1“I am building secure and covered chariots which are invulnerable, and when they advance with their guns into the midst of the foe even the largest enemy masses must retreat, and behind them the infantry can follow in safety and without opposition.”

2It differed from an ordinary chariot in that the two little fat hollow-backed horses, which are depicted as providing the motive power, were like the crew, enclosed within the wooden armour.

3It appears to have been the Committee which investigated Mr. Diplock’s machine, with some additional members.

4Although the appeal was necessarily tentative and unofficial, and no details of the nature of the work could be given, sixty women immediately volunteered.

5Major Renouf.

6Major Renouf.

7Most of these Tanks were training machines, in the sense that their “armour” was boiler-plate instead of hardened steel.

8Colonel Swinton.

9Captain Henriques.

10From Weekly Tank Notes, a confidential official periodical for private circulation.

11W.T.N.

12See Plate, Chapter VIII. (An unannotated air photograph of badly crumped ground.)

13Among other Army Commanders was General Sir H.S. Rawlinson, who was later to be so good a friend to the Tanks. On this occasion, however, it is said that their performances left him completely cold and unconvinced.

14Captain Henriques.

15Sergeant Littledale of the Tank Corps writing in the Atlantic Monthly.

16Sergeant Littledale of the Tank Corps writing in the Atlantic Monthly.

17The progress of this decision has been slightly telescoped, the “operative” resolutions only being recorded, and the story of a good deal of proposal and counter-proposal omitted.

18The list was as follows:

Chairman.—Major-General Sir J. Capper.
War Office.—Lieut.-Colonel Sir J. Keane.
Lieut.-Colonel Mathew-Lannaw.
Ministry of Munitions.—Lieut.-Colonel Stern.
Sir Eustace Tennyson d’Eyncourt.

19Achicourt.

20Letter from a Tank officer dated “April 9, evening.”

21Letter from an eye-witness written on the evening of April 9.

22The Harp.

23Major Watson, the Tank Company Commander, writing in Blackwood’s Magazine.

24“B” (2) Battalion History.

25W.T.N.

26Official paper.

27Indirect fire may be defined as fire directed towards the spot where you believe the enemy to be. Fire is called “direct” when the target can be seen.

28Mr. Buchan’s History of the War.

29W.T.N.

30Mr. Buchan’s History of the War.

31W.T.N.

32Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch.

33The size of these dumps was now always computed in “Tank Fills.”

1 fill consisting of:
60 galls. of Petrol.
10 galls. of Oil.
20 galls. of Water.
10 lb. of Grease.
10,000 rounds of S.A. Ammunition for a Female Tank,
or
200 rounds of 6-pdr. Ammunition
and
6000 rounds of S.A. Ammunition for a Male.

34W.T.N.

353rd Battalion History.

36From Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch.

37From the History of 7th Battalion.

38W.T.N.

39W.T.N.

40The second Tank detailed for this strong point had—in common with the two reserve Tanks—bellied or become ditched on the way up.

41Official Summary.

42Major Wilkes was awarded the D.S.O. for this piece of work.

43Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch.

44“A” Battalion was borrowed from 2nd Brigade.

45From “F” (6th) Battalion History.

46W.T.N.

47Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch.

48W.T.N.

49Artillery of Assault, i.e., Tanks.

50An aiming instrument.

51W.T.N.

52Mr. Buchanan’s History of the War.

53Major Forsyth-Major (the Second in Command of the E.T.D.), on whose report through Colonel Fuller this summary is largely based, was torpedoed on his return to England in 1918 and all his maps and documents were lost.

54General Murray’s Despatch.

555th Battalion History.

562nd Battalion History.

57Major Norton, commanding the Lewis gun detachment.

583rd Battalion History.

591st Battalion History.

60W.T.N.

61Case shot: bullets not enclosed in a shell, but fired direct from a 6-pounder and scattering like the charge of a shot gun.

62Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch.

635th Brigade History.

648th Battalion History.

65W.T.N.

66W.T.N.

67The 1st, 4th, 5th, and 14th Battalions.

68The 8th, 13th, 2nd, and 15th Battalions.

69From W.T.N.

7013th Battalion History.

71From the 5th Brigade History.

72Honours and Awards.

73From 14th Battalion History.

74From 1st Battalion History.

75From 3rd Battalion History.

76From 8th Battalion History

77From a Battalion History.

78From a Battalion History.

79Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch.

80Summer, 1919.

81i.e., In the Battle of Amiens, 8.8.18.

82W.T.N.

833rd Battalion History.

8415th Battalion History.

856th Battalion History and “Honours and Awards.”

86Despatch.

87A Brigade History.

88Unit History.

89Ibid.

90Unit History.

91Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch.

9215th Battalion Tank History.

93Captain Denny, Daily Telegraph, April 1, 1919.

94Captain Denny, Daily Telegraph, April 1, 1919.

95The 301st was attached to the 27th American Division.

96From information specially given to the author by Captain Hatton-Hall, Reconnaissance Officer of the Brigade.

9716th Battalion.

98Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch.

99Captain Hatton-Hall.

100W.T.N.

101Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch.

102Captain Hatton-Hall.

103Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch.

104Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch.

1056th Battalion History.

1066th Battalion History.

107Ibid.

108W.T.N.

109Tradition relates that had General Swinton had his way, the Tanks for Palestine would have had hideous faces and minatory texts from the Koran painted upon them.