

“Machine landed 8.30 a.m. reports AAA 6.15 a.m. 4 tanks seen in action on a line 500 yards west of road through C.17.b, C.11.d, C.12.a AAA 7.15 a.m. 4 tanks seen together heading E on road beyond Hourges at C.11 central AAA 3 tanks seen together in C.6.d uncertain AAA 7.20 a.m. Green Line taken, tanks rallying to move off again AAA Foregoing report applies to 5th Tank Battalion Sector AAA 7.45 a.m. 4 tanks on road leading north out of Demuin V.25.C.4.8 AAA 1 tank at D.1.c central AAA 4 tanks at C.11.d.3.8 heading east AAA 7.45 a.m. French infantry seen in large numbers on western outskirts of Moreuil wood and French barrage on a line C.17.c C.23.a, & C.29.a & 28.D AAA Motor transport probably armoured cars seen on road in U.26 near Domart AAA German balloon observed up just east of Caix about 8 a.m. at 1,200 ft. AAA Bombs dropped in W.22.d south of HarbonniÈres, target guns AAA Addressed 22nd Wing 3rd, 4th and 5th Tank Bde. Advanced Hqrs. AAA.

“Sent by aeroplane to dropping ground Advanced H.Q. Tank Corps.

“Note added.

“Cavalry and tanks in large numbers proceeding east at 8 a.m. south of Bois d’Aquenne.

“Intelligence Officer,
“8th Squadron, R.A.F.
“8.50 a.m.”

Many other such messages were dropped during the day, the Tank Brigade Headquarters being well posted with information as the attack proceeded.

On the following three days of the battle the enemy’s resistance in the air became much more marked. On August 9 and 10 good targets were observed from the air in the form of large parties of infantry and transport. On the 10th, Captain West and Lieutenant Haslam were co-operating with tanks near RosiÈres when movement along the roads was noticed in the neighbourhood of Roye. Although some 8,000 yards from our lines Captain West immediately flew his machines in that direction and with great effect bombed and fired on the enemy’s transport moving eastwards. Just as he turned to fly back he was attacked by seven Fokker biplanes. With almost the first burst one of the hostile machines, which had got above Captain West’s right-hand wing, shot his left leg off between the knee and the thigh, three explosive bullets hitting it. In spite of the fact that West’s leg fell amongst the controls and that he was wounded in the right foot he managed to fly his machine back and land it in our lines. For this act of gallantry he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

During the battle of Amiens aeroplane co-operation had been chiefly confined to contact and counter-attack patrols. The tanks had, however, during this battle, suffered heavily from the German field guns, so, in the next great battle, the battle of Bapaume, it was decided to make counter-gun work a feature of aeroplane co-operation.

Instead of sending all machines up on contact and counter-attack patrol, as many machines as possible were reserved for counter-gun work. From this time onwards the tendency was to concentrate more and more on this important duty, and as fresh experiences were gained this work grew more and more successful. Fortunately, just before the Third Army attack began, on August 21, No. 73 Squadron (Sopwith-Camels) was attached to the Tank Corps for this form of co-operation.

The tactics adopted in this counter-gun work are interesting. To send down zone calls was useless, as the German gunners opened fire, as a rule, when the tanks were but 1,000 yards away. Immediate action was, therefore, necessary, and this was taken by bombing and machine-gunning hostile artillery until the tanks had run over the emplacements. The method of locating the hostile gun positions consisted in carefully studying the ground prior to the attack by consulting maps and air photographs, and from this study to make out a chart of all likely gun positions. On September 2 a most valuable document was captured which set forth the complete scheme the Germans had adopted in connection with the distribution of their guns for anti-tank work; further, in this document were described the various types of positions anti-tank gunners should take up. By the aid of this document and a large-scale map it was possible to plot out beforehand the majority of possible gun positions. As each of our aeroplanes had only about 2,000 yards of front to watch, the result was that all likely places were periodically bombed. In this way, by selecting the likely places beforehand, a great number of anti-tank guns were spotted as soon as they opened fire, and thus immense service was rendered to the tanks.

August 21 was the most disappointing day No. 8 Squadron experienced whilst attached to the Tank Corps. The morning was very foggy and it was quite impossible for the machines to leave the ground until 11 a.m., a little over six hours after zero, which was at 4.55 a.m. In spite of this the counter-gun machines were not too late to carry out useful work against several batteries; this work was chiefly carried out by No. 73 Squadron, which was quite new to the work. The value of the experience gained on this day was amply demonstrated by the effective work carried out by this Squadron on the 23rd, when many hostile guns were attacked and their crews scattered. A good example of the valuable work carried out by No. 73 Squadron occurred on September 2.

A gun was observed being man-handled towards Chaufours wood; 800 rounds were fired at it, the gun crew leaving the gun and seeking security in the wood. A little later on this crew, emerging from the wood, attempted to haul the gun into it; fire was once again opened by the aeroplane, but in spite of it the crew succeeded in their object. Bombs were then dropped on the wood, and no further movement was observed.

On September 29 a wireless-signal tank was used as a dropping station. This proved a most useful innovation, for one aeroplane dropping its message at this station found, on its return home, that this message had been received by the headquarters to which it was directed within a few minutes of it having been dropped, in fact, far quicker than it would have been had the aeroplane dropped it at the headquarters itself.

The dropping of messages to tanks in action was also successfully accomplished during the 29th. One of these messages sent down the information that the Germans were still holding the village of Bony; a group of tanks, receiving this, at once wheeled towards Bony and attacked it.

On October 8 aeroplanes once again carried out useful co-operation with the tanks. The following account is taken from the report of an aeroplane the pilot of which observed the tanks attacking Serain:

“As the tanks were approaching we dropped bombs on various parties of Germans who were in the village. The tanks were then surrounding the village, one going right into the centre of it; a second attacked the orchard to the south, mopping up parties of Germans; whilst a third came round the north of the village and was approaching a small valley in which were 200 to 300 Germans covered by a stretch of dead ground. On seeing the tank approaching the Germans fled eastwards, whereupon we flew towards them firing our machine guns, doing great execution.”

Such actions as these were of daily occurrence and they only went to prove what the headquarters of the Tank Corps had long held—namely, that the co-operation of aeroplanes with tanks is of incalculable importance, the aeroplanes protecting the tanks and the tanks protecting the infantry. In the future, no doubt, not only will messages be dropped and hostile guns silenced, but the commanders of tank battalions will be carried in the air, these officers communicating with their machines by means of wireless telephony, and supplies of petrol will be transported by means of aeroplane for the replenishment of the tanks.