First use of tanks in the War

Tanks move into position ready for their first use in battle in the attack of the following day. Four of the tanks were attached to the New Zealand Division

“After darkness [14 September] the tanks, male and female, crawled forward to their assembly area by Delvone Wood. They were still in the first stage of development. Their pace was not more than on an average 33 yards per minute, or 15 yards per minute over badly shelled ground. They carried a crate of pigeons for communication with Headquarters and different coloured flags to denote to the infantry that they were out of action or had arrived at their objective. Their mission was, roughly, to move in front of the infantry, attack certain positions at which particular resistance war expected, and assist the infantry in clearing difficult places if called on. There had been, however, little opportunity of practising co-operation, and it was to be expected that they would act largely as freelances of the battlefield.” Excerpt From: Col. H. Stewart. “The New Zealand Division 1916 - 1919: A Popular History Based on Official Records.” ]