This is reproduced in Battle Story Cambraiby Chris McNab. If I interpret this correctly, the original publisher, the ILN, appears to believe that these are two shots of the same tank, The Perfect Lady, negotiating a trench, and hasn't noticed that the lower picture shows a Male. Also, neither vehicle could have been at Cambrai except as, just possibly, Supply Tanks, in which case the guns would have been removed. I believe Perfect Lady was badly damaged at Arras, though not destroyed.
Any idea of the i.d. of the Male? And I should have thought that by 1 December the ILN would have had access to up-to-date photos of Mk IVs after what was still considered a victory, rather than these from Arras six months earlier.
I suppose the IWM's incorrect caption adds to the confusion.
-- Edited by James H on Tuesday 9th of August 2016 12:33:55 PM
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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
Hello
It is the same trench at least !!!!!
As you mention , I think that Illustrated London news took what they had on hands to publish the article about Cambrai...
Best regards
Olivier
Ah, many thanks, Dennis. That's much clearer. It's 787, C26, and doesn't seem to have been given a name. There is a shot of C21 and C26 moving up together, at Arras. C26 didn't have much luck.
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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
C26 (787), 2nd Lt. Johnston commanding, was one of six tanks from 8 Coy., C Bn. HBMGC which were detailed to attack Monchy-le-Preux on 11/4/17. The attack was planned as a pincer movement, with three tanks (including C26) skirting the northern edge of the village, and three on the south. The attack was planned for 0500h, but was delayed until 0700h, with the British barrage starting at 0630h. The tanks did not receive notice of the delay, and went in unsupported at 0500h. Two of the tanks from the northern prong broke down or ditched, and C26 carried on alone, shooting up targets in Monchy until it broke down on the east side of the village and was abandoned. All three tanks from the southern prong were able to advance, and routed the defenders on the southern outskirts of Monchy. All were destroyed by artillery fire (German and British) on the south side of the town. The British infantry eventually went forward and were able to overrun the town.
I suspect that the photos below show the wreck of C26.
Thanks a million. Can you tell me where that info comes from? Is it from a published source?
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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
This information mostly comes from documents held in the National Archives, which Rob Martin very kindly photographed and transcribed. The operational diagram for 8 Coy. is seen below. I also have a copy of the narrative summary produced by C Bn. PM me if interested.
The wreck photos are from German sources, and were probably taken after Monchy was recaptured by the Germans in the spring of 1918.
