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diff --git a/old/65044-0.txt b/old/65044-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 3bea804..0000000 --- a/old/65044-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10494 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The British Campaign in France and Flanders -1916, by Arthur Conan Doyle - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The British Campaign in France and Flanders 1916 - -Author: Arthur Conan Doyle - -Release Date: April 09, 2021 [eBook #65044] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Al Haines - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE AND -FLANDERS 1916 *** - - - - - THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN - - IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS - - 1916 - - - - BY - - ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE - - - - AUTHOR OF - 'THE GREAT BOER WAR,' ETC. - - - - HODDER AND STOUGHTON - LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO - MCMXVIII - - - - - SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S - HISTORY OF THE WAR - - Uniform with this Volume. - - THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS - - 1914 - - THE BREAKING OF THE PEACE. - THE OPENING OF THE WAR. - THE BATTLE OF MONS. - THE BATTLE OF LE CATEAU. - THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE. - THE BATTLE OF THE AISNE. - THE LA BASSÉE-ARMENTIÈRES OPERATIONS. - THE FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES. - A RETROSPECT AND GENERAL SUMMARY. - THE WINTER LULL OF 1914. - - - THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS - - 1915 - - THE OPENING MONTHS OF 1915. - NEUVE CHAPELLE AND HILL 60. - THE SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES. - THE BATTLE OF RICHEBOURG-FESTUBERT. - THE TRENCHES OF HOOGE. - THE BATTLE OF LOOS. - - With Maps, Plans, and Diagrams, - 6s. net each Volume. - - HODDER AND STOUGHTON - LONDON, NEW YORK, AND TORONTO - - - - -{v} - -PREFACE - -In two previous volumes of this work a narrative has been given of -those events which occurred upon the British Western Front during -1914, the year of recoil, and 1915, the year of equilibrium. In this -volume will be found the detailed story of 1916, the first of the -years of attack and advance. - -Time is a great toner down of superlatives, and the episodes which -seem world-shaking in our day may, when looked upon by the placid -eyes of historical philosophers in days to come, fit more easily into -the general scheme of human experience. None the less it can be said -without fear of ultimate contradiction that nothing approaching to -the Battle of the Somme, with which this volume is mainly concerned, -has ever been known in military history, and that it is exceedingly -improbable that it will ever be equalled in its length and in its -severity. It may be said to have raged with short intermissions, -caused by the breaking of the weather, from July 1 to November 14, -and during this prolonged period the picked forces of three great -nations were locked in close battle. The number of combatants from -first to last was between {vi} two and three millions, and their -united casualties came to the appalling total of at least -three-quarters of a million. These are minimum figures, but they -will give some idea of the unparalleled scale of the operations. - -With the increasing number and size of the units employed the scale -of the narrative becomes larger. It is more difficult to focus the -battalion, while the individual has almost dropped out of sight. -Sins of omission are many, and the chronicler can but plead the great -difficulty of his task and regret that his limited knowledge may -occasionally cause disappointment. - -The author should explain that this volume has had to pass through -three lines of censors, suffering heavily in the process. It has -come out with the loss of all personal names save those of casualties -or of high Generals. Some passages also have been excised. On the -other hand it is the first which has been permitted to reveal the -exact identity of the units engaged. The missing passages and names -will be restored when the days of peace return. - -ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE. - -_February_ 3, 1918. - - - - -{vii} - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER I - -JANUARY TO JULY 1916 - -General situation--The fight for the Bluff--The Mound of St. -Eloi--Fine performance of Third Division and Canadians--Feat of the -1st Shropshires--Attack on the Irish Division--Fight at Vimy -Ridge--Canadian Battle of Ypres--Death of General Mercer--Recovery of -lost position--Attack of Thirty-ninth Division--Eve of the Somme - - -CHAPTER II - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - - Attack of the Seventh and Eighth Corps on Gommecourt, - Serre, and Beaumont Hamel - -Line of battle in the Somme sector--Great preparations--Advance of -Forty-sixth North Midland Division--Advance of Fifty-sixth -Territorials (London)--Great valour and heavy losses--Advance of -Thirty-first Division--Advance of Fourth Division--Advance of -Twenty-ninth Division--Complete failure of the assault - - -CHAPTER III - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Attack of the Tenth and Third Corps, July 1, 1916 - -Magnificent conduct of the Ulster Division--Local success but general -failure--Advance of Thirty-second Division--Advance of Eighth -Division--Advance of Thirty-fourth Division--The turning-point of the -line - - -{viii} - -CHAPTER IV - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -The Attack of the Fifteenth and Thirteenth Corps, July 1, 1916 - -The advance of the Twenty-first Division--Of the 64th Brigade--First -permanent gains--50th Brigade at Fricourt--Advance of Seventh -Division--Capture of Mametz--Fine work by Eighteenth -Division--Capture of Montauban by the Thirtieth Division--General -view of the battle--Its decisive importance - - -CHAPTER V - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -From July 2 to July 14, 1916 - -General situation--Capture of La Boiselle by Nineteenth -Division--Splendid attack by 36th Brigade upon Ovillers--Siege and -reduction of Ovillers--Operations at Contalmaison--Desperate fighting -at the Quadrangle by Seventeenth Division--Capture of Mametz Wood by -Thirty-eighth Welsh Division--Capture of Trones Wood by Eighteenth -Division - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -The Breaking of the Second Line. July 14, 1916 - -The great night advance--The Leicester Brigade at Bazentin--Assault -by Seventh Division--Success of the Third Division--Desperate fight -of Ninth Division at Longueval--Operations of First Division on -flank--Cavalry advance - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -July 14 to July 31 - -Gradual advance of First Division--Hard fighting of Thirty-third -Division at High Wood--The South Africans in Delville Wood--The great -German counter-attack--Splendid work of 26th Brigade--Capture of -Delville Wood by 98th Brigade--Indecisive fighting on the Guillemont -front - - -{ix} - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - - The Operations of Gough's Army upon the Northern Flank - up to September 15 - -Advance, Australia!--Capture of Pozières--Fine work of Forty-eighth -Division--Relief of Australia by Canada--Steady advance of Gough's -Army--Capture of Courcelette - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -August 1 to September 15 - -Continued attempts of Thirty-third Division on High -Wood--Co-operation of First Division--Operation of Fourteenth -Division on fringe of Delville Wood--Attack by Twenty-fourth Division -on Guillemont--Capture of Guillemont by 47th and 59th -Brigades--Capture of Ginchy by Sixteenth Irish Division - - -CHAPTER X - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Breaking of the Third Line, September 15 - -Capture of Martinpuich by Fifteenth Division--Advance of Fiftieth -Division--Capture of High Wood by Forty-seventh Division--Splendid -advance of New Zealanders--Capture of Flers by Forty-first -Division--Advance of the Light Division--Arduous work of the Guards -and Sixth Divisions--Capture of Quadrilateral--Work of Fifty-sixth -Division on flank--Debut of the tanks - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE GAINING OF THE THIEPVAL RIDGE - -Assault on Thiepval by Eighteenth Division--Heavy -fighting--Co-operation of Eleventh Division--Fall of Thiepval--Fall -of Schwaben Redoubt--Taking of Stuff Redoubt--Important gains on the -Ridge - - -{x} - -CHAPTER XII - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -From September 15 to the Battle of the Ancre - -Capture of Eaucourt--Varying character of German resistance--Hard -trench fighting along the line--Dreadful climatic conditions--The -meteorological trenches--Hazy Trench--Zenith Trench--General -observations--General von Arnim's report - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE BATTLE OF THE ANCRE - -November 13, 1916 - -The last effort--Failure in the north--Fine work of the Thirty-ninth, -Fifty-first, and Sixty-third Divisions--Surrounding of German -Fort--Capture of Beaumont Hamel--Commander Freyberg--Last operations -of the season--General survey--"The unwarlike Islanders" - - -INDEX - - - - -{xi} - -MAPS AND PLANS - -Approximate Positions of British Line at the Battle of the Somme - -British Battle Line, July 1, 1916 - -Quadrangle Position, July 5-11, 1916 - -Mametz Wood - -Trones Wood: Attack of 54th Brigade, July 13, 1916 - -The Second German Line, Bazentins, Delville Wood, etc. - -Map of Delville Wood - -Attack on German Left Flank, September 3, 1916 - -Final Position at Capture of Martinpuich - -Attack on Quadrilateral, September 15, 1916 - -Plan illustrating the Capture of Thiepval, September 26, October 5, -1916 - -Stuff Redoubt System, showing Hessian, Regina, and Stuff - -Meteorological Trenches, September 30-November 6, 1916 - -Map to illustrate the British Campaign in France and Flanders -[Transcriber's note: this map was omitted from the etext because its -size and fragility made it impractical to scan.] - - - - -[Illustration: APPROXIMATE POSITIONS OF BRITISH LINE AT THE BATTLE OF -THE SOMME] - - - - -{1} - -CHAPTER I - -JANUARY TO JULY 1916 - -General situation--The fight for the Bluff--The Mound of St. -Eloi--Fine performance of Third Division and Canadians--Feat of the -1st Shropshires--Attack on the Irish Division--Fight at Vimy -Ridge--Canadian Battle of Ypres--Death of General Mercer--Recovery of -lost position--Attack of Thirty-ninth Division--Eve of the Somme. - - -The Great War had now come into its second winter--a winter which was -marked by an absolute cessation of all serious fighting upon the -Western front. Enormous armies were facing each other, but until the -German attack upon the French lines of Verdun at the end of February, -the infantry of neither side was seriously engaged. There were many -raids and skirmishes, with sudden midnight invasions of hostile -trenches and rapid returns with booty or prisoners. Both sides -indulged in such tactics upon the British front. Gas attacks, too, -were occasionally attempted, some on a large scale and with -considerable result. The condition of the troops, though it could -not fail to be trying, was not so utterly miserable as during the -first cold season in the trenches. The British had ceased to be a -mere fighting fringe with nothing behind it. The troops were -numerous and eager, so that reliefs were frequent. All sorts of -devices were {2} adopted for increasing the comfort and conserving -the health of the men. Steadily as the winter advanced and the -spring ripened into summer, fresh divisions were passed over the -narrow seas, and the shell-piles at the bases marked the increased -energy and output of the workers in the factories. The early summer -found everything ready for a renewed attempt upon the German line. - -The winter of 1915-16 saw the affairs of the Allies in a condition -which could not be called satisfactory, and which would have been -intolerable had there not been evident promise of an amendment in the -near future. The weakness of the Russians in munitions had caused -their gallant but half-armed armies to be driven back until the whole -of Poland had fallen into the hands of the Germanic Powers, who had -also reconquered Galicia and Bukovina. The British attempt upon -Gallipoli, boldly conceived and gallantly urged, but wanting in the -essential quality of surprise, had failed with heavy losses, and the -army had to be withdrawn. Serbia and Montenegro had both been -overrun and occupied, while the efficient Bulgarian army had ranged -itself with our enemies. The Mesopotamian Expedition had been held -up by the Turks, and the brave Townshend, with his depleted division, -was hemmed in at Kut, where, after a siege of five months, he was -eventually compelled, upon April 26, to lay down his arms, together -with 9000 troops, chiefly Indian. When one remembers that on the top -of this Germany already held Belgium and a considerable slice of the -north of France, which included all the iron and coal producing -centres, it must be admitted that the Berlin Press had some reason -upon its side when it insisted that it had {3} already won the War -upon paper. To realise that paper, was, however, an operation which -was beyond their powers. - -What could the Allies put against these formidable successes? There -was the Colonial Empire of Germany. Only one colony, the largest and -most powerful, still remained. This was East Africa. General Smuts, -a worthy colleague of the noble Botha, had undertaken its reduction, -and by the summer the end was in sight. The capture of the colonies -would then be complete. The oceans of the world were another asset -of the Allies. These also were completely held, to the absolute -destruction of all German oversea commerce. These two conquests, and -the power of blockade which steadily grew more stringent, were all -that the Allies could throw into the other scale, save for the small -corner of Alsace still held by the French, the southern end of -Mesopotamia, and the port of Salonica, which was a strategic -checkmate to the southern advance of the Germans. The balance seemed -all against them. There was no discouragement, however, for all -these difficulties had been discounted and the Allies had always -recognised that their strength lay in those reserves which had not -yet had time to develop. The opening of the summer campaign of 1916, -with the capture of Erzeroum, the invasion of Armenia, and the -reconquest of Bukovina, showed that the Russian army had at last -found its second wind. The French had already done splendid work in -their classical resistance at Verdun, which had extended from the -last weeks of February onwards, and had cost the Germans over a -quarter of a million of casualties. The opening of the British -campaign in July found the whole {4} army most eager to emulate the -deeds of its Allies, and especially to take some of the weight from -the splendid defenders of Verdun. Their fight against very heavy -odds in men, munitions, and transport, was one of the greatest deeds -of arms, possibly the greatest deed of arms of the war. It was -known, however, before July that a diversion was absolutely -necessary, and although the British had taken over a fresh stretch of -trenches so as to release French reinforcements, some more active -help was imperatively called for. - -Before describing the summer campaign it is necessary to glance back -at the proceedings of the winter and spring upon the British line, -and to comment upon one or two matters behind that line which had a -direct influence upon the campaign. Of the minor operations to which -allusion has already been made, there are none between the Battle of -Loos and the middle of February 1916 which call for particular -treatment. Those skirmishes and mutual raidings which took place -during that time centred largely round the old salient at Ypres and -the new one at Loos, though the lines at Armentières were also the -scene of a good deal of activity. One considerable attack seems to -have been planned by the Germans on the north-east of Ypres in the -Christmas week of 1915--an attack which was preceded by a formidable -gas attack. The British artillery was so powerful, however, that it -crushed the advance in the trenches, where the gathered bayonets of -the stormers could be seen going down before the scourging shrapnel -like rushes before a gale. The infantry never emerged, and the -losses must have been very heavy. This was the only considerable -attempt made by either side during the winter. - -{5} - -At the time of Lord French's return another change was made at home -which had a very immediate bearing upon the direction of the War. -Britain had suffered greatly from the fact that at the beginning of -hostilities the distinguished officers who composed the central staff -had all been called away for service in the field. Lord Kitchener -had done wonders in filling their place, but it was impossible for -any man, however great his abilities or energy, to carry such a -burden upon his shoulders. The more conscientious the man the more -he desires to supervise everything himself and the more danger there -is that all the field cannot be covered. Already the recruiting -service, which had absorbed a great deal of Lord Kitchener's energies -with most splendid results, had been relegated to Lord Derby, whose -tact and wisdom produced fresh armies of volunteers. Now the -immediate direction of the War and the supervision of all that -pertained to the armies in the field was handed over to Sir William -Robertson, a man of great organising ability and of proved energy. -From this time onwards his character and judgment bulked larger and -larger as one of the factors which made for the success of the Allies. - -In January 1916 Britain gave her last proof of the resolution with -which she was waging war. Already she had shown that no question of -money could diminish her ardour, for she was imposing direct taxation -upon her citizens with a vigour which formed the only solid basis for -the credit of the Allies. Neither our foes nor our friends have -shown such absolute readiness to pay in hard present cash, that -posterity might walk with a straighter back, and many a man was -paying a good half of his income {6} to the State. But now a -sacrifice more intimate than that of money had to be made. It was of -that personal liberty which is as the very breath of our nostrils. -This also was thrown with a sigh into the common cause, and a -Military Service Bill was passed by which every citizen from 19 to 41 -was liable to be called up. It is questionable whether it was -necessary as yet as a military measure, since the enormous number of -5,000,000 volunteers had come forward, but as an act of justice by -which the burden should be equally distributed, and the shirker -compelled to his duty, it was possible to justify this radical -departure from the customs of our fathers and the instincts of our -race. Many who acquiesced in its necessity did so with a heavy -heart, feeling how glorious would have been our record had it been -possible to bring forward by the stress of duty alone the manhood of -the nation. As a matter of fact, the margin left over was neither -numerous nor important, but the energies of the authorities were now -released from the incessant strain which the recruiting service had -caused. - -The work of the trenches was made easier for the British by the fact -that they had at last reached an equality with, and in many cases a -superiority to, their enemy, in the number of their guns, the -quantity of their munitions, and the provision of those smaller -weapons such as trench mortars and machine-guns which count for so -much in this description of warfare. Their air supremacy which had -existed for a long time was threatened during some months by the -Fokker machines of the Germans, and by the skill with which their -aviators used them, but faster models from England soon restored the -balance. {7} There had been a time also when the system and the -telescopic sights of the German snipers had given them an ascendancy. -Thanks to the labours of various enthusiasts for the rifle, this -matter was set right and there were long stretches of the line where -no German head could for an instant be shown above the parapet. The -Canadian sector was particularly free from any snipers save their own. - -The first serious operation of the spring of 1916 upon the British -line was a determined German attack upon that section which lies -between the Ypres-Comines Canal and the Ypres-Comines railway on the -extreme south of the Ypres salient; Hill 60 lies to the north of it. -In the line of trenches there was one small artificial elevation, not -more than thirty feet above the plain. This was called the Bluff, -and was the centre of the attack. It was of very great importance as -a point of artillery observation. During the whole of February 13 -the bombardment was very severe, and losses were heavy along a front -of several miles, the right of which was held by the Seventeenth -Division, the centre by the Fiftieth, and the left by the -Twenty-fourth. Finally, after many of the trenches had been reduced -to dirt heaps five mines were simultaneously sprung under the British -front line, each of them of great power. The explosions were -instantly followed by a rush of the German infantry. In the -neighbourhood of the Bluff, the garrison, consisting at that point of -the 10th Lancashire Fusiliers, were nearly all buried or killed. To -the north lay the 10th Sherwood Foresters and north of them the 8th -South Staffords, whose Colonel, though four times wounded, continued -{8} to direct the defence. It was impossible, however, to hold the -whole line, as the Germans had seized the Bluff and were able to -enfilade all the trenches of the Sherwoods, who lost twelve officers -and several hundred men before they would admit that their position -was untenable. The South Staffords being farther off were able to -hold on, but the whole front from their right to the canal south of -the Bluff was in the hands of the Germans, who had very rapidly and -skilfully consolidated it. A strong counter-attack by the 7th -Lincolns and 7th Borders, in which the survivors of the Lancashire -Fusiliers took part, had some success, but was unable to permanently -regain the lost sector, six hundred yards of which remained with the -enemy. A lieutenant, with 40 bombers of the Lincolns, 38 of whom -fell, did heroic work. - -The attack had extended to the north, where it had fallen upon the -Fiftieth Division, and to the Twenty-fourth Division upon the left of -it. Here it was held and eventually repulsed. Of the company of the -9th Sussex who held the extreme left of the line, a large portion -were blown up by a mine and forty were actually buried in the crater. -Young Lieutenant McNair, however, the officer in charge, showed great -energy and presence of mind. He held the Germans from the crater and -with the help of another officer, who had rushed up some supports, -drove them back to their trenches. For this McNair received his -Victoria Cross. The 3rd Rifle Brigade, a veteran regular battalion, -upon the right of the Sussex, had also put up a vigorous resistance, -as had the central Fiftieth Division, so that in spite of the sudden -severity of the attack it was only at the one {9} point of the Bluff -that the enemy had made a lodgment--that point being the real centre -of their effort. They held on strongly to their new possession, and -a vigorous fire with several partial attacks during the next -fortnight failed to dislodge them. - -Early in March the matter was taken seriously in hand, for the -position was a most important one, and a farther advance at this -point would have involved the safety of Ypres. The Seventeenth -Division still held the supporting trenches, and these now became the -starting-point for the attack. A considerable artillery -concentration was effected, two brigades of guns and two companies of -sappers were brought up from the Third Division, and the 76th Brigade -of the same Division came up from St. Omer, where it had been -resting, in order to carry out the assault. The general commanding -this brigade was in immediate command of the operations. - -The problem was a most difficult one, as the canal to the south and a -marsh upon the north screened the flanks of the new German position, -while its front was covered by shell-holes which the tempestuous -weather had filled with water. There was nothing for it, however, -but a frontal attack, and this was carried out with very great -gallantry upon March 2, at 4.30 in the morning. The infantry left -their trenches in the dark and crept forward undiscovered, dashing -into the enemy's line with the first grey glimmer of the dawn. The -right of the attack formed by the 2nd Suffolks had their revenge for -Le Cateau, for they carried the Bluff itself with a rush. So far -forward did they get that a number of Germans emerged from dug-outs -in their rear, and were organising a dangerous attack when they were -pelted back {10} into their holes by a bombing party. Beyond the -Bluff the Suffolks were faced by six deep shelters for machine-guns, -which held them for a time but were eventually captured. The centre -battalion consisted of the 8th Royal Lancasters, who lost heavily -from rifle fire but charged home with great determination, flooding -over the old German front line and their support trenches as well as -their immediate objective. The left battalion in the attack were the -1st Gordon Highlanders, who had a most difficult task, being exposed -to the heaviest fire of all. For a moment they were hung up, and -then with splendid spirit threw themselves at the hostile trenches -again and carried everything before them. They were much helped in -this second attack by the supporting battalion, the 7th Lincolns, -whose bombers rushed to the front. The 10th Welsh Fusiliers, who -were supporting on the right, also did invaluable service by helping -to consolidate the Bluff, while the 9th West Ridings on the left held -the British front line and repulsed an attempt at a flanking -counter-attack. - -In spite of several counter-attacks and a very severe bombardment the -line now held firm, and the Germans seem to have abandoned all future -designs upon this section. They had lost very heavily in the -assault, and 250 men with 5 officers remained in the hands of the -victors. Some of the German trench taken was found to be untenable, -but the 12th West Yorkshires of the 8th Brigade connected up the new -position with the old and the salient was held. So ended a -well-managed and most successful little fight. Great credit was due -to a certain officer, who passed through the terrible {11} German -barrage again and again to link up the troops with headquarters. -Extreme gallantry was shown also by the brigade-runners, many of whom -lost their lives in the all-important work of preserving -communications. - -Students of armour in the future may be interested to note that this -was the first engagement in which British infantry reverted after a -hiatus of more than two centuries to the use of helmets. Dints of -shrapnel upon their surfaces proved in many cases that they had been -the salvation of their wearers. Several observers have argued that -trench warfare implies a special trench equipment, entirely different -from that for surface operations. - -In the middle of March the pressure upon the French at Verdun had -become severe, and it was determined to take over a fresh section of -line so as to relieve troops for the north-eastern frontier. General -Foch's Tenth Army, which had held the sector opposite to Souchez and -Lorette, was accordingly drawn out, and twelve miles were added to -the British front. From this time forward there were four British -armies, the Second (Plumer) in the Ypres district, the First (Monro) -opposite to Neuve Chapelle, the Third (Allenby) covering the new -French sector down to Arras, the Fourth (Rawlinson) from Albert to -the Somme. - -A brisk skirmish which occurred in the south about this period is -worthy of mention--typical of many smaller affairs the due record of -which would swell this chapter to a portentous length. In this -particular instance, a very sudden and severe night attack was -directed by the Germans against a post held by the 8th East Surreys -of the Eighteenth {12} Division at the points where the British and -French lines meet just north of the Somme. This small stronghold, -known as Ducks' Post, was at the head of a causeway across a -considerable marsh, and possessed a strategic importance out of all -proportion to its size. A violent bombardment in the darkness of the -early morning of March 20 was followed by an infantry advance, pushed -well home. It was an unnerving experience. "As the Huns charged," -says one who was present, "they made the most hellish screaming row I -ever heard." The Surrey men under the lead of a young subaltern -stood fast, and were reinforced by two platoons. Not only did they -hold up the attack, but with the early dawn they advanced in turn, -driving the Germans back into their trenches and capturing a number -of prisoners. The post was strengthened and was firmly held. - -The next episode which claims attention is the prolonged and severe -fighting which took place from March 27 onwards at St. Eloi, the -scene of so fierce a contest just one year before. A small salient -had been formed by the German line at this point ever since its -capture, and on this salient was the rising known as the Mound (not -to be confounded with the Bluff), insignificant in itself since it -was only twenty or thirty feet high, but of importance in a war where -artillery observation is the very essence of all operations. It -stood just east of the little village of St. Eloi. This place was -known to be very strongly held, so the task of attacking it was -handed over to the Third Division, which had already shown at the -Bluff that they were adepts at such an attack. After several weeks -of energetic preparation, five {13} mines were ready with charges -which were so heavy that in one instance 30,000 pounds of ammonal -were employed. The assault was ordered for 4.15 in the morning of -March 27. It was known to be a desperate enterprise and was -entrusted to two veteran battalions of regular troops, the 4th Royal -Fusiliers and the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers. A frontal attack was -impossible, so it was arranged that the Royals should sweep round the -left flank and the Northumberlands the right, while the remaining -battalions of the 9th Brigade, the 12th West Yorks and 1st Scots -Fusiliers, should be in close support in the centre. At the -appointed hour the mines were exploded with deadly effect, and in the -pitch darkness of a cloudy rainy morning the two battalions sprang -resolutely forward upon their dangerous venture. The trenches on -each flank were carried, and 5 officers with 193 men of the 18th -Reserve Jaeger fell into our hands. As usual, however, it was the -retention of the captured position which was the more difficult and -costly part of the operation. The Northumberlands had won their way -round on the right, but the Fusiliers had been partially held up on -the left, so that the position was in some ways difficult and -irregular. The guns of the Third Division threw forward so fine a -barrage that no German counter-attack could get forward, but all day -their fire was very heavy and deadly upon the captured trenches, and -also upon the two battalions in support. On the night of the 27th -the 9th Brigade was drawn out and the 8th took over the new line, all -access to it being impossible save in the darkness, as no -communication trenches existed. The situation was complicated by the -fact that although the British {14} troops had on the right won their -way to the rear of the craters, one of these still contained a German -detachment, who held on in a most heroic fashion and could not be -dislodged. On March 30 the situation was still unchanged, and the -76th Brigade was put in to relieve the 8th. The 1st Gordons were now -in the line, very wet and weary, but declaring that they would hold -the ground at all costs. It was clear that the British line must be -extended and that the gallant Germans in the crater must be -overwhelmed. For this purpose, upon the night of April 2, the 8th -Royal Lancasters swept across the whole debatable ground, with the -result that 4 officers and 80 men surrendered at daylight to the -Brigade-Major and a few men who summoned them from the lip of the -crater. The Divisional General had himself gone forward to see that -the captured ground was made good. "We saw our Divisional General -mid-thigh in water and splashing down the trenches," says an -observer. "I can tell you it put heart into our weary men." So -ended the arduous labours of the Third Division, who upon April 4 -handed over the ground to the 2nd Canadians. The episode of the St. -Eloi craters was, however, far from being at an end. The position -was looked upon as of great importance by the Germans, apart from the -artillery observation, for their whole aim was the contraction, as -that of the British was the expansion, of the space contained in the -Ypres salient. "Elbow room! More elbow room!" was the hearts' cry -of Plumer's Second Army. But the enemy grudged every yard, and with -great tenacity began a series of counter-attacks which lasted with -varying fortunes for several weeks. - -{15} - -Hardly had the Third Division filed out of the trenches when the -German bombers were buzzing and stinging all down the new line, and -there were evident signs of an impending counter-attack. Upon April -6 it broke with great violence, beginning with a blasting storm of -shells followed by a rush of infantry in that darkest hour which -precedes the dawn. It was a very terrible ordeal for troops which -had up to then seen no severe service, and for the moment they were -overborne. The attack chanced to come at the very moment when the -27th Winnipeg Regiment was being relieved by the 29th Vancouvers, -which increased the losses and the confusion. The craters were taken -by the German stormers with 180 prisoners, but the trench line was -still held. The 31st Alberta Battalion upon the left of the position -was involved in the fight and drove back several assaults, while a -small French Canadian machine-gun detachment from the 22nd Regiment -distinguished itself by an heroic resistance in which it was almost -destroyed. About noon the bombardment was so terrific that the front -trench was temporarily abandoned, the handful of survivors falling -back upon the supports. The 31st upon the left were still able to -maintain themselves, however, and after dusk they were able to -reoccupy three out of the five craters in front of the line. From -this time onwards the battle resolved itself into a desperate -struggle between the opposing craters. During the whole of April 7 -it was carried on with heavy losses to both parties. On one occasion -a platoon of 40 Germans in close formation were shot down to a man as -they rushed forward in a gallant forlorn hope. For three days the -struggle went on, at the end of {16} which time four of the craters -were still held by the Canadians. Two medical men particularly -distinguished themselves by their constant passage across the open -space which divided the craters from the trench. The consolidation -of the difficult position was admirably carried out by the C.R.E. of -the Second Canadian Division. - -The Canadians were left in comparative peace for ten days, but on -April 19 there was a renewed burst of activity. Upon this day the -Germans bombarded heavily, and then attacked with their infantry at -four different points of the Ypres salient. At two they were -entirely repulsed. On the Ypres-Langemarck road on the extreme north -of the British position they remained in possession of about a -hundred yards of trench. Finally, in the crater region they won back -two, including the more important one which was on the Mound. Night -after night there were bombing attacks in this region, by which the -Germans endeavoured to enlarge their gains. New Brunswick and Nova -Scotia were now opposed to them and showed the same determination as -the men of the West. The sector held by the veteran First Canadian -Division was also attacked, the 13th Battalion having 100 casualties -and the Canadian Scots 50. Altogether this fighting had been so -incessant and severe, although as a rule confined to a very small -front, that on an average 1000 casualties a week were recorded in the -corps. The fighting was carried on frequently in heavy rain, and the -disputed craters became deep pools of mud in which men fought waist -deep, and where it was impossible to keep rifle or machine-gun from -being fouled and clogged. Several of the smaller craters were found -{17} to be untenable by either side, and were abandoned to the -corpses which lay in the mire. - -The Germans did not long remain in possession of the trench which -they had captured upon the 19th in the Langemarck direction. Though -it was almost unapproachable on account of the deep mud, a storming -column of the 1st Shropshires waded out to it in the dark up to their -waists in slush, and turned the enemy out with the point of the -bayonet. Upon April the 21st the line was completely re-established, -though a sapper is reported to have declared that it was impossible -to consolidate porridge. In this brilliant affair the Shropshires -lost a number of officers and men, including their gallant Colonel, -Luard, and Lieutenant Johnstone, who was shot by a sniper while -boldly directing the consolidation from outside the parapet without -cover of any kind. The whole incident was an extraordinarily fine -feat of arms which could only have been carried out by a highly -disciplined and determined body of men. The mud was so deep that men -were engulfed and suffocated, and the main body had to throw -themselves down and distribute their weight to prevent being sucked -down into the quagmire. The rifles were so covered and clogged that -all shooting was out of the question, and only bombs and bayonets -were available for the assault. The old 53rd never did a better -day's work. - -During the whole winter the Loos salient had been simmering, as it -had never ceased to do since the first tremendous convulsion which -had established it. In the early part of the year it was held by -cavalry brigades, taking turns in succession, and during this time -there was a deceptive quiet, which {18} was due to the fact that the -Germans were busy in running a number of mines under the position. -At the end of February the Twelfth Division took over the north of -the section, and for ten weeks they found themselves engaged in a -struggle which can only be described as hellish. How constant and -severe it was may be gauged from the fact that without any real -action they lost 4000 men during that period. As soon as they -understood the state of affairs, which was only conveyed to them by -several devastating explosions, they began to run their own mines and -to raid those of their enemy. It was a nightmare conflict, half -above ground, half below, and sometimes both simultaneously, so that -men may be said to have fought in layers. The upshot of the matter, -after ten weeks of fighting, was that the British positions were held -at all points, though reduced to an extraordinary medley of craters -and fissures, which some observer has compared to a landscape in the -moon. The First Division shared with the Twelfth the winter honours -of the dangerous Loos salient. - -On April 27 a considerable surface attack developed on this part of -the line, now held by the Sixteenth Irish Division. Early upon that -day the Germans, taking advantage of the wind, which was now becoming -almost as important in a land as it had once been in a sea battle, -loosed a cloud of poison upon the trenches just south of Hulluch and -followed it up by a rush of infantry which got possession of part of -the front and support lines in the old region of the chalk-pit wood. -The 49th Brigade was in the trenches. This Brigade consisted of the -7th and 8th Inniskillings, with the 7th and 8th Royal Irish. It was -upon the first two battalions that the cloud of {19} gas descended, -which seems to have been of a particularly deadly brew, since it -poisoned horses upon the roads far to the rear. Many of the men were -stupefied and few were in a condition for resistance when the enemy -rushed to the trenches. Two battalions of Dublin Fusiliers, however, -from the 48th Brigade were in the adjoining trenches and were not -affected by the poison. These, together with the 8th Inniskillings, -who were in the rear of the 7th, attacked the captured trench and -speedily won it back. This was the more easy as there had been a -sudden shift of wind which had blown the vile stuff back into the -faces of the German infantry. A Bavarian letter taken some days -later complained bitterly of their losses, which were stated to have -reached 1300 from poison alone. The casualties of the Irish Division -were about 1500, nearly all from gas, or shell-fire. Coming as it -did at the moment when the tragic and futile rebellion in Dublin had -seemed to place the imagined interests of Ireland in front of those -of European civilisation, this success was most happily timed. The -brunt of the fighting was borne equally by troops from the north and -from the south of Ireland--a happy omen, we will hope, for the future. - -Amongst the other local engagements which broke the monotony of -trench life may be mentioned one upon May 11 near the Hohenzollern -Redoubt where the Germans held for a short time a British trench, -taking 127 of the occupants prisoners. More serious was the fighting -upon the Vimy Ridge south of Souchez on May 15. About 7.30 on the -evening of that day the British exploded a series of mines which, -either by accident or design, were short of {20} the German trenches. -The sector was occupied by the Twenty-fifth Division, and the -infantry attack was entrusted to the 11th Lancashire Fusiliers and -the 9th North Lancashires, both of the 74th Brigade. They rushed -forward with great dash and occupied the newly-formed craters, where -they established themselves firmly, joining them up with each other -and cutting communications backwards so as to make a new observation -trench. - -The Twenty-fifth Division lay at this time with the Forty-seventh -London Division as its northern neighbour, the one forming the -left-hand unit of the Third Army, and the other the extreme right of -the First. Upon the 19th the Londoners took over the new position -from the 74th, and found it to be an evil inheritance, for upon May -21, when they were in the very act of relieving the 7th and 75th -Brigades, which formed the front of the Twenty-fifth Division, they -were driven in by a terrific bombardment and assault from the German -lines. On the front of a brigade the Germans captured not only the -new ground won but our own front line and part of our supporting -line. Old soldiers declared that the fire upon this occasion was -among the most concentrated and deadly of the whole War. With the -new weapons artillery is not needed at such short range, for with -aerial torpedoes the same effect can be produced as with guns of a -great calibre. - -In the early morning of April 30, there was a strong attack by the -Germans at Wulverghem, which was the village to the west of Messines, -to which our line had been shifted after the attack of November 2, -1914. There is no doubt that all this bustling upon the part of the -Germans was partly for the purpose {21} of holding us to our ground -while they dealt with the French at Verdun, and partly to provoke a -premature offensive, since they well knew that some great movement -was in contemplation. As a matter of fact, all the attacks, -including the final severe one upon the Canadian lines, were dealt -with by local defenders and had no strategic effect at all. In the -case of the Wulverghem attack it was preceded by an emission of gas -of such intensity that it produced much sickness as far off as -Bailleul, at least six miles to the west. Horses in the distant -horse lines fell senseless under the noxious vapour. It came on with -such rapidity that about a hundred men of the Twenty-fourth Division -were overcome before they could get on their helmets. The rest were -armed against it, and repelled the subsequent infantry attacks -carried out by numerous small bodies of exploring infantry, without -any difficulty. The whole casualties of the Fifth Corps, whose front -was attacked, amounted to 400, half by gas and half by the shells. - -In May, General Alderson, who had commanded the Canadians with such -success from the beginning, took over new duties and gave place to -General Sir Julian Byng, the gallant commander of the Third Cavalry -Division. - -Upon June 2 there began an action upon the Canadian front at Ypres -which led to severe fighting extending over several weeks, and put a -very heavy strain upon a corps the First Division of which had done -magnificent work during more than a year, whilst the other two -divisions had only just eased up after the fighting of the craters. -Knowing well that the Allies were about to attack, the Germans were -exceedingly anxious to gain some success which would {22} compel them -to disarrange their plans and to suspend that concentration of troops -and guns which must precede any great effort. In searching for such -a success it was natural that they should revert to the Ypres -salient, which had always been the weakest portion of the line--so -weak, indeed, that when it is seen outlined by the star shells at -night, it seems to the spectator to be almost untenable, since the -curve of the German line was such that it could command the rear of -all the British trenches. It was a region of ruined cottages, -shallow trenches commanded by the enemy's guns, and shell-swept woods -so shattered and scarred that they no longer furnished any cover. -These woods, Zouave Wood, Sanctuary Wood, and others lie some hundred -yards behind the front trenches and form a rallying-point for those -who retire, and a place of assembly for those who advance. - -The Canadian front was from four to five miles long, following the -line of the trenches. The extreme left lay upon the ruined village -of Hooge. This part of the line was held by the Royal Canadian -Regiment. For a mile to their right, in front of Zouave and -Sanctuary Woods, the Princess Patricia's held the line over low-lying -ground. In immediate support was the 49th Regiment. These all -belonged to the 7th Canadian Brigade. This formed the left or -northern sector of the position. - -In the centre was a low hill called Mount Sorel, in which the front -trenches were located. Immediately in its rear is another elevation, -somewhat higher, and used as an observing station. This was -Observatory Hill. A wood, Armagh Wood, covered the slope of this -hill. There is about two hundred yards {23} of valley between Mount -Sorel and Observatory Hill, with a small stream running down it. -This section of the line was essential for the British, since in the -hands of the enemy it would command all the rest. It was garrisoned -by the 8th Brigade, consisting of Canadian Mounted Rifles. - -The right of the Canadian line, including St. Eloi upon the extreme -limit of their sector, was held by troops of the Second Canadian -Division. This part of the line was not involved in the coming -attack. It broke upon the centre and the left, the Mount Sorel and -the Hooge positions. - -The whole operation was very much more important than was appreciated -by the British public at the time, and formed a notable example of -anticipatory tactics upon the part of the German General Staff. Just -as they had delayed the advance upon the west by their furious -assault upon Verdun on the east, so they now calculated that by a -fierce attack upon the north of the British line they might disperse -the gathering storm which was visibly banking up in the Somme Valley. -It was a bold move, boldly carried out, and within appreciable -distance of success. - -Their first care was to collect and concentrate a great number of -guns and mine-throwers on the sector to be attacked. This -concentration occurred at the very moment when our own heavy -artillery was in a transition stage, some of it going south to the -Somme. Hardly a gun had sounded all morning. Then in an instant -with a crash and a roar several mines were sprung under the trenches, -and a terrific avalanche of shells came smashing down among the -astounded men. It is doubtful if a more hellish {24} storm of -projectiles of every sort had ever up to that time been concentrated -upon so limited a front. There was death from the mines below, death -from the shells above, chaos and destruction all around. The men -were dazed and the trenches both in front and those of communication -were torn to pieces and left as heaps of rubble. - -One great mine destroyed the loop of line held by the Princess -Patricia's and buried a company in the ruins. A second exploded at -Mount Sorel and did great damage. At the first outburst Generals -Mercer and Williams had been hurried into a small tunnel out of the -front line, but the mine explosion obliterated the mouth of the -tunnel and they were only extricated with difficulty. General Mercer -was last seen encouraging the men, but he had disappeared after the -action and his fate was unknown to friend or foe until ten days later -his body was found with both legs broken in one of the side trenches. -He died as he had lived, a very gallant soldier. For four hours the -men cowered down in what was left of the trenches, awaiting the -inevitable infantry attack which would come from the German lines -fifty yards away. When at last it came it met with little -resistance, for there were few to resist. Those few were beaten down -by the rush of the Würtembergers who formed the attacking division. -They carried the British line for a length of nearly a mile, from -Mount Sorel to the south of Hooge, and they captured about 500 men, a -large proportion of whom were wounded. General Williams, Colonel -Usher, and twelve other officers were taken. - -When the German stormers saw the havoc in the trenches they may well -have thought that they had {25} only to push forward to pierce the -line and close their hands at last upon the coveted Ypres. If any -such expectation was theirs, they must have been new troops who had -no knowledge of the dour tenacity of the Canadians. The men who -first faced poison gas without masks were not so lightly driven. The -German attack was brought to a standstill by the withering rifle-fire -from the woods, and though the assailants were still able to hold the -ground occupied they were unable to increase their gains, while in -spite of a terrific barrage of shrapnel fresh Canadian battalions, -the 14th and 15th from the 3rd Canadian Brigade, were coming up from -the rear to help their exhausted companions. - -The evening of June 2 was spent in confused skirmishing, the advanced -patrols of the Germans getting into the woods and being held up by -the Canadian infantry moving up to the front. Some German patrols -are said to have got as far as Zillebeke village, three-quarters of a -mile in advance of their old line. By the morning of June 3 these -intruders had been pushed back, but a counter-attack before dawn by -the 9th Brigade was held up by artillery fire, Colonel Hay of the -52nd (New Ontario) Regiment and many officers and men being put out -of action. The British guns were now hard at work, and the -Würtembergers in the captured trenches were enduring something of -what the Canadians had undergone the day before. About 7 o'clock the -2nd and 3rd Canadian Brigades, veterans of Ypres, began to advance, -making their way through the woods and over the bodies of the German -skirmishers. When the advance got in touch with the captured -trenches it was held up, for the Würtembergers stood to it {26} like -men, and were well supported by their gunners. On the right the 7th -and 10th Canadians got well forward, but had not enough weight for a -serious attack. It became clear that a premature counter-attack -might lead to increased losses, and that the true method was to -possess one's soul in patience until the preparation could be made -for a decisive operation. The impatience and ardour of the men were -very great, and their courage had a fine edge put upon it by a -churlish German official communiqué, adding one more disgrace to -their military annals, which asserted that more Canadian prisoners -had not been taken because they had fled so fast. Canadians could -smile at the insult, but it was the sort of smile that is more -menacing than a frown. The infantry waited grimly while some of the -missing guns were recalled into their position. Up to this time the -losses had been about 80 officers and 2000 men. - -The weather was vile, with incessant rain which turned the fields -into bogs and the trenches into canals. For a few days things were -at a standstill, for the clouds prevented aeroplane reconnaissance -and the registration of the guns. The Corps lay in front of its lost -trenches like a wounded bear looking across with red eyes at its -stolen cub. The Germans had taken advantage of the lull to extend -their line, and on June 6 they had occupied the ruins of Hooge, which -were impossible to hold after all the trenches to the south had been -lost. In their new line the Germans awaited the attack which they -afterwards admitted that they knew to be inevitable. The British -gunfire was so severe that it was very difficult for them to improve -their new position. - -On the 13th the weather had moderated and all {27} was ready for the -counter-attack. It was carried out at two in the morning by two -composite brigades. The 3rd (Toronto) and 7th Battalions led upon -the right, while the 13th (Royal Highlanders) and 16th (Canadian -Scots) were in the van of the left, with their pipers skirling in -front of them. Machine-guns supported the whole advance. The right -flank of the advance, being exposed to the German machine-guns, was -shrouded by the smoke of 200 bombs. The night was a very dark one -and the Canadian Scots had taken advantage of it to get beyond the -front line, and, as it proved, inside the German barrage zone, so -that heavy as it was it did them no scathe. The new German line was -carried with a magnificent rush, and a second heave lifted the wave -of stormers into the old British trenches--or the place where they -had been. Nine machine-guns and 150 prisoners from the 119th, 120th, -125th, and 127th Würtemberg Regiments were captured. To their great -joy the Canadians discovered that such munitions as they had -abandoned upon June 2 were still in the trenches and reverted into -their hands. It is pleasant to add that evidence was found that the -Würtembergers had behaved with humanity towards the wounded. From -this time onwards the whole Canadian area from close to Hooge (the -village still remained with the enemy) across the front of the woods, -over Mount Sorel, and on to Hill 60, was consolidated and maintained. -Save the heavy reciprocal losses neither side had anything to show -for all their desperate fighting, save that the ruins of Hooge were -now German. The Canadian losses in the total operations came to -about 7000 men--a figure which is eloquent as to the severity of the -fighting. They emerged {28} from the ordeal with their military -reputation more firmly established than ever. Ypres will surely be a -place of pilgrimage for Canadians in days to come, for the ground -upon the north of the city and also upon the south-east is -imperishably associated with the martial traditions of their country. -The battle just described is the most severe action between the epic -of Loos upon the one side, and that tremendous episode in the south, -upon the edge of which we are now standing. - -There is one other happening of note which may in truth be taken as -an overture of that gigantic performance. This was the action of the -Seventeenth Corps upon June 30, the eve of the Somme battle, in which -the Thirty-ninth Division, supported by guns from the Thirty-fifth -and Fifty-first Divisions upon each side of it, attacked the German -trenches near Richebourg at a spot known as the Boar's Head. The -attack was so limited in the troops employed and so local in area -that it can only be regarded as a feint to take the German attention -from the spot where the real danger was brewing. - -After an artillery preparation of considerable intensity, the -infantry assault was delivered by the 12th and 13th Royal Sussex of -the 116th Brigade. The scheme was that they should advance in three -waves and win their way to the enemy support line, which they were to -convert into the British front line, while the divisional pioneer -battalion, the 13th Gloster, was to join it up to the existing system -by new communication trenches. For some reason, however, a period of -eleven hours seems to have elapsed between the first bombardment and -the actual attack. The latter was delivered at three {29} in the -morning after a fresh bombardment of only ten minutes. So ready were -the Germans that an observer has remarked that had a string been tied -from the British batteries to the German the opening could not have -been more simultaneous, and they had brought together a great weight -of metal. Every kind of high explosive, shrapnel, and trench mortar -bombs rained on the front and support line, the communication -trenches and No Man's Land, in addition to a most hellish fire of -machine-guns. The infantry none the less advanced with magnificent -ardour, though with heavy losses. On occupying the German front line -trenches there was ample evidence that the guns had done their work -well, for the occupants were lying in heaps. The survivors threw -bombs to the last moment, and then cried, "Kamerad!" Few of them -were taken back. Two successive lines were captured, but the losses -were too heavy to allow them to be held, and the troops had -eventually under heavy shell-fire to fall back on their own front -lines. Only three officers came back unhurt out of the two -battalions, and the losses of rank and file came to a full two-thirds -of the number engaged. "The men were magnificent," says one who led -them, but they learned the lesson which was awaiting so many of their -comrades in the south, that all human bravery cannot overcome -conditions which are essentially impossible. A heavy German -bombardment continued for some time, flattening out the trenches and -inflicting losses, not only upon the 39th but upon the 51st Highland -Territorial Division. This show of heavy artillery may be taken as -the most pleasant feature in the whole episode, since it shows that -its object was attained at least to the very important {30} extent of -holding up the German guns. Those heavy batteries upon the Somme -might well have modified our successes of the morrow. - -A second attack made with the same object of distracting the -attention of the Germans and holding up their guns was made at an -earlier date at a point called the triangle opposite to the Double -Grassier near Loos. This attack was started at 9.10 upon the evening -of June 10, and was carried out in a most valiant fashion by the 2nd -Rifles and part of the 2nd Royal Sussex, both of the 2nd Brigade. -There can be no greater trial for troops, and no greater sacrifice -can be demanded of a soldier, than to risk and probably lose his life -in an attempt which can obviously have no permanent result, and is -merely intended to ease pressure elsewhere. The gallant stormers -reached and in several places carried the enemy's line, but no -lasting occupation could be effected, and they had eventually to -return to their own line. The Riflemen, who were the chief -sufferers, lost 11 officers and 200 men. - -A word should be said as to the raids along the line of the German -trenches by which it was hoped to distract their attention from the -point of attack, and also to obtain precise information as to the -disposition of their units. It is difficult to say whether the -British were the gainers, or the losers on balance in these raids, -for some were successful, while some were repelled. Among a great -number of gallant attempts, the details of which hardly come within -the scale of this chronicle, the most successful perhaps were two -made by the 9th Highland Light Infantry and by the 2nd Welsh -Fusiliers, both of the Thirty-third Division. In both of these cases -very extensive damage was done and numerous prisoners were taken. -{31} When one reads the intimate accounts of these affairs, the -stealthy approaches, the blackened faces, the clubs and revolvers -which formed the weapons, the ox-goads for urging Germans out of -dug-outs, the dark lanterns and the knuckle-dusters--one feels that -the age of adventure is not yet past and that the spirit of romance -was not entirely buried in the trenches of modern war. There were 70 -such raids in the week which preceded the great attack. - -Before plunging into the huge task of following and describing the -various phases of the mighty Battle of the Somme a word must be said -upon the naval history of the period which can all be summed up in -the Battle of Jutland, since the situation after that battle was -exactly as it had always been before it. This fact in itself shows -upon which side the victory lay, since the whole object of the -movements of the German Fleet was to produce a relaxation in these -conditions. Through the modesty of the British bulletins, which was -pushed somewhat to excess, the position for some days was that the -British, who had won everything, claimed nothing, while the Germans, -who had won nothing, claimed everything. It is true that a number of -our ships were sunk and of our sailors drowned, including Hood and -Arbuthnot, two of the ablest of our younger admirals. Even by the -German accounts, however, their own losses in proportion to their -total strength were equally heavy, and we have every reason to doubt -their accounts since they not only do not correspond with reliable -observations upon our side, but because their second official account -was compelled to admit that their first one had been false. The -whole affair may be summed up by saying that after making an -excellent {32} fight they were saved from total destruction by the -haze of evening, and fled back in broken array to their ports, -leaving the North Sea now as always in British keeping. At the same -time it cannot be denied that here as at Coronel and the Falklands -the German ships were well fought, the gunnery was good, and the -handling of the fleet, both during the battle and especially under -the difficult circumstances of the flight in the darkness to avoid a -superior fleet between themselves and home, was of a high order. It -was a good clean fight, and in the general disgust at the flatulent -claims of the Kaiser and his press the actual merit of the German -performance did not perhaps receive all the appreciation which it -deserved. - - - - -{33} - -CHAPTER II - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - - Attack of the Seventh and Eighth Corps on - Gommecourt, Serre, and Beaumont Hamel - -Line of battle in the Somme sector--Great preparations--Advance of -Forty-sixth North Midland Division--Advance of Fifty-sixth -Territorials (London)--Great valour and heavy losses--Advance of -Thirty-first Division--Advance of Fourth Division--Advance of -Twenty-ninth Division--Complete failure of the assault. - - -The continued German pressure at Verdun which had reached a high -point in June called insistently for an immediate allied attack at -the western end of the line. With a fine spirit of comradeship -General Haig had placed himself and his armies at the absolute -disposal of General Joffre, and was prepared to march them to Verdun, -or anywhere else where he could best render assistance. The solid -Joffre, strong and deliberate, was not disposed to allow the western -offensive to be either weakened or launched prematurely on account of -German attacks at the eastern frontier. He believed that Verdun -could for the time look after herself, and the result showed the -clearness of his vision. Meanwhile, he amassed a considerable French -army, containing many of his best active troops, on either side of -the Somme. General Foch was in command. They formed the right wing -of the {34} great allied force about to make a big effort to break or -shift the iron German line, which had been built up with two years of -labour, until it represented a tangled vista of trenches, parapets, -and redoubts mutually supporting and bristling with machine-guns and -cannon, for many miles of depth. Never in the whole course of -history have soldiers been confronted with such an obstacle. Yet -from general to private, both in the French and in the British -armies, there was universal joy that the long stagnant trench life -should be at an end, and that the days of action, even if they should -prove to be days of death, should at last have come. Our concern is -with the British forces, and so they are here set forth as they -stretched upon the left or north of their good allies. - -The southern end of the whole British line was held by the Fourth -Army, commanded by General Rawlinson, an officer who has always been -called upon when desperate work was afoot. His army consisted of -five corps, each of which included from three to four divisions, so -that his infantry numbered about 200,000 men, many of whom were -veterans, so far as a man may live to be a veteran amid the slaughter -of such a campaign. The Corps, counting from the junction with the -French, were, the Thirteenth (Congreve), Fifteenth (Horne), Third -(Pulteney), Tenth (Morland), and Eighth (Hunter-Weston). Their -divisions, frontage, and the objectives will be discussed in the -description of the battle itself. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{35} - -[Illustration: BRITISH BATTLE LINE July 1st 1916] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -North of Rawlinson's Fourth Army, and touching it at the village of -Hébuterne, was Allenby's Third Army, of which one single corps, the -Seventh (Snow), was engaged in the battle. This added three {36} -divisions, or about 30,000 infantry, to the numbers quoted above. - -It had taken months to get the troops into position, to accumulate -the guns, and to make the enormous preparations which such a battle -must entail. How gigantic and how minute these are can only be -appreciated by those who are acquainted with the work of the staffs. -As to the Chief Staff of all, if a civilian may express an opinion -upon so technical a matter, no praise seems to be too high for -General Kiggell and the others under the immediate direction of Sir -Douglas Haig, who had successively shown himself to be a great Corps -General, a great Army leader, and now a great General-in-Chief. The -preparations were enormous and meticulous, yet everything ran like a -well-oiled piston-rod. Every operation of the attack was practised -on similar ground behind the lines. New railheads were made, huge -sidings constructed, and great dumps accumulated. The corps and -divisional staffs were also excellent, but above all it was upon -those hard-worked and usually overlooked men, the sappers, that the -strain fell. Assembly trenches had to be dug, double communication -trenches had to be placed in parallel lines, one taking the -up-traffic and one the down, water supplies, bomb shelters, staff -dug-outs, poison-gas arrangements, tunnels and mines--there was no -end to the work of the sappers. The gunners behind laboured night -after night in hauling up and concealing their pieces, while day -after day they deliberately and carefully registered upon their -marks. The question of ammunition supply had assumed incredible -proportions. For the needs of one single corps forty-six miles of -motor-lorries were engaged in bringing up {37} the shells. However, -by the end of June all was in place and ready. The bombardment began -about June 23, and was at once answered by a German one of lesser -intensity. The fact that the attack was imminent was everywhere -known, for it was absolutely impossible to make such preparations and -concentrations in a secret fashion. "Come on, we are ready for you," -was hoisted upon placards on several of the German trenches. The -result was to show that they spoke no more than the truth. - -There were limits, however, to the German appreciation of the plans -of the Allies. They were apparently convinced that the attack would -come somewhat farther to the north, and their plans, which covered -more than half of the ground on which the attack actually did occur, -had made that region impregnable, as we were to learn to our cost. -Their heaviest guns and their best troops were there. They had made -a far less elaborate preparation, however, at the front which -corresponded with the southern end of the British line, and also on -that which faced the French. The reasons for this may be surmised. -The British front at that point is very badly supplied with roads (or -was before the matter was taken in hand), and the Germans may well -have thought that no advance upon a great scale was possible. So far -as the French were concerned they had probably over-estimated the -pre-occupation of Verdun and had not given our Allies credit for the -immense reserve vitality which they were to show. The French front -to the south of the Somme was also faced by a great bend of the river -which must impede any advance. Then again it is wooded, broken -country down there, and gives good concealment for masking an -operation. These {38} were probably the reasons which induced the -Germans to make a miscalculation which proved to be an exceedingly -serious one, converting what might have been a German victory into a -great, though costly, success for the Allies, a prelude to most vital -results in the future. - -It is, as already stated, difficult to effect a surprise upon the -large scale in modern warfare. There are still, however, certain -departments in which with energy and ingenuity effects may be -produced as unforeseen as they are disconcerting. The Air Service of -the Allies, about which a book which would be one long epic of -heroism could be written, had been growing stronger, and had -dominated the situation during the last few weeks, but it had not -shown its full strength nor its intentions until the evening before -the bombardment. Then it disclosed both in most dramatic fashion. -Either side had lines of stationary airships from which shell-fire is -observed. To the stranger approaching the lines they are the first -intimation that he is in the danger area, and he sees them in a -double row, extending in a gradually dwindling vista to either -horizon. Now by a single raid and in a single night, every -observation airship of the Germans was brought in flames to the -earth. It was a splendid coup, splendidly carried out. Where the -setting sun had shone on a long German array the dawn showed an empty -eastern sky. From that day for many a month the Allies had command -of the air with all that it means to modern artillery. It was a good -omen for the coming fight, and a sign of the great efficiency to -which the British Air Service under General Trenchard had attained. -The various types for scouting, for artillery work, {39} for raiding, -and for fighting were all very highly developed and splendidly -handled by as gallant and chivalrous a band of heroic youths as -Britain has ever enrolled among her guardians. The new F.E. machine -and the de Haviland Biplane fighting machine were at this time equal -to anything the Germans had in the air. - -The attack had been planned for June 28, but the weather was so -tempestuous that it was put off until it should moderate, a change -which was a great strain upon every one concerned. July 1 broke calm -and warm with a gentle south-western breeze. The day had come. All -morning from early dawn there was intense fire, intensely answered, -with smoke barrages thrown during the last half-hour to such points -as could with advantage be screened. At 7.30 the guns lifted, the -whistles blew, and the eager infantry were over the parapets. The -great Battle of the Somme, the fierce crisis of Armageddon, had come. -In following the fate of the various British forces during this -eventful and most bloody day we will begin at the northern end of the -line, where the Seventh Corps (Snow) faced the salient of Gommecourt. - -This corps consisted of the Thirty-seventh, Forty-sixth, and -Fifty-sixth Divisions. The former was not engaged and lay to the -north. The others were told off to attack the bulge on the German -line, the Forty-sixth upon the north, and the Fifty-sixth upon the -south, with the village of Gommecourt as their immediate objective. -Both were well-tried and famous territorial units, the Forty-sixth -North Midland being the division which carried the Hohenzollern -Redoubt upon October 13, 1915, while the Fifty-sixth was made up of -the old London territorial battalions, {40} which had seen so much -fighting in earlier days while scattered among the regular brigades. -Taking our description of the battle always from the north end of the -line we shall begin with the attack of the Forty-sixth Division. - -The assault was carried out by two brigades, each upon a -two-battalion front. Of these the 137th Brigade of Stafford men were -upon the right, while the 139th Brigade of Sherwood Foresters were on -the left, each accompanied by a unit of sappers. The 138th Brigade, -less one battalion, which was attached to the 137th, was in reserve. -The attack was covered so far as possible with smoke, which was -turned on five minutes before the hour. The general instructions to -both brigades were that after crossing No Man's Land and taking the -first German line they should bomb their way up the communication -trenches, and so force a passage into Gommecourt Wood. Each brigade -was to advance in four waves at fifty yards interval, with six feet -between each man. Warned by our past experience of the wastage of -precious material, not more than 20 officers of each battalion were -sent forward with the attack, and a proportional number of N.C.O.'s -were also withheld. The average equipment of the stormers, here and -elsewhere, consisted of steel helmet, haversack, water-bottle, -rations for two days, two gas helmets, tear-goggles, 220 cartridges, -two bombs, two sandbags, entrenching tool, wire-cutters, field -dressings, and signal-flare. With this weight upon them, and with -trenches which were half full of water, and the ground between a -morass of sticky mud, some idea can be formed of the strain upon the -infantry. - -{41} - -Both the attacking brigades got away with splendid steadiness upon -the tick of time. In the case of the 137th Brigade the 6th South -Staffords and 6th North Staffords were in the van, the former being -on the right flank where it joined up with the left of the -Fifty-sixth Division. The South Staffords came into a fatal blast of -machine-gun fire as they dashed forward, and their track was marked -by a thick litter of dead and wounded. None the less, they poured -into the trenches opposite to them but found them strongly held by -infantry of the Fifty-second German Division. There was some fierce -bludgeon work in the trenches, but the losses in crossing had been -too heavy and the survivors were unable to make good. The trench was -held by the Germans and the assault repulsed. The North Staffords -had also won their way into the front trenches, but in their case -also they had lost so heavily that they were unable to clear the -trench, which was well and stoutly defended. At the instant of -attack, here as elsewhere, the Germans had put so terrific a barrage -between the lines that it was impossible for the supports to get up -and no fresh momentum could be added to the failing attack. - -The fate of the right attack had been bad, but that of the left was -even worse, for at this point we had experience of a German procedure -which was tried at several places along the line with most deadly -effect, and accounted for some of our very high losses. This device -was to stuff their front line dug-outs with machine-guns and men, who -would emerge when the wave of stormers had passed, attacking them -from the rear, confident that their own rear was safe on account of -the terrific barrage between the lines. {42} In this case the -stormers were completely trapped. The 5th and 7th Sherwood Foresters -dashed through the open ground, carried the trenches and pushed -forward on their fiery career. Instantly the barrage fell, the -concealed infantry rose behind them, and their fate was sealed. With -grand valour the leading four waves stormed their way up the -communication trenches and beat down all opposition until their own -dwindling numbers and the failure of their bombs left them helpless -among their enemies. Thus perished the first companies of two fine -battalions, and few survivors of them ever won their way back to the -British lines. Brave attempts were made during the day to get across -to their aid, but all were beaten down by the terrible barrage. In -the evening the 5th Lincolns made a most gallant final effort to -reach their lost comrades, and got across to the German front line -which they found to be strongly held. So ended a tragic episode. -The cause which produced it was, as will be seen, common to the whole -northern end of the line, and depended upon factors which neither -officers nor men could control, the chief of which were that the work -of our artillery, both in getting at the trench garrisons and in its -counter-battery effects had been far less deadly than we had -expected. The losses of the division came to about 2700 men. - -The attack upon the southern side of the Gommecourt peninsula, though -urged with the utmost devotion and corresponding losses, had no more -success than that in the north. There is no doubt that the -unfortunate repulse of the 137th Brigade upon their left, occurring -as it did while the Fifty-sixth Division was still advancing, enabled -the {43} Germans to concentrate their guns and reserves upon the -Londoners, but knowing what we know, it can hardly be imagined that -under any circumstances, with failure upon either side of them, the -division could have held the captured ground. The preparations for -the attack had been made with great energy, and for two successive -nights as many as 3000 men were out digging between the lines, which -was done with such disciplined silence that there were not more than -50 casualties all told. The 167th Brigade was left in reserve, -having already suffered heavily while holding the water-logged -trenches during the constant shell-fall of the last week. The 7th -Middlesex alone had lost 12 officers and 300 men from this cause--a -proportion which may give some idea of what the heavy British -bombardment may have meant to the Germans. The advance was, -therefore, upon a two-brigade front, the 168th being on the right and -the 169th upon the left. The London Scottish and the 12th London -Rangers were the leading battalions of the 168th, while the -Westminsters and Victorias led the 169th with the 4th London, 13th -Kensingtons, 2nd London and London Rifle Brigade in support. The -advance was made with all the fiery dash with which the Cockney -soldiers have been associated. The first, second, and third German -lines of trench were successively carried, and it was not until they, -or those of them who were left, had reached the fourth line that they -were held. It was powerfully manned, bravely defended, and well -provided with bombs--a terrible obstacle for a scattered line of -weary and often wounded men. The struggle was a heroic one. Even -now had their rear been clear, or had there been a shadow of support -{44} these determined men would have burst the only barrier which -held them from Gommecourt. But the steel curtain of the barrage had -closed down behind them, and every overrun trench was sending out its -lurking occupants to fire into their defenceless backs. Bombs, too, -are essential in such a combat, and bombs must ever be renewed, since -few can be carried at a time. For long hours the struggle went on, -but it was the pitiful attempt of heroic men to postpone that retreat -which was inevitable. Few of the advanced line ever got back. The -3rd London, particularly, sent forward several hundred men with -bombs, but hardly any got across. Sixty London Scots started on the -same terrible errand. In the late afternoon the remains of the two -brigades were back in the British front line, having done all, and -more than all, that brave soldiers could be expected to do. The -losses were very heavy. Never has the manhood of London in one -single day sustained so grievous a loss. It is such hours which test -the very soul of the soldier. War is not all careless slang and -jokes and cigarettes, though such superficial sides of it may amuse -the public and catch the eye of the descriptive writer. It is the -most desperately earnest thing to which man ever sets his hand or his -mind. Many a hot oath and many a frenzied prayer go up from the -battle line. Strong men are shaken to the soul with the hysteria of -weaklings, and balanced brains are dulled into vacancy or worse by -the dreadful sustained shock of it. The more honour then to those -who, broken and wearied, still hold fast in the face of all that -human flesh abhors, bracing their spirits by a sense of soldierly -duty and personal honour which is strong enough to prevail over death -itself. - -{45} - -It is pleasing to be able to record an instance of good feeling upon -the part of the enemy. Some remains of the old German spirit would -now and again, though with sad rarity, shake itself free from the -acrid and poisonous Prussian taint. On this occasion a German -prisoner was sent back from our lines after nightfall with a note to -the officer in command asking for details as to the fate of the -British missing. An answer was found tied on to the barbed wire in -the morning which gave the desired information. It is fair to state -also that the wounded taken by the enemy appear to have met with good -treatment. - -So much for the gallant and tragic attack of the Seventh Corps. -General Snow, addressing his men after the battle, pointed out that -their losses and their efforts had not been all in vain. "I can -assure you," he said, "that by your determined attack you managed to -keep large forces of the enemy at your front, thereby materially -assisting in the operations which were proceeding farther south with -such marked success." No doubt the claim is a just one, and even -while we mourn over the fate of four grand Army corps upon the left -wing of the Allied Army, we may feel that they sacrificed themselves -in order to assure the advance of those corps of their comrades to -the south who had profited by the accumulation of guns and men to the -north of them in order to burst their way through the German line. -It is possible that here as on some other occasions the bitter hatred -which the Germans had for the British, nurtured as it was by every -lie which could appeal to their passions, had distorted their vision -and twisted their counsels to an extent which proved to be their ruin. - -{46} - -The Eighth Corps, a magnificent body of troops, was under the command -of General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston. It consisted of the -Forty-eighth South Midland Territorial Division, the Fourth Regular -Division, the Twenty-ninth Regular Division, and the Thirty-first -Division of the New Army. Their front extended from Hébuterne in the -north, where they joined on to the Fifty-sixth Division, down to a -point just north of the Ancre, and it faced the very strong German -positions of Serre in the north, and of Beaumont Hamel in the centre. -The latter was an exceptionally difficult place, for it contained -enormous quarries and excavations in which masses of Germans could -remain concealed, almost immune to shell-fire and ready to sally out -when needed. In spite of the terrific bombardment the actual damage -done to the enemy was not excessive, and neither his numbers, his -_moral_, nor his guns had been seriously diminished. - -The order of battle was as follows: the Forty-eighth Division was in -reserve, save for the 143rd Warwick Brigade. Of this brigade two -battalions, the 5th and 6th Warwicks, were placed on a defensive line -with orders to hold the trenches for about a mile south of Hebuterne. -The 7th and 8th Warwicks were attached to the Fourth Division for the -assault. - -Immediately south of the defensive line held by the two Warwick -battalions was the Thirty-first Division, having Serre for its -objective. South of this, and opposite to Beaumont Hamel, was the -Fourth, and south of this again was the Twenty-ninth Division, which -had returned from the magnificent failure of the Dardanelles, bearing -with it a high reputation for efficiency and valour. Incorporated -with it was a regiment of Newfoundlanders, men recruited from {47} -among the fishers and farmers of that northern land, the oldest -colony of Britain. Such was the force, comprising nearly 50,000 -excellent infantry, who set forth upon the formidable adventure of -forcing the lines of Beaumont Hamel. They were destined to show the -absolute impossibility of such a task in the face of a steadfast -unshaken enemy, supported by a tremendous artillery, but their story -is a most glorious one, and many a great British victory contains no -such record of tenacity and military virtue. - -At a quarter past five the assaulting lines were in the assembly -trenches, and shortly afterwards the smoke and artillery barrages -were released. At 7.20 an enormous mine, which had been run under -Hawthorn Redoubt in front of the Fourth Division, was exploded, and a -monstrous column of debris, with the accompanying shock of an -earthquake, warned friend and foe that the hour of doom, the crisis -of such mighty preparations, was at hand. At 7.30 the whistles blew, -and the men, springing with eager alacrity over the parapet, advanced -in successive lines of assault against the German trenches. - -Before giving in detail the circumstances which determined the result -in each division, it may be well to avoid wearisome iteration by -giving certain facts which are common to each. In every case the -troops advanced in an extended formation of companies in successive -waves. In nearly every case the German front line was seized and -penetrated, in no case was there any hesitation or disorder among the -advancing troops, but the highest possible degree of discipline and -courage was shown by regulars, territorials, and men of the New Army, -nor could it be said that there was any difference between them. In -each case also {48} the Germans met the assault with determined -valour; in each case the successive lines of trenches were more -strongly held, and the assailants were attacked from the rear by -those who emerged from the dug-outs behind them, and above all in -each case a most murderous artillery fire was opened from a -semi-circle all round the German position, but especially from one -huge accumulation of heavy guns, said to number a hundred batteries, -stationed on the high ground near Bucquoy and commanding the British -position. These guns formed successive lines of barrage with -shrapnel and high explosives, one of them about 200 yards behind the -British line, to cut off the supports; another 50 yards behind; -another 50 yards in front; and a fourth of shrapnel which was under -observed control, and followed the troops in their movements. The -advanced lines of assault were able in most cases to get through -before these barrages were effectively established, but they made it -difficult, deadly, and often impossible for the lines who followed. - -None the less it is the opinion of skilled observers that the -shell-fire alone, however heavy, could not have taken the edge from -the inexorable insistence of the British attack. It is to the skill -and to the personal gallantry of the German machine-gunners that the -result is to be traced. The bombardment of the German line had been -so severe that it was hoped that most of the machine-guns had been -rooted out. So indeed they had, but they had been withdrawn to the -safety of excavations in the immediate rear. Suspecting this, the -British artillery sprayed the ground behind the trenches with showers -of shrapnel to prevent their being brought forward {49} again. This -barrage was not sufficient to subdue the gunners, who dashed forward -and established their pieces at the moment of the assault upon the -various parapets and points of vantage, from which, regardless of -their own losses, they poured a withering fire upon the infantry in -the open. These brave Würtembergers were seen, with riflemen at -their side, exposed waist-deep and dropping fast, but mowing the open -slope as with a scythe of steel. "I cannot," said a general officer, -who surveyed the whole scene, "adequately express my admiration for -the British who advanced, or for the Germans who stood up under such -a heavy barrage to oppose them." It was indeed that contest between -the chosen children of Odin in which Professor Cramb has declared -that the high gods of virility might well rejoice. - -We will now turn to the left of the line and carry on the detailed -description of the general assault from that of the 56th Territorials -in the north, who were linked up by the defensive line of the -Warwicks. The Thirty-first Division was on the left of the Eighth -Corps. Of this division, two brigades, the 93rd and the 94th, were -in the line, with the 92nd in reserve. The 93rd, which consisted of -the 15th, 16th, 18th West Yorks, and the 18th Durhams, was on the -right, the 94th, including the 11th East Lancashires, and the 12th, -13th, and 14th York and Lancasters, was on the left. The advance was -made upon a front of two companies, each company on a front of two -platoons, the men extended to three paces interval. On the left the -leading battalions were the 11th East Lancashires and 12th York and -Lancasters, the latter on the extreme left {50} flank of the whole -division. That this position with its exposed flank was the place of -honour and of danger, may be best indicated by the fact that the -colonel and six orderlies were the only men who could be collected of -this heroic Sheffield battalion upon the next morning. On the right -the leading troops were the 15th and 16th West Yorks. These grand -North-countrymen swept across No Man's Land, dressed as if on parade, -followed in succession by the remaining battalions, two of which, the -13th and 14th York and Lancasters, were the special town units of -Barnsley and Leeds. "I have never seen and could not have imagined -such a magnificent display of gallantry, discipline, and -determination," said the observer who was been already quoted. The -men fell in lines, but the survivors with backs bent, heads bowed, -and rifles at the port, neither quickened nor slackened their -advance, but went forward as though it was rain and not lead which -lashed them. Here and elsewhere the German machine-gunners not only -lined the parapet, but actually rushed forward into the open, partly -to get a flank fire, and partly to come in front of the British -barrage. Before the blasts of bullets the lines melted away, and the -ever-decreasing waves only reached the parapet here and there, -lapping over the spot where the German front lines had been, and -sinking for ever upon the farther side. About a hundred gallant men -of the East Lancashires, favoured perhaps by some curve in the -ground, got past more than one line of trenches, and a few desperate -individuals even burst their way as far as Serre, giving a false -impression that the village was in our hands. But the losses had -been so heavy that the weight and momentum had gone out of the {51} -attack, while the density of the resistance thickened with every yard -of advance. By the middle of the afternoon the survivors of the two -attacking brigades were back in their own front line trenches, having -lost the greater part of their effectives. The 15th West Yorks had -lost heavily in officers, and the 16th and 18th were little better -off. The 18th Durhams suffered less, being partly in reserve. Of -the 94th Brigade the two splendid leading battalions, the 11th East -Lancashires and 12th York and Lancasters, had very many killed within -the enemy line. The heaviest loss in any single unit was in the 11th -East Lancashires. The strength of the position is indicated by the -fact that when attacked by two divisions in November, with a very -powerful backing of artillery, it was still able to hold its own. - -The experiences of all the troops engaged upon the left of the -British attack were so similar and their gallantry was so uniform, -that any variety in description depends rather upon the units engaged -than upon what befell them. Thus in passing from the Thirty-first -Division to the Fourth upon their right, the general sequence of -cause and effect is still the same. In this instance the infantry -who rushed, or rather strode, to the assault were, counting from the -right, the 1st East Lancs, the 1st Rifle Brigade, and the 8th -Warwicks, who were immediately followed by the 1st Hants, the 1st -Somersets, and the 6th Warwicks, advancing with three companies in -front and one in support. The objective here as elsewhere upon the -left was the capture of the Serre-Grandcourt Ridge, with the further -design of furnishing a defensive flank for the operations lower down. -The troops enumerated belonged to the 11th Brigade, led by {52} the -gallant Prowse, who fell hit by a shell early in the assault, calling -after his troops that they should remember that they were the -Stonewall Brigade. The attack was pressed with incredible -resolution, and met with severe losses. Again the front line was -carried and again the thin fringe of survivors had no weight to drive -the assault forward, whilst they had no cover to shelter them in the -ruined lines which they had taken. The Somerset men had the honour -of reaching the farthest point attained by the division. "If -anything wants shifting the Somersets will do it." So said their -General before the action. But both their flanks were in the air, -and their position was an impossible one, while the right of the -attack north of Beaumont Hamel had been entirely held up. Two units -of the 10th Brigade advanced about 9 o'clock on the right, and two of -the 12th on the left. These were in their order, the 2nd Dublins, -2nd Seaforths, 2nd Essex, and 1st King's Own Lancasters. All went -forward with a will, but some could not get beyond their own front -trenches, and few got over the German line. All the weight of their -blood so lavishly and cheerfully given could not tilt the scale -towards victory. Slowly the survivors of the Somersets and Rifle -Brigade were beaten back with clouds of bombers at their heels. The -8th Warwicks, who, with some of the 6th Warwicks, had got as far -forward as any of the supporting line, could not turn the tide. Late -in the afternoon the assault had definitely failed, and the remainder -were back in their own front trenches, which had now to be organised -against the very possible counter-attack. Only two battalions of the -division remained intact, and the losses included {53} General -Prowse, Colonel the Hon. C. W. Palk of the Hampshires, Colonel -Thicknesse of the Somersets, Colonel Wood of the Rifle Brigade, and -Colonel Franklin of the 6th Warwicks, all killed; while Colonels -Innes of the 8th Warwicks, Hopkinson of the Seaforths, and Green of -the East Lancashires were wounded. For a long time a portion of the -enemy's trench was held by mixed units, but it was of no value when -detached from the rest and was abandoned in the evening. From the -afternoon onwards no possible course save defence was open to General -Lambton. There was considerable anxiety about one company of Irish -Fusiliers who were in a detached portion of the German trench, but -they succeeded in getting back next morning, bringing with them not -only their wounded but some prisoners. - -Immediately to the right of the Fourth Division was the Twenty-ninth -Division[1] from Gallipoli, which rivalled in its constancy and -exceeded in its losses its comrades upon the left. The 86th Brigade -and the 87th formed the first line, with the 88th in support. - - -[1] Since the constituents of this famous regular Division have not -been given in full (as has been done with their comrades in preceding -volumes) they are here enumerated as they were on July 1, 1916: - -86_th Brigade_.--2nd Royal Fusiliers, 1st Lancashire Fusiliers, 1st -Dublin Fusiliers, 16th Middlesex. - -87_th Brigade_.--1st Inniskilling Fusiliers, 1st South Wales -Borderers, 1st Scottish Borderers, 1st Border Regiment. - -88_th Brigade_.--1st Essex, 2nd Hants, 4th Worcesters, Newfoundland -Regiment. - - -The van of the attack upon the right of the division was formed by -the 1st Inniskilling Fusiliers and the Welsh Borderers, while the van -upon the left was formed by the 2nd Royal Fusiliers and the 1st -Lancashire Fusiliers. The other battalions of the {54} brigades -formed the supporting line, and two battalions of the 88th Brigade, -the Essex and the Newfoundlanders, were also drawn into the fight, so -that, as in the Fourth Division, only two battalions remained intact -at the close, the nucleus upon which in each case a new division had -to be formed. - -Upon the explosion of the great mine already mentioned two platoons -of the 2nd Royal Fusiliers with machine-guns and Stokes mortars -rushed forward to seize the crater. They got the near lip, but the -enemy were already in possession of the far side, and no farther -advance could be made. At this point, and indeed at nearly all -points down the line, the wire was found to have been very thoroughly -cut by the artillery fire, but for some reason our own wire had not -been cut to the same extent and was a serious obstacle to our own -advance. - -Parties of the leading regiments were speedily up to the German -front-line trench, but their advance beyond it was delayed by the -fact that the dug-outs were found to be full of lurking soldiers who -had intended no doubt to rush out and attack the stormers in the -rear, as in the case of the Forty-sixth and Fifty-sixth Divisions in -the north, but who were discovered in time and had to fight for their -lives. These men were cleared out upon the right, and the advance -then made some progress, but on the left by 9 o'clock the 86th -Brigade had been completely held up by a murderous machine-gun fire -in front of Beaumont Hamel, a position which, as already explained, -presented peculiar difficulties. The Essex and Newfoundland men of -the 88th Brigade were ordered forward and charged with such splendid -resolution that the advance was carried forward again, and the {55} -whole situation changed for the better. By 10.15 the casualties had -become so great, however, through the fire of flanking machine-guns, -that it was clear that the attack could not possibly reach its -objective. The huge crater left by the explosion of the Beaumont -Hamel mine was held for hours as a redoubt, but it also was enfiladed -by fire and became untenable. By half-past ten the action had -resolved itself into a bombardment of the German front line once -more, and the assault had definitely failed. There was an attempt to -renew it, but when it was found that the 86th Brigade and the 87th -Brigade were equally reduced in numbers, it was recognised that only -a defensive line could be held. It is true that the Divisional -General had the Worcesters and the Hants still in hand, and was -prepared to attack with them, but a further loss might have -imperilled the Divisional line, so no advance was allowed. - -All the troops of the Twenty-ninth Division had lived up to their -fame, but a special word should be said of the Newfoundlanders, who, -in their first action, kept pace with the veterans beside them. This -battalion of fishermen, lumbermen, and farmers proved once more the -grand stuff which is bred over the sea--the stuff which Bernhardi -dismissed in a contemptuous paragraph. "They attacked regardless of -loss, moving forward in extended order, wave behind wave. It was a -magnificent exhibition of disciplined courage." Well might General -Hunter-Weston say next day after visiting the survivors: "To hear men -cheering as they did, after undergoing such an experience, and in the -midst of such mud and rain, made one proud to have the command of -such a battalion." The losses of the Newfoundlanders {56} were -severe. Losses are always the index of the sorrow elsewhere, but -when they fall so heavily upon a small community, where every man -plays a vital part and knows his neighbour, they are particularly -distressing. From Cape Race to the coast of Labrador there was pride -and mourning over that day. The total losses of the division were -heavy, and included Colonels Pierce and Ellis of the Inniskillings -and Borderers. - -It must have been with a heavy heart that General Hunter-Weston -realised, with the approach of night, that each of his divisions had -met with such losses that the renewal of the attack was impossible. -He, his Divisional Commanders, his officers and his men had done both -in their dispositions and in their subsequent actions everything -which wise leaders and brave soldiers could possibly accomplish. If -a criticism could be advanced it would be that the attack was urged -with such determined valour that it would not take No until long -after No was the inevitable answer. But grim persistence has won -many a fight, and no leader who is worthy to lead can ever have an -excess of it. They were up against the impossible, as were their -companions to right and left. It is easy to recognise it now, but it -could not be proved until it had been tested to the uttermost. Could -other tactics, other equipment, other methods of guarding the -soldiers have brought them across the fatal open levels? It may be -so, and can again only be tried by testing. But this at least was -proved for all time, that, given clear ground, unshaken troops, -prepared positions, and ample artillery, no human fire and no human -hardihood can ever hope to break such a defensive line. It should be -added that here as {57} elsewhere the British artillery, though less -numerous than it became at a later date, was admirable both in its -heavy and in its lighter pieces. Observers have recorded that under -its hammer blows the German trenches kept momentarily changing their -shape, while the barrage was as thick and accurate and the lifting as -well-timed as could have been wished. There was no slackness -anywhere, either in preparation or in performance, and nothing but -the absolute impossibility of the task under existing conditions -stood in the way of success. - - - - -{58} - -CHAPTER III - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Attack of the Tenth and Third Corps, July 1, 1916 - -Magnificent conduct of the Ulster Division--Local success but general -failure--Advance of Thirty-second Division--Advance of Eighth -Division--Advance of Thirty-fourth Division--The turning-point of the -line. - - -Morland's Tenth Corps consisted of the Thirty-sixth, Forty-ninth, and -Thirty-second Divisions. It lay between Hunter-Weston's Eighth Corps -upon the left and Pulteney's Third Corps upon the right. It covered -a front from a mile north of Hamel to a mile north of Ovillers. At -its northern end it was cut by the river Ancre, a sluggish canalised -stream, running between two artificial dykes which the Germans -periodically cut by their artillery fire and the British mended as -best they might. This sector of attack, together with the one -farther south which faced the Third Corps, presented peculiar -difficulties to the assailants, as the ground sloped upward to the -strong village of Thiepval with the ridge behind it, from which -German guns could sweep the whole long glacis of approach. Nowhere -were there more gallant efforts for a decision and nowhere were they -more hopeless. - -{59} - -The division to the north of the Tenth Corps was the Thirty-sixth -Ulster Division. This division was composed of magnificent material, -for the blend of Scot and Celt to be found in the North of Ireland -produces a soldier who combines the fire of the one with the solidity -of the other. These qualities have been brought to a finer temper by -the atmosphere of opposition in which they have lived, and the -difficult economical circumstances which they have overcome in so -remarkable a way. Long ago in unhappy civil strife they had shown -their martial qualities, and now upon a nobler and wider stage they -were destined to confirm them. It might well seem invidious to give -the palm to any one of the bands of heroes who shed their blood like -water on the slopes of Picardy, but at least, all soldiers would -agree that among them all there was not one which could at its -highest claim more than equality of achievement that day with the men -of Ulster. - -The objective of this division was the German position from -Beaucourt-sur-Ancre on the north to the northern edge of Thiepval. -When the signal was given the two leading brigades, the 108th and the -107th, came away at a deliberate pace which quickened into the rush -of a released torrent, and went roaring over the German trenches. -"They were like bloodhounds off the leash." Like every one else they -were horribly scourged by shrapnel and machine-fire as they rushed -across, but whether it was that some curve in the ground favoured -part of their line, or whatever the cause, they suffered less than -the other divisions, and struck on to the German front line with -their full shattering momentum, going through it as though it were -paper. The 108th {60} Brigade, consisting of the 9th Irish Fusiliers -and the 11th, 12th, and 13th Irish Rifles, was on the left. Two of -these, the Fusiliers and one of the Irish Rifle battalions, were on -the north side of the Ancre, and were acting rather with the -Twenty-ninth Division upon their left than with their own comrades on -the right. This detachment fought all day side by side with the -regulars, made their way at one time right up to Beaucourt Station, -and had finally to retire to their own trenches together with the -rest of the line north of the Ancre. Next morning the survivors -crossed the Ancre, and from then onwards the Eighth Corps extended so -as to take over this ground. - -South of the Ancre the two remaining battalions of the 108th Brigade, -and the whole of the 107th Brigade, consisting of the 8th, 9th, 10th, -and 15th Irish Rifles, advanced upon a front of 3000 yards. The men -had lost very heavily in the assembly trenches, and two companies of -the 10th Irish Rifles had dwindled to two platoons before ever they -got clear of the shattered wood in which they gathered. None the -less, the fire and fury of their onset was terrific and sustained. -"The place was covered with smoke and the explosion of heavy shells," -says one who saw the scene from a front observation post. "I felt -that no attack was possible, when suddenly out of the clouds I saw -men advancing as if on parade, quite slowly. It seemed impossible, -and yet they went on, stormed at on the left by high explosive and -shrapnel, and on the right by enfilade machine-gun fire. Suddenly -they charged, and when I could next see through the clouds on the -slope (less than a mile away) I saw that they had taken the front -trench, and in another minute the trench behind was taken, {61} as -our fellows shouting, 'No surrender!' got through--God knows how! As -they advanced the fire of the guns became more and more enfilade, but -nothing could stop their steady progress." - -The long line of Irish Riflemen had rolled over every obstacle, and -although their dead and wounded lay thick behind them they still -stormed forwards with the same fury with which they started. -Bunching up into platoons in artillery formation they pushed on and -carried the third line. Ahead of them, across a considerable -interval, was a fourth line, with a large redoubt upon the flank. -They steadied themselves for a few minutes, and then dashing onwards -once again they captured both the fourth line and the redoubt. So -far forward were they now that they had reached regions north of -Thiepval which were never trodden by a British foot again until three -months of constant fighting had cleared a way to them. It was the -great Schwaben Redoubt which was now before them. The reserve -brigade, the 109th, consisting of the 9th, 10th, and 11th -Inniskilling Fusiliers, with the 14th Irish Rifles, had dashed -forward at 10.40, leaving only the pioneer battalion, the 16th Irish -Rifles, to guard the trenches. With the additional weight of the -survivors of this reinforcing line the fringe of stormers, for they -were now a fringe and nothing more, again rushed forward and threw -themselves into the Schwaben trenches. This was their limit, and for -most of them their grave. They had no further supports, no -ammunition could reach them, and they were embedded in the depths of -the German line at a point far deeper than any unit upon the left of -the line had attained. The village of Thiepval commanded them from -their right rear. {62} Some remained in little groups, huddling in -some coign of vantage, and fighting to the last cartridge, absolutely -refusing to take one step to the rear. To the Germans they were as -dangerous as so many cornered wolves. Others fell back in orderly -fashion, but not an inch farther than was needful, for they held on -all day to the frontage taken by them. The first two lines were kept -in their fierce grip till nightfall of the next day, when they handed -them over to the relieving division. - -In this splendid deed of arms the Thirty-sixth Division left half its -number upon the battlefield. The instances of gallantry were -innumerable, and so equally distributed that their General, when -asked to name a special battalion, could only answer that the whole -twelve had done equally well. Had the divisions to right and left -been able to get as far, the whole gain would have been permanent. -As it was, 540 prisoners were brought in, and few were lost save the -wounded, chief of whom was Colonel Craig, who directed the movements -of his men long after he was unable to direct his own. Colonel -Bernard of the 10th Rifles, Captain Davidson, who worked his -machine-gun after his leg was shattered, Captain Gaffikin, who died -while leading his company with an orange handkerchief waving in his -hand, are but a few of the outstanding names. The pressure upon the -different brigades is indicated by the losses in officers of the -107th, the 108th, and the 109th. - -A very detailed account would be necessary to bring home to the -reader the full gallantry of this deed of arms. Experienced soldiers -who saw it were moved to the limit of human speech. "I wish I had -{63} been born an Ulsterman," cried one of them. "But I am proud to -have been associated with these wonderful men." To have penetrated -all alone for two miles into the German line, and to withdraw from -such a salient in military order, holding fast to all that could be -retained, was indeed a great feat for any troops to have performed. -The requiem for their fallen was best expressed by one of the -survivors, who wrote that "they died for the cause of Liberty, -Honour, and Freedom, for the Old Flag, the emblem of Britain, died -for Ireland, died for Ulster!" - -The Thirty-second Division was on the immediate right of the men of -Ulster. Their advance was carried out with the 96th Brigade on the -left, the 97th upon the right, and the 14th in support. The reader -may be warned that from this time onwards he will often find, as in -this case, that old brigades have been added to new formations, so -that the former simplicity of numbering is often disturbed. The -storming lines went forward in each case with two battalions abreast -in front and two in succession in support. The front line of attack -taken from the north, or left, consisted of the 15th Lancashire -Fusiliers, 16th Northumberland Fusiliers, and the 16th and 17th -Highland Light Infantry. Of these four battalions the 16th -Northumberland Fusiliers came under very heavy fire, and were unable -to press their attack home. On the right the Highlanders had crawled -up to within a hundred yards of the Leipzig salient and were into it -with a rush the moment that the barrage lifted. The 15th Lancashire -Fusiliers upon the left made a particularly brilliant advance. The -right company was held up in front of Thiepval village, but the left -company swept on with the Thirty-sixth Division, {64} keeping pace -with their magnificent advance. It appears to have reached the east -end of Thiepval, but there it was buried deeply in the enemy's -position and was never heard of again. The supporting battalions of -the 96th Brigade, the 16th Lancashire Fusiliers and the 2nd -Inniskilling Fusiliers, tried hard to regain touch with their lost -comrades, but in vain. These various gallant bodies who, at -different points of our line, pushed forward into impossible -positions, were no doubt for the greater part killed or wounded, but -from among them came the 850 prisoners whom the Germans claimed to -have taken on the northern part of the line on that day. The left of -the divisional line was so weakened by these losses that they were -compelled to withdraw to their own front trenches. - -On the right, however, the Highlanders were able to hold on to a part -of the Leipzig salient. The losses, however, upon this flank had -been very heavy, not only in the front wave, but among the 1st -Dorsets and the 11th Borders as they came out from a wood in support. -Coming under a concentrated fire of machine-guns, these two -battalions suffered heavily. Colonel Machell, gallantly leading his -Borders, was shot dead, his adjutant, Lieutenant Gordon, was badly -wounded as he stooped over his body, Major Diggle was wounded, and -the greater number of the officers were on the ground. Colonel -Machell, it may be remarked, was a high civil official of the -Egyptian Government, Under Secretary for the Interior, whose -patriotism had led him to join the New Armies and thus to meet his -death upon the field of battle. The 1st Dorsets lost nearly as -heavily as the men of the Border; their leader, Major Shute, was -disabled, and their ranks thrown into temporary {65} confusion. They -were splendidly rallied, however, by the adjutant, who led them on -and succeeded with the survivors in reaching the Leipzig Redoubt. -Colonel Laidlaw, of the 16th Highland Light Infantry, had also been -wounded, the third commanding officer killed or injured on this wing -of the attack. - -There had been no flinching anywhere, and the military virtue shown -had been of the highest possible quality; but the losses from the -machine-guns and from the barrage were so heavy that they deprived -the attack of the weight and momentum necessary to win their way -through the enemy's position. Under the desperate circumstances, it -might well be considered a remarkable result that a stretch of the -Leipzig Redoubt should be won and permanently held by the -Highlanders, especially by the 17th Highland Light Infantry. The -sappers had prepared a Russian sap running up to the enemy line, and -this was invaluable as a communication trench. On the 2nd and 3rd -the enemy endeavoured to turn out the intruders, but the 2nd -Manchesters and 15th Highland Light Infantry not only held their -ground, but enlarged it. On the night of the 3rd the division was -relieved by the Twenty-fifth Division and withdrew to refit after its -tragic but splendid exertions. - -Out of the novel conditions of what may be called Bloch warfare -certain rules and axioms are slowly evolving. That it is impossible -without artificial protection to attack over the open against an -unshaken enemy provided with machine-guns is the most certain. But -there is another which might be formulated thus: If there are sharp -salients in the enemy line, either these salients must be taken first -or the attack must be made out of range of them, {66} otherwise their -guns must flank the whole advance. Very many examples might be -quoted where the disregard of this axiom has brought disaster to -either side. A conspicuous case would be that of the Third Corps now -to be described, where the sinister salient of Thiepval protruded to -the north, and a smaller but very efficient one to the south, so that -the whole advance was conducted under the fire of two lines of guns -which raked it from end to end. In addition the opposing infantry -included a division of the Prussian Guard. In the whole long -position there would appear to be no sector where there was less -prospect of success, and yet there was no sector where it was more -essential to hold the enemy fast, since victory might await us to the -immediate south. - -The Third Corps, under General Pulteney, occupied the front -immediately to the east of Albert. This large town was almost -exactly in the centre of its rear, and the important road from Albert -to Bapaume bisected the British position. Ovillers to the north, -within the German lines, and Bécourt to the south, in the British, -marked roughly the two ends of the sector. It was a comparatively -narrow stretch, so that only two divisions were in the firing line, -and one in reserve. These were respectively the Eighth Regular -Division to the north, the Thirty-fourth of the New Army to the -south, and the Nineteenth, also of the New Army, in support. - -Had the Thirty-second Division succeeded in holding its grip upon -Thiepval upon the north, there might have been some chance of -success, but as it was, the machine-guns from that quarter shaved the -whole of No Man's Land as a mower may shave a lawn, and after the -first rush, which {67} carried the brave fellows of the Eighth -Division over the trenches, it proved to be absolutely impossible to -send them either supports or supplies. The main body of this -magnificent division disappeared into the smoke and haze of the -battle, and their comrades in the trenches waited with aching hearts, -their eyes fixed upon their front where the roar of battle rose from -the other side of the pelting sleet of bullets. All day they waited, -dashing out occasionally and being beaten back with ever-dwindling -numbers. After dusk, they searched the shell-holes and brought in -some 400 wounded. A few bewildered men came staggering in during the -night, half-delirious with fatigue and strain, and unable themselves -to say how they had got back across the enemy's front line from the -depths to which they had penetrated. - -This tragic but heroic attack in which the whole force who went -forward fought literally to the death, was carried out in the -following order: - -On the right was the 23rd Brigade; in the centre the 25th; and on the -left the 70th. The 23rd and 25th were the old hard-working units of -Neuve Chapelle and many another fray. The 70th was a particularly -fine brigade of the New Army. This division had up to the last -moment been without a pioneer battalion, but the infantry had dug -themselves particularly good assembly and communication trenches, -which helped them much upon the day of battle. They had also, under -the direction of the Commander of Divisional sappers, run two covered -ways up to the enemy's trenches which might have been a vital factor -in the day's work, had it not been that the stormers pushed on, -leaving it to others to {68} secure their gains. The result was that -the advancing infantry passed rather than occupied the front -trenches, the barrage cut off supports, the enemy emerged from their -dug-outs, and the line still remained under their control, forbidding -the use or even the disclosure of the covered ways, since men could -not emerge in single file in an enemy trench. - -Following the plan of describing operations always from the north, we -will first picture from such reliable material as is available the -attack of the 70th Brigade, which contained some of the finest -North-country stuff that ever fought the battles of the country. -This brigade was separated on the north by a clear space of about 300 -yards from the Highland Light Infantry of the 97th Brigade, who -formed the extreme right of the Thirty-second Division. The 8th York -and Lancaster was the flank battalion, with the 8th Yorkshire Light -Infantry upon its right. The 9th York and Lancaster were behind -their comrades, and the 11th Sherwood Foresters behind the Light -Infantry. - -As it is impossible to give with any fulness the story of any one -regiment, and as each may be taken as typical of the others, we may -follow the front flank battalion on its advance. This, the 8th York -and Lancaster, consisted almost entirely of miners, a class of men -who have furnished grand military material to the New Armies. This -unit came chiefly from the Rotherham district. The frontage of the -battalion was 750 yards. - -As the hour of attack approached, the enemy's counter-bombardment -became so violent that there was the utmost difficulty in getting the -men into the front-line trenches. Many were killed and even {69} -buried before the advance had begun. When the whistles blew the -stormers went forward in four waves with 50 yards between, the -supporting battalions following instantly. The machine-guns were -sweeping the ground and about 350 yards had to be covered between the -lines. Officers and men went down in heaps under the enfilade fire -from four lines of guns, one behind the other, in the Thiepval -district. The approach was over a billiard-table glacis with no -cover of any kind. The ranks kept formation and trudged steadily -forward, throwing themselves head-long into the front German -trenches. There they steadied themselves for a few minutes, and then -advancing once more sprang down into the second German line which was -strongly held. Colonel Maddison had been shot down early in the -attack. Captain Dawson, the adjutant, had been wounded, but -staggered on with the men until he was killed at the second line of -trenches. "Come on, boys! let's get at 'em and clear 'em out!" were -his last words. On this second line the battalion, together with its -support, beat itself to pieces. A few survivors unable to get back -were taken prisoners, and a German report has stated that they were -very proud and defiant when marched away. At night a number of -wounded were carried in along the whole divisional front from No -Man's Land, but many lives were lost in the gallant work, and many of -the wounded also lost their lives in trying to crawl back, for the -Germans turned their machine-guns during the daytime upon everything -that moved in front of their lines. - -To show how uniform was the experience, one may quote the doings of a -battalion of the 23rd Brigade. This brigade was on the right of the -Eighth Division {70} line, and the 2nd Middlesex, the battalion in -question, formed the right battalion joining on with the Tyneside -Scottish of the Thirty-fourth Division to the south. Upon its left -was the 2nd Devons. The supporting troops, two companies of the 2nd -West Yorkshires and the 2nd Scottish Rifles, seem to have been held -back when it was seen how fatal was the advance, and so in part -escaped from the catastrophe. The Middlesex advanced almost opposite -to La Boiselle. There was a slight dip in the ground to the -immediate front which formed a partial protection from the -machine-guns, so that although the losses were very heavy, about 300 -men with six Lewis guns made good their footing in the German -front-line trench. Their gallant commander was wounded twice, but -still kept at their head while they swept onwards to the second line. -It was stuffed with Germans, but the handful of British stormers -flung themselves in among them and cleared a standing place in the -trench. The German guns, however, had the exact range, and four out -of the six Lewis guns were blown into the air. Finally, only five -men and a sergeant were left unwounded in this trench. This handful -made its way back. One hundred and thirty of the Middlesex men seem -to have got through or round on to the Pozières Road, but their fate -was never cleared up. Finally, only 30 men of this grand battalion -answered the roll-call that night. - -The space between the two attacks described from the point of view of -the two wing battalions of the division was occupied by the 25th -Brigade, whose advance and losses were exactly similar to those which -have been narrated. The 2nd Lincolns and 2nd Berkshires were the -leading battalions, and their {71} devotion in attempting the -impossible was as great as that of their comrades to right and left. - -Both regiments suffered heavily, and it is probable that the -Berkshires went deeper than any other. The 1st Irish Rifles had -occupied the trenches for six days in dreadful weather, and had -suffered heavily from the retaliatory bombardment of the Germans. -They were therefore held in reserve, but none the less made repeated -efforts and with great loss to cross the barrage and help their -comrades, for which they afterwards received a special message of -thanks from the Divisional Commander. - -Up to this point the writer has been faced by the painful and -monotonous task of one long record of failure from Gommecourt in the -north to La Boiselle in the south. It cannot be doubted that we had -over-estimated the effects of our bombardment, and that the German -guns were intact to a degree which was unexpected. Our one -consolation must be that the German reserves were held in their -position, and that improved prospects were assured for the remainder -of the British line and for the whole of the French line. Had the -front of the battle covered only the region which has been treated up -to now, the episode would have been a tragic one in British military -history. Thousands of men had fallen, nor could it be truthfully -said that anything of permanence had been achieved. Next day the -remains of the Eighth Division were withdrawn, the 70th Brigade was -restored to the Twenty-third Division, to which it rightfully -belonged, and the Twelfth Division came forward to fill the gap in -the line, helped by the gunners and sappers of the Eighth, who -remained at their posts until July 4. - -{72} - -On the right of the Eighth Division was the Thirty-fourth, a unit -which consisted of one mixed English and Scotch Brigade; while the -other two were raised respectively from the Tyneside Irish and from -the Tyneside Scots, hardy and martial material from the coalpits and -foundries of the North. They attacked upon the front between the -Albert-Bapaume Road on the north and the village of Bécourt on the -south. The idea was to storm La Boiselle village, and to push the -attack home both north and south of it upon Contalmaison, which lay -behind it. Immediately before the assault two great mines were -blown, one of which, containing the unprecedented amount of 60,000 -lbs. of gun-cotton, threw hundreds of tons of chalk into the air. -Within a few minutes of the explosion the Thirty-fourth Division were -out of their trenches and advancing in perfect order upon the German -trenches. The 101st Brigade, consisting of the 15th and 16th Royal -Scots, the 10th Lincolns, and 11th Suffolks, were on the right, the -Tyneside Scots upon the left, and the Tyneside Irish in support -behind the right brigade. In the immediate rear lay the Nineteenth -Division with instructions to hold and consolidate the ground gained. - -In no part of the line was the advance more gallant, and it marks the -point at which unalloyed failure began first to change to partial -success, ripening into complete victory in the southern section. -Some slight cover seems to have helped the troops for the first few -hundred yards, and it would appear also that though the small-arm -fire was very severe, the actual shell-fire was not so heavy as that -which devastated the divisions in the north. None the less, the -obstacles were sufficient to test to the highest any {73} troops in -the world, and they were gloriously surmounted by men, none of whom -had been in action before. "I, their commander," wrote the -Divisional General, "will never forget their advance through the -German curtain of fire. It was simply wonderful, and they behaved -like veterans." The scream of the war-pipes, playing "The Campbells -are coming," warmed the blood of the soldiers. Upon the left, the -Tyneside Scots penetrated two lines of trenches and found themselves -to the north of the village of La Boiselle, where further progress -was made impossible by a murderous fire from front and flank. Of the -four battalions of the 101st Brigade, the two English units were -nearly opposite the village, and though they advanced with great -resolution, they were unable to get a permanent lodgment. The two -Royal Scots battalions upon the flank got splendidly forward, and -some of them made their way deeper into the German line than any -organised body of troops, save only the Ulster men, had succeeded in -doing, getting even as far as the outskirts of Contalmaison. The -valiant leader of the advanced party of the 15th Royal Scots was -wounded, but continued to encourage his men and to try to consolidate -his desperate position, which was nearly a mile within the German -lines. He was again severely wounded, and Lieutenant Hole was -killed, upon which the only remaining officer fell back to a point -some hundreds of yards westward, called Round Wood or Round Alley. -Here the Scots stuck fast, and nothing could budge them. Germans -were in front of them, were in La Boiselle upon their left rear, and -were behind them in the trenches, which led from the village. By all -the laws of war, the detachment was {74} destroyed; but in practice -the Germans found that they could not achieve it. A small -reinforcement of the 27th Northumberland Fusiliers (from the 103rd of -the Brigade), under an experienced soldier, had joined them, and -their situation was less forlorn because they were in slight touch -with the skirts of the 64th Brigade of the Twenty-first Division, who -had also, as will presently be shown, won a very forward position. -By means of this division communication was restored with the -isolated detachment, and the colonel of the 16th Royal Scots, a very -well-known volunteer officer of Edinburgh, succeeded in reaching his -men. His advent gave them fresh spirit, and under his leadership -they proceeded next morning not only to hold the position, but to -enlarge it considerably, sending bombers down every sap and -endeavouring to give the impression of great numbers. Two companies -of the East Lancashire Regiment from the Nineteenth Division made -their way forward, and joined with effect in these attacks. This -small body of men held their own until the afternoon of July 3, when -the advance of the Nineteenth Division upon La Boiselle enabled them -to be relieved. It was time, for the water was exhausted and -munitions were running low. It was a glad moment when, with their -numerous German captives, they joined up with their cheering -comrades. It should be said that in this fine feat of arms a small -party of the 11th Suffolks played a valiant part. General Pulteney -issued a special order thanking these troops for their stout defence, -and the matter was in truth of wider importance than any local issue, -for it had the effect of screening the left flank of the Twenty-first -Division, enabling them to make {75} good their hold upon Crucifix -Trench and the Sunken Road, as will now be told. - -Before leaving the Thirty-fourth Division it should be said that -although La Boiselle remained untaken, the Tyneside Scots and Irish -carried a number of trenches and returned with many prisoners. It -has been the universal experience of our soldiers that the Germans, -though excellent with their guns, and very handy with their bombs, -are wanting in that spice of devilry called for in bayonet work--a -quality which their ally the Turk possesses to a marked degree. In -this instance, as in many others, when the Tyneside men swept roaring -into the trenches the Germans either fled or threw up their hands. -The condition of the prisoners was unexpectedly good. "They have new -uniforms, new brown boots, leggings, and are as fat as butter," said -one spectator, which is at great variance with descriptions from -other parts of the line. - -We have now completed our survey of that long stretch of line in -which our gallant advance was broken against an equally gallant -resistance. The account has necessarily had to concern itself with -incessant details of units and orders of battle, since these are the -very essence of such an account, and without them it might read, as -contemporary descriptions did read, like some vague combat in the -moon. But, casting such details aside, the reader can now glance up -that long line and see the wreckage of that heroic disaster--the -greatest and also the most glorious that ever befell our arms. - - - - -{76} - -CHAPTER IV - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - - The Attack of the Fifteenth and Thirteenth Corps, - July 1, 1916 - -The advance of the Twenty-first Division--64th Brigade--First -permanent gains--50th Brigade at Fricourt--Advance of Seventh -Division--Capture of Mametz--Fine work by Eighteenth -Division--Capture of Montauban by the Thirtieth Division--General -view of the battle--Its decisive importance. - - -Immediately to the south of Pulteney's Third Corps, and extending -from Bécourt in the north to a point opposite Fricourt village, lay -Horne's Fifteenth Corps. The general task of this Corps was to -attack Mametz on the right, contain Fricourt in the centre, and -attack between there and La Boiselle towards Mametz Wood. It -consisted of the Twenty-first, the Seventh, and the Seventeenth -Divisions. Of these, the most northerly was the Twenty-first, that -fine North-country division which had so terrible an ordeal when it -came up in support upon the second day of Loos. Those who held that -in spite of defeat its conduct upon that occasion was soldierly, were -borne out by its achievement on the Somme, where it made a lodgment -in the enemy's line upon the first {77} day, and did good service at -later stages of the battle. Let us now turn our attention to its -advance. It may first be mentioned that the units were the same as -those enumerated in the description of Loos, save that in each -brigade one regular battalion had been substituted. Thus the 1st -Lincolns, 4th Middlesex, and 1st East Yorks took the place of the 8th -East Yorks, 12th West Yorks, and 14th Durhams respectively. The 50th -Brigade of the Seventeenth Division was attached to the Twenty-first -Division for the purpose of the attack, and will be included with it -in this summary of the operations. The rest of the Seventeenth -Division was in reserve. - -The attack was on a three-brigade front, the 64th Brigade upon the -north, just south of La Boiselle, and in close touch with the -Thirty-fourth Division. To the right of the 64th was the 63rd -Brigade, and to the right of that the 50th, which advanced straight -upon Fricourt. The 62nd Brigade was in reserve. It will be best to -deal with the attack of the 64th Brigade with some detail, as its -exploits had a very direct bearing upon the issue of the battle. - -This brigade advanced upon the signal with the 10th Yorkshire Light -Infantry upon the left in touch with the Royal Scots of the 101st -Brigade. On their right was their 9th namesake battalion. Behind -them in immediate support were the 1st East Yorks (left) and 15th -Durhams (right). The advance was greatly helped by the formation of -a Russian sap between the lines on which the front companies could -assemble. It was found, however, upon the men advancing that the -fire was so severe that they could only get forward by crawling from -hole to hole, with the result that the barrage lifted {78} before -they could reach the front trenches, and the Germans were able to -mount the parapet and slate them with rifle-fire. Colonel Lynch of -the 9th Yorkshire Light Infantry was killed by a shell between -trenches, as were all four captains, but the men stuck to their work -and finally the leading battalions swept over the German lines, which -had been greatly disorganised by the artillery, and they killed or -captured the occupants with no very severe resistance. Two fixed -points lay in front of the brigade, which were part of the definite -objectives of the division. The first was a sunken road 1100 yards -from the British front, the second was a trench 400 yards farther, on -which, by the irony of Fate, a large wayside crucifix looked down, so -that it was called Crucifix Trench. Beyond these on the left front -were several shattered woods, Shelter Wood and Birch-tree Wood, which -gave the enemy good cover, and to the right was a large ruined -building, Fricourt Farm, which raked the advance with its snipers and -machine-guns. - -On passing the front German line the successive British waves lost -their formation and clubbed together, so that a long loose line of -Yorkshire and Durham men scrambled onwards into, out of and over the -successive impediments, beating down all resistance as they went. -When the fire became too hot, the men crawled forwards upon their -stomachs or made short sharp rushes from one shell-hole to another, -but the advance was steady and unbroken. The smoke from the shells -was as dense as a Scotch mist. Every now and then through the haze -the flashes of a machine-gun would be spied and possibly the vague -figures of the German gunners as they swept it across in their deadly -traverse, but a rush of {79} furious infantry put each in turn out of -action. The evidence seems to be conclusive that some at least of -these gunners were found to be chained to their guns, which may well -have happened at their own request, as a visible proof that they -would never desert their post. They fired up to the last instant, -and naturally they received no quarter from the stormers. Now and -again the ragged line of men would stumble suddenly upon a section of -proper trench, would spring down into it, clear up the occupants, and -then sit in flushed, hard-breathing groups until a whistle from the -officer and a cheer from their comrades would call them on once more. - -In this sector there appears, however, to have been a systematic, if -superficial, examination of the dug-outs before a trench was passed. -One does not hear of those surprise attacks from the rear which were -so common and so fatal to the north. The examination usually took -the form of a sharp summons at the mouth of the burrow, quickly -followed--if there were no response--by a Mills bomb. Then, as often -as not, there would crawl out of the black orifice eight or ten -terrified and bleeding men, who would join the numerous small convoys -trailing backwards to the rear. These prisoners were nearly all from -the 110th and 111th Reserve Bavarian Regiments, and the alacrity with -which they made for the rear with their hands above their heads, -formed the only comic touch in a tragic day. One made a grab for a -rifle. "He lived about five seconds," says the narrator. "They were -thin, unshaven, and terrified," says an officer, talking of the -particular batch he handled. "Most had dark hair--a very different -type from the Prussians." - -Having overrun the German trenches, the infantry {80} were now faced -with a considerable stretch of open which lay between them and the -Sunken Road, leading from Fricourt to Contalmaison. Many were hit -upon this perilous passage. A subsidiary line of German trenches lay -in front of this road, and into this the British tumbled. The -colonel of the 15th Durhams was the senior officer who had got up, -and he took command at this point, rallying the weary men of all four -battalions for a fresh advance. A few of the Royal Scots of the -Thirty-fourth Division were found already in possession, the fringe -of that body who have previously been described as making so -invaluable a stand at Round Wood. - -At this point the 64th Brigade was found to be some distance in front -of the main body of the Thirty-fourth Division on the left, and of -their comrades on the right, so that they could get no farther for -the moment without their flanks being badly exposed. In front -through the haze they could dimly see the Crucifix which was their -ultimate objective. The men had to cower low, for the bullets were -coming in a continuous stream from Fricourt Farm on the right and -from the woods on the left. The Sunken Road was ten or twelve feet -deep at the spot, and though it was exposed at the sides, by rapid -digging the men got some cover, though many dropped before they could -make a shelter. Here the survivors of the advance waited for some -hours, spending some of the time in ransacking the enormous -thirty-foot deep dug-outs which the Germans had excavated at certain -points along the side of the road. Into these the wounded were -conveyed, and refreshed by the good things of life, from -Seltzer-water to gold-tipped cigarettes, which were found within. - -{81} - -In the afternoon the General Officer Commanding had come up as far as -the Sunken Road, and had examined the position for himself. The 63rd -Brigade was now well forward upon the right and the advance could be -resumed. It was pushed swiftly onwards and Crucifix Trench was -occupied, nearly a mile from the British front line. A lieutenant of -the 9th Yorkshires, though wounded by shrapnel, seems to have been -the first to lead a party into this advanced trench, but soon it was -strongly occupied. The pressing need was to consolidate it, for it -was swept by gusts of fire from both flanks. Another lieutenant of -the Yorkshires, also a wounded man, took over the direction, and the -men, with very little cover, worked splendidly to strengthen the -position. Their numbers were so reduced that a counter-attack would -have been most serious, but the splendid support given by the -artillery held the German infantry at a distance. A few of the -British tried to advance upon Shelter Wood, but the machine-guns were -too active and they had to fall back or lie in shell-holes until -after dark, only seventeen out of sixty getting back. - -A captain of the 10th Yorkshires took over the advanced command and -sent back to the colonel of the Durhams, who had meantime been -wounded at the Sunken Road, to ask for instructions. The answer was -to hold on and that help was at hand. This help was in the form of -the 62nd Reserve Brigade, the leading battalions of which, the 1st -Lincolns and 10th Yorkshire Regiment, came swinging splendidly across -the open and flung themselves into Crucifix Trench. From that time -the maintenance of the ground was assured. The men of the 64th -Brigade who had done so finely were {82} drawn back into the Sunken -Road, having fully secured their objective. One cannot but marvel -here, as so often elsewhere, at the fine work done by young -subalterns when the senior officers have been disabled. A lieutenant -of the 9th Yorkshire Light Infantry found himself in command of the -whole battalion at the most critical moment of the engagement, and on -leaving could only hand it over to a brother subaltern, who carried -on with equal courage and ability. The brigade was drawn back to the -German first line, where it lay for forty-eight hours, and finally -acted as reserve brigade to the successful advance undertaken by the -62nd Brigade, by which Shelter Wood was captured on July 3. - -Such, in some detail, were the adventures of the 64th Brigade, which -may be taken as parallel to those of the 63rd upon the right, who -were faced by much the same obstacles, having the Sunken Road ahead -and the Fricourt houses upon their right. The 8th Somersets were on -the left in touch with the 9th Yorkshire Light Infantry, and -supported by the 8th Lincolns. On the right were the 4th Middlesex -and the 10th York and Lancasters. They were able to get well up to -Fricourt Farm upon the left of the village, but the ground was -unfavourable and they never got as far forward as their comrades on -the left. Of the German resistance on this front, it can be said -that it was worthy of the reputation which the Bavarians have won in -the War. The men were of splendid physique and full of courage. -They fought their machine-guns to the last. All was ready for a -vigorous advance next morning. The artillery of the Twenty-first -Division, which has won a name {83} for exceptional efficiency, was -up nearly level with the infantry at 10 P.M. that night, a road -having been laid in that time from the original gun position to a -point half a mile inside the German front line. - -On the immediate right of the 63rd Brigade, in front of Fricourt, was -the 50th Brigade (Glasgow), to which was assigned the task of -attacking the village while the Twenty-first Division got part of it -upon the north. The brigade advanced gallantly, the front line -consisting of two fine Yorkshire battalions, the 10th West Yorks and -the 7th East Yorks, with part of the 7th Yorkshires. The attack -reached and partly occupied the front trenches, but the fire and the -losses were both very heavy, the 10th West Yorkshires being specially -hard hit. The survivors behaved with great gallantry, and some of -them held on all day, though surrounded by enemies. In the afternoon -a second advance was made by Yorkshires and East Yorkshires, with 6th -Dorsets in support, but again the losses were heavy and no solid -foothold could be got in the village. When dusk fell some of the -troops who had held their own all day were able to get back to the -British trenches bringing prisoners with them. A notable example is -that of a lieutenant of the West Yorks, who managed to stagger back -with three wounds upon him and three Germans in front of him. The -51st Brigade was brought up in the evening to continue the assault, -but with the morning of the 2nd it was found that the work had been -done, and that the advance upon both flanks had caused the evacuation -of the village. - -The line of trenches takes a very peculiar turn just south of -Fricourt, which is shown in the diagram of the battle, so that the -attack of the Seventh {84} Division, which was the next in the line, -was from almost due south, whilst all the others had been from due -west. The project was that a holding attack to engage the defenders -should be made upon Mametz, whilst the remaining divisions in the -line, the Seventh of the Fifteenth Corps, with the Eighteenth and -Thirtieth of the Thirteenth Corps, should advance upon the line -Mametz-Montauban. Their success would obviously make the position -both of Fricourt and of Mametz impossible, the more so if the -Twenty-first Division could maintain its position at the Sunken Road -to the north of Fricourt. This was the calculation, and it worked to -perfection, so that both these villages fell eventually into our -hands with a minimum loss of life to the assailants. Every honour is -due to the leaders who devised and to the soldiers who carried out -the scheme, but it should at the same time be understood that in the -case of these southern divisions, and also of the French Army of -General Foch upon the right, they were attacking a portion of the -line which was far less organised, and manned by very inferior troops -to those in the north. All this section of attack seems to have been -a complete surprise to the Germans. - -The famous Seventh Division was now commanded by one of the three -Brigadiers who had led it during its heroic days at Ypres. Its -units, however, had changed considerably, and the 91st Brigade had -taken the place of the 21st. This Brigade, consisting partly of -Manchester battalions and partly of old units of the Seventh Division -(2nd Queen's Surrey, 1st South Staffords, 21st and 22nd Manchesters), -attacked upon the right, while the 20th Brigade advanced upon the -left, having the 2nd Gordons and 9th {85} Devons in the van, with the -8th Devons and 2nd Borders in support. The front trenches were -overrun without much difficulty. The order of battle was the 22nd -Manchesters upon the right with the 1st South Staffords in close -support. In the centre were the 2nd Gordons and upon their left the -9th Devons. The right got forward with comparatively small losses -and overran the front German line. The Gordons had their left -company held up by uncut wire, but got forward none the less with -considerable losses. The 9th Devons were the most exposed and -suffered very severely, but in spite of a casualty list which -included half the officers and men, they never winced or wavered for -an instant, showing what had been often shown before, that the spirit -of old days still lives in the country of Drake and of Raleigh. The -survivors seized and held Tirpitz Trench. The 2nd Borders had also -seized Danube Support, and the whole front line was in British hands. - -The 91st Brigade were now closing in upon the right of Mametz village -and had entered Danzig Alley, from which they were for a time driven -by a brisk counter-attack. The 1st South Staffords had won their way -into the outskirts of Mametz, but the losses were heavy, and half of -the 21st Manchesters came racing up to reinforce. At one o'clock the -Danzig Alley had again been occupied by the Manchesters. Half the -2nd Warwicks were sent up to reinforce the Gordons and the line of -infantry dashed forward upon the village, 600 of the enemy throwing -up their hands in front of them. The 20th Manchesters also advanced, -losing heavily by the fire from Fricourt, but pushing on as far as -the Sunken Road on the extreme left of the advance. There is a -tangle of {86} trenches at this point, the chief of which is the -Rectangle, but with the aid of the 1st Welsh Fusiliers they were all -cleared and the flank of the Division made good, and consolidated, -since it had advanced farther than the troops to the left. In the -morning however, when it was found that Fricourt had been evacuated, -the whole division was able to get forward and by July 3 had occupied -Bottom Wood, while the 2nd Royal Irish had actually penetrated Mametz -Wood, taking 2 guns and 50 prisoners. Some days later, Mametz Wood -had become a different proposition, but the general orders at the -time were that it should not be seriously attacked. - -Altogether in these Mametz operations the Seventh Division took 1500 -prisoners, seven field-guns, and much booty of different kinds. - -We have now recorded in succession the repulse of the Seventh Corps -at Gommecourt, that of the Eighth Corps at Serre and Beaumont Hamel, -and that of the Tenth Corps at Thiepval. The record of heroic -disaster was then alleviated by the partial success of the Third -Corps at La Boiselle, the considerable success of the Fifteenth Corps -at Mametz, and now by the complete success of the Thirteenth Corps at -Montauban. South of this point along the whole French line the -victory was never in doubt. These latter operations do not come -within the direct scope of this narrative, though some short account -must be given of them later, in order to co-ordinate the results of -the two wings of the Allied Armies. - -The Thirteenth Corps was commanded by General Congreve, who, it will -be remembered, gained his V.C. in the affair of the guns where young -Roberts met his death at Colenso. It consisted of the {87} -Eighteenth, the Thirtieth, and the Ninth Divisions of the New Army. -Of these the Eighteenth was on the left in touch with the victorious -Seventh, the Thirtieth was on the right in touch with the French, and -the Ninth, the Scottish Division which had done such great work at -Loos, was in reserve. - -The Eighteenth Division, which had done no serious fighting before, -established a remarkable record for good service during the whole -course of the Somme battle, into which it was thrust again and again, -never without leaving its mark. It was entirely an English division. -Some complex and successful trench-digging had been done on this part -of the front. Eight covered saps had been driven forward and reached -a point within twenty yards of the German trenches without their -knowledge. Upon the advance being ordered the ends of these were -opened up, machine-guns and flame-throwers were thrust through, and -the saps behind were quickly unroofed and turned into communication -trenches. It was a variant of the device adopted in the Eighth -Division, and was superior to it in that its success did not depend -upon the actual capture of the trench. - -The front of the attack was about 2500 yards, and it was carried out -by three brigades abreast, each covering about 700 yards. Each -brigade had two battalions in front, one in support and one in -reserve. Each was also allotted its own particular artillery apart -from the general divisional artillery. There are many good arguments -for such a formation of divisional attack, as compared with the -two-brigades-in-front and one-in-the-rear formation. Upon this -occasion, at any rate, it worked very smoothly. The objectives were -from the immediate {88} western end of Montauban upon the right, -along Montauban Alley to a point east of Mametz where they should -touch the right units of the Seventh Division. - -Of the three brigades the 55th was on the right, the 53rd in the -centre, and the 54th on the left. In accordance with the general -scheme of description we will begin with the latter. - -The 54th Brigade had the 7th Bedford on the right, the 11th Royal -Fusiliers on the left, the 6th Northants in support, and the 12th -Middlesex in reserve. As they rushed forward they faced a feeble -barrage, but a heavy machine-gun fire. It was found, however, here, -and along the whole divisional front, that the German wire was -utterly destroyed, thanks largely to the work of the trench mortars -which had supplanted field-guns for this particular purpose. The -first trenches were taken without a pause, and parties remained -behind to clear out the dug-outs. - -"Cowering in the trench," says one of the stormers, "clad in the pale -grey uniforms we had longed for twelve months to see, unarmed and -minus equipment, with fear written on their faces, were a few of -those valiant warriors of the Kaiser whose prowess we were out to -dispute. Here let me say that the exact moment selected for our -attack had taken the Huns by surprise. This view was subsequently -confirmed by prisoners, who said that they had expected us earlier in -the day and had since stood down." This idea of a surprise only -refers of course to the front trench. Soon the fighting grew very -severe. - -The first serious check was in front of a strong {89} point called -the Pommiers Redoubt. The wire here had been invisible from long -grass so that its presence was a surprise. Again and again the -machine-guns swept away the leading files of the attack. The redoubt -could be outflanked, however, and an officer of the Fusiliers brought -his bombers round and eventually to the rear of it. Snipers held him -for a time, but they were rushed by an officer and a few men. The -Germans still held bravely to their point, but Bedfords and Fusiliers -swarmed in upon them until their arms went down and their hands up. -From this strong point bombing parties were sent down the -communication trenches, the infantry following closely and occupying -the new ground. - -The brigade was now in some danger from its own success, for it had -outrun the 91st Brigade of the Seventh Division upon its left, and -its own comrades of the 53rd Brigade upon its right. The 6th -Northants held the defensive flank on the left. Later in the day the -53rd came into line upon the right, and before dark the 54th was able -to move on again with little resistance until it had reached its full -objective at Montauban Alley. - -The 53rd Brigade was on the right of the 54th. Its assaulting line -was formed by the 8th Norfolk upon the right, and the 6th Berkshires -upon the left, with the 10th Essex in support and the 8th Suffolk in -reserve. The first two lines were taken in their stride with little -loss. A strong point behind these lines held them up for a short -time, but was rushed, and its garrison of the 109th Regiment was -captured. Further progress of the Norfolks was made difficult, -however, by a flanking fire and by a second redoubt in front. As in -the case of the 53rd Brigade {90} it was found that the way round is -often the shorter. Two bombing parties under gallant subalterns -worked up the trenches on the flank, while that murderous weapon, a -Stokes gun, was brought up and opened fire. The combined effect was -decisive and 150 Germans threw down their arms. Sixty more were -taken in another redoubt to the left. - -Whilst the Norfolks had been fighting their way forward in this -fashion the Berkshires upon their left, following very closely upon -their own barrage, had attained their objective in twenty minutes, -and had to hold it for some hours until the Norfolks had made good. -During this time their right flank was necessarily exposed. This -flank was defended successfully by means of bombing parties and a -Lewis gun, while the left company instead of resting lent a hand to -their neighbours of the 54th Brigade in carrying Pommiers Redoubt. - -Meanwhile the Norfolks had come ahead again, but the advance of the -Berkshires was held up by a small but determined band of bombers and -snipers in a strong position. A Stokes mortar drove back the -bombers, but the snipers still held fast, and killed in succession -Lieutenant Rushton and Lieutenant Saye who gallantly attacked them. -A sergeant-major of the Berkshires was more fortunate, however, and -killed the chief sniper whose automatic rifle had played the part of -a machine-gun. In doing so he was severely wounded himself. The -Essex had come up into the firing line, but progress was still slow -until an invaluable Stokes mortar was again brought to bear and with -its shower of heavy bombs blasted the strong point out of existence. -When night fell the whole line of Montauban Alley had been -successfully {91} won and the various units were in close touch and -were busily organising their position. - -Great obstinacy was shown by the Germans in their defence, which was -a gallant one, and might well have been successful against a less -skilful attack. Among other instances of their tenacity was one in -which a sniper in a trench behind the stormers continued to fire from -some subterranean retreat and defied all efforts to get at him, until -it was found necessary to blow in the whole face of the dug-out and -so to bury him within his own stronghold. - -The hardest fighting of any fell to the lot of the 55th Brigade upon -the right. The advance was made with the 8th East Surrey and 7th -Queen's Surrey in front, the latter to the left. The 7th Buffs were -in support and the 7th West Kents in reserve. No sooner had the -troops come out from cover than they were met by a staggering fire -which held them up in the Breslau Trench. The supports had soon to -be pushed up to thicken the ranks of the East Surrey--a battalion -which, with the ineradicable sporting instinct and light-heartedness -of the Londoner had dribbled footballs, one for each platoon, across -No Man's Land and shot their goal in the front-line trench. A crater -had been formed by a mine explosion, forming a gap in the German -front, and round this crater a fierce fight raged for some time, the -Germans rushing down a side sap which brought them up to the fray. -Into this side sap sprang an officer and a sergeant of the Buffs, and -killed 12 of the Germans, cutting off their flow of reinforcements, -while half a company of the same battalion cleared up the crater and -captured a machine-gun which had fought to the last cartridge. It is -worth recording {92} that in the case of one of these machine-guns -the gunner was actually found with a four-foot chain attaching him to -the tripod. Being badly wounded and unable to disengage himself, the -wretched man had dragged himself, his wound, and his tripod for some -distance before being captured by the British. The fact was duly -established by a sworn inquiry. - -The brigade was winning its way forward, but the hard resistance of -the Germans had delayed it to such a point that there was a danger -that it would not be in its place so as to cover the left flank of -the 90th Brigade, who were due to attack Montauban at 10 A.M. Such a -failure might make the difference between victory and defeat. At -this critical moment the officer commanding the East Surreys dashed -to the front, re-formed his own men with all whom he could collect -and led them onwards. Captain Neville was killed in gallantly -leading the rush, but the wave went forward. There was check after -check, but the point had to be won, and the Suffolks of the 53rd -Brigade were brought round to strengthen the attack, while the West -Kents were pushed forward to the fighting line. By mid-day two -platoons of West Kents were into Montauban Alley, and had seized two -houses at the western end of Montauban, which were rapidly fortified -by a section of the 92nd Field Company. The flank of the 90th was -assured. A South African officer led the first group of Surrey men -who seized Montauban. He is said during the action to have slain -seventeen of the enemy. - -The rest of the brigade, however, had desperate work to get into line -with the village. The East Surreys and Buffs were coming along well, -but the {93} Queen's Surreys had lost heavily and were held up by a -strong point called Back Trench. A major of the Queen's gathered his -men together, called up a bombing party from the 8th Sussex, the -pioneer battalion of the brigade, and then by a united front and -flank attack carried the position. One hundred and seventy Germans -remained alive in the trench. The infantry then surged forward to -the line of the Mametz-Montauban Road, where they lay under -machine-gun fire with their left in the air, for a considerable gap -had developed between them and the 53rd Brigade. The main line of -Montauban Alley in front of them was still strongly held by the -enemy. Once again the Stokes guns saved what looked like a dangerous -situation. They blasted a hole in Montauban Alley, and through the -hole rushed a furious storming party of the Queen's. As evening -fell, after that long day of fighting, the weary Eighteenth Division, -splendid soldiers, splendidly led, held the whole line from Montauban -to the junction with the Seventh Division near Mametz. One does not -know which to admire most--the able dispositions, the inflexible -resolution of the troops, or the elastic adaptability which enabled -the initiative of the officers upon the spot to use ever-varying -means for getting over the successive difficulties. The losses were -very heavy, amounting to about 3000 officers and men, something under -1000 being fatal. Of the Germans 700 were captured, 1200 were buried -after the action, and the total loss could not possibly have been -less than those incurred by the British. It should be added that a -great deal of the success of the attack was due to the 82nd, 83rd, -84th, and 85th Brigades, Royal Field Artillery, forming the -divisional artillery, who earned the deepest {94} gratitude of the -infantry, the highest reward to which the gunner can attain. Some of -the artillery of the Ninth Division was also engaged. - -A few words may be said of the immediate future of the Eighteenth -Division before the narrative of July 1 is completed by a -consideration of the work of the Thirtieth Division. The ground -captured included part of what may be called the Montauban Ridge, and -the possession of this point proved to be of great service for -observation in connection with the immediate operations at Bottom, -Shelter, and Mametz Woods by the Fifteenth Corps. The guns were at -once advanced and patrols were thrown out in front which penetrated -and eventually occupied Caterpillar Wood, a long winding plantation -on the immediate front of the Division. These various patrols picked -up no less than twelve German field-guns abandoned by the enemy. The -front was held until July 8, when the Eighteenth was relieved by the -Third Division. - -As to the fighting of the Germans upon this front, it was excellent -as usual--but it is needful to accentuate it, as there is a tendency -to depreciate the enemy at a point where he is beaten, which is an -injustice to the victors. The latter had no doubts about the matter. -"There is one thing we have all learned and that is that the Hun is a -jolly good soldier and engineer, so don't listen to any other -nonsense. If you get hand-to-hand with him he gives in at once, but -he practically never lets you get so close. As long as Fritz has a -trench and a gun he will stick there till he is made crows' rations. -We know we are just slightly better than he is, but there's nothing -much in it--nothing to justify contempt or {95} liberties." Such was -the considered opinion of an experienced soldier. - -If the advance of the Eighteenth Division was successful, that of the -Thirtieth upon its right was not less so. This division had been -raised originally from Liverpool and Manchester, the battalions being -all of the King's Liverpool or of the Manchester Regiments. The -greater part of these battalions, which owe their origin largely to -that great patriot, Lord Derby, were recruited on the "pal" system, -by which friends in peace should be comrades in war. So close was -Lord Derby's connection with the division that his brother commanded -one brigade, and three of his family served with the guns, one of -them commanding an artillery unit. This was the first appearance of -this fine force in actual battle, and it can truly be said that no -division could have been more fortunate or have given a better -account of itself. It may be explained that it had exchanged its -91st Brigade for the 21st of the Seventh Division, and that several -of the veteran battalions of the old Seventh now served with the -Thirtieth. - -The objective of this division was the important village of Montauban -deep within the enemy's line. It seemed an ambitious mark in a war -where every yard means an effort, but it was accomplished with -surprising ease, for the advance was as determined as the defence was -slack. On the right opposite Maricourt the attack fell to the 89th -Brigade, consisting of the 2nd Bedfords and the 17th, 19th, and 20th -King's Liverpool battalions. On their left was the 21st Brigade, -while the 90th Brigade was in immediate support with orders to go -through and seize the village {96} itself. From the start the attack -went like clockwork. The artillery was admirable, the infantry -inexorable, and the leading all that could be desired. The -ever-ready machine-guns put up a fierce defence, especially on the -left flank, where the 18th King's Liverpools, led by their popular -colonel, lost three-quarters of their effectives but carried their -objective none the less. The 2nd West Yorks behind them were also -terribly scourged, but gained the line of the Glatz Redoubt all the -same. Here, as with the Eighteenth Division, there was every sign -that the garrison of the front trenches had been surprised. "The -Germans gave us plenty of machine-gun fire while we were advancing -upon them; when we reached the trench only a few showed fight. The -rest flung up their arms and cried: 'Mercy, Kamerad!'" It was clear -they had been taken by surprise, for many of them were barefooted, -none of them had any equipment. When there was no attack at 4 A.M. -they were then told that they could lie down and have a rest, "as the -British would not now come out till four in the afternoon." It is -abundantly clear that the famous German intelligence department was -absolutely at fault in the southern sector of the great battle. - -Although the first three trenches were carried without a hitch, the -garrison of the fourth had time to stand to arms, and were greatly -assisted in their defence by a flank fire from the still untaken -village of Mametz, and from machine-guns in the southern corner of -Mametz Wood which lies to the north of Montauban. The resistance -caused considerable losses, including that of Colonel Johnson of the -17th Manchesters, but the advance was irresistible, and {97} swept -over every obstacle until they had reached their objective. On the -right, the Liverpool brigade, the 17th and 18th King's Liverpools in -the lead, fought their way up to the brick-fields, which lie nearly -level with Montauban, but to the south of it. A company seized these -and a good bunch of prisoners. There it consolidated in close touch -with the famous "iron corps" of the French army upon their right, -while on the left the blue and yellow advance-flags of the Thirtieth -formed a continuous line with the red and yellow of the Eighteenth -Division. On the left of the Liverpools the Manchesters with the -Scots Fusiliers of the 90th Brigade had stormed their way into -Montauban, the first of that long list of village fortresses which -were destined in the succeeding months to fall into the hands of the -British. It was carried with a rush in spite of the determined -resistance of small groups of Germans in various houses, which had -already been greatly mauled by our artillery. The British fought -their way from room to room, drove their enemies down into the -cellars, and hurled bombs on to them from above. The German losses -were heavy, and several hundreds of prisoners were sent to the rear. -By the early afternoon the whole village was in the hands of the 90th -Brigade, who had also occupied Montauban Alley, the trench 200 yards -upon the farther side of it, whence by their rifle-fire they crushed -several attempts at counter-attack. These were feeble during the -day, but a very heavy one came during the night, aided by a powerful -shrapnel fire. The Germans, advancing in the closest order, for a -time won a lodgment in the new British front trench, killing a party -of the 17th Manchesters, but {98} they were unable to hold it, and -with daylight they were ejected once more. The reader who is weary -of hearing of British losses will be interested to know, on the -authority of Colonel Bedell of the 16th Bavarians, that out of a -garrison of 3500 men from the 6th Bavarian Reserve Regiments only 500 -escaped from the Montauban front. All these operations were carried -out in close touch with the French upon the right, so close indeed -that the colonel of the 17th King's Liverpools, seeing that the -French colonel of the flank battalion was advancing beside his men, -sprang out and joined him, so that the two colonels shook hands in -the captured position. - -Some stress has in this narrative been laid upon the fact that the -difficulties to be overcome in the south were less than those in the -north. Such an assertion is only fair to the gallant men who failed. -At the same time nothing should detract from the credit due to those -splendid southerly divisions who really won the battle and made the -hole through which the whole army eventually passed. - -Though the French operations do not primarily come within the scope -of this record, it is necessary to give some superficial account of -them, since they form an integral and essential part of the battle. -So important were they, and so successful, that it is not too much to -say that it was the complete victory upon their line which atoned for -our own want of success in the north, and assured that the balance of -this most bloody day should be in our favour. It is true, as they -would be the first to admit, that the troops of General Foch had none -of those impassable barrages, concentrations of machine-guns, and -desperately defended inner lines of trenches which {99} inflicted -such losses upon our stormers. Both the positions and the men who -held them were less formidable. On the other hand, it is for us to -bear in mind that the French had already made their great effort in -the common cause at Verdun, and that this attack upon the West was -primarily a British offensive in which they were playing a subsidiary -part. It is the more remarkable that their success should have been -so great and that they should have been able for months to come to -play so notable a part in the battle that the tale of their prisoners -and booty was not less than our own. - -The attack of the British was roughly upon a twenty-mile front, from -the Gommecourt salient to Maricourt. On this stretch they broke the -German lines for 7 miles from the north of Fricourt to Montauban. -The French front was about 8 miles long, and moved forward for its -whole extent. Thus it may be said that the whole battle line was 28 -miles, and that more than one-half, or 15 miles, represented the area -of victory. During the whole operations for many months the French -army was cut in two by the marshy valley of the Somme, the detachment -to the north of it acting in close unison with the British Thirteenth -Corps upon their left. We will call these the northern and the -southern French armies, both being under the direction of General -Foch. - -It may briefly be stated that the advance of the French army was -carried out with great dash and valour on both banks of the river. -After carrying several lines of trenches at very little loss to -themselves, the northern army found itself, on the evening of July 1, -holding the outskirts of the villages of {100} Curlu and of -Hardecourt. On July 2 Curlu was entirely occupied, and shortly -afterwards Hardecourt also fell. The southern army, which consisted -of the fiery Colonial Division upon the left and the Twentieth upon -the right, under the immediate leadership of General Fayolle, had -even greater success. Not only all the lines of trenches but the -villages of Dompierre, Becquincourt, Bussu, and Fay were stormed upon -July 1. On the 2nd Frise and the Moreaucourt Wood had also been -taken, and several counter-attacks repelled. On that evening the -French were able to report that they had taken 6000 prisoners, while -the British operations had yielded 3500--or 9500 in all. - -When the sun set upon that bloody day--probably the most stirring of -any single day in the whole record of the world--the higher command -of the Allies must have looked upon the result with a strange mixture -of feelings, in which dismay at the losses in the north and pride at -the successes in the south contended for the mastery. The united -losses of all the combatants, British, French, and Germans, must have -been well over 100,000 between the rising and the setting of one -summer sun. It is a rout which usually swells the casualties of a -stricken army, but here there was no question of such a thing, and -these huge losses were incurred in actual battle. As the attackers -our own casualties were undoubtedly heavier than those of the enemy, -and it is natural that as we turn from that list we ask ourselves the -question whether our gains were worth it. Such a question might be -an open one at Neuve Chapelle or at Loos, but here the answer must be -a thousand times Yes. Together we had done the greatest day's {101} -work in the War up to that time--a day's work which led to many -developments in the future, and eventually to a general German -retreat over 70 miles of front. It was not a line of trenches which -we broke, it was in truth the fortified frontier of Germany built up -by a year and a half of unremitting labour. By breaking it at one -point we had outflanked it from the Somme to the sea, and however -slow the process might be of getting room for our forces to deploy, -and pushing the Germans off our flank, it was certain that sooner or -later that line must be rolled up from end to end. It was hoped, -too, that under our gunfire no other frontier of similar strength -could grow up in front of us. That was the great new departure which -may be dated from July 1, and is an ample recompense for our losses. -These young lives were gladly laid down as a price for final -victory--and history may show that it was really on those Picardy -slopes that final victory was in truth ensured. Even as the day of -Gettysburg was the turning-point of the American Civil War, and as -that of Paardeberg was the real death-blow to the Boers, so the -breaking of the line between Fricourt and Frise may well prove to -have been the decisive victory in the terrible conflict which the -swollen dreams of Prussia had brought upon the world. - -When one considers the enormous scale of the action, the desperate -valour of the troops engaged, and the fact that the German line was -fairly and permanently broken for the first time, one feels that this -date should be for ever marked in British military annals as the -glorious First of July. - - - - -{102} - -CHAPTER V - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -From July 2 to July 14, 1916 - -General situation--Capture of La Boiselle by Nineteenth -Division--Splendid attack by 36th Brigade upon Ovillers--Siege and -reduction of Ovillers--Operations at Contalmaison--Desperate fighting -at the Quadrangle by Seventeenth Division--Capture of Mametz Wood by -Thirty-eighth Welsh Division--Capture of Trones Wood by Eighteenth -Division. - - -The terrible fighting just described, during which the German line -was broken at its southern end, was but the opening of a most -desperate battle, which extended over many months. This, while it -cost very heavy losses to both sides, exacted such a toll from the -Germans in prisoners and lost material, as well as in casualties, -that it is probable that their army would have been largely -disorganised had not the wet weather of October come to hamper the -operations. As it was, the letters of the soldiers and the -intercepted messages of the Generals show an amount of demoralisation -which proves the mighty pressure applied by the allied armies. It -was a battle which was seldom general throughout the curve into which -the attackers had encroached, but which confined itself to this or -that limited objective--to the north, to the east, {103} or to the -south, the blow falling the more suddenly, since during the whole of -this time the Allies preserved the command of the air to an extent -which actually enabled them to push their guns forward across the -open. Sometimes it was a fortified village which was carried. -Sometimes it was the trenches between villages, so that the garrisons -might feel in danger of being cut off. Sometimes--the worst obstacle -of all--it was one of the patches of wood dotted over the -countryside, which had to be cleared of the enemy's stubborn infantry -and machine-gunners. But whatever the task might be, it may be -stated generally that it was always carried out, if not at the first, -then at the second, third, or some subsequent attempt. It may also -be said that never once during all that time did a yard of ground -which had been taken by the Allies pass permanently back to the -enemy. Before the winter had fallen more than forty villages had -been carried and held by the attack--but not one by the -counter-attack. The losses were heavy, sometimes very heavy, but so -perfect now was the co-ordination between infantry and guns, and so -masterful the allied artillery, that it is highly probable that at -last the defence was losing as many as the attack. Those deep -ravines which had enabled the Germans to escape the effects of the -early bombardments no longer existed in the new lines, and the -superficial ditches which now formed the successive lines of defence -offered little protection from a fire directed by a most efficient -air service. On the other hand, since the German air service had -been beaten out of the sky, the sight of the German gunners was dim, -and became entirely blind when by their successive advances the -Allies had pushed them over the {104} low ridges which formed their -rearward positions. The map, however skilfully used, is a poor -substitute for the observation officer and the aeroplane. - -Standing on the edge of this welter, and gazing at this long haze -into which vigorous divisions continually plunge, relieving exhausted -units, only to stagger out in their turn, rent and torn, while yet -others press to the front, one feels appalled at the difficulty of -following such complex operations and of conveying them clearly and -in their due order to the mind of the reader. Some fixed system must -evidently be followed if the narrative is to remain intelligible and -the relation of the various actions to each other to be made evident. -Therefore the course of events will still, so far as possible, be -traced from the north, and each incident be brought to some sort of -natural pause before we pass onwards down the line. We can at once -eliminate the whole northern portion of the British line from the -Gommecourt salient down to Albert, since for that long stretch attack -had changed definitely to defence, and we start our narrative from -the south of the Albert-Bapaume road. From that point four villages -immediately faced the old British line, and each was now a centre of -fighting. From the north they were La Boiselle, Fricourt, Mametz, -and Montauban. The latter had been held against a strong -counter-attack on the early morning of July 2, and it was firmly in -the possession of the Thirtieth Division. Mametz was held by the -Seventh Division, who were pushing on to the north, driving a weak -resistance before them. Fricourt had been deserted by the morning of -July 2, and had been occupied by the Seventeenth Division, who also -at once pushed on towards the woodlands {105} behind. La Boiselle -was closely assailed with part of the Thirty-fourth Division to the -south of it, and the Twelfth and Nineteenth Divisions with other -troops all round it. These four villages and the gaps between them -represented the break in the German front line. - -The second German main line ran through the Bazentins and Longueval, -and it was reached and carried by the British Army upon July 14. The -intervening fortnight between the battle of the front and of the -second line was occupied in clearing the many obstacles, consisting -for the most part of woods and subsidiary trenches which filled the -space between the two lines, and also in attacking the two villages -of Ovillers and Contalmaison, which hampered operations upon the left -wing. It will help the reader very much to understand these -apparently complex movements if he will realise that they divide -themselves into three distinct groups of activity, counting from the -north of the line. The first group is concerned with the capture of -Ovillers, and in it the Twelfth, Nineteenth, Thirty-second, and -Twenty-fifth Divisions are concerned. The second group is connected -with the capture of the strong position which is bastioned by -Contalmaison upon one side and Mametz Wood at the other, with the -Quadrangle system of trenches between. In this very severe conflict -the Twenty-third, Seventeenth, Seventh, and Thirty-eighth Divisions -were engaged. Finally there is the group of operations by which the -right wing was advanced through Bernafoy Wood and up to Trones Wood. -In these, the Ninth, Thirtieth, and Eighteenth Divisions were chiefly -concerned. We shall now take each of these in turn, beginning with -the {106} northern one, the taking of Ovillers, and carrying each -narrative to a definite term. Before embarking upon this account it -should be mentioned that the two northern corps of Rawlinson's -army--the Eighth and Tenth--were from now onwards detached as a -separate Fifth Army under Sir Hubert Gough, one of the most rising -commanders in the Service. The functions of this Army were to hold -the line from La Boiselle to Serre, and to form a defensive flank and -pivot for the Third, Fifteenth, and Thirteenth Corps to the south. - -We shall first follow the further fortunes of the troops which -operated in the north. Upon July 3 there was a short but severe -action upon that part of the old British line immediately to the left -of the gap which had been broken. In this action, which began at 6 -A.M., the Thirty-second Division, already greatly weakened by its -exertions two days before, together with the 75th Brigade, lent them -by the Twenty-fifth Division, tried to widen the rent in the German -line by tearing open that portion of it which had been so fatal to -the Eighth Division. The attack failed, however, though most bravely -delivered, and the difficulties proved once more to be -unsurmountable. The attempt cost us heavy casualties, a considerable -proportion of which fell upon the 75th Brigade, especially upon the -11th Cheshires, whose colonel was killed, and upon the 2nd South -Lancashires, who ran into wire and were held up there. The 8th -Borders reached their objective, but after one-and-a-half hours were -forced to let go of it. The operation proved that whatever -misfortunes had befallen the Germans to the south, they were still -rooted as firmly as ever {107} in their old positions. The same -lesson was to be taught us on the same morning at an adjacent portion -of the line. - -This episode was at the immediate south of the unsuccessful attack -just described. It has already been stated that the Twelfth, the -English division which had seen so much hard fighting at Loos, had -taken over part of the trenches of the Eighth Division, and so found -themselves facing Ovillers. Their chances of a successful advance -upon the village were increased by the fact that the Nineteenth -Division, after hard fighting, had got into La Boiselle to the south, -and so occupied a flank to their advance. - -Some further definition is required as to the situation at La -Boiselle, how it was brought about, and its extreme importance to the -general plan of operations. When the left of the Thirty-fourth -Division had failed to hold the village, while some mixed units of -the right brigade had established themselves within the German lines -as already narrated, it became very vital to help them by a renewed -attempt upon the village itself. For this purpose the Nineteenth -Division had moved forward, a unit which had not yet been seriously -engaged. It was under the command of a fighting Irish dragoon, whose -whimsical expedient for moving forwards the stragglers at St. Quentin -has been recorded in a previous volume. On the evening of July 1, -one battalion of this division, the 9th Cheshires, had got into the -German front line trench near the village, but they were isolated -there and hard put to it to hold their own during a long and -desperate night. On the following afternoon, about 4 o'clock, two of -their fellow-battalions of the 58th Brigade, the 9th {108} Royal -Welsh Fusiliers and the 6th Wilts, charged suddenly straight across -the open at the village, while by a clever device the British barrage -was turned elsewhere with the effect of misleading the German barrage -which played upon the wrong area. By 9 P.M. on July 2 the south end -of the village had been captured, but the resistance was still very -fierce. Early next morning the whole of the division was drawn into -this street fighting, and gradually the Germans were pushed back. -There was one desperate counter-attack during which the British line -was hard put to it to hold its own, and the house-to-house fighting -continued throughout the whole day and night. Two British colonels, -one of the 7th South Lancashires and the other of the 8th -Gloucesters, particularly distinguished themselves in this close -fighting. The latter, a dragoon like his commander, was a hard -soldier who had left an eye in Somaliland and a hand at Ypres, but -the sight of him in this day of battle, tearing out the safety-pin of -bombs with his teeth and hurling them with his remaining hand, was -one which gave heart to his men. Slowly the Germans were worn down, -but the fighting was fierce and the British losses heavy, including -three commanding officers, Wedgwood of the North Staffords, Royston -Piggott of the 10th Worcesters, and Heath of the 10th Warwicks, the -first two killed, the latter wounded. In the midst of the infantry -fighting a single gun of the 19th Battery galloped with extraordinary -gallantry right into the village and engaged the enemy point-blank -with splendid effect. For this fine performance Captain Campbell and -ten men of the gun's crew received decorations. By the evening of -the 6th the whole {109} village was solidly consolidated by the -Nineteenth Division, they had broken up a strong counter-attack from -the direction of Pozières, and they had extended their conquest so as -to include the redoubt called Heligoland. We must turn, however, to -the attack which had in the meanwhile been prepared upon the line to -the immediate north of La Boiselle by the Twelfth Division. - -This attack was carried out at three in the morning of July 7 by the -35th and the 37th Brigades. The fighting line from the right -consisted of the 5th Berks, 7th Suffolks, 6th Queen's Surrey, and 6th -West Kent, with the other battalions in close support. Unhappily, -there was a group of machine-guns in some broken ground to the north -of La Boiselle, which had not yet been reached by the Nineteenth -Division, and the fire of these guns was so deadly that the -battalions who got across were too weak to withstand a counter-attack -of German bombers. They were compelled, after a hard struggle, to -fall back to the British line. One curious benefit arose in an -unexpected way from the operation, for part of the 9th Essex, losing -its way in the dark, stumbled upon the rear of the German defenders -of the northern edge of La Boiselle, by which happy chance they took -200 prisoners, helped the Nineteenth in their task, and participated -in a victory instead of a check. - -It was evident that before the assault was renewed some dispositions -should be made to silence the guns which made the passage perilous. -With this in view, another brigade, the 74th from the Twenty-fifth -Division, was allotted to the commander of the Twelfth Division, by -whom it was placed between his {110} own position and that held by -the Nineteenth at La Boiselle. It was arranged that these fresh -troops should attack at eight o'clock in the morning of July 7, -approaching Ovillers from the south, and overrunning the noxious -machine-guns, while at 8.30 the 36th Brigade, hitherto in reserve, -should advance upon Ovillers from the west. By this difference of -half an hour in the attack it was hoped that the 74th would have got -the guns before the 36th had started. - -After an hour's bombardment the signal was given and the 74th Brigade -came away with a rush, headed by the 13th Cheshires and 9th North -Lancashires, with the 2nd Irish Rifles and 11th Lancashire Fusiliers -in support. The advance found the Germans both in front and on -either flank of them, but in spite of a withering fire they pushed on -for their mark. Nearly every officer of the 13th Cheshires from -Colonel Finch down to Somerset, the junior subaltern, was hit. -Half-way between La Boiselle and Ovillers the attack was brought to a -halt, and the men found such cover as they could among the -shell-holes. Their supporting lines had come up, but beyond some -bombing parties there was no further advance during the day. Fifty -yards away the untaken machine-gun emplacements lay in front of them, -while Ovillers itself was about 500 yards distant upon their left -front. - -In the meantime, after waiting half an hour, the 36th Brigade had -advanced. The machine-guns were, however, still active on either -flank of them, and on their immediate front lay the rubbish-heap -which had once been a village, a mass of ruins now. But amid those -ruins lay the Fusiliers {111} of the Prussian Guard--reputed to be -among the best soldiers in Europe, and every chink was an embrasure -for rifle or machine-gun. - -The advance was one which may have been matched in the glorious -annals of the British infantry, but can never have been excelled. -The front line consisted of the 8th and 9th Royal Fusiliers, one upon -each wing, the 7th Sussex in the centre, and the 11th Middlesex in -support--south-country battalions all. They had lain waiting for the -signal in trenches which were beaten to pieces by a terrific German -shelling. There were considerable casualties before the first man -sprang from fire step to parapet. As they crossed No Man's Land -bullets beat upon them from every side. The advance was rendered -more frightful by the heavy weather, which held down the fumes of the -poison shells, so that the craters in which men took refuge were -often found to be traps from which they never again emerged. Many of -the wounded met their death in this terrible fashion. Still the thin -lines went forward, for nothing would stop them save death or the -voice of their company officers. They were up and over the first -German line. A blast of fire staggered them for a moment, and then -with a splendid rally they were into the second trench, and had -seized the line of hedges and walls which skirt the western edge of -the village. Five hundred men were left out of those who had sprung -from the British trench; but the 500 still went forward. The two -Fusilier battalions had hardly the strength of a company between -them, and the leaders were all down--but every man was a leader that -day. Their spirit was invincible. An officer has recorded how a -desperately wounded man {112} called out, "Are the trenches taken, -sir?" On hearing that they were, he fell back and cried, "Thank God! -for nothing else matters." In the centre the Sussex men still -numbered nearly 300, and their colonel aided and directed while they -consolidated the ground. One hundred and fifty were hit as they did -so, but the handful who were left defied every effort of shell, bomb, -or bayonet to put them out. A lodgment had been made, and nothing -now could save the village. By a wise provision, seeing that no -supplies could reach them, every man had been loaded up with twenty -bombs, and had been instructed to use every captured German bomb or -cartridge before any of his own. As dusk fell, two companies of the -supporting Middlesex battalion were sent up, under heavy fire, to -thicken the line, which was further strengthened next day by two -battalions from the 37th Brigade, while the 75th Brigade prolonged it -to the south. In the morning of July 9 the Twelfth Division, sorely -stricken but triumphant, was drawn from the line, leaving the -northern half of the Ovillers front to the Thirty-second Division and -the southern half to the Twenty-fifth, the scattered brigades of -which were now reunited under one general. - -That commander had found himself during these operations in a -difficult position, as the 74th Brigade had been moved from him and -allotted to the Twelfth Division, and the Seventy-fifth by the -Thirty-second Division. None the less, he had carried on vigorously -with his remaining Brigade--the 7th, and had enlarged and -strengthened the British position in the Leipzig salient. During -July 5 and 6 the 1st Wilts and the 3rd Worcesters had both broadened -and {113} extended their fronts by means of surprise attacks very -well carried out. On the 7th they pushed forward, as part of the -general scheme of extension upon that day, advancing with such dash -and determination that they got ahead of the German barrage and -secured a valuable trench. - -When upon Sunday, July 9, the Thirty-second Division had entirely -taken over from the Twelfth on the west of Ovillers, the 14th Brigade -were in the post of honour on the edge of the village. The 2nd -Manchesters on the left and the 15th Highland Light Infantry on the -right, formed the advanced line with the 1st Dorsets in support, -while the 19th Lancashire Fusiliers were chiefly occupied in the -necessary and dangerous work of carrying forward munitions and -supplies. Meanwhile, the pioneer battalion, the 17th Northumberland -Fusiliers, worked hard to join up the old front trench with the new -trenches round Ovillers. It should be mentioned, as an example of -the spirit animating the British Army, that Colonel Pears of this -battalion had been invalided home for cancer, that he managed to -return to his men for this battle, and that shortly afterwards he -died of the disease. - -On July 10 at noon the 14th Brigade advanced upon Ovillers from the -west, carrying on the task which had been so well begun by the 36th -Brigade. The assailants could change their ranks, but this advantage -was denied to the defenders, for a persistent day and night barrage -cut them off from their companions in the north. None the less, -there was no perceptible weakening of the defence, and the Prussian -Guard lived up to their own high traditions. A number of them had -already been captured in the {114} trenches, mature soldiers of -exceptional physique. Their fire was as murderous as ever, and the -2nd Manchesters on the north or left of the line suffered severely. -The 15th Highlanders were more fortunate and made good progress. The -situation had been improved by an advance at 9 P.M. upon this date, -July 10, by the 2nd Inniskilling Fusiliers from the Sixth Division, -higher up the line, who made a lodgment north-west of Ovillers, which -enabled a Russian sap to be opened up from the British front line. -The Inniskillings lost 150 men out of two companies engaged, but they -created a new and promising line of attack. - -The British were now well into the village, both on the south and on -the west, but the fighting was closer and more sanguinary than ever. -Bombardments alternated with attacks, during which the British won -the outlying ruins, and fought on from one stone heap to another, or -down into the cellars below, where the desperate German Guardsmen -fought to the last until overwhelmed with bombs from above, or -stabbed by the bayonets of the furious stormers. The depleted 74th -Brigade of the Twenty-fifth Division had been brought back to its -work upon July 10, and on the 12th the 14th Brigade was relieved by -the 96th of the same Thirty-second Division. On the night of July 12 -fresh ground was gained by a surge forward of the 2nd South -Lancashires of the 75th Brigade, and of the 19th Lancashire -Fusiliers, these two battalions pushing the British line almost up to -Ovillers Church. Again, on the night of the 13th the 3rd Worcesters -and 8th Borders made advances, the latter capturing a strong point -which blocked the way to further progress. On {115} the 14th, -however, the 10th Cheshires had a set-back, losing a number of men. -Again, on the night of July 14 the 1st Dorsets cut still further into -the limited area into which the German resistance had been -compressed. On the night of the 15th the Thirty-second Division was -drawn out, after a fortnight of incessant loss, and was replaced by -the Forty-eighth Division of South Midland Territorials, the 143rd -Brigade consisting entirely of Warwick battalions, being placed under -the orders of the General of the Twenty-fifth Division. The village, -a splintered rubbish-heap, with the church raising a stumpy wall, a -few feet high, in the middle of it, was now very closely pressed upon -all sides. The German cellars and dug-outs were still inhabited, -however, and within them the Guardsmen were as dangerous as wolves at -bay. On the night of July 15-16 a final attack was arranged. It was -to be carried through by the 74th, 75th, and 143rd Brigades, and was -timed for 1 A.M. For a moment it threatened disaster, as the 5th -Warwicks got forward into such a position that they were cut off from -supplies, but a strong effort was made by their comrades, who closed -in all day until 6 P.M., when the remains of the garrison -surrendered. Two German officers and 125 men were all who remained -unhurt in this desperate business; and it is on record that one of -the officers expended his last bomb by hurling it at his own men on -seeing that they had surrendered. Eight machine-guns were taken. It -is said that the British soldiers saluted the haggard and grimy -survivors as they were led out among the ruins. It was certainly a -very fine defence. After the capture of the village, the northern -and eastern outskirts were cleared by the men of the {116} -Forty-eighth Territorial Division, which was partly accomplished by a -night attack of the 4th Gloucesters. From now onwards till July 29 -this Division was engaged in very arduous work, pushing north and -east, and covering the flank of the Australians in their advance upon -Pozières. - -So much for the first group of operations in the intermediate German -position. We shall now pass to the second, which is concerned with -the strong fortified line formed by the Quadrangle system of trenches -between Contalmaison upon our left and Mametz Wood upon our right. - -It has been mentioned under the operations of the Twenty-first -Division in the last chapter that the 51st Brigade passed through the -deserted village of Fricourt upon the morning of July 2, taking about -100 prisoners. - -On debouching at the eastern end they swung to the right, the 7th -Lincolns attacking Fricourt Wood, and the 8th South Staffords, -Fricourt Farm. The wood proved to be a tangle of smashed trees, -which was hardly penetrable, and a heavy fire stopped the Lincolns. -The colonel, however, surmounted the difficulty by detaching an -officer and a party of men to outflank the wood, which had the effect -of driving out the Germans. The South Staffords were also successful -in storming the farm, but could not for the moment get farther. -Several hundreds of prisoners from the 111th Regiment and three guns -were captured during this advance, but the men were very exhausted at -the end of it, having been three nights without rest. Early next day -(July 3) the advance was resumed, the 51st Brigade still to the fore, -working in co-operation with the 62nd {117} Brigade of the -Twenty-first Division upon their left. By hard fighting, the -Staffords, Lincolns, and Sherwoods pushed their way into Railway -Alley and Railway Copse, while the 7th Borders established themselves -in Bottom Wood. The operations came to a climax when in the -afternoon a battalion of the 186th Prussian Regiment, nearly 600 -strong, was caught between the two Brigades in Crucifix Trench and -had to surrender; altogether the 51st Brigade had done a very -strenuous and successful spell of duty. The ground gained was -consolidated by the 77th Field Company, Royal Engineers. - -The 62nd Brigade of the Twenty-first Division, supported by the 63rd, -had moved parallel to the 51st Brigade, the 1st Lincolns, 10th -Yorkshires, and two battalions of Northumberland Fusiliers advancing -upon Shelter Wood and carrying it by storm. It was a fine bit of -woodland fighting, and the first intimation to the Germans that their -fortified forests would no more stop British infantry than their -village strongholds could do. The enemy, both here and in front of -the Seventeenth Division, were of very different stuff from the -veterans of Ovillers, and surrendered in groups as soon as their -machine-guns had failed to stop the disciplined rush of their -assailants. After this advance, the Twenty-first Division was drawn -out of line for a rest, and the Seventeenth extending to the left was -in touch with the regular 24th Brigade, forming the right of -Babington's Twenty-third Division, who were closing in upon -Contalmaison. On the right the 17th were in touch with the 22nd -Brigade of the Seventh Division, which was pushing up towards the -dark and sinister clumps {118} of woodland which barred their way. -On the night of July 5 an advance was made, the Seventh Division upon -Mametz Wood, and the Seventeenth upon the of the Quadrangle Trench, -connecting the wood with Contalmaison. The attack upon the wood -itself had no success, though the 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers reached -their objective, but the 52nd Brigade was entirely successful at -Quadrangle Trench, where two battalions--the 9th Northumberland -Fusiliers and 10th Lancashire Fusiliers--crept up within a hundred -yards unobserved and then carried the whole position with a splendid -rush. It was at once consolidated. The Twenty-third Division had -advanced upon the left and were close to Contalmaison. On the night -of July 5 the Seventh Division was drawn out and the Thirty-eighth -Welsh Division took over the line which faced Mametz Wood. - -The Seventeenth Division, after its capture of the Quadrangle Trench, -was faced by a second very dangerous and difficult line called the -Quadrangle Support, the relative position of which is shown upon the -diagram on the next page. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{119} - -[Illustration: QUADRANGLE POSITION, July 5-11, 1916.] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -It is clear that if either Mametz Wood or Contalmaison were to fall, -this trench would become untenable for the Germans, but until those -two bastions, or at least one of them, was in our hands, there was -such a smashing fire beating down upon an open advance of 600 yards, -that no harder task could possibly be given to a Division. The -trench was slightly over the brow of a slope, so that when the guns -played upon it the garrison were able to slip quickly away and take -refuge in Mametz Wood, coming back again in time to meet an assault -which they were well aware could only be delivered by {120} troops -which had passed through an ordeal of fire which must shake and -weaken them. - -It seemed that the best chance to bring a striking force up to the -trench was to make the attempt at night, so at 2 A.M. of July 7 the -9th Northumberland Fusiliers and 10th Lancashire Fusiliers, the same -battalions which had already taken Quadrangle Trench, advanced -through the darkness of an inclement night upon their objective. The -enemy proved, however, to be in great force, and their trench was -stuffed with men who were themselves contemplating an attack. A -party of Lancashire Fusiliers got into Pearl Alley, which is on the -left near Contalmaison, but the village stands on a slight eminence, -and from it the trench and the approaches can be swept by fire. The -British attack was driven back with loss, and was followed up by the -9th Grenadiers of the Prussian Guard, who were in turn driven back by -the left of the British line, consisting of the 10th Lancashire -Fusiliers and some of the 1st Worcesters. In the morning another -attempt was made upon Quadrangle Support, this time by the 9th West -Ridings and the 12th Manchesters. Small parties got up to Acid Drop -Copse, close to Contalmaison, but they were too weak to hold on. At -the end of this attack the 52nd Brigade, which had been so badly -mauled, was drawn out and the 51st put back in its place. - -This severe fighting at the Quadrangle was part of a wider action, -which was to include an attack by the Twenty-third Division upon -Contalmaison and an attack by the Thirty-eighth upon Mametz Wood. -The Contalmaison attack won its way into the north-west side of the -village at 11 o'clock on the morning {121} of July 7, but by 12 -o'clock it had been held and eventually repulsed. By 4.30 the 24th -Brigade of the Twenty-third Division, which was on the immediate left -of the Seventeenth Division, had been driven back to its trenches, -the 1st Worcesters, 2nd East Lancashires, and 2nd Northamptons -suffering heavily. - -Whilst the Contalmaison attack had failed upon the left, that upon -Mametz Wood had no better success upon the right. It was to have -been carried out by the Thirty-eighth Welsh Division, but in its -approach such opposition was encountered to the wood that the 16th -Welsh (City of Cardiff) and 10th South Wales Borderers could not get -forward. Meanwhile, the 50th Brigade from the Seventeenth Division -had been told off to co-operate with this attack, and naturally found -themselves with their right flank in the air, the 7th East Yorks -suffering severely in consequence. None the less, some advance was -made upon this side. - -In the night of July 7 a third attack was made upon Quadrangle -Support, with no better result than the others. On this occasion the -51st Brigade had relieved the 52nd, and it was the 10th Sherwood -Foresters which endured the heavy losses, and persevered until they -were within bomb-throw of their objective, losing Major Hall Brown, a -gallant Ceylon planter, and many officers and men. At the same hour -the 50th Brigade had again tried to gain ground in the direction of -Mametz Wood, but had failed on account of uncut wire. The military -difficulties of the situation during this day were greatly enhanced -by the state of the ground, owing to most unseasonable heavy rain, -which left four feet of mud in some of the trenches. Altogether, -when one considers the want {122} of success at Ovillers, the repulse -at Contalmaison, the three checks in one day at the Quadrangle, and -the delay of the attack on Mametz Wood, the events of July 7 showed -that the task of the British, even inside a broken German line, was -still a very heavy one. General Horne upon the line and Sir Douglas -Haig behind it must both have felt the strain that night. - -At six in the morning of July 8 the undefeatable Seventeenth Division -was again hard at work encompassing the downfall of its old opponents -in Quadrangle Support. Since it could not be approached above -ground, it was planned that two brigades, the 51st and the 50th, -should endeavour to bomb their way from each side up those trenches -which were in their hands. It is wonderful that troops which had -already endured so much, and whose nerve might well be shattered and -their hearts broken by successive failures, should still be able to -carry out a form of attack which of all others call for dash and -reckless courage. It was done, none the less, and with some success, -the bombers blasting their way up Pearl Alley on the left to the -point where it joins on to the Quadrangle Support. The bombers of -the 7th Lincolns did particularly well. "Every attempted attack by -the Bosche was met by them with the most extraordinary Berserker -fury. They utterly cowed the enemy." So wrote an experienced -spectator. On the right the 50th Brigade made some progress also up -Quadrangle Alley. Artillery fire, however, put a term to the advance -in both instances, the guns of Contalmaison dominating the whole -position. In the evening a fresh bombing attack was made by the same -{123} troops, whose exertions seem really to have reached the limit -of human capacity. This time the 7th Borders actually reached -Quadrangle Support, but were unable to get farther. The same evening -some of the 50th Brigade bombed down Wood Trench towards Mametz Wood, -so as to facilitate the coming attack by the Thirty-eighth Division. -On July 9 both Brigades again tried to bomb their way into Quadrangle -Support, and were again held up by the enemy's fire. This was the -sixth separate attempt upon the same objective by the same -soldiers--an example surely of the wonderful material of which the -New Armies were composed. - -But their labours were not yet done. Though both brigades were worn -to shadows, it was still a point of honour to hold to their work. At -11.20 that night a surprise attack was made across the open under the -cover of night. The 8th South Staffords on the left--charging with a -yell of "Staffords!"--reached the point where Pearl Alley joins the -Quadrangle Support (see Diagram), and held on most desperately. The -50th Brigade on the right were checked and could give no assistance. -The men upon the left strove hard to win their way down Quadrangle -Support, but most of the officers were down, the losses were heavy, -and the most that they could do was to hold on to the junction with -Pearl Alley. The 50th were ready to go forward again to help them, -and the Yorkshire men were already on the move; but day was slowly -breaking and it was doubtful if the trench could be held under the -guns of Contalmaison. The attack upon the right was therefore -stopped, and the left held on as best it might, the South Staffords, -having lost {124} grievously, nearly all their officers, including -the Adjutant, Coleridge, being on the ground. - -We may now leave this heroic tragedy of the Quadrangle and turn our -attention to what had been going on at Mametz Wood upon the right, -which was really the key to the situation. It has already been -stated that the wood had been attacked in vain by a brigade of the -Seventh Division, and that the Thirty-eighth Welsh Division had found -some difficulty in even approaching it. It was indeed a formidable -obstacle upon the path of the army. An officer has described how he -used to gaze from afar upon the immense bulk, the vast denseness and -darkness of Mametz Wood, and wonder, knowing the manifold dangers -which lurked beneath its shadows, whether it was indeed within human -power to take it. Such was the first terrible task to which the -Welshmen of the New Army were called. It was done, but one out of -every three men who did it found the grave or the hospital before the -survivors saw the light shine between the further tree-trunks. - -As the Welshmen came into the line they had the Seventeenth Division -upon their left, facing Quadrangle Support, and the Eighteenth upon -their right at Caterpillar Wood. When at 4.15 on the morning of July -10 all was ready for the assault, the Third Division had relieved the -Eighteenth on the right, but the Seventeenth was, as we have seen, -still in its position, and was fighting on the western edge of the -wood. - -The attack of the Welshmen started from White Trench, which lies -south-east of the wood and meanders along the brow of a sharp ridge. -Since it was dug by the enemy it was of little use to the attack, -{125} for no rifle fire could be brought to bear from it upon the -edge of the wood, while troops coming over the hill and down the -slope were dreadfully exposed. Apart from the German riflemen and -machine-gunners, who lay thick among the shell-blasted stumps of -trees, there was such a tangle of thick undergrowth and fallen trunks -lying at every conceivable angle that it would take a strong and -active man to make his way through the wood with a fowling-piece for -his equipment and a pheasant for his objective. No troops could have -had a more desperate task--the more so as the German second line was -only a few hundred yards from the north end of the wood, whence they -could reinforce it at their pleasure. - -The wood is divided by a central ride running north and south. All -to the west of this was allotted to the 113th Brigade, a unit of -Welsh Fusilier battalions commanded by a young brigadier who is more -likely to win honour than decorations, since he started the War with -both the V.C. and the D.S.O. The 114th Brigade, comprising four -battalions of the Welsh Regiment, was to carry the eastern half of -the wood, the attack being from the south. The front line of attack, -counting from the right, consisted of the 13th Welsh (2nd Rhonddas), -14th Welsh (Swansea), with its left on the central ride, and 16th -Royal Welsh Fusiliers in the van of the 113th Brigade. About 4.30 in -the morning the barrage lifted from the shadowy edge of the wood, and -the infantry pushed forward with all the Cymric fire which burns in -that ancient race as fiercely as ever it has done, as every field of -manly sport will show. It was a magnificent spectacle, for wave -after wave of men could be seen advancing without hesitation and -without a break {126} over a distance which in some places was not -less than 500 yards. - -The Swansea men in the centre broke into the wood without a check, a -lieutenant of that battalion charging down two machine-guns and -capturing both at the cost of a wound to himself. The 13th on the -right won their way also into the wood, but were held for a time, and -were reinforced by the 15th (Carmarthens). Here for hours along the -whole breadth of the wood the Welsh infantry strove desperately to -crawl or burst through the tangle of tree-trunks in the face of the -deadly and invisible machine-guns. Some of the 15th got forward -through a gap, but found themselves isolated, and had great -difficulty in joining up with their own battle line once more. -Eventually, in the centre and right, the three battalions formed a -line just south of the most southern cross ride from its junction -with the main ride. - -On the left, the 16th Welsh Fusiliers had lost heavily before -reaching the trees, their colonel, Carden, falling at the head of his -men. The circumstances of his death should be recorded. His Welsh -Fusiliers, before entering action, sang a hymn in Welsh, upon which -the colonel addressed them, saying, "Boys, make your peace with God! -We are going to take that position, and some of us won't come back. -But we are going to take it." Tying his handkerchief to his stick he -added, "This will show you where I am." He was hit as he waved them -on with his impromptu flag; but he rose, advanced, was hit again, and -fell dead. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{127} - -[Illustration: MAMETZ WOOD] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Thickened by the support of the 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the line -rushed on, and occupied the end {128} of the wood until they were -abreast of their comrades on the right. Once among the trees, all -cohesion was lost among the chaos of tangled branches and splintered -trunks, every man getting on as best he might, with officers rallying -and leading forward small groups, who tripped and scrambled onwards -against any knot of Germans whom they could see. On this edge of the -wood some of the Fusiliers bombed their way along Strip Trench, which -outlines the south-western edge, in an endeavour to join hands with -the 50th Brigade on their left. At about 6.30 the south end of the -wood had been cleared, and the Welshmen, flushed with success, were -swarming out at the central ride. A number of prisoners, some hale, -some wounded, had been taken. At 7 o'clock the 113th were in touch -with the 114th on the right, and with the 50th on the left. - -Further advance was made difficult by the fact that the fire from the -untaken Wood Support Trench upon the left swept across the ride. The -losses of the two Fusilier battalions had been so heavy that they -were halted while their comrades of the 13th Royal Welsh Fusiliers, -under Colonel Flower, who was killed by a shell, attacked Wood -Support--eventually capturing the gun which had wrought such damage, -and about 50 Germans. This small body had succeeded, as so often -before and since, in holding up a Brigade and disorganising an -advance. Until the machine-gun is checkmated by the bullet-proof -advance, the defensive will maintain an overpowering and -disproportionate advantage. - -The 10th Welsh had now come up to reinforce the left of the 114th -Brigade, losing their colonel, Rickets, as they advanced into the -wood. The 19th {129} Welsh Pioneer Battalion also came forward to -consolidate what had been won. There was a considerable pause in the -advance, during which two battalions--the 17th Welsh Fusiliers and -the 10th South Wales Borderers from the Reserve Brigade, 115th--came -up to thicken the line. At about four, the attack was renewed, until -at least two-thirds of the wood had been gained. The South Wales -Borderers worked up the eastern side, pushing the defenders into the -open, where they were shot down by British machine-guns in -Caterpillar Wood and Marlborough Wood. About 50 yards from the -northern end the khaki line was at last held up and remained there, -crouching in shell-holes or behind broken trunks. The main -resistance came from a trench outside the wood, and it was eventually -determined to bombard it, for which purpose the troops were withdrawn -some hundreds of yards. Late in the evening there was another -gallant attempt to get the edge of the wood, but the trench was as -venomous as ever, and the main German second line behind it was -sweeping the underwood with bullets, so the advance was halted for -the night. - -During the night the 115th Brigade had come to the front, and in the -morning of July 11 had relieved the 113th and 114th Brigades. The -relief in a thick wood, swept by bullets, and upon a dark night in -the close presence of a formidable enemy, was a most difficult -operation. The morning was spent in reconnaissance, and it was only -at 3.15 P.M. that the advance could be made upon the main German -defence, a trench just outside the north end of the wood. About 4 -o'clock the Brigade swept on, and after a sharp bayonet fight gained -the trench towards the north-east, but the {130} Germans still held -the centre and swept with their fire the portion in our possession. -The 11th South Wales Borderers (2nd Gwents) held on splendidly, in -spite of their heavy losses. The situation was now such, with only -300 yards to go to reach the German second line, that it was deemed -well to relieve the Thirty-eighth Division by the Twenty-first -Division, who had been selected for the coming battle. This change -was carried out by the morning of July 12. - -The action of the Thirty-eighth Division in capturing Mametz Wood had -been a very fine one, and the fruit of their victory was not only an -important advance, but 398 prisoners, one field gun, three heavy -guns, a howitzer and a number of smaller pieces. It was the largest -wood in the Somme district, and the importance attached to it by the -Germans may be gathered from the fact that men of five different -German regiments, the 3rd Lehr, 16th Bavarians, 77th, 83rd, and -122nd, were identified among our opponents. Among many instances of -individual valour should be mentioned that of a colonel of the -Divisional Staff, who twice, revolver in hand, led the troops on -where there was some temporary check or confusion. It is impossible -to imagine anything more difficult and involved than some of this -fighting, for apart from the abattis and other natural impediments of -a tangled wood, the place was a perfect rabbit-warren of trenches, -and had occasional land mines in it, which were exploded--some of -them prematurely, so that it was the retreating Germans who received -the full force of the blast. Burning petrol was also used -continually in the defence, and frequently proved to be a two-edged -weapon. Some of the garrison stood to their work {131} with -extraordinary courage, and nothing but the most devoted valour upon -the part of their assailants could have driven them out. "Every man -of them was killed where he stood," said a Welsh Fusilier, in -describing the resistance of one group. "They refused offers of -quarter right to the last, and died with cheers for the Kaiser or -words of defiance on their lips. They were brave men, and we were -very sorry indeed to have to kill them, for we could not but admire -them for their courage." Such words give honour both to victors and -vanquished. The German losses were undoubtedly very heavy--probably -not less than those of the Welsh Division. - -Though the Welsh Division had overrun Mametz Wood from south to -north, there was still one angle in the north-west which had lain out -of their course, and had not been taken by them. This part of the -wood was occupied upon the evening of July 11 by the 62nd Brigade of -the Twenty-first Division, which had already performed such notable -services upon the Somme. Eight field-guns were discovered in this -part of the wood and were captured by the Brigade. - -The situation had now greatly improved for the Seventeenth Division -in front of Quadrangle Support, for not only was Mametz Wood mostly -in the hands of the Welsh, but the Twenty-third Division on the left, -who after their temporary check at Contalmaison had fallen back upon -the line Peake Alley-Birch Tree Wood-Shelter Wood, now came forward -again and occupied Bailiff Wood upon the north of Contalmaison. -Under these circumstances, the 50th Brigade upon the right again -attempted to get forward in order to keep level with the Welsh in the -wood. {132} Connection had not yet been made at that point, however, -and the 7th East Yorks, who were the leading battalion, suffered -heavy losses before being compelled to abandon the attempt. - -Victory, however, was at last coming to reward the living and -vindicate the dead. At four in the afternoon of July 10, the -Twenty-third Division advanced from Bailiff Wood for its second -assault upon Contalmaison. This time everything went to perfection, -and the much-enduring infantry were able to take possession of the -village, while a counter-attack by the third Reserve Division of the -Prussian Guards came under concentrated artillery fire, and was -completely disorganised and destroyed. It was the wounded of the -Guard from this attack who were seen at Potsdam, and described by Mr. -Curtin, the American journalist, in one of the most brilliant -articles of the War. Carried into furniture vans, they were conveyed -to their hospitals with every secrecy, in order to conceal from the -populace the results of the encounter between the famous Corps and -those men of the New Army who for more than a year had been the -favourite butt of the _Witz-Blätter_ of Berlin. Old Father Time has -a humour of his own, and his laugh is usually the last. Besides the -Guard the 70th Jaeger and the 110th, 114th, and 119th Regiments were -included in this defeat. - -The two bastions having fallen, the problem of the Quadrangle Support -became a very different one, and the 51st Brigade, joining up with -the right of the Twenty-third Division in the evening, was able to -get hold of the left end of it. Even now, however, the Germans -fought hard to the right, and both the 7th East Yorks and the 6th -Dorsets had to push strongly {133} before they could win through. -They were encouraged in their efforts when, in the waning light, they -were able to see small bodies of the enemy retiring in the distance -out of the fringe of the wood. By ten o'clock that night the long -task had been accomplished, and the dead might sleep in peace, for -Quadrangle Support was in the hands of the Seventeenth Division. -They were relieved by the Twenty-first Division upon July 11. - -At or about the same time as the relief of the Seventeenth Division, -the Twenty-third upon their left were also relieved, their line being -taken over by the First Division. Since the capture of Contalmaison -and the heavy repulse of the German Guard Division the British had -made further progress, so that both Pearl Wood and Contalmaison Villa -to the north of the village were firmly in their hands. The -instructions to the First Division were to endeavour to improve this -advantage, and an advance was at once made which, occurring as it did -upon the night of July 15, may be best described under the heading -which treats of the breaking of the second German line. - -Having dealt with the operations upon the left and those in the -centre of the intermediate German position, we will now turn to those -upon the right, which are concerned with the Eighteenth and the -Thirtieth Divisions, supported by the Ninth. After the fall of -Montauban, these Divisions advanced, the one upon Caterpillar Wood, -and the other to Bernafoy Wood, both of which were occupied. For the -occupation of Bernafoy Wood the 27th Brigade of the Ninth Division -had been put at the disposal of the commander of the Thirtieth, and -this {134} force occupied the position without much loss, but were -exposed afterwards to a most deadly shell-fire, which caused heavy -losses to the two front battalions--the 6th King's Own Scottish -Borderers and the 6th Scots Rifles. The wood was held, however, -together with three guns, which were found within it. On July 5 the -Thirtieth Division handed over that line to the Ninth. On that date -they sustained the heavy loss of Colonels Trotter and Smith--both -killed by distant shell-fire. - -The rest of the Thirtieth Division only lasted for a very few days, -and upon July 7 they were facing the enemy position from Malzhorn -Farm upon the right to Trones Wood upon the left, and were about to -be initiated in that terrible wood fighting which cost us so dear. -There is no fighting in the world which is more awesome to the mind -and more exhausting to the body than such combats as these amid the -ghostly atmosphere of ruined woods, with Death lurking in the shadows -on every hand, and the thresh of the shells beating without cessation -by night and by day. Trones, Mametz, High Wood, Delville--never has -the quiet, steadfast courage of the British soldier been put to a -more searching test than in those haunts of gloom and horror. In the -case of Trones Wood some account must be given of the peculiar -tactical difficulties of the situation, and then we shall turn to the -sombre but glorious narrative of the successive attacks. - -The tactical problem was a remarkable one. The wood was connected up -on the German side by good lines of trenches with Malzhorn Farm on -the south, with Guillemont on the east, and with Waterlot Farm on the -north--each of these points being from 400 {135} to 700 yards away. -It was also commanded by a large number of heavy guns. The result -was that if the British stormers held the wood in strength, they were -shelled out with heavy losses. If, on the other hand, the wood were -lightly held, then the German infantry pouring in from the east and -north could drive them out. The British, on the other hand, had no -trenches leading up to the wood, though in other respects the Germans -found the same difficulties in holding the place that they did. It -was a terrible contest in tenacity between the infantry of the two -nations, and if in the end the British won it must at least be -admitted that there was no evidence of any demoralisation among the -Germans on account of the destruction of their main line. They -fought well, were well led, and were admirably supported by their -guns. - -The first attack upon Trones Wood was carried out from the south upon -July 8 by the 21st Brigade. There was no suspicion then of the -strength of the German position, and the attack was repulsed within a -couple of hours, the 2nd Yorks being the chief sufferers. - -There was more success upon the right of the line where the French -were attacking Malzhorn Farm. A company of the 2nd Wilts made their -way successfully to help our Allies, and gained a lodgment in the -German trenches which connect Malzhorn Farm with the south end of -Trones Wood. With the aid of some of the 19th Manchesters this -position was extended, and two German counter-attacks were crushed by -rifle-fire. The position in this southern trench was permanently -held, and it acted like a self-registering gauge for the combat in -{136} Trones Wood, for when the British held the wood the whole -Southern Trench was British, while a German success in the wood -always led to a contraction in the holding of the trench. - -At one o'clock upon July 8 the 21st Brigade renewed their attempt, -attacking with the 2nd Wiltshires in the lead from the side of -Bernafoy Wood. The advance was a fine one, but Colonel Gillson was -badly wounded, and his successor in command, Captain Mumford, was -killed. About three o'clock the 18th and 19th Manchesters came up in -support. German bombers were driving down from the north, and the -fighting was very severe. In the evening some of the Liverpools came -up to strengthen the line, and it was determined to draw out the -weakened 21st, and replace it by the 90th Brigade. At the same time -a party of the 2nd Scots Fusiliers of this Brigade took over Malzhorn -Trench, and rushed the farmhouse itself, capturing 67 prisoners. The -whole of the trench was afterwards cleared up with two machine-guns -and 100 more prisoners. It was a fine bit of work, worthy of that -splendid battalion. - -Upon July 9 at 6.40 A.M. began the third attack upon Trones Wood led -by the 17th Manchesters. They took over the footing already held, -and by eight o'clock they had extended it along the eastern edge, -practically clearing the wood of German infantry. There followed, -however, a terrific bombardment, which caused such losses that the -17th and their comrades of the 18th were ordered to fall back once -more, with the result that the Scots Fusiliers had to give up the -northern end of their Malzhorn Trench. An enemy counter-attack at -4.30 P.M. had no success. A fresh British attack (the fourth) was -{137} at once organised, and carried out by the 16th Manchesters, who -at 6.40 P.M. got into the south end of the wood once more, finding a -scattered fringe of their comrades who had held on there. Some South -African Highlanders from the Ninth Division came up to help them -during the night. This fine battalion lost many men, including their -colonel, Jones, while supporting the attack from Bernafoy Wood. In -the morning the position was better, but a gap had been left between -the Manchesters in the wood and the Scots in the trench, through -which the enemy made their way. After much confused fighting and -very heavy shelling, the evening of July 10 found the wood once more -with the Germans. - -In the early morning of July 11 the only remaining British Brigade, -the 89th, took up the running. At 3.50 the 2nd Bedfords advanced to -the attack. Aided by the 19th King's Liverpools, the wood was once -again carried and cleared of the enemy, but once again a terrific -shell-fall weakened the troops to a point where they could not resist -a strong attack. The Bedfords fought magnificently, and had lost 50 -per cent of their effectives before being compelled to withdraw their -line. The south-east corner of the wood was carried by the swarming -enemy, but the south-west corner was still in the hands of our -utterly weary and yet tenacious infantry. At 9.30 the same evening -the 17th King's Liverpools pushed the Germans back once more, and -consolidated the ground won at the southern end. So the matter stood -when the exhausted division was withdrawn for a short rest, while the -Eighteenth Division took up their difficult task. The Lancashire men -had left it {138} unfinished, but their conduct had been heroic, and -they had left their successors that one corner of consolidated ground -which was needed as a jumping-off place for a successful attack. - -It was the 55th Brigade of the Eighteenth Division which first came -up to take over the fighting line. A great responsibility was placed -upon the general officer commanding, for the general attack upon the -German line had been fixed for July 14, and it was impossible to -proceed with it until the British held securely the covering line -upon the flank. Both Trones Wood and the Malzhorn Trench were -therefore of much more than local importance, so that when Haig found -himself at so late a date as July 12 without command of this -position, it was a very serious matter which might have far-reaching -consequences. The orders now were that within a day, at all costs, -Trones Wood must be in British hands, and to the 55th, strengthened -by two battalions of the 54th Brigade, was given the desperate task. -The situation was rendered more difficult by the urgency of the call, -which gave the leaders no time in which to get acquainted with the -ground. - -The German defence had become a strong one. They had formed three -strong points, marked S1, S2, and S3 in the Diagram, p. 141. These, -together with several trenches, dotted here and there, broke up every -attack, and when once order was broken it was almost impossible in -the tangle and obscurity for the troops to preserve any cohesion or -direction. Those troops which penetrated between the strong points -found themselves with the enemy in their rear and were in a -disorganised condition, which was only {139} overcome by the -individual bravery of the men, who refused to be appalled by the -difficult situation in which they found themselves. - -The attack of the 55th Brigade was made from the sunken road -immediately south of the wood, and it ran at once into so heavy a -barrage that it lost heavily before it had reached even the edge of -its objective. The 7th West Kents, who formed the attacking force, -were not to be denied, however, and they pushed forward through a -deepening gloom, for it was seven in the evening before the signal -had been given. Whilst the Kents fought up from the south, the -Queen's Surreys attempted to win a lodgment on the north-west where -the Longueval Alley led up from Bernafoy Wood. They also suffered -heavily from the barrage, and only a few brave men reached the top of -the wood and held on there for some hours. The West Kents passed the -line of strong points and then lost touch with each other, until they -had resolved themselves into two or three separate groups holding -together as best they could in the darkness with the enemy all round -them, and with the communications cut behind them. The telephone -wires had all been broken by the barrage, and the anxious commanders -could only know that the attack had failed, that no word came back -from the front, and that a British battalion had been swallowed up by -the wood. - -The orders were peremptory, however, that the position should be -taken, and General Maxse, without hesitation, threw a second of his -brigades into the dangerous venture. It was the 54th Brigade which -moved to the attack. It was just past midnight when the soldiers -went forward. The actual assault {140} was carried out from south to -north, on the same line as the advance of the West Rents. The -storming battalions were the 6th Northamptons and 12th Middlesex, the -former to advance direct through the wood and the latter to clean up -behind them and to form a defensive flank on the right. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{141} - -[Illustration: TRONES WOOD Attack of 54th Brigade July 13th, 1916.] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -The attack was a fine feat of arms. Though heavily hit by the -barrage, the Northamptons, closely followed by two companies of the -Middlesex, pushed their way into the wood and onwards. It was pitch -dark, and the men were stumbling continually over the fallen trees -and the numerous dead bodies which lay among the undergrowth. None -the less, they kept touch, and plodded steadily onwards. The gallant -Clark was shot, but another officer led the Northamptons against the -central strong point, for it had been wisely determined to leave no -enemy in the rear. Shortly after dawn on July 14 this point was -carried, and the Northamptons were able to get forward. By 8 o'clock -the wood was full of scattered groups of British infantry, but the -situation was so confused that the colonel went forward and rallied -them into a single line which formed across the wood. This line -advanced until it came level with the strong point S3, which was -captured. A number of the enemy then streamed out of the eastern -side of the wood, making for Guillemont. These men came under -British machine-gun fire and lost heavily. The remaining strong -point at S1 had been taken by a mixed group of Buffs and Middlesex -about 9 A.M. These three strong points having been occupied, the -whole wood was now swept clear and was permanently occupied, though -still subjected to very heavy shell {142} fire by the enemy. Thus, -the right flank of the army was covered, and the important operations -of July 14 were enabled to go forward without danger of molestation. -Of the two gallant battalions who mainly achieved this important -result, the losses of the Northamptons were about 300, and of the -Middlesex about half that amount. - -There was an epilogue which was as honourable to the troops concerned -as the main attack had been. This concerns the fate of the men of -West Kent, who, as will be remembered, had been cut off in the wood. -The main body of these, under the regimental adjutant, together with -a few men of the Queen's, formed a small defensive position and held -out in the hope of relief. They were about 200 all told, and their -position seemed so hopeless that every excuse might have been found -for surrender. They held out all night, however, and in the morning -they were successfully relieved by the advance of the 54th Brigade. -It is true that no severe attack was made upon them during the night, -but their undaunted front may have had something to do with their -immunity. Once, in the early dawn, a German officer actually came up -to them under the impression that they were his own men--his last -mistake upon earth. It is notable that the badges of six different -German regiments were found in the wood, which seemed to indicate -that it was held by picked men or volunteers from many units. "To -the death!" was their password for the night, and to their honour be -it said that they were mostly true to it. So also were the British -stormers, of whom Sir Henry Rawlinson said: "The night attack on and -final capture of Trones Wood were feats of arms {143} which will rank -high among the best achievements of the British Army." - -An account of this fortnight of desperate and almost continuous -fighting is necessarily concerned chiefly with the deeds of the -infantry, but it may fitly end with a word as to the grand work of -the artillery, without whom in modern warfare all the valour and -devotion of the foot-soldier are but a useless self-sacrifice. -Nothing could exceed the endurance and the technical efficiency of -the gunners. No finer tribute could be paid them than that published -at the time from one of their own officers, which speaks with heart -and with knowledge: "They worked their guns with great accuracy and -effect without a moment's cessation by day or by night for ten days, -and I don't believe any artillery have ever had a higher or a longer -test or have done it more splendidly. And these gunners, when the -order came that we must pull out and go with the infantry--do you -think they were glad or willing? Devil a bit! They were sick as -muck and only desired to stay on and continue killing Bosches. And -these men a year ago not even soldiers--much less gunners! Isn't it -magnificent--and is it not enough to make the commander of such men -uplifted?" No cold and measured judgment of the historian can ever -convey their greatness with the conviction produced by one who stood -by them in the thick of the battle and rejoiced in the manhood of -those whom he had himself trained and led. - - - - -{144} - -CHAPTER VI - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -The Breaking of the Second Line. July 14, 1916 - -The great night advance--The Leicester Brigade at Bazentin--Assault -by Seventh Division--Success of the Third Division--Desperate fight -of Ninth Division at Longueval--Operations of First Division on -flank--Cavalry advance. - - -With the fall of Mametz Wood, the impending capture of Trones Wood -upon the right, and the close investment of Ovillers upon the left -flank, the army could now face the second line of German defences. -The ground in front of them sloped gently upwards until it reached -the edge of a rolling plateau. Upon this edge were three villages: -Little Bazentin upon the left, Grand Bazentin upon the centre, and -Longueval upon the right, all nestling among orchards and flanked by -woods. Through these lay the enemy's position, extending to Pozières -upon the one side, and through Guillemont to the French junction on -the other. These two flanks were for the time to be disregarded, and -it was determined to strike a heavy frontal blow which would, as it -was hoped, crush in the whole middle of their line, leaving the sides -to be dealt with at our leisure. It was a most {145} formidable -obstacle, for all three villages were as strong as the German sappers -could make them, and were connected up with great lines of trenches, -the whole front which was to be attacked covering about 6000 yards. -A small wood screened Little Bazentin on the left, while behind -Longueval, facing the right attack, was a larger plantation which, -under the name of Delville Wood, has won for itself a terrible and -glorious name in British military history. - -[Illustration: The Second German Line, Bazentins, Delville Wood, etc.] - -The heavy guns had been advanced and the destruction of the German -wire and trenches had begun upon July 11. On the evening of the 13th -the troops mustered for the battle. They were all divisions which -had already been heavily engaged, and some of them had endured losses -in the last fortnight which might have seemed to be sufficient to put -them out of action. None the less they were not only eager for the -fight, but they were, as it proved, capable of performing the most -arduous and delicate of all operations, a night march in the face of -the enemy. More than a thousand yards of clear ground lay at many -points between the British outposts and the German trenches. To -cover it in daylight meant, as they had so often learned, a heavy -loss. It was ordered, therefore, that the troops should move up to -within striking distance in the darkness, and dash home with the -first glimmer of morning light. There was no confusion, no loss of -touch as 25,000 stormers took up their stations, and so little sound -that the Germans seem to have been unaware of the great gathering in -their immediate front. It was ticklish work, lying for hours within -point-blank range with no cover, but the men endured it as best they -might. With the first faint dawn the long line {146} sprang to their -feet and with a cheer dashed forward at the German trenches, while -the barrage rose and went roaring to eastward whence help might come -to the hard-pressed German defence. - -On the extreme left of the section attacked was the First Regular -Division, which took no part in the actual advance but held the flank -in the neighbourhood of Contalmaison Villa, and at one period of the -day sent forward its right-hand battalion, the 1st North Lancashires, -to aid their neighbours in the fight. - -The left of the line of actual attack was formed by the Twenty-first -Division opposite to Bazentin-le-Petit. This attack was carried out -upon a single brigade front, and the Brigade in question was the -110th from the Thirty-seventh Division. This division made no -appearance as a unit in the Battle of the Somme, but was several -times engaged in its separate brigades. On this occasion the 110th, -consisting entirely of men of Leicester, took the place of the 63rd -Brigade, much reduced by previous fighting. Their immediate -objective was the north end of Bazentin-le-Petit village and the -whole of the wood of that name. Led by the 8th and 9th Leicesters -the brigade showed, as has so often been shown before, that the -British soldier never fights better than in his first engagement. -Owing to the co-operation of the First Division and to a very -effective smoke screen upon their left, their advance was not -attended with heavy loss in the earlier stages, and they were able to -flow over the open and into the trenches opposite, capturing some 500 -prisoners. They continued to fight their way with splendid -steadiness through the wood {147} and held it for the remainder of -the day. Their greatest trouble came from a single German strong -point which was 200 yards away from the corner of the wood, and, -therefore, beyond their objective. The machine-guns in this redoubt -caused great loss whenever the edge of the wood was approached. This -strong point was destroyed next day, but meanwhile the position was -consolidated and was firmly held for the next four days, after which -the division was withdrawn for a rest. - -On the right of the Twenty-first Division lay the Seventh Division, -to which had been assigned the assault of the Bazentin-le-Petit -village. The leading brigade was the 20th, and the storming -battalions, the 8th Devons and 2nd Borders, crept up to their mark in -the darkness of a very obscure night. At 3.25 the barrage was -lifted, and so instantaneous was the attack that there was hardly an -interval between the last of the shrapnel and the first of the -stormers. The whole front line was captured in an instant, and the -splendid infantry rushed on without a pause to the second line, -springing into the trenches once more at the moment that the gunners -raised their pieces. In ten minutes both of these powerful lines had -fallen. Several dug-outs were found to be crammed with the enemy, -including the colonel of the Lehr Battalion, and with the -machine-guns which they had been unable to hoist into their places -before the wave had broken over them. When these were cleared, the -advance was carried on into Bazentin-le-Grand Wood, which was soon -occupied from end to end. A line in front of the wood was taken up -and consolidated. - -In the meanwhile the 22nd Brigade had taken {148} up the work, the -2nd Warwicks pushing forward and occupying, without any opposition -from the disorganised enemy, the Circus Trench, while the 2nd Royal -Irish advanced to the attack of the village of Bazentin-le-Petit. -Their leading company rushed the position with great dash, capturing -the colonel commanding the garrison, and about 100 of his men. By -7.30 the place was in their hands, and the leading company had pushed -into a trench on the far side of it, getting into touch with the -Leicesters on their left. - -The Germans were by no means done with, however, and they were -massing thickly to the north and north-east of the houses where some -scattered orchards shrouded their numbers and their dispositions. As -the right of the brigade seemed to be in the air, a brave sergeant of -the 2nd Warwicks set off to establish touch with the 1st -Northumberland Fusiliers, who formed the left unit of the Third -Division upon the right. As he returned he spotted a German -machine-gun in a cellar, entered it, killed the gunner, and captured -four guns. The wings of the two divisions were then able to -co-operate and to clear the ground in front of them. - -The Irishmen in the advance were still in the air, however, having -got well ahead of the line, and they were now assailed by a furious -fire from High Wood, followed by a determined infantry assault. This -enfilade fire caused heavy losses, and the few survivors of those who -garrisoned the exposed trench were withdrawn to the shelter afforded -by the outskirts of the village. There and elsewhere the Lewis guns -had proved invaluable, for every man of intelligence in the battalion -had been trained to their use, and in {149} spite of gunners being -knocked out, there was never any lack of men to take their place. -The German counter-attack pushed on, however, and entered the -village, which was desperately defended not only by the scattered -infantrymen who had been driven back to it, but also by the -consolidating party from the 54th Field Company Royal Engineers and -half the 24th Manchester Pioneer Battalion. At this period of the -action a crowd of men from various battalions had been driven down to -the south end of the village in temporary disorganisation due to the -rapidity of the advance and the sudden severity of the -counter-attack. These men were re-formed by the adjutant of the -Irish, and were led by him against the advancing Germans, whom they -drove back with the bayonet, finally establishing themselves on the -northern edge of Bazentin-le-Petit Wood, which they held until -relieved later by the 2nd Gordons of the 20th Brigade. At the same -time the village itself was cleared by the 2nd Warwicks, while the -1st Welsh Fusiliers drove the Germans out of the line between the -windmill and the cemetery. The trench held originally by the Irish -was retaken, and in it was found a British officer, who had been -badly wounded and left for a time in the hands of the enemy. He -reported that they would not dress him, and prodded at him with their -bayonets, but that an officer had stopped them from killing him. No -further attempt was made by the Germans to regain the position of -Bazentin. The losses, especially those of the Royal Irish, had been -very heavy during the latter part of the engagement. - -Much had been done, but the heavy task of the Seventh Division was -not yet at an end. At {150} 3.20 P.M. the reserve Brigade (91st) -were ordered to attack the formidable obstacle of High Wood, the -100th Brigade of the Thirty-third Division (Landon) co-operating from -the left side, while a handful of cavalry from the 7th Dragoon Guards -and 20th Deccan Horse made an exhilarating, if premature, appearance -upon the right flank, to which some allusion is made at the end of -this chapter. The front line of the 91st Brigade, consisting of the -2nd Queen's Surrey and 1st South Staffords, marched forward in the -traditional style of the British line, taking no notice of an -enfilade fire from the Switch Trench, and beating back a sortie from -the wood. At the same time the Brigadier of the 100th Brigade upon -the left pushed forward his two leading battalions, the 1st Queen's -Surrey and the 9th Highland Light Infantry, to seize and hold the -road which led from High Wood to Bazentin-le-Petit. This was done in -the late evening of July 14, while their comrades of the Seventh -Division successfully reached the south end of the wood, taking three -field-guns and 100 prisoners. The Queen's and part of the Highland -Light Infantry were firmly in possession of the connecting road, but -the right flank of the Highlanders was held up owing to the fact that -the north-west of the wood was still in the hands of the enemy and -commanded their advance. We will return to the situation which -developed in this part of the field during the succeeding days after -we have taken a fuller view of the doings upon the rest of the line -during the battle of July 14. It may be said here, however, that the -facility with which a footing was established in High Wood proved to -be as fallacious as the parallel case of Mametz Wood, and that many a -weary week was to pass, and many a {151} brave man give his heart's -blood, before it was finally to be included in the British lines. -For the present, it may be stated that the 91st Brigade could not -hold the wood because it was enfiladed by the uncaptured Switch -Trench, and that they therefore retired after dusk on the 15th. - -To return to the story of the main battle. The centre of the attack -was carried out by the Third Division, one of the most famous units -in the Army, though it now only retained three of the veteran -battalions which had held the line at Mons. The task of the Third -Division was to break the centre of the German line from Grand -Bazentin upon the left where it touched the Seventh to Longueval on -the right where it joined with the Ninth Division. The 8th Brigade -was on the right, the 9th upon the left, while the 76th was in -support. The attacking troops advanced in the darkness in fours, -with strong patrols in front, and deployed within 200 yards of the -German wire, capturing a German patrol which blundered into their -ranks. Upon the word being given at the first faint gleam of dawn, -the leading battalions trudged forward in the slow, determined -fashion which had been found to be more effective than the -spectacular charge. From the left the front line consisted of the -12th West Yorkshires, the 13th King's Liverpools, the 7th -Shropshires, and the 8th East Yorks. The wire upon the right was -found to be very partially cut, and the line of stormers was held up -under a murderous fire. There were gaps here and there, however, so -that the colonel at the head of his Shropshires was able to force a -passage at one point, while two gallant platoons of the East -Yorkshires got {152} through at another, and pushed boldly on into -the German line. The main body, however, were forced for a time to -take cover and keep up a fire upon the enemies' heads as they peered -occasionally from over the parapets. - -The left brigade had been more fortunate, finding the wire to be well -cut. The front trench was not strongly held, and was easily carried. -Both the King's Liverpools and the West Yorkshires got through, but -as they had separated in the advance the greater part of the 1st -Northumberland Fusiliers were thrust into the gap and restored the -line. These men, supported by Stokes guns, carried the village of -Grand Bazentin by 6.30 A.M. There was a deadly fire from the Grand -Bazentin Wood upon the left, but as the Seventh Division advanced -this died away, and the 12th West Yorkshires were able to get round -to the north edge of the village, but could get no farther on account -of the hold-up of the 8th Brigade upon the right. There was a -considerable delay, but at last by 1 P.M. a renewed bombardment had -cut the wires, and strong bombing parties from the supporting -battalions, the 2nd Royal Scots and 1st Scots Fusiliers, worked down -the front trench from each end. The whole brigade was then able to -advance across the German front line, which was at once consolidated. - -The losses in this attack had been heavy, the 12th West Yorkshires -alone having 15 officers, including their colonel, and 350 men out of -action. The results, however, were solid, as not only was the whole -front of the German position crushed in, but 36 officers with 650 men -were taken, together with four small howitzers, four field-guns, and -fourteen machine-guns. {153} A counter-attack was inevitable and -consolidation was pushed forward with furious energy. "Every one was -digging like madmen, all mixed up with the dead and the dying." One -counter-attack of some hundreds of brave men did charge towards them -in the afternoon, but were scattered to the winds by a concentration -of fire. The position was permanently held. - -The Ninth Division was on the immediate right of the Third, facing -Longueval, a straggling village which lay against the sinister -background of Delville Wood. The Division was, as will be -remembered, the first of the new armies, and had distinguished itself -greatly at Loos. It had been entirely a Highland Division, but it -had undergone a picturesque change by the substitution of the South -African Infantry Brigade in place of the 28th. The attack upon -Longueval was carried out by the 26th Brigade, the 8th Black Watch -and 10th Argyll and Sutherlands in the lead, with the 9th Seaforths -in support and the 5th Camerons in reserve. The advance was so fine -as to rouse the deepest admiration from an experienced French officer -who observed it. "Who would believe," he wrote, "that only a few -months ago not one of these men knew anything of the soldier's -profession? They carried themselves as superbly as the Old Guard. -Once I was near enough to see their faces as they deployed for attack -under the devastating fire rained on them.... Their teeth were set -and their eyes were fixed firmly on the goal towards which they were -advancing. They were determined to achieve their object, and nothing -but death would stop them.... Only those who were seriously hit -thought of dropping out. The others {154} pressed proudly on, -regardless of the pain they suffered, and took part in the final -charge in which the enemy were driven from the position." Such a -tribute from a soldier to soldiers is indeed a glory. - -The village and the trenches around it were taken with a splendid -rush, but the fighting among the houses was of a desperate character, -"more so," says the same observer, "than any I had seen before." The -Germans refused to give or take quarter. When the Highlanders broke -the line they cut off those who held the trench. The officer in -command offered quarter. The German commander refused. "I and my -men," he replied, "have orders to defend this ground with our lives. -German soldiers know how to obey orders. We thank you for your -offer, but we die where we stand." When the Highlanders finally took -possession of the trench, all but a mere handful of the defenders -were dead. It is episodes like this which would make us ready to -take a German by the hand if it were not that his country's hand is -red with innocent blood. - -The defence was not everywhere equally desperate. As the Highlanders -dashed past the trenches and into the scattered group of houses which -marked the village, grey figures darted round corners, or rushed out -with hands to heaven. Many prisoners were taken. Here and there -groups of brave men sold their lives dearly, especially in some ruins -at the east end of the village. The blast of fire from this place -was so hot that for a moment the advance was staggered; but a brave -piper ran to the front, and the joyous lilt of "The Campbells are -coming" sent the clansmen flooding onwards once more. Neither -bullets, bombs, nor liquid fire could stop {155} them, and the last -German was stabbed or shot amid the broken walls of his shattered -fort. - -The main part or west of Longueval was now in the hands of the -Scotsmen, but the place is peculiarly shaped, tailing away in a thin -line to the northwards, the scattered houses in that direction being -commanded by the wood, which runs right up to them on their southern -side. It was clear that no complete conquest could be made until -this wood also was in the hands of our stormers. The operation was a -difficult one, and far too large to be carried out upon that day. -The South African Brigade was therefore ordered up from Montauban, -with instructions that they should attack Delville Wood at dawn of -July 15. - -Here we may break off the narrative of the battle of July 14, though -it is difficult to do so, since these operations shade imperceptibly -into each other, and the fighting never really came to an end. The -main results, however, had become clear by that evening, and they -amounted to a very great success, unalloyed by any failure. Every -division had carried its point and added to its glories. Four -villages, three woods, 6000 yards of front, and 2000 of depth had -been added to our lines. Two thousand more prisoners had been taken, -bringing the total for the fortnight to the substantial figure of -10,000; while twelve heavy and forty-two field-guns had also been -taken during that time. Above all, the British had got their grip -firmly upon the edge of the plateau, though many a weary day of -fighting was to follow before the tenacious enemy had been driven -from it, and the whole position was in British hands. - -The reader is to understand clearly that though the operations of -July 14 crushed in the face of the {156} German line along the whole -central position, the flanks both to the right and to the left were -still inviolate. Upon the German right the whole range of powerful -fortifications which extended through Pozières to Thiepval were -untouched, while upon the German left the equally formidable line -stretching from Longueval through Waterlot Farm and Guillemont to -Falfemont Farm was also intact. It is correct, then, to say that the -German second line had been stormed and penetrated, but it had not -been captured throughout its full extent, and the greater part of the -autumn campaign was to pass before this had been accomplished. The -reduction of the German right wing will be recounted in the chapters -which deal with Gough's army, to whom the task was assigned. That of -the left wing is covered by the narrative, which gives some details -of the numerous, bloody, and protracted attacks which ended in the -capture of Guillemont. - -Meanwhile a word may be said as to the operations of the First -Division, who had been upon the left of the attack upon July 14, and -had covered that flank without attempting an advance. Upon the night -of July 15 they moved forward to attack the continuation of the -German second line system between the captured Bazentin and the -uncaptured Pozières. The attack was made by the 3rd Brigade, the 2nd -Munsters being to the left, the 1st South Wales Borderers to the -right, and the 1st Gloucesters in the centre with the 2nd Welsh in -reserve. No less than 1200 yards of No Man's Land had to be crossed, -but this was the more easy since both Pearl Wood and Contalmaison -Villa were occupied. A daring daylight reconnaissance by the colonel -of the {157} Gloucesters greatly helped the advance. The men were -marched silently in platoons along the road, and then re-formed into -line on the far side of the enemy's barrage, a manoeuvre which in the -darkness called for great steadiness and discipline, the line being -dressed on a shaded lamp in the wood. On the word the eager troops -pushed on with such speed that they crossed the German front trenches -and were into the second before their own barrage had properly -lifted. Pushing forward again, they were soon some hundreds of yards -past their objective, where they halted close to the formidable -Switch Line, having occupied all of the second line system in their -front. Their formation was now so dense, and they were so close to -the German machine-guns, that there was a possibility of disaster, -which was increased by the Welsh Borderers losing direction and -charging towards a body of men whom they dimly saw in front of them, -who proved to be the Gloucesters. Fine restraint upon both sides -prevented a catastrophe. Officers and men were now keen to push on -and to attack the Switch Line, from which flares were rising; but -prudence forbade the opening up of an entirely new objective, and the -men were drawn back to the captured German trenches. So ended a -successful and almost bloodless operation. - -It has been stated in the account of the action of July 14 that at -one stage of the battle the cavalry advanced, but it was impossible -to stop the description of a large movement to follow the fortunes of -this small tactical stroke. None the less the matter was important, -as being the first blood lost or drawn by cavalry, as cavalry, since -the early months of the War. The idea was, that by a sudden move -forward a small {158} body of horse might establish itself in advance -of the general line, and occupy a position which it could hold until -the slower infantry came forward to take it over. This was actually -done, and the movement may therefore be claimed as a successful -experiment. The two detachments from the Deccan Horse and 7th -Dragoon Guards galloped three miles from the rear, so as to be under -observation as short a time as possible, passed swiftly through the -lines of the astonished and jubilant infantry, and riding right into -the enemy's position upon our right centre, established themselves in -a strong point, and, aided by a friendly monoplane, beat off the -German attacks. The advance was at six in the evening, and it was -able to hold on until nightfall and to hand over in the early morning -to the infantry. Some 40 Germans fell to lance or sabre, and a few -were taken prisoners by the daring cavaliers, who suffered somewhat -heavily, as they might well expect to do in so novel and desperate a -venture. - - - - -{159} - -CHAPTER VII - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -July 14 to July 31 - -Gradual advance of First Division--Hard fighting of Thirty-third -Division at High Wood--The South Africans in Delville Wood--The great -German counter-attack--Splendid work of 26th Brigade--Capture of -Delville Wood by 99th Brigade--Indecisive fighting on the Guillemont -front. - - -The central fact of the situation after the battle of Bazentin was -that although the second German line had been broken, the gap made -was little more than three miles wide, and must be greatly extended -upon either flank before a general advance upon the third line could -take place. This meant that the left wing must push out in the -Pozières direction, and that the right wing must get Ginchy and -Guillemont. For the time the central British position was not an -advantageous one, as it formed a long salient bending from High Wood -through Delville Wood to Guillemont, so placed that it was open to -direct observation all along, and exposed to converging fire which -could be directed with all the more accuracy as it was upon points so -well known to the Germans, into which the guns, communications, and -reserves were now {160} crammed. Sir Douglas Haig's great -difficulties were increased by a long spell of wet and cloudy -weather, which neutralised his advantages in the air. Everything was -against the British General except the excellence of his artillery -and the spirit of his troops. The French upon the right, whose tally -of guns and prisoners were up to date higher than those of the -British, had an equally hard front to attack, including the four -strong villages of Maurepas, Le Forest, Raucourt, and Fregicourt, -with many woods and systems of trenches. Their whole work in the -battle had been worthy of their military history, and could not be -surpassed, either in the dispositions of General Foch or in the -valour of his men. Neither their infantry nor ours had ever -relinquished one square yard that they had wrenched from the tight -grip of the invader. - -In each area of the battle of July 14 some pressing task was left to -be accomplished, and the fighting was very severe at certain points -for some days later. We shall first turn to the north of the line, -where new divisions had come into action. One of these already -mentioned was the First Division. It was indeed pleasing and -reassuring to observe how many of the new divisional generals were -men whose names recalled good service as regimental officers. Many -who now wore the crossed swords upon their shoulders had been -battalion commanders in 1914. It is indeed well with an army when -neither seniority nor interest but good hard service upon the field -of battle puts officers in charge of the lives of men. - -The First Division had taken the place of the Twenty-third after the -fall of Contalmaison, and had pushed its way up until it was level -with the line of {161} their comrades on the right, whence in the -manner described at the end of the last chapter they drove their line -forward upon July 15. On the 20th they received a rebuff, however, -the 1st Northants being held up by a very formidable German trench -called Munster Alley. The ground already gained was consolidated, -however, and the division lay with its left touching the Australians -on the right of Gough's army, and its right connected with the -Thirty-third Division, whose doings at High Wood will presently be -considered. For the purpose of continuity of narrative it will be -best to continue with a short summary of the doings of the First -Division upon the left wing of the advance, their general task being -to hold that flank against German counter-attacks, and to push -forward wherever possible. It was continuous hard work which, like -so many of these operations, could gain little credit, since there -was no fixed point but only a maze of trenches in front of them. The -storming of a nameless ditch may well call for as high military -virtue as the taking of a historic village, and yet it seems a -slighter thing in the lines of a bulletin. Munster Alley and the -great Switch Line faced the First Division, two most formidable -obstacles. On July 23, in the early morning, the 2nd Brigade of the -First Division attacked the Switch Line, in conjunction with the -Australians, on the left, and the Nineteenth Division to the right. -The attack was held up, Colonel Bircham of the 2nd Rifles and many -officers and men being killed. Colonel Bircham was a particularly -gallant officer, who exposed himself fearlessly upon every occasion, -and it is on record that when remonstrated with by his adjutant for -his reckless disregard {162} of danger, he answered, "You know as -well as I do where a colonel of the 60th ought to be." Such lives -are an example and such deaths an inspiration. Altogether the 2nd -Rifles lost about 250 men in this night attack, and the other first -line battalions--the 2nd Sussex, 10th Gloucesters, and 1st Cameron -Highlanders--were all hard hit. The failure seems to have been -partly due to misdirection in the dark. - -Upon July 25 the 1st South Wales Borderers of the 3rd Brigade -attacked Munster Alley, but were again unable to get forward on -account of the machine-guns. Nothing daunted, the 2nd Welsh had -another fling at Munster Alley next day, and actually took it, but -had not weight enough to consolidate and to hold it. On the other -hand, the British line was held inviolate, and a strong German attack -upon July 25 towards Pozières was repulsed with loss. - -The Twenty-third Division relieved the First and were in turn -relieved by the Fifteenth in this sector, which faced the Switch -Trench and Martinpuich. The Switch Line was exposed to a very heavy -fire for several days, at the end of which it was attacked by this -famous division, the same in number at least as that which had left -nearly two-thirds of its rank and file upon the bloody slopes of Hill -70. On August 12 the advance was carried out with great dash: the -45th Brigade upon the left and the 46th upon the right. The attack -was only partially successful, and the 46th Brigade was held up -through the fact that the Germans had themselves been in the act of -attack, so that the trenches were very strongly held. The operations -continued, however, and the initial gains were enlarged, until {163} -upon August 20 the whole Switch Line fell and was permanently -consolidated. - -Leaving this left sector we must turn to the Thirty-third Division on -its right, two battalions of which had got forward on July 15, as far -as the line of the road connecting High Wood with Little Bazentin. -The right flank of the Highland Light Infantry had been held up by -fire from this wood, and in the evening the 91st Brigade of the -Seventh Division had evacuated the southern edge of the wood in order -to allow of bombardment. That was the position on the night of July -15. - -The line of the road was held all night, and early next morning the -advance was ordered upon the German Switch Trench in front. It was -hoped that the wood had been cleared during the night, but in the -morning the Highlanders found themselves still galled by the -continual fire upon their right. It was clear that the attack could -not go forward with such an impediment upon the flank--one more -instance of a brigade being held up by a handful of concealed men. -It was hoped that the enemy had been silenced, and the attack was -made, but no sooner had it developed than a murderous fire burst from -the wood, making it impossible for the Highlanders to get along -farther than the road. The 1st Queen's, however, being farther from -the wood were able to get on to the Switch Trench, but found it -heavily wired and stiff with men. Such a battalion does not take -"No" easily, and their colonel, with a large proportion of their -officers and men, was stretched in front of the fatal wire before it -became evident that further perseverance would mean destruction. The -16th Rifles and half the 2nd Worcesters, the remaining {164} -battalions of the 100th Brigade, were brought up, but no further -advance was possible until the wire could be cut by the guns. About -four in the afternoon of July 16 the remains of the brigade were back -in the road from which they had started. The attack had failed, -partly from the enfilade fire of High Wood, partly from the -impassable wire. - -The 98th Brigade was on the left of the 100th, filling up the gap to -Bazentin village. They had extended their right in order to help -their sorely-tried comrades, and they had themselves advanced upon -the line of the Switch Trench--the 1st Middlesex leading, with the -4th Suffolk in support. The 2nd Argyll and Sutherlands with the 4th -King's Liverpool were in reserve. They got well forward, but ceased -their advance when it was found that no progress could be made upon -the right. Thus, for the time, the division was brought to a stand. -That night the 19th Brigade relieved the 100th, which had been very -hard hit in this action. After the change the 1st Scottish Rifles -and the 20th Royal Fusiliers formed the front line of the 19th -Brigade, the Rifles in touch with the 22nd Brigade of the 7th upon -their right, while the Fusiliers were in touch with the 98th Brigade -upon their left. - -The general situation did not admit of an immediate attack, and the -Germans took advantage of the pause to strengthen and slightly to -advance their position. On July 17 the hard-worked Twenty-first -Division upon the left was drawn out, and both the Thirty-third and -Seventh had to extend their fronts. On the other hand, the First -Division came in upon the left and occupied a portion of the -Bazentin-le-Petit Wood. The position at that time was {165} roughly -that the Seventh Division covered the front from High Wood to -Bazentin Grand, the Thirty-third Division from Bazentin Grand to -Bazentin Petit, and the First was from their left to Pozières. - -Upon July 18 there was a very heavy German attack upon Delville Wood, -which is treated elsewhere. This was accompanied by a severe barrage -fire upon the Bazentins and upon Mametz Wood, which continued all -day. That night the Nineteenth Division came into line, taking over -Bazentin Petit, both village and wood. The Thirty-third Division -moved to the right and took some pressure off the Seventh, which had -done such long and arduous service. These incessant changes may seem -wearisome to the reader, but without a careful record of them the -operations would become chaos to any one who endeavoured to follow -them in detail. It is to be emphasised that though divisions -continually changed, the corps to which they temporarily belonged did -not change, or only at long intervals, so that when you are within -its area you can always rely upon it that in this particular case -Horne of the Fifteenth Corps is the actual brain which has the -immediate control of the battle. - -As the pressure upon Congreve's Thirteenth Corps on the right at -Delville Wood and elsewhere was considerable, it was now deemed -advisable to attack strongly by the Fifteenth Corps. The units for -attack were the Thirty-third Division upon the left, and the depleted -Seventh upon their right. There was to be no attack upon the left of -the Thirty-third Division, but the 56th Brigade of the Nineteenth -Division was handed over to the 33rd Division to strengthen the -force. The objectives to {166} be attacked were once again High Wood -(Bois des Foureaux), Switch Trench, and the connecting trench between -them. The Seventh Division attacked east of the wood on the line -between it and Delville Wood. - -The assault upon High Wood was assigned to the 19th Brigade. The 2nd -Worcesters of the 98th Brigade were pushed out so as to cover the -left flank of the assaulting column. At 2 A.M. of July 20 the two -advance battalions of stormers, the 5th Scottish Rifles on the right, -the 1st Scottish Rifles upon the left, were formed up in open ground -outside the British wire. Preceded by scouts, they went silently -forward through the gloom until they approached the south-western -edge of the wood. A terrific bombardment was going on, and even -those stout northern hearts might have quailed at the unknown dangers -of that darksome wood, lit from moment to moment by the red glare of -the shells. As the barrage lifted, the wave of infantry rushed -forward, the 5th Scottish Rifles making for the eastern edge, while -the 1st Regular Battalion pushed on in the endeavour to win through -and secure the northern edge. - -It was speedily found that the tenacious enemy had by no means -loosened his grip of the wood. A portion of the Switch Trench runs -through it, and this was strongly held, a line of spirting flames -amid the shadow of the shattered trees. Machine-guns and wire were -everywhere. None the less, the dour Scots stuck to their point, -though the wood was littered with their dead. Both to east and to -north they slowly pushed their way onwards to their objectives. It -was a contest of iron wills, and every yard won was paid for in -blood. By 9 o'clock the whole of the {167} southern half of the wood -had been cleared, the leading troops being helped by the 20th -Fusiliers, who followed behind them, clearing up the lurking Germans. -At that hour the northern end of the wood was still strongly held by -the enemy, while the stormers had become much disorganised through -loss of officers and through the utter confusion and disintegration -which a night attack through a wood must necessarily entail. - -The remaining battalion of the 19th Brigade, the 2nd Welsh Fusiliers, -was, at this critical moment, thrown into the fight. A heavy barrage -was falling, and considerable losses were met with before the wood -was entered; but the Fusiliers went forward with splendid steadiness -and dash, their colonel taking entire local command. In the early -afternoon, having got abreast of the exhausted Scottish Rifles, who -had been under the hottest fire for nearly twelve hours, the Welsh -attacked the north end of the wood, their advance being preceded by a -continuous fire from our Stokes mortars, that portable heavy -artillery which has served us so well. The enemy was still -unabashed, but the advance was irresistible, and by 7 P.M. the -British were for a time in possession of the whole of the -blood-sodden plantation. It was a splendid passage of arms, in which -every devilry which an obstinate and ingenious defence could command -was overcome by the inexorable British infantry. The grim -pertinacity of the Scots who stood that long night of terror, and the -dash of the Welsh who carried on the wave when it was at the ebb, -were equally fine; and solid, too, was the work of the public school -lads of the 20th Fusiliers, who gleaned behind the line. So terrific -was the shell-fire of the disappointed {168} Germans upon the north -end of the wood, that it was impossible to hold it; but the southern -part was consolidated by the 18th Middlesex Pioneer Battalion and by -the 11th Company Royal Engineers. - -Whilst the Thirty-third Division stormed High Wood, their neighbours -upon the right, the Seventh Division, depleted by heavy losses but -still full of spirit, had been given the arduous and important task -of capturing the roads running south-west from High Wood to -Longueval. The assaulting battalions, the 2nd Gordons on the left -and the 8th Devons on the right, Aberdeen and Plymouth in one battle -line, advanced and took their first objective through a heavy -barrage. Advancing farther, they attempted to dig in, but they had -got ahead of the attack upon the left, and all the machine-guns both -of Switch Trench and of High Wood were available to take them in -flank and rear. It was a deadly business--so deadly that out of the -two leading platoons of Gordons only one wounded officer and five men -ever got back. Finally, the whole line had to crawl back in small -groups to the first objective, which was being consolidated. That -evening, the Fifth Division took over the lines of the Seventh, who -were at last drawn out for a rest. The relief was marked by one -serious mishap, as Colonel Gordon, commanding a battalion of his -clansmen, was killed by a German shell. - -It has been stated that the 56th Brigade of the Nineteenth Division -had been placed under the orders of the Thirty-third Division during -these operations. Its role was to cover the left flank of the attack -and to keep the Germans busy in the Switch Line position. With this -object the {169} 56th Brigade, with the 57th Brigade upon its left, -advanced its front line upon the night of July 22, a movement in -which the 7th South Lancashires upon the right of the 56th Brigade -were in close touch with the 2nd Worcesters upon the left of the -100th Brigade. Going forward in the darkness with German trenches in -front of them and a raking fire from High Wood beating upon their -flank the Lancashire men lost heavily and were unable to gain a -footing in the enemy's position. This brigade had already suffered -heavily from shell-fire in its advance to the front trenches. Two -deaths which occurred during this short episode may be cited as -examples of the stuff which went to the building up of Britain's new -armies. Under the shell-fire fell brave old Lieutenant Webber, a -subaltern in the field, a Master of Foxhounds at home, father of -another dead subaltern, and 64 years old. In the night operation, -gallantly leading his company, and showing his comrades in the dark -how to keep direction by astronomy, fell Captain Gerard Garvin, -student, poet, essayist, and soldier, just 20 years of age. A book -might be written which would be a national inspiration dealing with -the lives of those glorious youths who united all that is beautiful -in the mind with all that is virile in the body, giving it -unreservedly in their country's cause. They are lives which are more -reminiscent of Sydney, Spencer, and the finer of the Elizabethans -than anything we could have hoped to evolve in these later days. -Raymond Asquith, Rupert Brooke, Charles Lister, Gerard Garvin, Julian -Grenfell, Donald Hankey, Francis Ledwidge, Neil Primrose, these are -some at least of this finest flower of British culture and valour, -men who sacrificed to the need of the {170} present their inheritance -as the natural leaders of the future. - -Though the Nineteenth Division was able to make no progress upon the -night of July 22, upon the next night one of their brigades, the -58th, reinforced by two other battalions, made a strong movement -forward, capturing the strong point upon the edge of the wood which -had wrought the mischief the night before, and also through the fine -work of the 10th Warwicks and 7th King's Own carrying the whole -British line permanently forward upon the right, though they could -make no headway upon the left. Some conception of the services of -the Nineteenth Division may be gathered from the fact that during the -month of July it had lost 6500 casualties. - -The Thirty-third Division was given a well-deserved rest after their -fine exploit in High Wood. During seven days' fighting it had lost -heavily in officers and men. Of individual battalions the heaviest -sufferers had been the two Scottish Rifle battalions, the 20th Royal -Fusiliers, the 1st Queen's Surrey, 9th Highland Light Infantry, and -very specially the 16th King's Royal Rifles. - -Whilst this very severe fighting had been going on upon the left -centre of the British advance, an even more arduous struggle had -engaged our troops upon the right, where the Germans had a -considerable advantage, since the whole of Delville Wood and -Longueval formed the apex of a salient which jutted out into their -position, and was open to a converging artillery fire from several -directions. This terrible fight, which reduced the Ninth Scottish -Division to about the strength of a brigade, and which caused heavy -losses also to the Third Division, who struck {171} in from the left -flank in order to help their comrades, was carried on from the time -when the Highland Brigade captured the greater part of the village of -Longueval, as already described in the general attack upon July 14. - -On the morning after the village was taken, the South African Brigade -had been ordered to attack Delville Wood. This fine brigade, under a -South African veteran, was composed of four battalions, the first -representing the Cape Colony, the second Natal and the Orange River, -the third the Transvaal, and the fourth the South African Scotsmen. -If South Africa could only give battalions where others gave brigades -or divisions, it is to be remembered that she had campaigns upon her -own frontiers in which her manhood was deeply engaged. The European -contingent was mostly British, but it contained an appreciable -proportion of Boers, who fought with all the stubborn gallantry which -we have good reason to associate with the name. Apart from the -infantry, it should be mentioned that South Africa had sent six heavy -batteries, a fine hospital, and many labour detachments and special -services, including a signalling company which had the reputation of -being the very best in the army, every man having been a civilian -expert. - -The South Africans advanced at dawn, and their broad line of -skirmishers pushed its way rapidly through the wood, sweeping all -opposition before it. By noon they occupied the whole tract with the -exception of the north-west corner. This was the corner which -abutted upon the houses north of Longueval, and the murderous -machine-guns in these buildings held the Africans off. By night, the -{172} whole perimeter of the wood had been occupied, and the brigade -was stretched round the edges of the trees and undergrowth. Already -they were suffering heavily, not only from the Longueval guns upon -their left, but from the heavy German artillery which had their range -to a nicety and against which there was no defence. With patient -valour they held their line, and endured the long horror of the -shell-fall during the night. - -Whilst the South Africans were occupying Delville Wood, the 27th -Brigade had a task which was as arduous, and met in as heroic a mood, -as that of their comrades on the day before. Their attack was upon -the orchards and houses to the north and east of Longueval, which had -been organised into formidable strong points and garrisoned by -desperate men. These strong points were especially dangerous on -account of the support which they could give to a counter-attack, and -it was thus that they did us great mischief. The Scottish Borderers, -Scots Fusiliers, and Royal Scots worked slowly forward during the -day, at considerable cost to themselves. Every house was a fortress -mutually supporting every other one, and each had to be taken by -assault. "I saw one party of half-a-dozen Royal Scots rush headlong -into a house with a yell, though there were Germans at every window. -Three minutes later one of the six came out again, but no more shots -ever came from that house." Such episodes, with ever-varying -results, made up that long day of desperate fighting, which was -rendered more difficult by the heavy German bombardment. The enemy -appeared to be resigned to the loss of the Bazentins, but all their -energy and guns were concentrated upon the reconquest {173} of -Longueval and Delville Wood. Through the whole of the 16th the -shelling was terribly severe, the missiles pitching from three -separate directions into the projecting salient. Furious assaults -and heavy shell-falls alternated for several days, while clouds of -bombers faced each other in a deadly and never-ending pelting match. -It was observed as typical of the methods of each nation that while -the Germans all threw together with mechanical and effective -precision, the British opened out and fought as each man judged best. -This fighting in the wood was very desperate and swayed back and -forwards. "It was desperate hand-to-hand work. The enemy had no -thought of giving in. Each man took advantage of the protection -offered by the trees, and fought until he was knocked out. The wood -seemed swarming with demons, who fought us tooth and nail." The -British and Africans were driven deeper into the wood. Then again -they would win their way forwards until they could see the open -country through the broken trunks of the lacerated trees. Then the -fulness of their tide would be reached, no fresh wave would come to -carry them forwards, and slowly the ebb drew them back once more into -the village and the forest. In this mixed fighting the Transvaal -battalion took 3 officers and 130 men prisoners, but their losses, -and those of the other African units, were very heavy. The senior -officer in the firing line behaved with great gallantry, rallying his -ever-dwindling forces again and again. A joint attack on the evening -of July 16 by the Cape men, the South African Scots, and the 11th -Royal Scots upon the north-west of the wood and the north of the -village was held up by wire and machine-guns, but the German {174} -counter-attacks had no better fate. During the whole of the 17th the -situation remained unchanged, but the strain upon the men was very -severe, and they were faced by fresh divisions coming up from -Bapaume. The Brigadier himself made his way into the wood, and -reported to the Divisional Commander the extremely critical state of -affairs. - -On the morning of July 18 the Third Division were able to give some -very valuable help to the hard-pressed Ninth. At the break of day -the 1st Gordons, supported by the 8th King's Liverpools, both from -the 76th Brigade, made a sudden and furious attack upon those German -strong points to the north of the village which were an ever-present -source of loss and of danger. "Now and again," says a remarkable -anonymous account of the incident, "during a lull in the roar of -battle, you could hear a strong Northern voice call out: 'On, -Gor-r-r-dons, on!' thrilling out the r's as only Scotsmen can. The -men seldom answered save by increasing their speed towards the goal. -Occasionally some of them called out the battle-cry heard so often -from the throats of the Gordons: 'Scotland for ever!' ... They were -out of sight over the parapet for a long time, but we could hear at -intervals that cry of 'On, Gor-r-r-dons, on!' varied with yells of -'Scotland for ever!' and the strains of the pipes. Then we saw -Highlanders reappear over the parapet. With them were groups of -German prisoners." - -The assault won a great deal of ground down the north-west edge of -Delville Wood and in the north of the village; but there were heavy -losses, and two of the strong points were still intact. All day the -bombardment was continuous and deadly, until {175} 4.30 in the -afternoon, when a great German infantry attack came sweeping from the -east, driving down through the wood and pushing before it with an -irresistible momentum the scattered bodies of Scottish and African -infantry, worn out by losses and fatigue. For a time it submerged -both wood and village, and the foremost grey waves emerged even to -the west of the village, where they were beaten down by the Lewis -guns of the defenders. The southern edge of the wood was still held -by the British, however, and here the gallant 26th Brigade threw -itself desperately upon the victorious enemy, and stormed forward -with all the impetuosity of their original attack. The Germans were -first checked and then thrown back, and the south end of the wood -remained in British hands. A finer or more successful local -counter-attack has seldom been delivered, and it was by a brigade -which had already endured losses which made it more fit for a -rest-camp than for a battle line. After this second exploit the four -splendid battalions were but remnants, the Black Watch having lost -very heavily, while the Argylls, the Seaforths, and the Camerons were -in no better case. Truly it can never be said that the grand records -of the historic regular regiments have had anything but renewed -lustre from the deeds of those civilian soldiers who, for a time, -were privileged to bear their names. - -Whilst this severe battle had been in progress, the losses of the -South Africans in Delville Wood had been terrible, and they had -fought with the energy of desperate men for every yard of ground. -Stands were made in the successive rides of the wood by the colonel -and his men. During the whole of the 19th these fine soldiers held -on against heavy pressure. {176} The colonel was the only officer of -his regiment to return. Even the Newfoundlanders had hardly a more -bloody baptism of fire than the South Africans, or emerged from it -with more glory. - -The situation now was that the south of the wood was held by the -British, but the north, including the greater part of the village, -was still held by the Germans. The worn-out Ninth Division, still -full of spirit, but lacking sadly in numbers, was brought out of line -upon July 19, and the Eighteenth English Division, fresh from its own -great ordeal in Trones Wood, came forward to take its place. At -seven in the morning of the 19th the 53rd Brigade attacked from the -south, the situation being so pressing that there was no time for -artillery preparation. The infantry went forward without it, and no -higher ordeal could be demanded of them. It was evident that there -was great danger of the strong German column breaking through to -westward and so outflanking the whole British line. Only a British -attack from north and from south could prevent its progress, so that -the Third Division were called upon for the one, and the Eighteenth -for the other. This wood of infamous memory is cut in two by one -broad ride, named Princes Street, dividing it into two halves, north -and south (_vide_ p. 181). The southern half was now attacked by the -8th Norfolks, who worked their way steadily forward in a long fringe -of bombers and riflemen. The Brigade-Major, Markes, and many -officers and men fell in the advance. After a pause, with the help -of their Lewis guns, the Norfolks pushed forward again, and by 2 -o'clock had made their way up to Princes Street along most of the -line, pushing the enemy down into the south-eastern corner. The -{177} remaining battalions of the brigade, the 10th Essex on the -right and the 6th Berkshires on the left, tried to fight their way -through the northern portion, while the 8th Suffolk attacked the -village. Half of the village up to the cross-roads in the centre was -taken by the Suffolk, but their comrades on the right were held up by -the heavy machine-gun fire, and at 5 P.M. were compelled to dig -themselves in. They maintained their new positions, under a terrific -shell-fire, for three weary and tragic days, at the end of which they -were relieved by the 4th Royal Fusiliers, a veteran battalion which -had fired some of the first shots of the War. - -These Fusiliers belonged to the Third Division which had, as already -said, been attacking from the north side of the wood, while the -Eighteenth were on the south side. On July 19 this attack had been -developed by the 2nd Suffolk and the 10th Welsh Fusiliers, the two -remaining battalions of the 76th Brigade. The advance was made at -early dawn, and the Welsh Fusiliers were at once attacked by German -infantry, whom they repulsed. The attack was unfortunate from the -start, and half of the Suffolks who penetrated the village were never -able to extricate themselves again. The Welsh Fusiliers carried on, -but its wing was now in the air, and the machine-guns were very -deadly. The advance was held up and had to be withdrawn. In this -affair fell one of the most promising of the younger officers of the -British army, a man who would have attained the very highest had he -lived, Brigade-Major Congreve, of the 76th Brigade, whose father -commanded the adjacent Thirteenth Corps. His death arose from one of -his many acts of rash and yet purposeful {178} valour, for he pushed -forward alone to find out what had become of the missing Suffolks, -and so met his end from some lurking sniper. - -On July 20 matters had come to a temporary equilibrium in Delville -Wood, where amid the litter of corpses which were strewn from end to -end of that dreadful grove, lines of British and German infantry held -each other in check, neither able to advance, because to do so was to -come under the murderous fire of the other. The Third Division, worn -as it was, was still hard at work, for to the south-west of Longueval -a long line of hostile trenches connected up with Guillemont, the -fortified farm of Waterlot in the middle of them. It was to these -lines that these battle-weary men were now turned. An attack was -pending upon Guillemont by the Thirtieth Division, and the object of -the Third Division was to cut the trench line to the east of the -village, and so help the attack. The advance was carried out with -great spirit upon July 22 by the 2nd Royal Scots, and though they -were unable to attain their full objective, they seized and -consolidated a post midway between Waterlot Farm and the railway, -driving back a German battalion which endeavoured to thrust them out. -On July 23 Guillemont was attacked by the 21st Brigade of the -Thirtieth Division. The right of the attack consisting of the 19th -Manchesters got into the village, but few got out again; and the left -made no progress, the 2nd Yorkshires losing direction to the east and -sweeping in upon the ground already held by the 2nd Royal Scots and -other battalions of the 8th Brigade. The resistance shown by -Guillemont proved that the siege of that village would be a serious -operation and that it was not to be carried {179} by the -_coup-de-main_ of a tired division, however valiantly urged. The -successive attempts to occupy it, culminating in complete success, -will be recorded at a later stage. - -On the same date, July 23, another attempt was made by mixed -battalions of the Third Division upon Longueval. This was carried -out with the co-operation of the 95th Brigade, Fifth Division, upon -the left. The attack on the village itself from the south was held -up, and the battalions engaged, including the 1st Northumberland -Fusiliers, 12th West Yorkshires, and 13th King's Liverpools, all -endured considerable losses. Two battalions of the Thirty-fifth -Division (Bantams), the 17th Royal Scots and 17th West Yorks, took -part in this attack. There had been some movement all along the line -during that day from High Wood in the north-east to Guillemont in the -south-west; but nowhere was there any substantial progress. It was -clear that the enemy was holding hard to his present line, and that -very careful observation and renewed bombardment would be required -before the infantry could be expected to move him. Thus, the advance -of July 14, brilliant as it had been, had given less durable results -than had been hoped, for no further ground had been gained in a -week's fighting, while Longueval, which had been ours, had for a time -passed back to the enemy. No one, however, who had studied General -Haig's methods during the 1914 fighting at Ypres could, for a moment, -believe that he would be balked of his aims, and the sequel was to -show that he had lost none of the audacious tenacity which he had -shown on those fateful days, nor had his well-tried instrument of war -lost its power of fighting its way through a difficult {180} -position. The struggle at Longueval had been a desperate one, and -the German return upon July 18 was undoubtedly the most severe -reaction encountered by us during the whole of the Somme fighting; -and yet after the fluctuations which have been described it finished -with the position entirely in the hands of the British. On the days -which followed the attack of July 23 the Thirteenth Brigade of the -Fifth Division pushed its way gradually through the north end of the -village, the 1st Norfolks bearing the brunt of the fighting. They -were relieved on the 27th by the 95th Brigade, who took the final -posts on the north and east of the houses, the 1st East Surreys -holding the northern front. The 12th Gloucesters particularly -distinguished themselves on this occasion, holding on to three -outlying captured posts under a very heavy fire. The three isolated -platoons maintained themselves with great constancy, and were all -retrieved, though two out of three officers and the greater part of -the men were casualties. This battalion lost 320 men in these -operations, which were made more costly and difficult by the fact -that Longueval was so exaggerated a salient that it might more -properly be called a corner, the Germans directing their very -accurate fire from the intact tower of Ginchy Church. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{181} - -[Illustration: DELVILLE WOOD MAP] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -The Second Division had now been brought down to the Somme -battle-front, and upon July 26 they took over from the Third Division -in the area of Delville Wood. So complicated was the position at the -point occupied, that one officer has described his company as being -under fire from the north, south, east, and west, the latter being -presumably due to the fact that the distant fire of the {182} British -heavies fell occasionally among the front line infantry. At seven in -the morning of July 27 the 99th Brigade, now attached to the Second -Division, was ordered to improve our position in the wood, and made a -determined advance with the 1st Rifles upon the right, and the 23rd -Fusiliers upon the left, the 1st Berkshires and 22nd Royal Fusiliers -being in support. Moving forward behind a strong barrage, the two -battalions were able with moderate loss to force their way up to the -line of Princes Street, and to make good this advanced position. A -trench full of dead or wounded Germans with two splintered -machine-guns showed that the artillery had found its mark, and many -more were shot down as they retired to their further trenches. The -1st Berkshires held a defensive flank upon the right, but German -bombers swarmed in between them and the Rifles, developing a -dangerous counter-attack, which was finally beaten off after a sharp -fight, in which Captain Howell of the latter battalion was mortally -wounded after organising a splendid defence, in which he was greatly -helped by a sergeant. At 11 o'clock the left flank of the advance -was also very heavily attacked at short range, and the two companies -of the Rifles on that side were in sore straits until reinforced by -bombers from the 23rd Fusiliers, and also by the whole of the 22nd -Fusiliers. The German barrage fell thickly behind the British -advance, and it was a difficult and costly matter to send forward the -necessary supports, but before evening part of the 17th Fusiliers and -of the 17th Middlesex from the 5th Brigade had pushed forward and -relieved the exhausted front line. It was a most notable advance and -a heroic subsequent defence, with some of the {183} stiffest fighting -that even Delville Wood had ever witnessed. The East Anglian Field -Company Royal Engineers consolidated the line taken. The 1st Rifles, -upon whom the greater part of the pressure had fallen, lost 14 -officers, including their excellent adjutant, Captain Brocklehurst, -and more than 300 men. The immediate conduct of the local operations -depended upon the colonel of this battalion. The great result of the -fight was that Delville Wood was now in British hands, from which it -never again reverted. It is a name which will ever remain as a -symbol of tragic glory in the records of the Ninth, the Third, the -Eighteenth, and finally of the Second Divisions. Nowhere in all this -desperate war did the British bulldog and the German wolf-hound meet -in a more prolonged and fearful grapple. It should not be forgotten -in our military annals that though the 99th Brigade actually captured -the wood, their work would have been impossible had it not been for -the fine advance of the 95th Brigade of the Fifth Division already -recorded upon their Longueval flank. - - -We shall now turn our attention to what had been going on in the -extreme right-hand part of the line, where in conjunction with the -French three of our divisions, the 55th Lancashire Territorials, the -35th Bantams, and the hard-worked 30th, had been attacking with no -great success the strong German line which lay in front of us after -the capture of Trones Wood. The centre of this defence was the -village of Guillemont, which, as already mentioned, had been -unsuccessfully attacked by the 21st Brigade upon July 23. About this -date the Thirty-sixth Bantam Division had a repulse at the Malzhorn -Farm {184} to the south of Guillemont, both the 104th and 105th -Brigades being hard hit, and many of the brave little men being left -in front of the German machine-guns. A week later a much more -elaborate attack was made upon it by the rest of the Thirtieth -Division, strengthened by one brigade (the 106th) of the Thirty-fifth -Division. This attack was carried out in co-operation with an -advance of the Second Division upon Guillemont Station to the left of -the village, and an advance of the French upon the right at Falfemont -and Malzhorn. - -The frontal advance upon Guillemont from the Trones Wood direction -appears to have been about as difficult an operation as could be -conceived in modern warfare. Everything helped the defence and -nothing the attack. The approach was a glacis 700 yards in width, -which was absolutely commanded by the guns in the village, and also -by those placed obliquely to north and south. There was no cover of -any kind. Prudence would no doubt have suggested that we should make -good in the north at Longueval and thus outflank the whole German -line of defence. It was essential, however, to fit our plans in with -those of the French, and it was understood that those were such as to -demand a very special, and if needs be, a self-immolating effort upon -the right of the line. - -The attack had been arranged for the morning of July 30, and it was -carried out in spite of the fact that during the first few hours the -fog was so dense that it was hard to see more than a few yards. This -made the keeping of direction across so broad a space as 700 yards -very difficult; while on the right, where the advance was for more -than a mile and had to be co-ordinated with the troops of our Allies, -it was so {185} complex a matter that there was considerable danger -at one time that the fight in this quarter would resolve itself into -a duel between the right of the British Thirtieth and the left of the -French Thirty-ninth Division. - -The 89th Brigade advanced upon the right and the 90th upon the left, -the latter being directed straight for the village. The two leading -battalions, the 2nd Scots Fusiliers and the 18th Manchesters, reached -it and established themselves firmly in its western suburbs; but the -German barrage fell so thickly behind them that neither help nor -munitions could reach them. Lieutenant Murray, who was sent back to -report their critical situation, found Germans wandering about behind -the line, and was compelled to shoot several in making his way -through. He carried the news that the attack of the Second Division -upon the station had apparently failed, that the machine-gun fire -from the north was deadly, and that both battalions were in peril. -The Scots had captured 50 and the Manchesters 100 prisoners, but they -were penned in and unable to get on. Two companies of the 17th -Manchesters made their way with heavy loss through the fatal barrage, -but failed to alleviate the situation. It would appear that in the -fog the Scots were entirely surrounded, and that they fought, as is -their wont, while a cartridge lasted. Their last message was, that -their ranks and munition supply were both thin, their front line -broken, the shelling hard, and the situation critical. None of these -men ever returned, and the only survivors of this battalion of -splendid memories were the wounded in No Man's Land and the -Headquarter Staff. It was the second time that the 2nd Royal Scots -Fusiliers {186} had fought to the last man in this war. Of the 18th -Manchesters few returned, and two companies of the 16th Manchesters -were not more fortunate. They got into the village on the extreme -north, and found themselves in touch with the 17th Royal Fusiliers of -the Second Division; but neither battalion could make good its -position. It was one of the tragic episodes of the great Somme -battle. - -The 89th Brigade upon their right had troubles of their own, but they -were less formidable than those of their comrades. As already -described, they had the greatest difficulty in finding their true -position amid the fog. Their action began successfully by a company -of the 2nd Bedfords, together with a French company, rushing an -isolated German trench and killing 70 men who occupied it. This was -a small detached operation, for the front line of the advancing -brigade was formed by the 19th Manchesters on the left, and by the -20th on the right, the latter in touch with the French 153rd of the -line. The 19th reached the south-eastern corner of Guillemont, -failed to get in touch with the Scots Fusiliers, and found both its -flanks in the air. It had eventually to fall back, having lost Major -Rolls, its commander, and many officers and men. The 20th -Manchesters advanced upon the German Malzhorn Trenches and carried -the front one, killing many of the occupants. In going forward from -this point they lost 200 of their number while passing down a -bullet-swept slope. Three out of four company commanders had fallen. -Beyond the slope was a sunken road, and at this point a young -lieutenant, Musker, found himself in command with mixed men from -three battalions under his orders. Twelve runners sent back with -messages were all shot, {187} which will give some idea of the -severity of the barrage. Musker showed good powers of leadership, -and consolidated his position in the road, but was unfortunately -killed, the command then devolving upon a sub-lieutenant. The -Bedfords came up to reinforce, and some permanent advance was -established in this quarter--all that was gained by this very -sanguinary engagement, which cost about 3000 men. The Bantams lost -heavily also in this action though they only played the humble role -of carriers to the storming brigades. - -The whole of the fighting chronicled in this chapter may be taken as -an aftermath of the action of July 14, and as an endeavour upon our -part to enlarge our gains and upon the part of the Germans to push us -out from what we had won. The encroachment upon High Wood upon the -left, the desperate defence and final clearing of Delville Wood in -the centre, and the attempt to drive the Germans from Guillemont upon -the right--an attempt which was brought later to a successful -conclusion--are all part of one system of operations designed for the -one end. - -It should be remarked that during all this fighting upon the Somme -continual demonstrations, amounting in some cases to small battles, -occurred along the northern line to keep the Germans employed. The -most serious of these occurred in the Eleventh Corps district near -Fromelles, opposite the Aubers Ridge. Here the Second Australians -upon the left, and the Sixty-first British Division upon the right, a -unit of second-line Territorial battalions, largely from the West -country, made a most gallant attack and carried the German line for a -time, but were compelled, upon July 20, the day following the attack, -{188} to fall back once more, as the gun positions upon the Aubers -Ridge commanded the newly-taken trenches. It was particularly hard -upon the Australians, whose grip upon the German position was firm, -while the two brigades of the Sixty-first, though they behaved with -great gallantry, had been less successful in the assault. - - - - -{189} - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - - The Operations of Gough's Army upon the Northern - Flank up to September 15 - -Advance, Australia!--Capture of Pozières--Fine work of Forty-eighth -Division--Relief of Australia by Canada--Steady advance of Gough's -Army--Capture of Courcelette. - - -All the fighting which has been described was carried out by -Rawlinson's Fourth Army, consisting of the Third, the Fifteenth, and -the Thirteenth Corps. A new element was now, however, introduced -upon the left flank. It will be remembered that Sir Hubert Gough had -been given a Fifth or reserve army, consisting of the Eighth and -Tenth Corps, with which to hold the flank. Of these, the Tenth, -including the Forty-ninth, Forty-eighth, and First Australian -Divisions, was now pushed forward into the fighting, with the -intention of attacking Pozières and widening the British front. - -This was the first serious appearance of the Australians upon a -European battle-field, and it may be said at once that the high -reputation which they had gained as dogged and dashing fighters in -the Gallipoli campaign was fully endorsed in France. {190} From -General Birdwood, their admirable leader, down through every unit of -their divisions, there ran an indomitable spirit, united to an -individuality and readiness of resource which made them soldiers of -the highest type. Their physique, too, was extraordinarily fine, and -even the stay-at-home Londoner who had seen the lithe figures and the -eager, clean-cut, aquiline faces under the broad-rimmed hats, -bringing a touch of romance into our drab streets, would need no -assurance that the men were splendid. A nation of sportsmen had -changed themselves very easily into a nation of soldiers. Of all the -strange turns of fate in this extraordinary war, surely there are few -more quaint than that the black-fellow call of "Cooee!" should many a -time have resounded at the crisis of a European battle. - -As the First Australian Division lay upon July 22, it had the -straggling and strongly entrenched village of Pozières in front of -it. Upon the right they were in touch with the First Division -filling the gap between Pozières and Bazentin, as described at the -beginning of Chapter VII. On their left was the Forty-eighth -Division of South Midland Territorials. The village had been reduced -to a mere rubbish-heap by the guns, but was none the less dangerous -on that account. - -On the early morning of July 23, before it was light, the Australians -made their first eruption into the Somme fighting. "The difficulty," -as their chronicler truly declares, "was not to get the men forward, -but to hold them." With an eager rush the men of New South Wales -overwhelmed the front trench across the face of the village. It was -dotted with German bodies, killed by the artillery. The {191} second -trench in the village itself was found to be obliterated in places. -It was occupied as far as possible after a sharp hand-to-hand fight, -and daylight found the Australians, chiefly Victorians, in full -possession of the southern and western end of the village. There was -no counter-attack during July 23, and the day was spent in -consolidating and in rounding-up prisoners from the dug-outs. For -three days there was very heavy German shelling, but the division had -served too long an apprenticeship to be shaken by such means. They -lay low and held on tightly. - -On Tuesday, July 25, came the first German attack, but it was broken -up so completely by the British barrage that the Australians had only -distant glimpses of the enemy infantry crawling from under the sleet -which beat upon them. The merciless pounding of the bombardment -continued, and then again in the late afternoon came another infantry -attack, which was again scattered by the dominant all-observing guns. -Up to now 150 prisoners, including two German colonels, had fallen -into our hands. - -Whilst the Australians had been attacking Pozières from the south, -the Forty-eighth Division had made a similar advance from the -south-west, and had made good the ground upon the left side of the -Albert-Bapaume Road, including the western outskirts of the village -and part of the Leipzig salient. In our admiration for our kinsmen -from across the seas we must not forget, nor will they, that these -lads from the very heart of rural England went step by step with them -up Pozières Hill, and shared the victory which awaited them upon it. - -The 143rd Brigade, consisting entirely of Warwick {192} battalions -(5, 6, 7, and 8), the 144th of Glosters (4 and 6) and Worcesters (7 -and 8), and the 145th from Gloucester (5), Buckingham, Oxford and -Buckingham (4), and Berkshire (4), took it in turns to surge up -against the formidable German line, showing the greatest valour and -perseverance, overcoming difficulty after difficulty, and always -getting slowly forward from the first movement upon July 22, until -upon July 26 they had overcome every obstacle and joined hands with -the Australians at the cemetery which marks the north end of the -village of Pozières. Many prisoners and a fine extension of the line -were the fruits of their exertions. The 5th Royal Sussex Pioneer -Battalion, amidst considerable difficulties and heavy shell-fire, -consolidated all that had been won. The 4th Gloucesters and 7th -Worcesters particularly distinguished themselves at this time by -their persistent day-by-day work against the German trench line. - -On the morning of July 26 the Australian advance was resumed. There -were two obstacles immediately in front--the one a strong redoubt, -the other a line of trench. The redoubt was most gallantly attacked -by the men of Queensland and of South Australia, and was overwhelmed -by their bombs. The Victorians, meanwhile, had won their way into -the trench, but as it communicated by many runways with the main -German system behind, an endless flow of reinforcements were able to -come into it, and the length of the trench enabled the Germans to -attack upon both flanks. It was a most bloody and desperate conflict -which swung and swayed down the long ditches, and sometimes over the -edges of them into the bullet-swept levels between. Men threw {193} -and threw until they were so arm-weary that not another bomb could be -lifted. If ever there were born natural bombers it must surely be -among the countrymen of Spofforth and Trumble--and so it proved at -that terrible international by Pozières village. A British aeroplane -swooped down out of the misty morning, and gave signals of help and -advice from above, so as to dam that ever-moving stream of -reinforcement. - -The trenches in dispute were of no vital importance themselves, but -they were the outposts of the great German second line which -stretched behind its broad apron of barbed wire within a few hundred -yards to the north-east of the village. The ground sloped upwards, -and the Germans were on the crest. This was the next objective of -the Australians, and was attacked by their Second Division on July -29. On the flank of the hill to the left the Victorians won a -lodgment, but the main position was still impregnable--and almost -unapproachable. Sullenly and slowly the infantry fell back to their -own trenches, leaving many of their best and bravest before or among -the fatal wires. - -The position had been improved upon the left, however, by an advance -of the Forty-eighth Division. The Warwick Brigade upon their right -made no great progress, but the 145th Brigade upon the left took the -trench in front of it and pushed that flank well forward. This -successful attack was at seven in the evening of July 27. The -leading battalions were the 4th Berks upon the right and the 6th -Gloucesters on the left, and these two sturdy battalions captured all -their objectives. A number of the 5th Regiment of the Prussian Guard -were killed or captured in this {194} affair. As the whole line had -to turn half left after leaving the taking-off trench, it was a fine -piece of disciplined fighting. General Gough was a personal witness -of this attack. - -On August 4, six days later, the Australians came back to the attack -with all the dour pertinacity of their breed. This time their -success was triumphant. A steady bombardment had laid the German -front open, and in the dark of the night the Australian infantry, -advancing over their own dead, rushed the position, surprising the -Germans at a moment when a relief was being carried out. Many of the -Germans who had been expecting a rest from their labours got one -indeed--but it was in England rather than in their own rear. With -the early morning the Australians were on the Pozières Ridge, and one -of the few remaining observation posts of the enemy had passed from -him for ever. In front of them was the land of promise--the long -slope seamed by German trenches, the distant German camps, the -churches and villages of that captive France which they had come so -far to redeem. - -Once again the left flank of the Australians was in close -co-operation with a British Division. The Forty-eighth had been -withdrawn and replaced by the Twelfth, a division which was rapidly -acquiring a very solid reputation in the army. The men of the 7th -Sussex upon the right and those of Surrey and of Kent upon the left -were in the front of the battle-line, which rolled slowly up the -slope of Pozières, continually driving the German resistance before -it. The ground gained early in August was some 2000 yards of -frontage with a depth of 400 yards, and though the whole ridge, and -the Windmill {195} which marks it, had not yet been cleared, the fact -that the British had a good foothold upon it was of the utmost -strategical importance, apart from the continual stream of prisoners -who fell into their hands. The Sussex battalion linked up with the -Australians, and nothing could have been closer than the co-operation -between the two, so much so that it is on record that with a glorious -recklessness a bunch of Australians pushed forward without orders in -order to keep the Sussex men company in one of their attacks. The -South Saxons have again and again shown that there is no more solid -military material in England. It is said that a rampant pig with "We -won't be druv!" as a motto was an old emblem of that ancient county. -Her sons assuredly lived up to the legend during the War. - -On the morning of the 6th and of the 7th two counter-attacks stormed -up to the new British line. The first was small and easily repelled, -a sporadic effort by some gallant hot-headed officer, who died in the -venture, clicking his Mauser to the last. The second was serious, -for three battalions came very gallantly forwards, and a sudden rush -of 1500 Germans, some of whom carried _flammenwerfer_, burst into the -trenches at two separate points, making prisoners of some 50 -Australians who were cut off from their comrades. The attack was -bravely delivered in broad daylight, the enemy coming on in good line -in the face of severe fire; but the Australians, with their usual -individuality, rallied, and not only repulsed the enemy, but captured -many of them, besides recapturing the prisoners whom they had taken. -This was the supreme German attempt to recapture the position, but -they were by no means able to {196} reconcile themselves to the loss -of it, and came on again and again in smaller assaults spread over -several days, which had no result save to increase their already very -heavy losses in this region. - -This _flammenwerfer_ attack had broken also upon the outposts of the -36th Brigade to the left, eight of these infernal machines coming -forward with a throng of bombers behind them. The captain of the 9th -Royal Fusiliers, instead of awaiting the attack in a crowded trench, -rushed his men forward in the open, where they shot down the -flame-bearers before they could bring their devilish squirts to bear. -The bombers, who had followed the advance, led the flight. On this -day 127 Germans who had been caught in a pocket between the British -trenches were forced to surrender, after a very creditable resistance. - -On August 12 the Twelfth Division attacked once more upon a broad -front, the 35th Brigade upon the right, the 37th upon the left. The -result of the attack was a satisfactory accession of ground, for -although the Surreys and West Kents were held up, the Norfolks and -Essex attained their objective and held it. Some 40 prisoners and a -useful line of trench were the results. That night the 48th South -Midlanders replaced the Twelfth Division once more, resuming their -old station upon the left of the Australians, whose various divisions -rang changes upon each other, men from every corner of the great -island continent, from the burning plains of the Northern Territories -to the wind-swept hills of Tasmania, relieving each other in the -ever-advancing line of trenches and strong points which slowly ate -into the German front. One day it was the West Australians who blew -back an attack with their rifle {197} fire. On the next it was the -Melbourne men who had rushed another position. On the summit of the -Ridge was the stump of an old windmill, which lay now between the two -lines, and it was towards this and along the slope of the crest that -the advance was gradually creeping. It is worth noting that in this -part of the line some sort of amenity was introduced concerning the -wounded, and that neither party sniped the other so long as a Red -Cross flag was shown. It is grievous to think that such a condition -needs to be recorded. - -August 10 and 11 witnessed two night attacks by the 4th and 6th -Gloucesters respectively, neither of which made much progress. The -Territorials of the Forty-eighth Division still kept step, however, -with the Australians in all that desperate advance up the long slope -of Pozières Hill, the two units striving in a generous rivalry of -valour, which ended in deep mutual confidence and esteem. - -On August 14 the enemy counter-attacked with some vigour, and -momentarily regained a trench near the windmill. On the 15th the -line had been restored. On the 17th there was a strong attack in six -successive lines upon the Forty-eighth British and the First -Australian Divisions, but it had no result. On the 18th, however, -the 5th and 6th Warwicks paid a return visit with great success, -carrying three lines of trenches and capturing 600 prisoners. This -was a very fine exploit, carried out at 5 P.M. of a summer evening. - -It was about this date that a new movement began upon the British -left, which extended their line of battle. Since the capture of -Ovillers, a month before, the flank of the army to the left of the -attack {198} upon Pozières had been guarded by the Forty-ninth -Division of Yorks Territorials, but no attack had been attempted in -this quarter. On August 18 the Twenty-fifth Division relieved the -Forty-ninth, and an advance upon a small scale which gradually -assumed more importance was started in the direction of Thiepval, the -German village fortress of sinister reputation, which lay upon the -left flank on the hither side of the River Ancre. Upon this General -Gough had now fixed a menacing gaze, and though his advance was -gradual, it was none the less inexorable until his aim had been -attained; and not only Thiepval itself but the important heights to -the north and east of it which dominate the valley of the Ancre were -in the hands of his persevering troops. The first obstacles in his -path were a stronghold named the Leipzig Redoubt, and to the east of -it a widespread farm, now spread even wider by British shells. This -nest of snipers and machine-guns was known as Mouquet Farm. Upon the -19th, as part of the general attack along the line, which will be -more fully dealt with elsewhere, not only was our Pozières front -pushed forward past the windmill for 300 yards, but the 1st -Wiltshires of the Twenty-fifth Division, operating upon the left of -the Forty-eighth, which in turn was on the left of the Australians, -made an important lodgment on the high ground to the south of -Thiepval. The Forty-eighth Division also made some advance, the 4th -Gloucesters upon the night of the 19th capturing 400 yards of trench -with 200 prisoners. Their comrades of the 6th Battalion had less -fortune, however, in an attack upon the German trenches on August 22, -when they had two companies partially destroyed by machine-gun fire, -while every officer {199} engaged was hit, including Major Coates, -who was killed. On this same day there was again an Australian -advance near Pozières, whilst at the other end of the line, which was -biting like acid into the German defences, the Twenty-fifth Division -began to encroach upon the Leipzig salient, and were within 1000 -yards of Thiepval. In this entirely successful attack a new -invention, the push pipe-line, was used for the first time with some -success, having the double effect of blowing up the enemy's strong -point, and of forming a rudimentary communication trench in the track -of its explosion. In this connection it may be stated generally that -while the Germans, with their objects clear in front of them, had -used before the War far greater ingenuity than the British in warlike -invention, as witness the poison gas, _minenwerfer_ and -flame-throwers, their methods became stereotyped after War broke out; -while the more individual Britons showed greater ingenuity and -constructive ability, so that by the end of 1916 they had attained a -superiority upon nearly every point. Their heavy artillery, light -machine-guns, aeroplanes, bombs, trench-mortars, and gas apparatus -were all of the very best; and in their tanks they were soon to take -an entirely new departure in warfare. It is as difficult in our -British system to fix the responsibility for good as for evil, but -there is ample evidence of a great discriminating intelligence in the -heart of our affairs. - -The Hindenburg Trench was the immediate object of these attacks, and -on August 24 a stretch of it, containing 150 occupants, was carried. -A pocket of Germans was left at one end of it, who held on manfully -and made a successful resistance against a {200} company of the 8th -North Lancashires, who tried to rush them. Ultimately, however, -these brave men were all taken or killed. - -Day by day the line crept on, and before the end of the month the -1000 yards had become 500, whilst every advance yielded some new -trench with a crop of prisoners. The enemy was fully alive, however, -to the great importance of the Thiepval position, which would give -the British guns an opportunity of raking Beaumont Hamel and their -other strongholds upon the north of the Ancre. A very strong -counter-attack was made, therefore, by some battalions of the -Prussian Guard on the evening of August 25, preceded by a shattering -bombardment. The attack--the edge of which was blunted by the -British barrage--fell mainly upon the 7th Brigade of the Twenty-fifth -Division. The result was a German defeat, and the menacing line drew -ever nearer to Thiepval, though an attack by the North Lancs upon the -Prussian Fusilier Guards upon August 28 was not successful. On the -day before, however, the Forty-eighth Division upon the right of the -Twenty-fifth made a successful advance, taking a good line of trench -with 100 of the redoubtable Guards. Between Thiepval and Pozières -the ruins of Mouquet Farm had been taken by the West Australians and -the Tasmanians, and was found to be a perfect warren of snipers, so -that it was some time before it was absolutely clear. On the -Pozières Ridge ground and prisoners were continually being gained, -and the trenches between the Ridge and Mouquet Farm were cleared by -Queensland on the right and by Tasmania on the left. It was a most -spirited fight, where Australian and Prussian stood up to each other -within short bomb-throw. But {201} nothing could stand against the -fire of the attack. The whole line of trench upon the right was -captured. There was a dangerous gap, however, upon the Tasmanian -left, and this the Tasmanians were compelled to endure for two days -and nights, during which they were hard pressed by never-ending -shelling and incessant German attacks. It is on record that their -constant reports of their parlous state sent on to headquarters -concluded always with the words: "But we will hold on." If Tasmania -needs a motto, she could find no better one, for her sons lived and -died up to it during those terrible hours. When at last they were -relieved, their numbers were sorely reduced, but their ground was -still intact. At the other side of the gap, however, the West -Australians, hard pressed by an overpowering bombardment, had been -pushed out from Mouquet Farm, which came back into German hands, -whence it was destined soon to pass. - -It was during this severe fighting that a little scene occurred -which, as described by Mr. Bean, the very able Australian chronicler, -must stir the blood of every Imperialist. A single officer "of -middle age, erect, tough as wire, with lines on his face such as hard -fighting and responsibility leave on every soldier," appeared in the -Australian communication trenches, asking to see the -officer-in-charge. He spoke the same tongue but with a different -intonation as he explained his mission. He was the forerunner of the -relieving force, and the First Division of Canada was taking over the -line from Australia--a line which was destined to bring glory to each -of them. Surely a great historical picture might be made in more -peaceful times of this first contact of the two great nations {202} -of the future, separated by half the world from each other, and yet -coming together amid blood and fire at the call of the race. An hour -later, Canadian Highlanders in a long buoyant line were pushing -swiftly forward to occupy the trenches which Australia had won and -held. "Australians and Canadians," says Mr. Bean, "fought for -thirty-six hours in those trenches inexorably mixed, working under -each other's officers. Their wounded helped each other from the -front. Their dead lie, and will lie, through all the centuries, -hastily buried, beside the tumbled trenches and shell-holes where, -fighting as mates, they died." So ended the Australian epic upon the -Somme. It is to be remembered that the New Zealanders formed an -entirely separate division, whose doings will presently be considered. - -Whilst the Overseas troops had been fighting hard before Pozières, -there had been a considerable movement upon their left to attack -northwards along the Thiepval Spur. This was carried out by the -Thirty-ninth Division north of the Ancre, the Forty-ninth and the -Twenty-fifth upon September 3. Some ground was gained, but the -losses were heavy, especially in the 75th Brigade, where the 2nd -South Lancashires suffered considerably. This battalion had been in -shallow trenches exposed to fire and weather for six days previous to -the attack, and was greatly worn. This attack was part of the -general battle of September 3, but from Mouquet Farm northwards it -cannot be said to have given any adequate return for our losses. - -Our narrative of the events upon the left wing of the army has now -got in front of the general account, but as the operations of General -Gough's force have {203} definite objectives of their own, the story -may now be continued up to September 15, after which we can leave -this flank altogether for a time and concentrate upon the happenings -in the centre, and especially upon the right flank where Delville -Wood, Ginchy and Guillemont had presented such impediments to the -advance. At or about the time, September 4, when the Canadians took -over the lines of the Australians at Pozières and Mouquet Farm, the -Eleventh British Division, the First English Division of the New -Army, which had come back from hard service in the East, relieved the -Twenty-fifth Division upon the Canadian left. For a week there was -quiet upon this part of the line, for a great forward move along the -whole eleven-mile front had been planned for September 15, and this -was the lull before the storm. On the evening before this great -assault, the Eleventh Division crept up to and carried the main -German stronghold, called the Wonderwork, which lay between them and -Thiepval. There was some sharp bayonet work, and the defeated -garrison flying towards Thiepval ran into the barrage so that the -enemy losses were heavy, while the British line crept up to within -350 yards of the village. This advance stopped for ever the flank -fire by which the Germans were able to make Mouquet Farm almost -untenable, and the Canadians were able to occupy it. The capture of -the Wonderwork was carried out by Price's 32nd Infantry Brigade of -Yorkshire troops. The most of the work and the heaviest losses fell -upon the 9th West Yorks, but the 8th West Ridings and the 6th Yorks -were both engaged, the latter losing their colonel, Forsyth. The -total casualties came to 26 officers and 742 men. - -On September 15 the Eleventh Division held the {204} flank in front -of Thiepval, but the Second and Third Canadian Divisions shared in -the general advance, and pushed forward their line over the Pozières -Ridge and down for 1000 yards of the slope in front, joining hands -with the Fifteenth Scottish Division in Martinpuich upon the right. -This fine advance crossed several German trenches, took the fortified -position of the Sugar Refinery, and eventually included in its scope -the village of Courcelette, which had not been included in the -original scheme. All Canada, from Halifax in the east to Vancouver -in the west, was represented in this victory; and it was particularly -pleasing that the crowning achievement--the capture of -Courcelette--was carried out largely by the 22nd Battalion of the 5th -Brigade French Canadians of the Second Division. French Canada, like -Ireland, has been diverted somewhat by petty internal influences from -taking a wide and worthy view of the great struggle against German -conquest, but it can truly be said in both cases that the fine -quality of those who came did much to atone for the apathy of those -who stayed. Thirteen hundred German prisoners were brought back by -the Canadians. During the Courcelette operations, the Third Canadian -Division was working upon the left flank of the Second as it attacked -the village, protecting it from enfilade attack. The work and the -losses in this useful movement fell chiefly upon the 8th Brigade. - -This considerable victory was, as will afterwards be shown, typical -of what had occurred along the whole line upon that great day of -battle and victory. It was followed, so far as the Canadians were -concerned, by a day of heavy sacrifice and imperfect success. The -Third Division, still operating upon the left of {205} the Second, -endeavoured to carry the formidable Zollern Trench and Zollern -Redoubt to the north of Courcelette. The 7th and 9th Brigades were -in the attacking line, but the former was held up from the beginning. -The latter got forward, but found itself confronted by the inevitable -barbed wire, which stayed its progress. No good was done, and two -gallant battalions, the 60th (Montreal) and the 52nd (New Ontario), -lost 800 men between them. The operation was suspended until it -could be renewed upon a larger scale and a broader front. - -At this point we may suspend our account of the operations of Gough's -Fifth Army, while we return to the Fourth Army upon the south, and -bring the record of its work up to this same date. Afterwards, we -shall return to the Fifth Army and describe the successful operations -by which it cleared the Thiepval Ridge, gained command of the Ancre -Valley, and finally created a situation which was directly -responsible for the great German retreat in the early spring of 1917. - - - - -{206} - -CHAPTER IX - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -August 1 to September 15 - -Continued attempts of Thirty-third Division on High -Wood--Co-operation of First Division--Operation of Fourteenth -Division on fringe of Delville Wood--Attack by Twenty-fourth Division -on Guillemont--Capture of Guillemont by 47th and 59th -Brigades--Capture of Ginchy by Sixteenth Irish Division. - - -After the very hard fighting which accompanied and followed the big -attack of July 14, continuing without a real break to the end of the -month, there was a lull of a couple of weeks, which were employed by -the German commentators in consoling articles to prove that the -allied offensive was at an end, and by the Allies in bringing forward -their guns and preparing for a renewed effort. The middle of August -heard the drum fire break out again and the operations were -continued, but on a local rather than a general scale. Many isolated -positions had to be mastered before a general surge forward could be -expected or attempted, and experience was to prove that it is -precisely those isolated operations which are most difficult and -costly, since they always mean that the whole concentration of the -German guns can be turned upon the point which is endangered. - -{207} - -It will simplify the following operations to the reader if he will -remember that the whole left wing of the army is excluded, being -treated separately as Gough's flank advance. We only deal therefore -with Rawlinson's Army. The front which faces us may be divided into -several well-defined areas, each of which is in turn subjected to -attack. There is High Wood on the extreme left, with the -Intermediate Trench and the Switch Trench within it, or to its north. -There is the line of trenches, Switch Trench, Wood Trench, Tea -Trench, etc., linking up High Wood with Delville Wood. There is the -north-eastern fringe of Delville Wood, there are the trenches between -Delville Wood and Ginchy, there is Ginchy itself, there are the -trenches between Ginchy and Guillemont, there is Guillemont itself, -and finally there is a stretch of trench between Guillemont and the -French left at Falfemont. This is the formidable barrier which was -attacked again and again at various points between August 1 and -September 15 as will now be told. - -August 16 witnessed another attack by the Thirty-third Division upon -High Wood, a position which had once already been almost entirely in -their hands, but which had proved to be untenable on account of the -concentration of fire which the German guns could bring to bear upon -its limited space. None the less, it was determined that it should -be once again attempted, for it was so situated that its machine-guns -raked any advance between it and Delville Wood. The attack upon this -occasion was carried out on the eastern side by the 98th Brigade, -strengthened for the work by the addition of the 20th Royal Fusiliers -and a wing of the 1st Middlesex. It might well seem depressing to -the soldiers to be {208} still facing an obstacle which they had -carried a month before, but if this portion of the British line was -stationary it had gained ground upon either wing, and it might also -be urged that in a combat destined to be ended by military exhaustion -it is the continued fighting rather than the local result that -counts. If High Wood had cost and was to cost us dearly to attack, -it assuredly was not cheap to defend; and if their artillery had made -it too deadly for our occupation our own guns must also have taken -high toll of the German garrison. Such broader views are easy for -the detached reasoner in dug-out or in study, but to the troops who -faced the ill-omened litter of broken tree-trunks and decaying bodies -it might well seem disheartening that this sinister grove should -still bar the way. - -At 2.45 in the afternoon the infantry advanced, the 4th King's -Liverpool upon the left and the 4th Suffolks on the right, keeping -well up to the friendly shelter of their own pelting barrage. The -enemy, however, had at once established a powerful counter-barrage, -which caused heavy losses, especially to the King's, most of whose -officers were hit early in the action. The two leading company -commanders were killed and the advance held up. The Suffolks had got -forward rather better, and part of them seized the German trench -called Wood Lane to the south-east of the wood, but unhappily the -only surviving officer with the party was killed in the trench, and -the men being exposed to bombing attacks and to heavy enfilade fire -from the eastern corner of High Wood were compelled to fall back -after holding the trench for fifty minutes. - -These two battalions had attacked upon the flank {209} of the wood. -The wood itself was entered by three companies of the Argyll and -Sutherlands, who found it laced with wire and full of machine-guns. -The Highlanders stuck gamely to their task, and some of them--little -groups of desperate men--actually crossed the wood, but their losses -were heavy and, as is usual in forest fighting, all cohesion and -direction became impossible. The whole attack was hung up. The 20th -Royal Fusiliers, one of the public school battalions, was sent -forward therefore to get the line moving once again. They shared in -the losses, but were unable to retrieve the situation. So worn were -the battalions that there was some question whether the 98th Brigade -could hold its own line if there should be a vigorous counter-attack. -The 19th Brigade was therefore brought up to support and eventually -to relieve their comrades. The losses of the 98th amounted to over -2000 men, showing how manfully they had attempted a task which the -result showed to be above their strength. The causes of the failure -were undoubtedly the uncut wire in the wood, and that our gunners had -been unsuccessful in beating down the machine-guns of the enemy. - -Whilst the Thirty-third Division had been making these vigorous -attacks upon High Wood, a corresponding movement had taken place upon -the north side of the wood, where the First Division had come into -line upon August 15, taking the place of the Thirty-fourth Division. -They plunged at once into action, for the 2nd Brigade upon August 16 -made a successful advance, the 1st Northants and 2nd Sussex pushing -the line on for some hundreds of yards at considerable cost to -themselves, and driving back a half-hearted {210} counter-attack, -which endeavoured to throw them out of their new gains. This attack -was renewed with much greater weight, however, upon August 17, and -both the 1st and 2nd Brigades were driven back for a few hours. In -the afternoon they rallied and regained most of the lost ground. -Immediately in front of them stretched a long German trench termed -the Intermediate Trench, being the chief one between the second and -third lines. Towards evening the 1st Brigade attacked this trench, -the 1st Black Watch being the most advanced battalion. There was a -hard fight, but the position was still too strong. Next morning, -August 18, the gallant Highlanders were back at it once more, but the -day was very misty, and the advance seems to have lost its exact -bearings. The left company stumbled upon a pocket of 30 Germans, -whom it took or killed, but could not find the trench. The right -company got into the trench, but were not numerous enough to resist a -very vigorous bombing attack, which re-established the German -garrison. The 8th Berkshires pushed forward to try their luck, but a -smoke cloud thrown out by a division on the left came drifting down -and the attack was enveloped in it, losing both cohesion and -direction. The Intermediate Trench was still German in the evening. - -Although the 1st Brigade had been held up at this point the 2nd -Brigade had made some progress upon their right, for a successful -attack was made by the 1st Northamptons and by the 1st North -Lancashires upon a German trench to the north-west of High Wood. -Colonel Longridge of the staff, a valuable officer, was killed in -this affair, but the place was taken, and a strong point established. -During the {211} night two platoons of the Northamptons made an -audacious attempt to steal an advance by creeping forwards 400 yards -and digging in under the very noses of the Germans, on a small ridge -which was of tactical importance. There was a considerable bickering -all day round this point, the Sussex endeavouring to help their old -battle-mates to hold the fort, but the supports were too distant, and -eventually the garrison had to regain their own line. - -Upon August 20 there was a severe German attack upon the line of the -First Division, which was held at the time by the 1st Northamptons -and the 2nd Rifles. The advance developed in great force, driving in -the outpost line and part of the Northamptons. The brave old -"Cobblers" were a very seasoned battalion, and took a great deal of -shifting from their shallow trench, hand-to-hand fighting taking -place along the line. With the help of two companies of the Rifles -the advance was stayed on the Northampton front; but a second attack -developed out of High Wood upon the right flank of the Rifles. Two -platoons under Lieutenant Stokes showed great gallantry in holding up -this sudden and dangerous incursion. The platoons were relieved by -the Gloucesters, but as there was no officer with the relief, Stokes -remained on with the new garrison, and helped to drive back two more -attacks, showing a splendid disregard for all danger, until he was -finally killed by a shell. Captain Johnstone, who had led the -Riflemen in their relief of the Northamptons, was also killed, while -Major Atkinson and 130 men of the Rifles were hit. The losses of the -Northamptons were even more heavy, but the German advance came to -nought. - -At the risk of carrying the account of the {212} operations near High -Wood and between High Wood and the west edge of Delville Wood to a -point which will compel a considerable return in order to bring up -the narrative of the rest of the line, we shall still continue them -to the date of the great advance of September 15, when the whole vast -array from Pozières upon the left to Leuze Wood upon the right heaved -itself forward, and local attacks gave place to a big concerted -movement. We shall therefore continue to follow the fortunes of the -First Division in their hard task in front of the Intermediate -Trench. After the failure of their attempt to get forward upon -August 19 the action died down, and for four days there was no fresh -advance. The 3rd Brigade had come up into the front line, and upon -August 24 the Munsters made an attempt upon the German trench without -success. Colonel Lyon lost his life in this affair. Upon August 25 -another battalion of the Brigade, the South Wales Borderers, made a -bombing attack, and again were in the trench and once again were -driven out. They were not to be denied, however, and upon August 26 -actually occupied 180 yards of it, taking one of the deadly guns -which had wrought such damage. On the 27th a German counter-attack -was heavily repulsed, but an attempt of the South Wales Borderers to -improve their success was also a failure. On the evening of this day -the Fifteenth Scottish Division took over the position in front of -the Intermediate Trench, the First Division moving to the right and -enabling the Thirty-third Division upon its flank to move also to the -right. The Fifteenth Division was able in very tempestuous weather -partly to outflank the Intermediate Trench, with the result that upon -the afternoon of August 30 {213} the remains of the garrison, finding -that they were in a trap, surrendered. Two machine-guns with 140 men -were taken. - -Upon August 12 the Fourteenth Light Division, which in spite of its -initial misfortune at Hooge had won the name of being one of the -finest divisions of the New Army, came up into line. Its first -station was in the Delville Wood area, which was still a most -difficult section, in spite of our occupation of the wood. Orchards -lay upon its fringes, and the German trenches around it swept the -edges with fire, while several German strong points lay just outside -it. An attempt was made by the Fourteenth Division to enlarge an -area outside Longueval upon August 18. At 2.45 that day the 41st -Brigade advanced upon the right of the Thirty-third Division with -Orchard Trench as an objective, while the 43rd Brigade kept pace with -them to the north and east of the wood. The German front trenches -were carried without much difficulty, but, as usual, the process of -consolidation was an expensive one. The men in small groups dug -themselves in as best they could under fire from both flanks. The -7th Rifle Brigade upon the extreme left of the line was in the air, -and their left company was almost entirely destroyed. The new line -was held, however, and knotted together with three strong points -which defied German attack. This was attempted upon the 19th, but -was a total failure. In these operations the Fourteenth Division -took 279 prisoners. - -For the sake of consecutive narrative, the doings in the High Wood -and Delville Wood district have been given without a break, but in -order to bring the rest of the chronicle level one has to turn back a -few {214} days and turn our attention to the long right flank of the -army, from Longueval in the north to Falfemont, where we joined on to -the French in the south. The northern angle of this position was, as -has already been explained, extremely disadvantageous to us, forming -an almost fantastic peninsula, which jutted out into the German -positions. Even if their infantry could not carry it, their guns -could at all times rake it from three sides, and could command the -whole Montauban valley, along which our supplies were bound to pass. -Therefore it became very necessary to get more elbow-room along this -line. - -South-east of Delville Wood was the strongly-fortified village of -Ginchy, and between the wood and the village were what may be called -the Alcoholic system of trenches, where the long and powerful Beer -Trench, stretching a few hundred yards north of the wood, was -connected up with Vat Alley, Hop Alley, and Ale Alley, the whole -forming a formidable labyrinth. To the south of Ginchy lay the very -strongly organised village of Guillemont, which could not be -approached save over a long quarter of a mile of open ground. Ginchy -and Guillemont were linked up in a strong line, of which Waterlot -Farm and Guillemont Station were two nodal points. South of -Guillemont came Wedge Wood and finally Falfemont Farm, where the -right of Rawlinson's Fourth Army joined on to the French. The whole -of this long line was most powerfully defended, both by material -appliances and by that constant human valour without which all -appliances are useless. How to push it back was the pressing and -difficult question which now faced the British commanders. -Guillemont had already been attacked upon {215} July 30 by the -Thirtieth Division as described in a previous chapter. This attack -had been most valiantly urged, but the losses had been heavy, and the -gains small. The Second Division had relieved the Thirtieth on this -point, and were in turn relieved upon August 10 by the Twenty-fourth, -a division which had seen a good deal of rough service in that famous -forcing-house for young soldiers--the Ypres salient. - -A few days later it closed in upon Guillemont with orders to -reconnoitre and then attack. A partial attack was made upon August -16 upon the outskirts of the village by the 72nd Brigade, which was -rather in the nature of a reconnaissance in force. The place was -found to be very strong and the advancing troops drew off after -incurring some losses, which were heaviest in the 9th East Surreys, -who came under a blast of machine-gun fire, and dropped nine officers -and over 200 men. The division drew off, broadened their front of -attack, and came on again upon August 18 in a wide advance which -covered the whole enemy line, striking not only at the village -itself, but at the station, quarry, and farm to the north of it, -covering a front of nearly a mile. - -The 73rd Brigade attacked the village and the quarry. The right -attack was led by the 13th Middlesex and supported by the 2nd -Leinster, but it had no success, and ended in heavy losses, -especially to the English regiment. The men who got across were -unable to penetrate, and after a hand-to-hand fight were driven back. -Upon the left of the brigade things went better. The attack upon -that side was led by the 7th Northants, supported by the 9th Sussex. -The Cobblers had lost their colonel from a {216} wound in the -morning. This colonel was the famous international three-quarter -Mobbs, who gave one more illustration of the fact that the fine -sportsman turns rapidly into the fine soldier. His successor had -only been a few hours in command. The direction of the fight was -none the less admirable. The Midlanders dashed with great fire -across the 300 yards of open which separated them from the Quarries, -while the Sussex crowded up into the advanced trenches, sending on -company after company in response to demands for help. The British -barrage had lifted, and it was no easy matter in face of the flank -fire to get the men across, so that only a percentage reached the -hard-pressed firing-line upon the other side. The colonel of the -Sussex held back therefore, and sent his third company over as dusk -fell, so that they came in on the flank of the Northamptons with -little loss, while the fourth followed later with supplies. The -lodgment made by the leading battalions was secured, and some ground -to the north of the village passed into British hands. - -Although Guillemont itself remained for the moment with the Germans, -the assault of the Twenty-fourth Division had a success along the -whole of the rest of the line and greatly improved the position of -the British upon this flank. The 17th Brigade had attacked the -station and after a severe fight had captured it, the 3rd Rifle -Brigade especially distinguishing itself in this affair. Farther -still to the north the line of trenches leading up to and in front of -Waterlot Farm had fallen also to the 17th Brigade, the 8th Buffs -having the heavier share of the work. These attacks, which cost the -division {217} more than 3000 men, were carried out in co-operation -with French attacks to the south and east of Guillemont, the net -result being partly to isolate that stubborn village and turn it into -a salient on the German line. - -The Twenty-fourth Division was now drawn out for a short period, and -the Twentieth replaced it and held firmly to the conquered line. - -The Germans were acutely uneasy as to the erosion of their line which -was going on from Longueval to Guillemont, and upon August 23 -endeavoured to win back the ground gained at Guillemont Station, but -their counter-attack, stronger as usual in its artillery preparation -than in its infantry advance, had no success, though it cost the -Twentieth Division some heavy losses. It was one clear sign of the -degeneration of the German soldier that the overture should so -continually be better than the performance. The machines were as -formidable as ever, but the human element was slowly wilting, and -that subtle sentiment was developing upon either side which means the -ascendancy of one and the decline of the other. The ease with which -the prisoners surrendered, the frequent failure to hold ground and -the constant failure to gain it, all pointed to the same conclusion. - -Upon August 24 a very widespread and determined attempt was made by -the British to enlarge their area on the right wing, and the attack -extended along the whole line to the north of Guillemont. It was -carried out by three divisions, the Thirty-third which had -side-stepped to the right, and now covered the ground to the -immediate left of Delville Wood, the Fourteenth Light Division which -covered the north of Delville Wood and the Alcohol system of -trenches, and finally {218} the Twentieth Division covering Ginchy -and the rest of the line down to Guillemont. - -Describing these operations from the left of our line the first unit -of attack was the 100th Brigade, which had for its objective Tea -Trench and other German defences which were to the north-west of -Delville Wood. The Longueval-Flers road separated their right flank -from the left flank of the 42nd Brigade of the Fourteenth Division. -In order to carry out the attack the three leading battalions of the -Brigade had to be crowded forward into a narrow front before daylight -upon August 24. - -All day they lay there, but towards evening the bombardment which -they endured changed into an immense barrage which fell like a steel -guillotine in front of our line, the British counter battery work -being unable to check it. Shortly before 7 o'clock in the evening -the leading companies of the attack belonging from the left to the -1st Queen's, 16th Rifles and 2nd Worcesters, crept forward until they -were on the edge of the barrage. At 7 o'clock they took the plunge, -advancing with brisk alacrity into that terrible pelt of missiles. -By 7.30 the Queen's had established themselves in the German position -and were bombing their way up Wood Lane Trench. The other two -battalions had also at that hour got well forward, and the 42nd -Brigade of the Fourteenth Division upon the right had been equally -successful. The new positions were at once consolidated by the 9th -Highland Light Infantry and by parties of the 222nd Field Company, -together with the 18th Middlesex pioneers, under a very heavy fire. -The Worcesters were in good touch with the 16th Rifles upon their -left, but a considerable and dangerous gap had formed {219} between -the left of the Rifles and the right of the Queen's--a gap which -might have let in a fatal counter-attack had it not been for the -admirable barrage of the artillery, which beat down each attempted -advance. A trench was at once put in hand to link up the new line, -the sappers labouring at it during the night, but the gap had not -been entirely closed by the morning. The assaulting battalions were -then relieved, and the 98th Brigade took the place of their comrades -of the 100th. Thus ended this very successful little advance, the -result being to push forward and strengthen our position between the -two woods. The casualties were not high, and this fact was due to -the fine co-operation of the guns, and to a very effective smoke -barrage thrown out between the left wing of the attack and the -machine-guns of High Wood. - -The Fourteenth Division had advanced upon the immediate right of the -Longueval-Flers road, the 42nd Brigade upon the left keeping in touch -with the 100th, while the 41st Brigade upon the right had not only to -reach its own objective, but to act as a protective flank against the -Germans in the village of Ginchy. The 43rd Brigade was in reserve, -but contributed one battalion, the 6th Yorkshire Light Infantry, to -strengthening the reserve of the 42nd Brigade, whose formidable task -was the carrying of the outlying fringe of Delville Wood. At last -that tragic grove, the scene of such a prolonged struggle, was to be -utterly cleared from our front. Three gallant battalions of the 42nd -Brigade--the 5th Oxford and Bucks on the left, the 5th Shropshires in -the centre, and the 9th Rifles upon the right--swept forward with the -bayonet in the good old {220} style and cleared it from end to end, -helped greatly by the accurate barrage behind which they advanced. -The German counter-barrage was heavy, but the troops tramped through -it with no more deflection than if it had been a rainstorm, though a -trail of dead and wounded marked their path. Every officer of the -Rifle battalion was hit. The first barrier was a trench cut 150 -yards from the north of the wood and called Inner Trench. This was -taken at the first rush, the enemy surrendering freely. Two gallant -N.C.O.'s of the Rifles, Sergeant Hamp and Corporal Ord, rushed up a -machine-gun at the cost of their own lives. One party of 50 men of -the enemy seem to have taken up arms again after three of the -storming lines had passed, and to have blazed into their backs with a -machine-gun, but a fourth line swept over them and all were engulfed. -The Oxford and Bucks on the left of the line moved forward -splendidly, picking up 200 prisoners as they passed, clearing the -edge of the wood and digging in about 200 yards to the north of it, -the 89th F Company Royal Engineers and the 11th King's Liverpool -consolidating the position. The enemy's opposition upon the right -flank had, however, been very much sterner and more successful, so -that the flank battalion of the 42nd Brigade and the Rifle battalions -of the 41st Brigade had all fallen short of their final objectives. - -Altogether the day was a great success, for the losses were not -excessive, and the gains though not sensational were general all -along the line and prepared the way for the successful assaults of -the next week. The fact that the right flank had not come on as far -as the left, caused each successive battalion to find itself with its -right flank exposed, but the line {221} was held by a clever -readjustment under heavy fire, by which the flank battalions faced -half right with the Oxfords still in the advanced position joining up -with the Thirty-third Division, while the line slanting, but -unbroken, sloped backwards to Inner Trench upon the right. - -The eastern corner of Delville Wood was still dominated by a strong -point, but upon the rain-swept evening of August 27 this was finally -cleared out by the 43rd Brigade of the Fourteenth Division, the 6th -Somerset, Yorkshire and Cornwall battalions of light infantry, -together with the 10th Durhams, all doing good service. - -The remains of the hard-worked Seventh Division had been thrust in -front of those Alcohol trenches which still remained intact, filling -up the gap separating Delville Wood from Ginchy. The 22nd Brigade -was on the left, and shared in the advance of the 43rd, the 1st Welsh -Fusiliers capturing Hop Alley, Beer Trench, and part of Vat Alley. -The impending attack upon Ginchy, which was to co-operate with the -attack upon Guillemont farther south, was forestalled and postponed -by a very strong advance of the German infantry upon the north and -north-east of Delville Wood. The 91st Brigade had relieved the 22nd, -and the brunt of this attack outside the wood fell upon the 1st South -Staffords, who repulsed the onslaught on three separate occasions, -enduring a heavy shelling between each German advance. Upon the -fourth attack the persevering German infantry succeeded in -penetrating the north-east corner of the wood and regaining Hop -Alley. The 2nd Queen's relieved the exhausted Staffords, and at noon -of September 2 made a vigorous bombing attack which had some {222} -success, though the assailants were considerably mystified by the -appearance of a party of Germans who had dressed themselves in the -khaki and helmets taken the night before. This powerful attack fell -also upon the Twentieth Division, and upon the Fourteenth to the -right of the Seventh, but although it inflicted heavy losses, -especially upon the 60th Brigade of the Twentieth Division, it failed -to gain any ground or to obtain any strategic advantage. - -On September 3 at noon the attack upon Ginchy was carried out by the -22nd Brigade, the 1st Welsh Fusiliers attacking to the north of the -village, the 20th Manchesters moving on to the village itself, and -the 2nd Warwicks on to the trenches to the west of the village. The -Manchesters succeeded about one o'clock in forcing their way into the -village, sending back 200 of the garrison as prisoners. The first -rush behind the barrage sustained few casualties, and it was not -until the Manchesters in their fiery eagerness began to push on -beyond their mark that they ran into a very severe fire from the -north, which mowed down their ranks, including nearly all their -officers. The Welsh Fusiliers upon the left had been unable to get -forward, and as a consequence the Manchester men were in so -precarious a position and so reduced in numbers that they had to fall -back through the village, while the 2nd Royal Irish, who had passed -on as far as Ginchy Telegraph, had now to retire, as their rear was -in danger. The 2nd Warwicks, however, held on to the south of the -village, and refused to be dislodged, keeping their position there -against all attacks until the night of September 5. In the -afternoon, two companies of the Irish attempted to retrieve the -situation by a renewed advance upon the {223} village, but their -losses were heavy, and they could not get farther than the western -outskirts. The casualties during the day were severe, and in the -night it was thought advisable to replace the 22nd by the 20th -Brigade. The latter made a fresh attack upon the village at eight in -the morning of September 4 by the 9th Devons, but again it was found -impossible, in the face of the inexorable machine-guns, to effect a -permanent lodgment. The 2nd Queen's, however, on the left of the -Brigade, improved our position at the north-eastern corner of -Delville Wood. There was a short lull in the fighting, and then at -5.30 A.M. upon the 6th the 2nd Gordons stormed into the orchards -round the village, but had to dig themselves in upon the western -edge. At 2 P.M. they again attacked, aided by two companies of the -9th Devons, getting as far as the middle of the village, and -capturing some prisoners, but the Germans came back with so heavy a -counter-attack that the evening found our troops back in their own -front line once more. On the night of September 7 the division was -taken out--the 16th (Irish) and 55th moving up to the Ginchy Front. - -This severe fighting by the Seventh Division from the 3rd onwards was -an excellent example of how a force may be called upon to sacrifice -itself without seeing the object of its sacrifice until it learns the -general plans of the Commander. The assaults upon Ginchy, -unsuccessful at the moment, were of the greatest value as leading to -the capture of Guillemont in the south. The task allotted to the -Seventh Division was a very difficult one, involving an advance from -a salient with the left flank exposed, and the magnitude of this task -was greatly increased by the truly execrable weather. If no -successful efforts were {224} made to counter-attack upon Guillemont, -the reason undoubtedly lay in the absorption of the German strength -at Ginchy. - -On this same day the battle raged from Ginchy along the whole right -of our line through Waterlot Farm, Guillemont and Falfemont Farm to -the left flank of the French. The annexed diagram will give some -idea of the forces engaged and their several objectives on September -3. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{225} - -[Illustration: ATTACK ON GERMAN LEFT FLANK September 3, 1916.] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -As will be seen by this plan, the Fifth Division formed the unit next -to the French, and the 13th Brigade were ordered to help our gallant -allies in attacking the extreme southern point at Falfemont, while -the 95th Brigade covered the ground between their comrades of the -13th and the village of Guillemont. The advance was made shortly -after mid-day, and though the operations were long, bloody, and -difficult, the famous old division, inheritors of the glories of Mons -and Le Cateau, was not to be denied. The resistance was very -strenuous, and only the most devoted constancy could have eventually -overcome it. To follow the fortunes of the 13th Brigade first it may -be briefly stated that upon Sunday, September 3, they first gained -the Falfemont Farm, and then lost it again. That night they were -reinforced by three battalions of the 15th Brigade, and were able -next day to push in between the Farm and Guillemont, pressing the -defenders upon every side. It was a widespread building, with many -loopholed outhouses, and one of these fell after the other until only -the central ruin, still spouting fire like an anchored battleship, -remained in the hands of the defenders. Their position was hopeless, -however, and by the morning of September 5 the changes in the line to -the north {226} of them, and especially the loss of Guillemont, -caused them to evacuate the position. - -The advance of the 95th Brigade upon the left of the Fifth Division -had been a very gallant one, though the objectives which they so -bravely won were nameless lines of trenches and a sunken road. The -first line of the attack was formed by the 1st Duke of Cornwall's on -the left, and the 12th Gloucesters upon the right, closely followed -by the 1st Devons and 1st East Surreys. They were in close touch -with the 59th Brigades of the Twentieth Division, who were attacking -Guillemont upon their left. Within two hours of the first attack all -three objectives had been captured, and the remains of the victorious -battalions were digging in upon the line Ginchy-Wedge Wood. The -losses were heavy in each battalion, but particularly so in the 12th -Gloucesters. For a time they were under fire from both the British -and the German batteries. Yet they held on to their ultimate -objective, and the following extract from the impression which they -produced upon an experienced regular colonel is worth quoting, if -only to show the pitch of soldiership to which our amateur volunteers -had reached. "The battalion came on in their extended lines as -steadily as on parade, and, without wavering, though suffering heavy -losses, passed through a hot German barrage in the most gallant -manner. The lines were also much troubled by long-range machine-gun -fire from the direction of Falfemont, but although gaps appeared and -the lines were rapidly thinning out, I never saw the slightest sign -of wavering. No troops could have carried through such a difficult -task with more indifference to consequences." Gloucestershire was -once the favourite forcing-ground for the champions {227} of the -British ring. The old fighting breed still lives. Altogether the -95th Brigade advanced 3000 yards in this action, and was responsible -for the capture both of Wedge Wood and of Leuze Wood. - -Upon the left of the Fifth Division the difficult task of storming -Guillemont had been entrusted to the Rifle and Rifle Brigade -battalions of the 59th Brigade upon the right, and to the 47th -Brigade of the Sixteenth Irish Division. This brigade had come -temporarily under the command of General Douglas Smith upon the left, -taking the place of the 60th Brigade, which had lost heavily in -strength from cold, wet, and continual German gassing and -bombardment. The 61st was in divisional reserve. The attack was -ordered for noon. Profiting by previous experiences it was planned -that the whole village should not be rushed at once, but that the -attack should proceed with method in three definite stages. The guns -of the Sixth and of the Twenty-fourth Divisions joined in the -preliminary bombardment. At noon, the infantry leapt over their -parapets and charged home. The enemy was taken unawares. The 10th -and 11th Rifle Brigade with the 10th and 11th King's Royal Rifles, -supported by the 6th Oxford and Bucks, carried all before them on the -south and west of the village, while the Leinsters, Connaughts, and -Royal Irish did as much in the north. The Quarries, which was a nest -of machine-guns, was taken in their stride. No more valiant or -successful advance had been seen during the War, and it may take a -place beside the attack of the 36th Brigade at Ovillers as a -classical example of what British infantry can do with all the odds -against them. The Riflemen fought in grim silence, but the Irish -went through with a wild Celtic {228} yell which, blending with the -scream of their pipes, must have added one more to the horrors of the -shaken and hard-pressed garrison. Neck and neck the two brigades, -English and Irish, went through the German line. Hand-to-hand fights -took place in the village, but all resistance was soon beaten down. -By 12.30 the first objectives were solid, and at 1.20 the whole -village was taken and the survivors of the enemy streaming out to -eastward. The English losses were heavy and equally distributed. -The Irish were also heavy, especially in the case of the 6th -Connaughts, who also lost their colonel. At this time, through the -failure of recruiting in Ireland, these brave battalions were below -full strength, in spite of which within six days they stormed or -helped to storm two of the strongest villages upon the line. One -hardly knows which emotion is stronger--one's pride in those who -went, or one's contempt for those who bided at home. No one admired -the splendid dash of the Irish stormers more heartily than the -British Riflemen, who kept pace with them in their desperate venture. -Equally brave, they were more deliberate in their methods, with the -result that more than once pockets of fighting Germans who had been -overrun by the Irish, but were still venomous, were cleared up by the -Riflemen on the flank. So infectious, however, was the fiery dash of -the Irish, that Mr. Philip Gibbs has left it on record in one of his -admirable letters that an English sergeant of Rifles complained that -he had almost blown his teeth away in whistling his men back from -overrunning their objectives. The garrison, it may be remarked, were -chiefly Hanoverian, and once again our men were amused and amazed to -see "Gibraltar" printed upon their hats, a reminiscence {229} of the -days when they formed part of the British army. - -Whilst the attack had been in progress, two battalions of the 61st -Brigade, the 7th Somersets and 12th King's Liverpools, were in close -support, advancing steadily through the German barrage. The enemy -were, as already shown, strongly held at Ginchy on the left flank of -the Guillemont advance, but in spite of their preoccupations they -made strong attempts at a counter-attack from this direction, which -fell upon the Connaughts, who had been reinforced by two companies of -the 12th King's. This small flanking force pushed out posts which -behaved with great gallantry, holding off the enemy until evening, -though at considerable loss to themselves. One of these posts, under -Sergeant Jones of the 12th King's, was cut off by the Germans and -held out for two days without food or water--a deed for which the -sergeant received the Victoria Cross. On September 4 the positions -were put into a state of defence, and on the 5th the Twentieth -Division drew out of the line after their fine deed of arms. - -The Fourteenth Division had been in support upon the left during the -attack upon Guillemont, and the 43rd Brigade had moved up to the -northern edge of the village itself, losing a number of officers and -men, including the colonel of the 6th Somersets, who, though badly -wounded, remained with his battalion until it had consolidated its -new position. A German advance was attempted at this point about 8 -P.M., but the 43rd Brigade helped to drive it back. It may be said -that the whole of September 3 was a series of small victories, making -in {230} the aggregate a very considerable one, and breaking down the -whole of the flank German defences. - -The Irish Division was now brought up to face Ginchy, the one point -still untaken upon the German second line, whilst the Fifth Division -pursued its victorious way up to Leuze Wood and to the lower corner -of Bouleaux Wood, always in close touch with the French upon their -right. The 47th Brigade of the Irish had already lost near half its -numbers, and other units of the division, both infantry and sappers, -especially the 7th and 8th Irish Fusiliers, had lost heavily in -supporting the Fifth Division in its attack, but the battalions were -still full of fight. - -In the late afternoon of September 9 the final attack upon Ginchy by -the Irish tore that village from the close grip of its Bavarian and -Pomeranian garrison. The Fifty-fifth Division made a supporting -attack upon the left, but the main advance was left for the now -depleted but indomitable division. It dashed forward upon a -two-brigade front, the 47th upon the right and the 48th upon the -left, the brigades being strengthened by three battalions of the -49th, so that practically all the reserves were in the line from the -start, but the commander had the comforting assurance that the Guards -were moving up in his rear. On the right the first wave consisted of -the 6th Royal Irish and the 8th Munsters, who dashed forward with -great gallantry but were held up by machine-guns. The same fire held -up the 1st Munsters upon the right of the 48th Brigade, but some -natural cover was found which enabled them to continue to advance. -On their left the 7th Irish Rifles and 7th Irish Fusiliers had broken -into the German line in the first determined advance. {231} By six -in the evening the 8th and 9th Dublins had reinforced the attack and -had pushed on into the village, where the 156th Field Company Royal -Engineers at once consolidated--a swift measure which was fully -justified since two attacks stormed out of the darkness of the night -and were beaten back into it again. Next morning the Sixteenth -Division was relieved by the Guards and returned for the time from -the line which they had so materially helped to enlarge and -consolidate. Their losses had been heavy. Five battalion commanders -were among the casualties. They fell out of the line upon September -10. A few days earlier the Fifth Division had been relieved by the -Fifty-sixth. - -The total effect of these operations had been to extend the whole -British position for several thousand yards in frontage and nearly a -mile in depth. At least 2000 more prisoners had fallen into our -hands. The attack of July 14 had broken in the centre of the German -second line, but the two flanks had held firm. The fall of Pozières -upon our left before the Australians and the Forty-eighth Division, -and of Guillemont upon our right before the Twentieth and Fifth, -meant that the flanks also had gone, and that the whole front was now -clear. A third strong line ran through Warlencourt and Le Transloy, -but very numerous impediments--woods, villages, and trenches--lay in -front of the army before they could reach it. It proved, however, -that the worst impediment of all--vile weather and a premature -winter--was to be the only real obstacle to the complete success of -the army. - -In order to complete this description of these widespread operations, -which are difficult to {232} synchronise and bring into any settled -plan, one must return to what was going on upon the left of Delville -Wood. Towards the end of August the Thirty-third Division, which had -covered the line between Delville and High Woods, was relieved by the -Twenty-fourth. Upon the left of the Twenty-fourth the First Division -was still continuing that series of operations upon High Wood which -have been already described. On their left in turn was the Fifteenth -Scottish Division, the left unit of Rawlinson's Army. They were busy -from this time onwards in digging their assembly trenches for the -great assault. - -The first incident which calls for attention was a very sudden and -violent German attack upon August 31 upon the Twenty-fourth Division. -The German onslaught met with some success at first, as it burst -through the line of the 13th Middlesex, a battalion which had lost -heavily in the attack upon Guillemont ten days before, and was for -the moment more fit for a rest-camp than the forefront of the battle. -The 9th Sussex, who were on the right of the Middlesex, stood firm, -and the German advance, which had penetrated some distance down the -long communication trench which is known as Plum Street, was -eventually brought to a halt. This result was partly brought about -by the initiative and determination of a 2nd Lieutenant of the -Middlesex, "a little pale-faced fellow," who carried off a Lewis gun, -and worked it from different positions down the trench, continually -holding up the Germans and giving time for the Sussex men to gather -such a force at the end of Plum Street as prevented the Germans from -debouching into the larger trenches which led down towards Longueval. -The attack had been equally {233} severe upon the 72nd Brigade, who -held the right of the division, which included the northern end of -Delville Wood. They entirely repulsed the Germans with great loss, -the 8th Queen's Surrey being the battalion which bore the brunt of -the fight. - -On the next day, September 1, the 17th Brigade came up to restore the -situation on the left, and by evening the position had been almost -cleared. On the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th there were fresh German attacks, -but the line was now firmly held and no impression was made. None -the less, the fighting had been costly, and the depleted division had -2000 more names upon its roll of honour. It was drawn out shortly -afterwards, but its artillery, which was left in the line, had the -misfortune to lose its distinguished chief, General Phillpotts, upon -September 8. - -We shall now move a mile eastwards to follow the First Division in -its difficult and, as it proved, impossible task of improving our -position as regards High Wood, a spot which caused us more delay and -loss than any other upon the German line. - -On September 3 a strong attack by the whole of the 1st Brigade was -made upon the wood, which was gridironed with trenches and studded -with strong points. The immediate objectives were the main trench in -the wood and the trenches to the south-east of the wood. The 1st -Camerons, supported by the 8th Berks, advanced upon the right, the -Black Watch, supported by the 10th Gloucesters, on the left. The -attack had considerable success, which could not, however, be -maintained. The battalions on the right won home, but the -consolidating parties were delayed. On the left, the attack was only -partially successful, being held up at a large mine-crater. When -{234} eventually a strong German counter-attack swept forward from -the north-east of High Wood, the British had to fall back to their -own original line, taking, however, 80 German prisoners with them. -The ground had been won, but there had not been weight enough to hold -it. The losses of the two Highland battalions were severe. - -On September 8 the 3rd Brigade penetrated into the western part of -High Wood, but again it was found impossible to make more than a -temporary lodgment. The 2nd Welsh, 1st South Wales Borderers and 1st -Gloucesters were all involved in this affair, as was the 9th Black -Watch of the Fifteenth Division, who played a very gallant part. -Next day the attack was renewed with the 2nd Brigade upon the right, -the 3rd upon the left. In the centre the 1st Northants captured the -crater, but were driven out of it later in the day, after a hard -fight. On the left the Munsters and Gloucesters were held up by -machine-gun fire. On the right the advance of the 2nd Sussex and of -the 2nd Rifles met with gratifying success. The important trench -called Wood Lane was stormed, with a loss to the assailants of a -couple of hundred men, after the hostile machine-guns had been deftly -put out of action by our trench-mortars. The Rifles were in touch -not only with their comrades of Sussex upon the left, but with the -5th King's Liverpool upon the right, so that the line was complete. -It was consolidated that night by the 1st North Lancashires and was -permanently held, an attempt at counter-attack next day being crushed -by our barrage. After this little victory the First Division was -relieved upon the evening of September 10 by the New Zealanders. - - - - -{235} - -CHAPTER X - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Breaking of the Third Line, September 15 - -Capture of Martinpuich by Fifteenth Division--Advance of Fiftieth -Division--Capture of High Wood by Forty-seventh Division--Splendid -advance of New Zealanders--Capture of Flers by Forty-first -Division--Advance of the Light Division--Arduous work of the Guards -and Sixth Divisions--Capture of Quadrilateral--Work of Fifty-sixth -Division on flank--Début of the tanks. - - -The Army had been temporarily exhausted by its extreme efforts and -the consequent losses, but was greatly buoyed up by the certainty -that with their excellent artillery and their predominant air service -they were inflicting more punishment than they were receiving. -Steadily from week to week the tale of prisoners and of captured guns -had been growing, the British and the French keeping curiously level -in the numbers of their trophies. Fresh divisions, ardent for -battle, were streaming down from the Northern line, while old -divisions, already badly hammered, filled up rapidly with eager -drafts, and were battle-worthy once again in a period which would -have been pronounced absolutely impossible by any military critic -before the War. All the rearward {236} villages were choked with the -supports. There was rumour also of some new agency to be used, and -wondrous stories were whispered as to its nature and its powers. The -men were in high heart, therefore, and by the middle of September -Rawlinson's Fourth Army, which now included three corps, was ready to -spring forward once again. The main German line was miles behind -them, and the headquarters of British brigades and divisions now -nested comfortably in those commodious dug-outs which two years of -unremitting German labour had constructed--monuments for many a year -to come of their industry and of their failure. It was realised that -the obstacles in front, however formidable, could not possibly be so -difficult as those which had already been surmounted; and yet our -aeroplanes were able to report that the whole country was still -slashed across and across in a fanciful lacework of intricate -patterns in which fire, support, and communication trenches formed -one great network of defence. - -The left flank of the Army was formed by Gough's Fifth Army, which -had pushed forward in the manner already described, the Second Corps -(Jacob) and the Canadians (Byng) being in the line upon September 15. -On their immediate right, and joining them in the trenches which face -Martinpuich, was Pulteney's Third Corps, which covered the whole line -down to High Wood. From the north-west of High Wood to the trenches -opposite Flers, Horne's long-suffering Fifteenth Corps still urged -the attack which it had commenced upon July 1. The units, it is -true, had changed, but it is difficult to exaggerate the long strain -which had been borne by this commander and his staff. An -appreciation of it was shown by his {237} elevation to the command of -the First Army at the conclusion of the operations. From the right -of Horne's Corps to the point of junction with the French the line -was filled by the Fourteenth Corps, under Lord Cavan of Ypres fame. -In the movement, then, which we are immediately considering, it is -the Third, Fifteenth, and Fourteenth Corps which are concerned. We -shall take them as usual from the left, and follow the fortunes of -each until their immediate operations reached some definite term. It -is a gigantic movement upon which we look, for from the Eleventh -Division in the Thiepval sector to the left, along ten miles of -crowded trenches to the Fifty-sixth Division near Combles upon the -right, twelve divisions, or about 120,000 infantry, were straining on -the leash as the minute hand crawled towards zero and the shell -streams swept ever swifter overhead. - -The three divisions which formed the Third Corps were, counting from -the left, the Fifteenth, the Fiftieth, and the Forty-seventh. Of -these, the Scots Division was faced by the strong line of defence in -front of Martinpuich and the village of that name. The north of -England territorials were opposite to the various German trenches -which linked Martinpuich to High Wood. The Londoners were faced by -the ghastly charnel-house of High Wood itself, taken and retaken so -often, but still mainly in German hands. At 6.20 A.M. the assault -went forward along the line. - -The Fifteenth Division, which had been strengthened by the 103rd -Brigade, advanced upon the line of trenches which separated them from -Martinpuich, the 46th Brigade being upon the left and the 45th upon -the right. The 10th Highland Light Infantry upon the left of the -46th Brigade were in close touch with {238} the Canadians upon their -left, forming the right-hand unit of Gough's Army. This brigade, -consisting of Highland Light Infantry, Scots Borderers, and Scottish -Rifles, swarmed over the German defences, while their comrades upon -the right, including Royal Scots, Scots Fusiliers, Camerons, and -Argylls, were no less successful. The fact that the whole line was -engaged removed the old bugbears of enfilade fire which had broken up -so many of our advances. The German barrage was heavy, but the -advance was so swift and the close fight of the trenches came so -quickly, that it was less effective than of old. A creeping barrage -from the British guns, going forward at a pace of fifty yards a -minute, kept in front of the infantry, whose eager feet were ever on -the edge of the shrapnel. With the 44th Highland Brigade in close -support the whole division swept roaring over the trenches, and with -hardly a pause flooded into Martinpuich, where they met the fringe of -the Canadians, whose main advance was to the north-west of the -village. It was a magnificent advance, and the more noteworthy as -the men of the 15th Division had already been for six unbroken weeks -in the line, digging, working, fighting, and continually under -shell-fire. Some groups of Germans in the village attempted a short -and hopeless resistance, but the greater number threw their arms down -and their hands up. It is said that a detachment of six Argylls got -into Martinpuich some little time before their comrades, owing to -some gap in the defences, and that they not only held their own -there, but were found when reinforced to be mounting guard over fifty -prisoners. Among many anecdotes of military virtue may be cited that -of a sergeant of this same battalion, which combined within one {240} -episode all the qualities which distinguish the very best type of -British soldier. He first attacked single-handed a number of German -dug-outs. From one of these a German officer was emerging with his -hands up. A soldier dashed forward in act to kill him, upon which -the sergeant threatened his comrade with the bomb which he held in -his hand. The German officer, as a sign of gratitude, presented -Cunningham on the spot with his Iron Cross, which the sergeant at -once despatched home to be sold for the benefit of the wounded. It -was a quaintly beautiful exhibition of a noble nature. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{239} - -[Illustration: Taking of Martinpuich, September 15, 1916.] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Immediate steps were taken to consolidate the village and to connect -up firmly with the Fiftieth Division on the line of Starfish Trench, -and with the Canadians on the line of Gunpit Trench, the general -final position being as shown in the diagram. The trophies upon this -occasion amounted to 13 machine-guns, 3 field-guns, 3 heavy -howitzers, and about 700 prisoners. There was a counter-attack upon -the morning of September 16, which was easily repulsed: and -afterwards, save for constant heavy shelling, the village was left in -the hands of the victors, until a few days later the Fifteenth was -relieved by the Twenty-third Division. - -Whilst this brilliant advance had been conducted upon their left, the -Fiftieth Division, the same north country Territorial Division which -had done such vital service during the gas battle at Ypres, had -carried the trenches opposed to them. They had no village or fixed -point at their front with which their success can be linked; but it -may be said generally that they kept the centre level with the two -victorious wings, and that in the evening of September 15 they {241} -extended from the Starfish trench on the left to the new position of -the Forty-seventh Division upon the right. This position was a -magnificent one, for High Wood had been finally taken, and the -British line had been carried forward by these splendid London -battalions, until in the evening the 140th Brigade upon the right had -been able to join up with the New Zealanders upon the Flers line. -Advancing upon a one-brigade front, with the 6th and 15th London in -the lead, the London territorials, after one slight check, rushed the -wood, and by 11 o'clock not only had it in their complete possession -but had won 150 yards beyond it, where they consolidated. Two tanks -which had been allotted to them were unfortunately unable to make -their way through that terrible chaos of fallen trees, irregular -trenches, deep shell-holes, and putrescent decay, which extended for -a third of a mile from south to north. The wood now passed -permanently into British hands, and the Forty-seventh Division has -the honour of the final capture; but in justice to the Thirty-third -and other brave divisions which had at different times taken and then -lost it, it must be remembered that it was a very much more difficult -proposition to hold it when there was no general attack, and when the -guns of the whole German line could concentrate upon the task of -making it uninhabitable. - -So much for the capture of High Wood by the Forty-seventh Division. -Speaking generally, it may be said that each of the three divisions -forming Pulteney's Third Corps was equally successful in reaching and -in retaining the objectives assigned for the attack. - -The dividing line between the Third Corps and {242} Horne's Fifteenth -Corps was to the south of High Wood in the neighbourhood of Drop -Trench. The order of the divisions in the latter corps from the left -was the New Zealanders, the Forty-first Division, and the Fourteenth -Light Division. We shall follow each in its turn. - -The New Zealand Division had confirmed in France the high reputation -which their predecessors had founded in South Africa, and which they -had themselves renewed on the Gallipoli peninsula. They were troops -with a splendid spirit, and no Londoner who has seen their tall lithe -figures with the crimson hat-bands which distinguish them from other -oversea troops, needs to be told how fine was their physique. They -were fortunate, too, in a divisional commander of great dash and -gallantry. It is not surprising, therefore, to find that in this, -their first serious battle, they carried themselves with great -distinction and made good the objective which had been assigned to -them. - -This objective was the famous Switch Trench between High Wood and -Delville Wood, a section which was held by the Fourth Bavarian -Division. Good as the Bavarians are, they had no chance when it came -to close quarters with the stalwart men of Auckland and Otago, who -formed the 2nd Brigade in the front line of the New Zealand battle. -The machine-gun fire which they had to face was heavy and deadly, -especially for the Otagos, who were on the left near High Wood. They -poured on, however, in an unbroken array, springing down into Switch -Trench, bayoneting part of the garrison, sending back the survivors -as prisoners, and rapidly forming up once more for a fresh advance. -The New Zealand Rifle {243} Brigade passed over the captured trench -and lay down under the barrage 300 yards beyond it, whence at 6.40 -they went forward upon a new advance with such impetuosity that they -could hardly be kept out of the friendly fire in front of them. The -next obstacle, Fat Trench, was easily surmounted, and by noon the -Flers Trench and Flers Support Trench had both fallen to this fine -advance. The village of Flers was not in the direct line of the -advance, but the fringe of the New Zealanders passed through the edge -of it, and connected up with the Forty-first Division who had -occupied it. - -When, as will presently be shown, the left-hand brigade of this -division was temporarily driven back by a sharp German -counter-attack, the New Zealanders were bare upon their right, while -a gap existed also upon their left. In spite of this they held on to -their advanced position to the north-west of the village, the line -being strengthened by battalions from Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and -West Coast, who pushed forward into the fight. - -In the morning of the 16th the reserve brigade had come up and the -advance was renewed as far as Grove Alley upon the left, the -Canterbury battalion clearing and holding the new ground, with the -Aucklanders and Otagos in immediate support. With this new advance -the New Zealanders had come forward 3000 yards in two days--a notable -performance--and were within short striking distance of the great -German systems of Gird Trench and Gird Support. Two German counters -that evening, one upon the Rifle Brigade and the other on the 1st -Wellington battalion, had no success. - -On the right of the New Zealanders was the Forty-first {244} Division -under one of the heroes of the original Seventh Division. His -objective after surmounting the German trench lines was the fortified -village of Flers. His artillery support was particularly strong, for -his C.R.A. had under him the very efficient guns of the Twenty-first -Division, as well as those of his own unit. The infantry advance was -carried out with the 122nd Brigade on the left, the 124th on the -right, and the 123rd in reserve. All the battalions save one were -South of England, and most of them from the home counties, a district -which has furnished some of the finest infantry of the War. As they -advanced they were in close touch with the 2nd New Zealanders upon -the left and with the 41st Brigade upon the right. The first -objective, Tea Support Trench, was rapidly overrun by the Royal -Riflemen, Hampshire, and Queen's Surrey battalions who formed the -front line. The garrison surrendered. The continuation of Switch -Trench stretched now in front of them, and both front brigades, with -a ten minutes' interval in favour of the left one, made good the -sections in front of them. The division was fortunate in its tanks, -for seven out of ten got over the first line, and some survived for -the whole day, spreading dismay in front of them and amused -appreciation behind. The resistance was by no means desperate save -by a few machine-gunners, who were finally scared or butted out of -their emplacements by the iron monsters. Two tanks did good service, -cutting the wire to the west of Flers Road, and the village was -opened up to the stormers, who rushed into it shortly after eight -o'clock. One tank went up the east side of the village and crushed -in two houses containing machine-guns, while another {245} one passed -down the main street; and yet another cleared up the west side. -Nowhere upon this day of battle did these engines of warfare justify -themselves so well as at Flers. - -By ten o'clock the village was cleared and consolidated, but the -German guns were very active, and there was a strong counter-attack -from fresh infantry, which fell heavily upon the already worn troops -who had now passed beyond the village and got as far as the Box and -Cox trenches. There had been a large number of officer casualties. -Shortly after ten o'clock an officer of the 18th King's Royal Rifles -had got far forward with a mixed party of 100 men with some Lewis -guns, and had established a strong point at Box and Cox, which he -held until about one. During those three hours the shell-fall was -very severe. The division had become somewhat scattered, partly -owing to the street fighting in Flers and partly because the 124th -Brigade upon the right, although it had kept touch with the 41st -Brigade, had lost touch with its own comrades upon the left. Finding -that its left flank was open, it fell back and took up the line of -the Sunken Road, a quarter of a mile south of Flers, where it -remained. - -Meanwhile the 122nd Brigade was in some trouble. The pressure of -counter-attack in front of it had become so heavy that there was a -general falling back of the more advanced units. This retrograde -movement was stopped by the Brigade-Major, who collected a section of -the 228th Field Company of Royal Engineers, together with little -groups of mixed battalions in Flers Trench, and sent them forward -again, working in conjunction with the New Zealand 3rd (Rifle) -Brigade to the north end of {246} the village. Avoiding the centre -of Flers, which was flaring and flaming with shells like the live -crater of a volcano, these troops skirted the flank of the houses and -by 2 P.M. had arrived once more at the north and north-west of the -hamlet. Five Vickers guns were brought up, and the position made -good by 2 P.M., the Brigadier-General being personally most active in -this reorganisation of his line. - -Whilst the 122nd Brigade had met and overcome this momentary -set-back, the 124th upon the right had endured a similar experience -and had come out of it with equal constancy. Shortly after one they -had fallen back to Flers Trench, where they were rallied by their -Brigadier, and moved forward again accompanied by some stray units of -the Fourteenth Division. About 3 P.M. they were reinforced by two -fresh companies of the 23rd Middlesex from the reserve brigade. By -half-past four the whole of the remains of the division were north of -Flers in a ragged but indomitable line, steadily winning ground once -more, and pushing back the German attack. By half-past six they had -got level with Flea Trench and Hogshead, and were close to the great -Gird Trench. Some of the 124th tried hard to establish themselves in -this important work, but lost heavily from a machine-gun established -in a cornfield upon their right. At seven o'clock the advanced line -was consolidated, and the scattered units reorganised so far as the -want of officers would permit. Very many of the latter, including -Colonel Ash of the 23rd Middlesex, had been killed or wounded. The -11th Queen's, from the reserve brigade, was sent up to strengthen the -front posts, while an officer of the same battalion was placed in -charge of the Flers defences. No {247} tank was left intact in the -evening, but they had amply justified themselves and done brilliant -work in this section of the battlefield. - -The morning of September 16 saw a forward movement in this quarter -upon the Gird Trench, which was shared in by the divisions upon both -wings. The 64th Brigade of the Twenty-first Division had been placed -under the orders of the General commanding the Forty-first for the -purpose of this attack, so that the subsequent losses fell upon the -North-countrymen. The advance got forward about 200 yards and -established itself close to the great trench, but the losses were -heavy, the machine-guns active, and farther progress was for the -moment impossible. The 9th Yorkshire Light Infantry and 15th Durham -Light Infantry were the chief sufferers in this affair. Upon -September 17 the Fifty-fifth Division relieved the Forty-first, whose -record for the battle was certainly a glorious one, as in one day -they had taken Tea Support, Switch Trench, Flers Trench, Flers -village, Box and Cox and Flea Trench, any one of which might be -considered an achievement. How great their efforts were may be -measured by the fact that nearly 50 per cent had fallen. The losses -of the 124th were almost as heavy, and those of the 123rd were -considerable. Altogether 149 officers out of 251 and 2994 out of -about 7500 were killed or wounded. The opponents both of the -Forty-first and of the Fourteenth Divisions were the Fifth Bavarian -Division, who held the German line from Flers to Ginchy, and must -have been well-nigh annihilated in the action. - -The story of the Fourteenth Light Division has been to some extent -told in recounting the experiences {248} of the Forty-first Division, -as the two advanced side by side upon prolongations of the same -trenches, with equal dangers and equal successes. No village fell -within the sphere of their actual operations, though a complete -victory would have brought them to Guedecourt, but it was part of -their task to sweep up the German trenches to the north of Delville -Wood, especially the Tea Support and the Switch Trench. This task -was committed to the 41st Brigade, consisting entirely of Rifle -Brigade or Royal Rifle Battalions. The advance was for 500 yards -downhill, and then up a long slope of 700 yards, which leads to a -plateau about 200 yards across, with the Switch Trench in the centre -of it. The Riflemen swept over this space with a splendid dash which -showed that they had inherited all those qualities of the old 60th -which were cultivated by Sir John Moore and celebrated by Napier, -qualities which were always shared by their comrades of the Rifle -Brigade. Regardless of the enemy's fire, and so eager that they -occasionally were struck on the backs by their own shrapnel, the long -thin lines pushed forward in perfect formation, the 8th Rifles and -8th Rifle Brigade in front, with the 7th Battalions of the same -regiments in close support. - -By ten o'clock they had cleared the network of trenches in front of -them and gone forward 2000 yards. The main attack was carried on by -the 42nd Brigade, composed also of Riflemen with the 5th Oxford and -Bucks and 5th Shropshires. This brigade pushed on, keeping in close -touch with the Forty-first Division upon the left, but gradually -losing touch with the Guards upon their right, so that a dangerous -gap was created. It was covered by the {249} 7th Divisional -Artillery as well as by its own guns. In its advance it passed -through the ranks of its fellow-brigade, which had cleared the first -trenches up to and including the line of the Switch Trench. The -front line from the left consisted of the 5th Shropshires and 9th -Rifle Brigade, with the 5th Oxford and Bucks and 9th Rifles behind. -From the beginning the brigade was under heavy fire, and the colonel -of the Oxfords was twice wounded, which did not prevent him from -still leading his battalion. The first obstacle, Gap Trench, was -safely carried, and the line swept onwards to Bulls Road where they -were cheered by the sight of a tank engaging and silencing a German -battery, though it was itself destroyed in the moment of victory. -The losses in the two rifle battalions were especially heavy as the -right flank was exposed owing to the gap which had formed. This -deadly fire held up the flank, with the result that the Shropshires -and Oxfords who were less exposed to it soon found themselves -considerably in advance of their comrades, where they formed a line -which was extended about mid-day by the arrival of the 9th Rifles. -At this period large reinforcements of the enemy were seen flocking -into Gird Trench and Gird Support Trench in front. So strong were -they that they attempted a counter-attack upon the right front of the -42nd Brigade, but this was brought to a stand, and finally broken up -by rifle and Lewis-gun fire. The supporting 43rd Brigade came up in -the evening and took over the ground gained, together with four -German guns which had been captured. The final result, therefore, -was that the division had won its way to the edge of that Gird Trench -which represented the next great task which should be attempted {250} -by the Army--a task which, as already shown, was attempted by three -divisions upon the morning of September 16, but proved to be too -formidable for their depleted and wearied ranks. - -This fine advance of the Fourteenth Division brought them over the -low ridge which had faced them. "It was a grand sight," says a -Rifleman, "to see the promised land lying green at one's feet, with -Germans moving across the open, and ammunition waggons going at a -trot to and from their batteries, but the grandest sight of the day -was seeing the battalions advance, the men dancing along only too -anxious to get to close grips with the enemy." - -Among many brave deeds recorded of the division there was none finer -than those of a captain and a corporal, both of the Medical Service, -who stayed in the open all day in spite of wounds, tending those who -were hardly worse than themselves. - -On the evening of September 16 there was an advance of the 43rd -Brigade, consisting of Somerset, Durham, Cornish, and Yorkshire Light -Infantry, which succeeded in establishing itself in the Gird Trench, -though they found it impossible to get as far as the Gird Support. -This successful advance was supported by the Shropshire and Oxford -battalions of the 42nd Brigade, who established flank protections and -got into touch with the Guards in Gap Trench upon the right. The -Fourteenth Division was withdrawn from the line after this, and their -place taken by the Twenty-first. - -We have now briefly considered the operations carried out during this -great battle by Horne's Fifteenth Corps. Upon their right, -stretching from the neighbourhood of Ginchy to the left of the French -{251} Army in the neighbourhood of Combles, was Cavan's Fourteenth -Corps, which contained in its battle line the Guards, the Sixth -Division, and the 56th London Territorial Division. Taking them, as -always, from the left, we will begin by tracing the progress of the -Guards. - -The Guards Division had taken over the Ginchy Section some days -previously from the Irish Division, and had at once found themselves -involved in very heavy fighting, which left them a good deal weakened -for the great advance. They were faced by a strong system of -trenches, and especially by one stronghold upon their right front, -called the Quadrilateral, which was a most formidable thorn, not only -in their side but also in that of the Sixth Division upon the right. -On September 13 and 14 these two divisions strove hard, and sustained -heavy losses in the endeavour to clear their front of, and to -outflank, this serious obstacle, and some account of these -preliminary operations may be here introduced, although, as -explained, they were antecedent to the general engagement. The -attack upon the German trenches on the evening of September 13 was -begun by the Sixth Division, which advanced with the 71st Brigade -upon the left, the Sixteenth upon the right, and the Eighteenth in -reserve. For 500 yards the advance was successful until it reached -the sunken road which leads from Ginchy to Leuze Wood. Here the -leading battalions of the 71st Brigade, the 2nd Sherwood Foresters -upon the left and the 9th Suffolk upon the right, were held up by a -furious fire which caused them heavy losses. The 8th Bedford, one of -the leading battalions of the 16th Brigade, was also heavily -punished. Many {252} officers fell, including Major Mack of the -Suffolks, a civilian-bred soldier over sixty years of age, who had -distinguished himself by his fiery courage. The 2nd Brigade of -Guards had advanced upon the left, near Ginchy Telegraph, and had -also forced their way as far as the road, where they were held up -partly by a terrific barrage from the north-east and partly by the -murderous fire from the Quadrangle. The whole line dug in upon the -ground they had won and waited for a farther push in the morning. In -this action No. 2 Company of the 2nd Irish Guards suffered heavy -casualties from close-range fire. - -On September 14 a second attempt was made to get forward, the action -being a purely local one, but extending over a considerable space -from Ginchy to near Leuze Wood, with its centre on the line of Ginchy -Telegraph. The 3rd Brigade of Guards came into action this morning -and made some progress in the orchard north of Ginchy. At the same -time, the 2nd Sherwoods got astride of the little railway which -intersected their position. The gains were inconsiderable, however, -which could not be said for the losses, mostly due to machine-gun -fire from the Quadrangle. The fact that this point was still untaken -gave the whole Fourteenth Corps a very difficult start for the -general action upon September 15 to which we now come. - -On the signal for the general advance the Guards Division advanced on -the front between Delville Wood and Ginchy. The 1st Guards Brigade -was on the left, the 2nd on the right, and the 3rd in reserve. The -front line of battalions counting from the left were the 3rd, 2nd, -and 1st Coldstreams with the 3rd Grenadiers as right flank. Behind, -in the second line {253} from the left, were the 1st Irish, 2nd -Grenadiers, 2nd Irish, and 1st Scots. Disregarding the Quadrilateral -upon their right, which was holding up the Sixth Division, the Guards -swept magnificently onwards, losing many officers and men, but never -their direction or formation. From 6.20 in the morning until 4 P.M. -they overcame one obstacle after another, and continually advanced, -though the progress was unequal at different points on the line. -There was a short sharp bout of hand-to-hand fighting in the front -line trench, but the rush of the heavy disciplined Guardsmen was -irresistible, and the defenders were soon overwhelmed. In this mêlée -the battalions got badly mixed up, part of the 2nd Irish getting -carried away by the 1st Brigade. The 1st Brigade found a more -formidable obstacle in front of them in Vat Alley, but this also was -cleared after a struggle, the left-hand units getting mixed with the -right-hand units of the Fourteenth Division. About one o'clock the -3rd Coldstreams on the extreme left were held up by a wired strong -point. They were weak in numbers and almost without officers, so -they dug in as best they could and waited. On the right the 2nd -Brigade made good progress, and about mid-day its leading line topped -the low ridge and saw the land of promise beyond, the green slope -leading up to Lesboeufs, and in the middle of the slope, not more -than a thousand yards away, a battery of field-guns raining shrapnel -upon them. They could get no farther, and they consolidated at this -point, digging in under heavy shell-fire. The German infantry was -seen at one time marching down in artillery formation for a -counter-attack, but the movement was soon dispersed. In the evening -the front line, terribly worn and consisting {254} of a jumble of -exhausted men, held on firmly to the last inch that they had won. -Too weak to advance and too proud to retire, they lay under the -torment of the shells and waited for dusk. The colonel of the 3rd -Coldstreams, in temporary command of his brigade, had sent back -during the afternoon for help, and the 2nd Scots were sent up from -the 3rd Brigade, but the German barrage was so terrific that they -sustained very heavy losses, including Colonel Tempest, Wynne-Finch, -the adjutant, and many other officers. The battalion, or what -remained of it, arrived in time to help to crush a dangerous -counter-attack, which was sweeping down from between Guedecourt and -Lesboeufs, a repulse which was entirely inflicted by rifle and -Lewis-gun fire. A lieutenant seems to have been the senior officer -present at this critical moment, and to have met it as our subalterns -have so often met large emergencies during the War. The advanced -line was held until upon the next day the 60th Brigade, and finally -the whole of the Twentieth Division, took over the new positions, -which may be regarded as a protective flank line in continuation of -that of the Fifty-sixth Division. It should be mentioned that the -61st Brigade of the Twentieth Division had been lent to the Guards -during the battle, and had done very sterling and essential work. -For a short time the Guards were rested after this splendid but -costly service. - -In the meantime the gallant Sixth Division was left face to face with -the hardest problem of all, the Quadrilateral trenches, which, as the -name would indicate, were as formidable in the flanks or rear as in -front. With a tenacity which was worthy of the traditions of this -great division it settled down to the {255} task of clearing its -front, meeting with check after check, but carrying on day and night -until the thing was done. On the first assault upon September 15, -the 1st Leicesters of the 71st Brigade were able to make some -progress, but the 8th Bedford of the 16th Brigade, who shared the -attack, were completely held up at the starting-point by the terrific -fire, while the 1st Buffs had heavy losses in endeavouring to come up -to their aid. By about mid-day a mixture of battalions, which -numbered about 200 of the York and Lancasters, 50 Buffs and 50 -Bedfords, had made their way into the advanced German line, but the -Quadrilateral was still intact. The General, seeing the certain -losses and uncertain results which must follow from a frontal attack, -determined to work round the obstacle, and before evening the 16th -Brigade, which had already lost 1200 men, was ready for the advance. -The 18th Brigade had gone forward past the Quadrilateral upon the -left, working up to the Ginchy-Morval Road, and in close touch with -the 1st Scots Guards on the extreme flank of the Guards Division. It -now worked down towards the north face of the German stronghold, and -in the course of September 16 the 2nd Durham Light Infantry, by a -bold advance laid hold of the northern trench of the Quadrilateral -down to within a hundred yards of the Ginchy-Morval Road. Here they -were relieved by the 1st West Yorks, who took over the task upon the -17th, keeping up constant pressure upon the garrison whose resistance -was admirable. These brave men belonged to the One hundred and -eighty-fifth German Division. By this time they were isolated, as -the British wave had rolled far past them on either side, but their -spirit {256} was as high as ever. A second trench to the north of -the work was rushed upon September 17 by the Leicesters, who -bayoneted fifty Germans in a hand-to-hand conflict. Early in the -morning of September 18 came the end, when the British battalions, -led by the 1st Shropshire Light Infantry, closed suddenly in and -stormed the position. Seven machine-guns (five of which fell to the -Shropshires) and a few hundred exhausted or wounded prisoners -represented the trophies of this very difficult operation. The Sixth -Division now connected up with the Twentieth upon their left, and -with the Fifty-sixth upon their right, after which, upon September -19, they handed over their front for a time to the Fifth Division. - -There now only remains the Fifty-sixth Division upon the extreme -right of the Army--the division which contained many of the crack -London Territorial Battalions, re-formed and reinforced since its -terrible losses at the Gommecourt Salient upon July 1. In following -the fortunes of this fine division upon September 15, it is necessary -to go back for some days, as a series of operations had been -undertaken before the great battle, which were as arduous as the -battle itself. On coming into the line on September 9, the division -had at once been given the task of advancing that wing of the Army. -Upon that date the 168th and 169th Brigades were attacking upon the -line of the road which connects Ginchy with Combles, the general -objects of the advance being gradually to outflank Combles on the one -side and the Quadrilateral upon the other. Some ground was -permanently gained by both brigades upon that day, the Victoria -Rifles and the 4th London doing most of the fighting. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{257} - -[Illustration: ATTACK on QUADRILATERAL, September 15th, 1916.] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{258} - -Upon September 10 the advance was continued, a scattered clump of -trees called Leuze Wood being the immediate obstacle in front of the -right-hand brigade, while the left-hand brigade was trying to get -into touch with the division upon their left, and were confronted by -the continuation of the same system of trenches. The 169th Brigade -upon the right was advancing through Leuze Wood, and suffered heavy -losses before reaching its objective. On the left the London -Scottish and the Rangers were extending east along the Ginchy Road, -endeavouring to link up with the Guards, for there was an awkward gap -at that date between the divisions. This was filled, however, by the -advent of the Fifth and subsequently of the Sixth Division. The -object of all the above operations was to get the right flank of the -Army into its allotted position for the battle to come. - -Upon September 15 the London Division went forward with the whole -line at 6.20 in the morning, the 167th Brigade on the left, the 169th -upon the right. The original direction of advance had been north and -south, but it soon became almost from west to east as the division, -pivoting upon Leuze Wood, swung round to attack Bouleaux Wood to the -north of it, and to hold a defensive flank for the whole army. Their -front was a very narrow one to allow for the fact that their -essential work was lateral. - -The 167th Brigade fought its way bravely into Bouleaux Wood, where -they endured the usual horrors of this forest fighting, which came -especially upon the 7th Middlesex battalion, who lost 400 men, -chiefly from the fire of unseen machine-guns. There was a very heavy -barrage between Ginchy and Bouleaux Wood, so that all reserves and -supports endured heavy {259} losses before they could get up. By -mid-day the 1st London and the 8th were involved in the wood and some -progress was being made, while the 2nd London of the 169th Brigade -had taken and consolidated a trench near the Sunken Road, but a -further attack upon a second trench to the east of Leuze Wood, two -days later, was a failure. On this same day, September 18, the 168th -Brigade relieved the 167th in Bouleaux Wood, while the whole -division, like one blade of a scissors, edged its way eastwards -towards Combles to meet the French Second Division, who were closing -in from the other side. Already rumours were current that the -Germans were evacuating this important little town, but many very -active German trenches and strong points still lay all round it, -through which the Allies, from either side, were endeavouring to -force their way. On the night of September 18-19, the 5th Cheshires, -pioneer battalion of the division, constructed a long trench parallel -to Bouleaux Wood, which formed a defensive flank for the operations. -The whole of this wood had now been cleared with the exception of the -extreme northern corner. Here we may leave the Fifty-sixth Division, -for the fall of Combles will fit in more properly to our next survey, -when we shall have once again to go down the whole line from left to -right and to show one more stage in the advance. - -This Battle of Flers may be said to mark an epoch in military history -on account of the use of the so-called tank, an instrument which had -no vital effect upon the course of the fight, but which was obviously -capable of being much enlarged, and of being made in every way more -formidable. It had been a common criticism up to this date that our -military equipment {260} had always been an imitation, very belated, -of that of our enemy. Now at last Great Britain, warming to the War, -was giving her inventive and manufacturing as well as her military -talents full scope--and the tank was the first-born of her fancy. It -is a matter of history that Britain has been the inventor of -processes and Germany the adapter of them, so that we had a valuable -asset in that direction could we break through our bonds of red tape -and get without hindrance from the thinker in his study to the -fighter in the trench. Those who have had the experience of -discussing any military problem in the Press, and have found by the -next post fifty letters from men of all ranks and professions, -presenting solutions for it, can best understand how active is the -inventive brain of the country. In this instance, Mr. Winston -Churchill is said, during his tenure of office, to have first -conceived the idea of the tanks, but the actual details were worked -out by a number of men. Especially they are owing to Colonel Stern, -a civilian before the War, who used his knowledge of motor -manufacture and his great organising ability to put the construction -through in the shortest time, to Commander d'Eyncourt of the Navy, -and to Colonel Swinton, R.E., who looked after the crews and -equipment. On an average six of these engines, strange modern -resuscitations of the war-chariots of our ancestors, were allotted to -each division. The whole affair was frankly experimental, and many -got into trouble through the breakdown of machinery, the limits of -carrying capacity, and the slipping of the caterpillar driving-bands -at the sides. Their pace, too, was against them, as they could only -go twenty yards per minute as against the fifty of the infantry. -Hence {261} they had to be sent ahead down lanes in the barrage, with -the result that the element of surprise was lessened. Their vision -also was very defective, and they were bad neighbours, as they drew -fire. The result was a very mixed report from various Divisional -Commanders, some of whom swore by, and others at them. The net -result, however, was summed up by the words of commendation from -General Haig in his despatch, and there were some cases, as at Flers -itself, where the work done was simply invaluable, and the -machine-guns were nosed out and rooted up before they could do any -damage. The adventures of individual tanks could, and no doubt will, -fill a volume to themselves, some of them, either in ignorance or -recklessness, wandering deep into the enemy's lines, and amazing -rearward batteries by their sudden uncouth appearance. Several were -destroyed, but none actually fell into the German hands. Enough was -done to show their possibilities, and also to prove that the Navy and -the Flying Service had not sufficed to exhaust our amazing supply of -high-spirited youths ready to undertake the most nerve-shaking tasks -so long as a touch of sport gave them a flavour. The very names of -these land cruisers, Crême de Menthe and the like, showed the joyous, -debonair spirit in which their crews faced the unknown dangers of -their new calling. - -Summing up the events of September 15, it was without any doubt the -greatest British victory, though not the most important, which had -been gained up to date in the War. July 1 was the most important, -and all subsequent ones arose from it, since it was then that the -Chinese Wall of Germany was breached. July 14 was also a -considerable victory, but it was only a {262} portion of the line -which was attacked, and that portion was partly regained for a time -by the German counter-attacks. The battle of September 15, however, -was on as huge a scale as that of July 1, but was devoid of those -long stretches of untaken trench which made us pay so heavy a price -for our victory. From the Pozières Ridge upon the left to Bouleaux -Wood upon the right twelve divisions moved forward to victory, and, -save in the small section of the Quadrilateral, everything gave way -at once to that majestic advance. The ultimate objectives had been -carefully defined, for the Battle of Loos had taught us that the -infantry must not outrun the guns, but this pre-ordained limit was -attained at almost every spot. Martinpuich, High Wood, Flers, -Delville, and Leuze Wood, all passed permanently within the British -lines, and the trophies of victory amounted to 5000 prisoners and a -dozen guns. At this stage no less than 21,000 prisoners had been -taken by the British and 34,000 by the French since the great series -of battles was commenced upon July 1. - - - - -{263} - -CHAPTER XI - -THE GAINING OF THE THIEPVAL RIDGE - -Assault on Thiepval by Eighteenth Division--Heavy -fighting--Co-operation of Eleventh Division--Fall of Thiepval--Fall -of Schwaben Redoubt--Taking of Stuff Redoubt--Important gains on the -Ridge. - - -Having treated the successful advance made by Rawlinson's Fourth Army -upon September 15, it would be well before continuing the narrative -of their further efforts to return to Gough's Army upon the north, -the right Canadian wing of which had captured Courcelette, but which -was occupied in the main with the advance upon the Thiepval Ridge. - -The actual capture of Thiepval was an operation of such importance -that it must be treated in some detail. The village, or rather the -position, was a thorn in the side of the British, as it lay with its -veteran garrison of Würtembergers, girdled round and flanked by -formidable systems of trenches upon the extreme left of their line. -Just above Thiepval was a long slope ending in a marked ridge, which -was topped by the Schwaben Redoubt. Both armies recognised the -extreme importance of this position, since its capture would mean a -fire-command over all the German positions to the north of the Ancre, -while {264} without it the British could never reap the full result -of their success in breaking the line upon July 1. For this reason, -instructions had been given to the picked German troops who held it -to resist at all costs, even to the death. They had massed at least -four hundred guns in order to beat down every assault. Yet the -attempt must be made, and it was assigned to Jacob's Second Corps, -the actual Divisions engaged being the Eighteenth and the Eleventh, -both of them units recruited in the South of England. The latter was -distinguished as the first English Division of the New Armies, while -the former had already gained great distinction in the early days of -the Somme battle when they captured Trones Wood. They were supported -in their difficult venture by a considerable concentration of -artillery, which included the guns of the Twenty-fifth and -Forty-ninth Divisions as well as their own. Jacob, their Corps -leader, was an officer who had risen from the command of an -Anglo-Indian Brigade to that of a Corps within two years. The whole -operation, like all others in this region, was under the direction of -Sir Hubert Gough. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{265} - -[Illustration: PLAN illustrating the Capture of THIEPVAL, September -26th, October 5th, 1916.] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Every possible preparation was made for the assault, and all the -requirements of prolonged warfare were used to minimise the losses -and ensure the success of the storm-troops. Four tanks were brought -up to co-operate, and one of them, as will be shown, was of vital use -at a critical moment. Instructions were given to the advancing -battalions to let their own shrapnel strike within a few yards of -their toes as they advanced, huddling in a thick line behind the -screen of falling bullets which beat down the machine-guns in front. -With fine judgment in some cases the supports were taken out of the -advanced trenches and {266} concealed here or there so that the -answering barrage of the enemy fell upon emptiness. So war-wise were -the British, and so cool their dispositions, that certain enemy -trenches were actually exempted from bombardment, so that they might -form an intact nucleus of defence when the place was taken. - -The Canadian Corps were to attack from Courcelette upon the right, -but their advance was only indirectly concerned with Thiepval -Village, being directed towards the ridge which runs north-west of -Courcelette to the Schwaben Redoubt. Next to the Canadians on the -left was the Eleventh Division, and on their left the Thirteenth, -which had been strengthened by the addition of the 146th Brigade of -the Forty-ninth Division. The latter brigade held the original -British front line during the action so as to release the whole of -the Eighteenth Division for the advance. The immediate objective of -this division was Thiepval Village, to be followed by the Schwaben -Redoubt. Those of the Eleventh Division on its right were Zollern -and Stuff Redoubts. - -The Eighteenth Division assaulted with two brigades, the 53rd on the -right, the 54th on the left, each being confronted by a network of -trenches backed by portions of the shattered village. The advance -was from south to north, and at right angles to the original British -trench line. The hour of fate was 12.35 in the afternoon of -September 26. - -The average breadth of No Man's Land was 250 yards, which was crossed -by these steady troops at a slow, plodding walk, the pace being -regulated by the searching barrage, which lingered over every -shell-hole in front of them. Through the hard work of the sappers -and Sussex pioneers, the assembly {267} trenches had been pushed well -out, otherwise the task would have been more formidable. - -Following the fortunes of the 53rd Brigade upon the right, its -movements were supposed to synchronise with those of the 33rd Brigade -upon the left flank of the Eleventh Division. The right advanced -battalion was the 8th Suffolk, with the 10th Essex upon the left, -each of them in six waves. Close at their heels came the 8th -Norfolk, whose task was to search dug-outs and generally to -consolidate the ground won. The front line of stormers rolled over -Joseph Trench, which was the German advanced position, but before -they had reached it there was a strange eruption of half-dressed -unarmed Germans yelling with terror and bolting through the barrage. -Many of them dashed through the stolid Suffolks, who took no notice -of them, but let them pass. Others lost their nerve like rabbits at -a battue, and darted here and there between the lines until the -shrapnel found them. It was an omen of victory that such clear signs -of shaken moral should be evident so early in the day. There was -sterner stuff behind, however, as our men were speedily to learn. - -The advance went steadily forward, cleaning up the trenches as it -went, and crossing Schwaben Trench, Zollern Trench, and Bulgar -Trench, in each of which there was sharp resistance, only quelled by -the immediate presence of our Lewis guns, or occasionally by the rush -of a few determined men with bayonets. It was 2.30 before the -advance was brought to a temporary stand by machine-gun fire from the -right. After that hour a small party of Suffolks under Lieutenant -Mason got forward some distance ahead, and made a strong point which -they held till evening, {268} this gallant young officer falling -under the enemy's fire. - -The success of the Suffolks upon the right was equalled by that of -the Essex on the left, passing through the eastern portion of -Thiepval without great loss, for the usual machine-gun fire seemed to -have been stamped out by the British guns. The whole of this fine -advance of the 53rd Brigade covered about 1000 yards in depth and -accounted for a great number of the enemy in killed, wounded, and -prisoners. The advance made and the cost paid both showed that our -officers and soldiers were learning the lessons of modern warfare -with that swift adaptability which Britain has shown in every phase -of this terrific and prolonged test. This old, old nation's blood -has flowed into so many younger ones that her own vitality might well -be exhausted; but she has, on the contrary, above all the combatants, -given evidence of the supple elasticity of youth, moulding herself in -an instant to every movement of the grim giant with whom she fought. - -Great as had been the success of the 53rd Brigade, it was not -possible for them to get on to the Schwaben Redoubt, their ultimate -objective, because, as will be shown, matters were more difficult -upon the left, and one corner of the village was still in German -possession. They ended the day, therefore, with two battalions -consolidating the Zollern Line, a third in support in the Schwaben -Trench, and a fourth, the 6th Berks, bringing up munitions and food -to their exhausted but victorious comrades. The front line was much -mixed, but the men were in good heart, and a visit from their -Brigadier in the early morning of the 27th did much to reassure them. -To carry on the story {269} of this brigade to the conclusion of the -attack it may be added that the whole of the 27th was spent on -consolidation and on a daring reconnaissance by a captain of the 53rd -Trench Mortar Battery, who crawled forward alone, and made it clear -by his report that a new concerted effort was necessary before the -Brigade could advance. - -We shall now return to 12.35 P.M. on September 26, and follow the -54th Brigade upon the left. The advance was carried out by the 12th -Middlesex, with instructions to attack the village, and by the 11th -Royal Fusiliers, whose task was to clear the maze of trenches and -dug-outs upon the west of the village, while the 6th Northamptons -were to be in close support. So difficult was the task, that a -frontage of only 300 yards was allotted to the Brigade, so as to -ensure weight of attack--the Fusiliers having a front line of one -platoon. - -The advance ran constantly into a network of trenches with nodal -strong points which were held with resolution and could only be -carried by fierce hand-to-hand fighting. Captain Thompson, -Lieutenants Miall-Smith and Cornaby, and many of their Fusiliers in -the leading company, were killed or wounded in this desperate -business. So stern was the fight that the Fusiliers on the left got -far behind their own barrage, and also behind their Middlesex -comrades on the right, who swept up as far as the château before they -were brought to a temporary halt. Here, at the very vital moment, -one of the tanks, the only one still available, came gliding forward -and put out of action the machine-guns of the chateau, breaking down -in the effort, and remaining on the scene of its success. Across the -whole front of the {270} advance there were now a series of small -conflicts at close quarters, so stubborn that the left wing of the -Fusiliers was held stationary in constant combat for the rest of the -day. Extraordinary initiative was shown by privates of both leading -battalions when left without officers in this scattered fighting, and -here, no doubt, we have a result depending upon the formed educated -stuff which went to the making of such troops as these London units -of the new armies. Private Edwards and Private Ryder each gained -their V.C. at this stage of the action by single-handed advances -which carried forward the line. Corporal Tovey lost his life in a -similar gallant venture, bayoneting single-handed the crew of a -machine-gun and silencing it. Fierce battles raged round garrisoned -dug-outs, where no quarter was given or taken on either side. One -considerable garrison refused to surrender and perished horribly in -the flames of their wood-lined refuge. Those who fled from their -refuges were cut down by Lewis guns, a lieutenant of the Fusiliers -getting 50 in this manner. This officer also distinguished himself -by his use of a captured map, which enabled him to lead his men to -the central telephone installation, where 20 operators were seized by -a corporal and two files of Fusiliers, who afterwards put the wires -out of gear. - -These great results had not been obtained without heavy losses. -Colonel Carr of the Fusiliers, Major Hudson, and the Adjutant had all -fallen. About three in the afternoon the village had all been -cleared save the north-west corner, but the battalions were very -mixed, the barrage deadly, the order of the attack out of gear, and -the position still insecure. The 54th Brigade was well up with the -53rd upon the {271} right, but upon the left it was held up as -already described. The German egg bombs were falling in this area as -thick as snowballs in a schoolboy battle, while the more formidable -stick bombs were often to be seen, twenty at a time, in the air. - -A great deal now depended upon the supports, as the front line was -evidently spent and held. The immediate support was the 6th -Northamptons. In moving forward it lost both Colonel Ripley and the -Adjutant, and many officers fell, two companies being left entirely -to the charge of the sergeants, who rose finely to their -responsibilities. When by four o'clock the battalion had got up -through the barrage, there were only two unwounded company officers -left standing, both second lieutenants. It was one more -demonstration of the fact that a modern barrage can create a zone -through which it is practically impossible for unarmoured troops to -move. The result was that the battalion was so weak by the time it -got up, that it was less a support to others than a unit which was in -need of support. The three depleted battalions simply held their -line, therefore, until night, and under the cover of darkness they -were all drawn off, and the remaining battalion, the 7th Bedfords, -took their place. That this could be done at night in strange -trenches within a few yards of the German line is a feat which -soldiers will best appreciate. The result was that as day broke on -the 27th the Germans were faced not by a fringe of exhausted men, but -by a perfectly fresh battalion which was ready and eager for -immediate attack. - -The whole of Thiepval had been taken upon the 26th, save only the -north-west corner, and it was upon this that two companies of the -Bedfords were now {272} directed, their objectives being defined for -them by a captain who had fought over the ground the day before. -Thanks to the gallant leadership of another captain and of Lieutenant -Adlam (the latter gaining his Victoria Cross), the place was carried -at small loss, and this last refuge of the Thiepval Germans was -cleared out. It was a glorious achievement, for by it this very -strong point, held against all attacks, French or British, for two -years, passed permanently into our hands. The losses were not -excessive for such a gain, amounting to about 1500 men. Those of the -Germans were very much heavier, and included 600 prisoners drawn from -four different regiments. Over 1000 dead were counted. - -We will now hark back to 12.35 P.M., the hour of assault, and follow -the fortunes of the Eleventh or first English Division of the New -Armies which was advancing upon the right of the Eighteenth Division. -Within half an hour of the assault the 33rd Brigade and the 34th had -crossed both the Joseph and the Schwaben Trenches, the 6th Borders, -9th Sherwood Foresters, 8th Northumberland Fusiliers, and 9th -Lancashire Fusiliers forming the front line. Keeping some sort of -touch with Maxse's men on the left they pushed on until their right -wing was held up by violent machine-gun fire from the Zollern Redoubt -and from Mouquet Farm, the losses falling especially upon the 5th -Dorsets. Between six and seven in the evening a mixed body of troops -from the division, assisted by the machine-guns of two stranded -tanks, attacked Mouquet and finally carried it. - -The Eighteenth Division had still a very formidable task before it to -be undertaken with the co-operation of the Eleventh upon its right. -This was the capture {273} of the formidable stronghold, made up of -many trenches and called the Schwaben Redoubt. It was a thousand -yards distant up a long broken slope. No time was lost in tackling -this new labour, and at 1 P.M. on September 28 the troops moved -forward once again, the same brigades being used, but the worn -battalions being replaced by fresh units drawn from the 55th Brigade. -The 53rd Brigade on the right had the undefeatable Suffolks and the -7th Queen's Surreys in the van with Norfolks and Essex behind. The -54th upon a narrower front had the 7th Bedfords in front, with the -5th West Yorks from the Forty-ninth Division in immediate support, -the Buffs and East Surrey being in Divisional Reserve. The Germans -had got a captive balloon into the air, but their gunnery was not -particularly improved thereby. - -At the first rush the Suffolk and Queen's on the right took Bulgar -and Martin Trenches, while the Eleventh Division took Hessian. By -2.30 Market Trench had also fallen. The troops were now well up to -Schwaben, and small groups of men pushed their way home in spite of a -furious resistance. The Eleventh Division had won home on the right, -and the Suffolks were in touch with them and with the Queen's, so -that the position before evening was thoroughly sound. Part of this -enormous stronghold was still in German hands, however, and all our -efforts could not give us complete control. - -Upon the left the 7th Bedfords, leading the 54th Brigade, had made a -very notable advance, crossing Market Trench and getting well up to -the western face of the great Redoubt. The Reserves, however, lost -direction amid the chaos of shell-holes and trenches, drifting away -to the left. The Schwaben was occupied {274} at several points, and -the first-fruits of that commanding position were at once picked, for -the light machine-guns were turned upon the German fugitives as they -rushed with bent backs down the sloping trenches which led to St. -Pierre Divion. The West Yorkshires were well up, and for a time -these two battalions and the Germans seem to have equally divided -this portion of the trench between them. There was stark fighting -everywhere with bomb and bayonet, neither side flinching, and both so -mixed up that neither German nor British commanders could tell how -the units lay. In such a case a General can only trust to his men, -and a British General seldom trusts in vain. - -As night fell in this confused scene where along the whole line the -Eighteenth Division had reached its objective but had not cleared it, -attempts were made to bring up new men, the Berkshires, a battalion -of young drafts, relieving the Suffolks on the right. In the morning -two local counter-attacks by the Germans succeeded in enlarging their -area. At the same time the 55th Brigade took over the front, the -four battalions being reunited under their own Brigadier. It was -clear that the German line was thickening, for it was a matter of -desperate urgency to them to recover the Redoubt. They still held -the northern end of the labyrinth. On September 30 the East Surreys, -moving up behind a massive barrage, took it by storm, but were driven -out again before they could get their roots down. The Germans, -encouraged by their success, surged south again, but could make no -headway. On October 1 the tide set northwards once more, and the -Buffs gained some ground. From then till October 5, when the -Eighteenth Division was relieved by the Thirty-ninth, there {275} -were incessant alarms and excursions, having the net result that at -the latter date the whole Redoubt with the exception of one small -section, afterwards taken by the Thirty-ninth, was in our hands. So -ended for the moment the splendid service of the Eighteenth Division. -Nearly 2000 officers and men had fallen in the Schwaben operations, -apart from the 1500 paid for Thiepval. It is certain, however, that -the Schwaben garrison had suffered as much, and they left 232 -prisoners in the hands of the victors. - -For the purpose of continuity of narrative, we have kept our -attention fixed upon the Eighteenth Division, but the Eleventh -Division, which we have left at Mouquet Farm some pages before, had -been doing equally good work upon the right. In the afternoon of -September 27 the 6th Borders, rushing suddenly from Zollern Trench, -made a lodgment in Hessian Trench, to which they resolutely clung. -On their left the 6th Yorks and 9th West Yorks had also advanced and -gained permanent ground, winning their way into the southern edge of -Stuff Redoubt. Here they had to face a desperate counter-attack, but -Captain White, with a mixed party of the battalions named, held on -against all odds, winning his V.C. by his extraordinary exertions. -During the whole of September 29 the pressure at this point was -extreme, but the divisional artillery showed itself to be extremely -efficient, and covered the exhausted infantry with a most comforting -barrage. - -The 32nd Brigade was now brought up, and on September 30 the advance -was resumed, the whole of this brigade and the 6th Lincolns and 7th -South Staffords of the 33rd being strongly engaged. The results were -admirable, as the whole of Hessian Trench {276} and the south of -Stuff Redoubt were occupied. That night the Eleventh Division was -relieved by the Twenty-fifth, and it will now be told how the -conquest of the Ridge was finally achieved. The Eleventh withdrew -after having done splendid work and sustained losses of 144 officers -and 3500 men. Their prisoners amounted to 30 officers and 1125 of -all ranks, with a great number of machine-guns and trench mortars. - -After the fall of Thiepval and the operations which immediately -followed it the front British line in this quarter ran approximately -east and west along the Thiepval-Courcelette ridge. As far as part -of the front was concerned we had observation over the Valley of the -Ancre, but in another part the Germans still held on to the Stuff -Redoubt, and thence for a stretch they were still on the crest and -had the observation. The Stuff Redoubt itself on the southern face -had been occupied by the Eleventh, when the Schwaben Redoubt was -taken by the Eighteenth Division, but the northern faces of both were -still in the hands of the enemy. These had now to be taken in order -to clear up the line. A further stronghold, called The Mounds, -immediately to the north, came also within the operation. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{277} - -[Illustration: STUFF REDOUBT SYSTEM showing Hessian, Regina and -Stuff.] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -The Twenty-fifth Division had, as stated, relieved the Eleventh, and -this new task was handed over to it. Upon October 9 the first attack -was made by the 10th Cheshires, and although their full objective was -not reached, the result was satisfactory, a lodgment being made and -100 of the garrison captured, with slight casualties to the stormers, -thanks to the good barrage and the workmanlike way in which they took -advantage of it. A strong attempt {278} on the part of the Germans -to prevent consolidation and to throw out the intruders was quite -unsuccessful. - -The 8th North Lancs were now placed in the position of the Cheshires, -while the Thirty-ninth Division upon the left joined in the pressure. -Upon October 10 an attack was made by the 16th Sherwoods supported by -the 17th Rifles of the 117th Brigade; but it had no success. On the -12th there was a renewed attack by units of the 118th Brigade, -chiefly the 4th Black Watch. This succeeded in advancing the line -for a short distance, and upon October 15 it repulsed two local -counter-attacks. Upon the right the 8th North Lancs upon October 14 -had a very successful advance, in which they carried with moderate -loss the stretch of line opposite, as well as the position called The -Mounds. Two machine-guns and 125 prisoners were taken. - -The British now had observation along the whole ridge with a line of -observation posts pushed out beyond the crest. There were formidable -obstacles upon their right front, however, where the Regina Trench -and a heavily fortified quadrilateral system lay in front of the -troops already mentioned, and also of the Canadians on the -Courcelette line. In order to get ready for the next advance there -was some sidestepping of units, the hard-worked Eighteenth coming in -on the right next the Canadians, the Twenty-fifth moving along, and -the Thirty-ninth coming closer on the left. On October 8 the -Canadians had a sharp action, in which the Ontario, British Columbia, -Alberta, and Winnipeg Battalions showed their usual resolution, and -took a couple of hundred prisoners, but were unable to gain much -ground. A concerted movement of the whole line was now organised. - -{279} - -The great Stuff Trench, which was roughly a continuation of the -Regina, was opposite the centre of the attack, and was distant some -300 yards from the British front. The barrage arrangements -co-ordinated by the Second Corps (Jacob), to which these units now -belonged, worked most admirably. The attack was made all along the -line and was eminently successful. At 12.35 upon October 21 the -general advance began, and at 4.30 the whole objective, including -Stuff and Regina, was in the hands of the British and Canadians. It -was a fine victory, with 20 machine-guns and 1000 prisoners of the -5th Ersatz and Twenty-eighth Bavarian Divisions as trophies. So -rapid was the consolidation that before morning trenches were opened -out between the captured line and the old British position. A -curious incident in this most successful attack was that the 8th -Border Regiment advanced at least a thousand yards beyond its -objective, but was successful in getting back. By this brilliant -little action the enemy was finally driven down upon a three-mile -front north of Thiepval and Courcelette, until he had no foothold -left save the marshes to the south of the Ancre, where he cowered in -enfiladed trenches for that final clearing up which was only delayed -by the weather. It should be added that on this same date, October -21, the left of the British line, formed by the Thirty-ninth -Division, was attacked by storm-troops of the German Twenty-eighth -Reserve Division, armed with _flammenwerfer_ and supported by 60 -light batteries. The attack was formidable, and twice got into the -British line, but was twice driven out again, leaving many prisoners -and trophies behind. The Sussex and Hampshire troops of the 116th -Brigade, aided by the 17th Rifles, {280} stood splendidly to their -work, and ended by holding every inch of their ground, and adding a -new German trench which was carried by the 14th Hants. - -From this time onwards this northern section of the line was quiet -save for small readjustments, until the great effort upon November -13, which brought the autumn campaign to a close with the -considerable victory of Beaumont Hamel. From the point which the -Second Corps had now reached it could command with its guns the -Valley of the Ancre to the north of it, including some of those -positions which had repulsed our attack upon July 1 and were still in -German hands. So completely did we now outflank them from the south -that it must have been evident to any student of the map that Haig -was sure, sooner or later, to make a strong infantry advance over the -ground which was so completely controlled by his artillery. It was -the German appreciation of this fact which had caused their desperate -efforts at successive lines of defence to hold us back from gaining -complete command of the crest of the slope. It will be told in the -final chapter of this volume how this command was utilised, and a -bold step was taken towards rolling up the German positions from the -south--a step which was so successful that it was in all probability -the immediate cause of that general retirement of the whole German -front which was the first great event in the campaign of 1917. - - - - -{281} - -CHAPTER XII - -THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -From September 15 to the Battle of the Ancre - -Capture of Eaucourt--Varying character of German resistance--Hard -trench fighting along the line--Dreadful climatic conditions--The -meteorological trenches--Hazy Trench--Zenith Trench--General -observations--General von Arnim's report. - - -Having described the Battle of Flers, which began upon September 15 -and which extended over one, two, or three days according to the -completeness of the local victory, or the difficulty of reaching any -definite limit, we will now turn once more to the left of the line -(always excepting Gough's flanking army, which has been treated -elsewhere), and we shall follow the deeds of the successive divisions -in each sector up to the end of the operations. We will begin with -the Third Corps, who abutted upon the Canadians in the Martinpuich -sector, and covered the line up to Drop Alley, north-east of High -Wood, where they joined up with the Fifteenth Corps. - -The line on this western section was less active than on the right, -where the great villages of Combles, Lesboeufs, and Morval were -obvious marks for the advance. After the battle of September 15, the -{282} Twenty-third Division, relieving the Fifteenth, took its -station at the extreme left of the line, just north of Martinpuich. -To the right of the Twenty-third, occupying the Starfish and Prue -system of trenches, was the Fiftieth Division. On their right was -the First, who had relieved the Forty-seventh Division, the victors -of High Wood. These three divisions, Twenty-third, Fiftieth, and -First, now formed the Third Corps. Their fighting patrols were -thrown well out during the days after the battle, and their front -posts were as far north as Crescent Alley and Hook Trench. The -general attack of September 25, which amounted to a considerable -battle, did not seriously affect this portion of the line. The only -operation of note before the end of the month was an attack upon a -farm in the front of their line by the 70th Brigade of the -Twenty-third Division--a brigade which had greatly distinguished -itself during the time it had fought with the Eighth Division upon -July 1. This attack failed the first time, but it was repeated with -success at dawn upon September 29, and the line moved forward to that -limited extent. Another small advance was made by the First Division -on the night of September 25, east of Eaucourt, when a piece of -trench was carried by the gallantry of a platoon of the 2nd Rifles, -consisting almost entirely of Rhodesian volunteers, samples of those -wandering Britons who have played a part in this War which can never -be chronicled. The way in which the distant sons, prodigal or -otherwise, came back to the help of their hard-pressed mother is one -of the most beautiful chapters in the history of the Empire. - -The Flers front-line trench bends away from the British position as -it trends towards the north-west, {283} so that although it had been -made good over a large portion in the Battle of Flers, it was still -intact opposite the Third Corps. Upon October 1, however, it was -attacked, and was taken without any great difficulty, though the -Fiftieth in the centre had to fight hard for their section. The -storming battalions, after re-forming, continued their advance, and -occupied the line between Le Sars and Flers. The village of Eaucourt -lay in their path, and was well guarded upon the west by uncut wire, -but a tank rolled its majestic path across it and the shouting -infantry crowded close behind. The 141st Brigade of the -Forty-seventh Division, which had come back once again into the line, -was the first to enter this village, which was the sixteenth torn by -the British from the grip of the invaders since the breaking of the -line, while the French captures stood at an even higher figure. -There was a strong counter-attack upon Eaucourt during the night, -accompanied by a shortage of bombs owing to the fact that the store -had been destroyed by an unlucky shell. The Germans for the time -regained the village, and the ruins were partly occupied by both -armies until October 3, when the British line, once more gathering -volume and momentum, rolled over it for the last time. It had been -stoutly defended by men of a German reserve division, and its capture -had cost us dear. One of the mysteries of the fighting at this stage -was the very varied quality of the resistance, so that the advancing -British were never sure whether they would find themselves faced by -demoralised poltroons, capable of throwing up their hands by the -hundred, or by splendid infantry, who would fight to the death with -the courage of despair. - -{284} - -Having won Eaucourt, the next village which faced the British line in -this sector was Le Sars, immediately to the north-west. The advance -upon this was carried out amid rain and slush which made military -operations almost impossible. It was again found that the resistance -was very spirited, but the place was none the less carried and -consolidated upon October 7. - -In the week preceding the final assault there was hard fighting, -during which the 70th Brigade won its way forward into a favourable -position for the attack. The 8th York and Lancasters particularly -distinguished themselves by their gallantry in clearing by bombing -the outlying German defences, Major Sawyer and Lieutenant de Burgh of -that battalion winning the Cross for their fine leadership upon that -occasion. The decisive attack was carried out by the other two -brigades of the Twenty-third Division, which advanced upon the -village, whilst the Forty-seventh Division made an attempt upon the -formidable Butte of Warlencourt. The latter venture met with no -success, but the former was brilliantly carried out. The advance was -made by the 68th Brigade upon the right and the 69th upon the left, -the Martinpuich-Warlencourt Road being the dividing line between the -two divisions. The attack was at 1.45 P.M., and in broad daylight -the battalions concerned, notably the 12th and 13th Durhams and the -9th Yorks, clambered over their sodden sandbags and waded through the -mud which separated them from the Germans. The numbers were so -reduced that the companies formed only two weak platoons, but none -the less they advanced very steadily. Captain Blake, leading the -first company of Durhams, was shot dead; {285} but another captain -took over both companies and led them straight at the village, both -the 12th Durhams and 9th Yorks reaching the sunken road in front of -the houses at about the same moment. They worked their way down this -and bombed many Germans in their dug-outs. Here, as elsewhere, -experience proved that this system of taking refuge from shell-fire -in deep burrows has very serious military disadvantages, not merely -on account of the difficulty of getting out, but from the more -serious objection that the men, being trained to avoid danger, -continued to shrink from it when it was essential that they should -rush out and face it. The yellow faces and flaccid appearance of our -prisoners showed also the physical results of a troglodytic life. - -A single tank which had accompanied the advance was set on fire by a -shell, but the infantry pressed on undismayed, and well backed up by -the 10th and 11th Northumberland Fusiliers and 8th Seaforths, they -soon seized the whole village and firmly consolidated their position. -The success was partly due to the fine handling of machine-guns, -which turned the favourite weapon of the Germans against themselves. -Five of these guns, 8 officers, and 450 men were taken during the -operation. - -The Forty-seventh Division, meanwhile, in attempting to make similar -progress upon the right was held up by very heavy rifle and -machine-gun fire. Immediately afterwards, this division, much worn -by its splendid service, was taken out of the line, being replaced by -the Ninth Scottish Division. Their companion Division, the -Fifteenth, had come back upon their left. The weather now became so -abominable and the mud so abysmal, that all prospect {286} of farther -progress in this section had to be abandoned. The old prehistoric -mark called the Butte of Warlencourt, which had long stood up as a -goal in front of the British trenches, proved really to be the final -mark of their advance until a new season should dawn. Upon October -12 there was an attempt to get forward, but the conditions were -impossible, and the results unsatisfactory. In this affair the -gallant Ninth Division had considerable losses, their advance being -conducted with the 26th Brigade upon the right and the South Africans -upon the left. Some small gain was achieved by the former, but the -latter were held up by a deadly machine-gun fire. The Thirtieth -Division was upon the right of the Ninth at this period, and twice -endeavoured to get forwards--once upon the 12th and once upon the -18th; but neither of these attempts had good success, partly owing to -the very bad weather, and partly to the excellent resistance of the -Sixth Bavarian Reserve Division, which is described by those who have -fought against it as one of the very best divisions in the German -army. On the 20th a fresh attack was made by the 27th Brigade with -no success and heavy losses to the 6th Scottish Borderers. Early in -November a renewed attempt was made by the Fiftieth Division to -advance in this quarter, but the country was a morass and no progress -was possible. The Canadians, Forty-eighth and Fiftieth Divisions, -who held the Le Sars front, were condemned to inactivity. From that -time onwards the line of the Third Corps was undisturbed, save for a -strong counter-attack upon November 6, which neutralised a small -advance made upon the 5th. Le Sars and Eaucourt were consolidated -and continued to be the British advanced posts in this quarter. The -{287} conditions of mud and discomfort can only be described as -appalling. - -Having briefly traced the work of the Third Corps from the action of -September 15 to the coming of the winter, we shall now turn to the -Fifteenth Corps upon the right and follow their operations from the -same date. It will be remembered that the New Zealanders formed the -left-hand division, and that they had advanced so finely that by the -evening of September 16 they were up to, but not in, Goose Alley and -Factory Corner, from which they were within striking distance of the -Gird System. - -Before attacking this, however, it was necessary to get a firmer hold -of Flers Trench, which in its western reaches was still in the hands -of the Germans. It was a desperate business of bombing from traverse -to traverse and overcoming successive barricades upon a very narrow -front where a few determined men could hold up a company. This -difficult business was taken in hand at 8.30 on the night of -September 21 by the 2nd Canterbury Battalion, who advanced down the -trench. It was a Homeric conflict, which lasted for the whole night, -where men stood up to each other at close quarters, clearing away the -dead and dying in order to make room for fresh combatants in the -front line. Down Flers Trench and Drop Alley raged the long -struggle, with crash and flare of bombs, snarl of machine-guns, -shrill whistles from rallying officers, and shouts from the furious -men. The New Zealand Black Watch had gained a portion of the trench, -but the German reinforcements streamed down a communication trench -which opened behind them, and found themselves between the two bodies -of New Zealanders. It was a great fight, but by morning {288} it had -been definitely decided in favour of the men from oversea. The long -section of Flers Trench was cleared and part of Goose Alley, opening -out of it, was held. No less than 350 German dead were picked up, -and a handful of prisoners were left with the victors. The New -Zealand losses were about 150 of all ranks. - -On September 25 the New Zealanders tightened their grip upon Goose -Alley, which connects up the Flers and the Gird Systems of trenches. -In the meantime the divisions upon their right were moving to the -north-east of Flers towards the village of Guedecourt, which lay upon -the farther side of the Gird Trenches. The actual attack upon the -village was committed to the Twenty-first Division, who advanced on a -two-brigade front, the 110th Leicester Brigade making straight for -the village itself, while the 64th Brigade upon its right, -strengthened by the inclusion of the 1st Lincolns, was ordered to -occupy 1000 yards of front to the right. The two brigades were not -equally fortunate. The Leicester brigade, by a fine advance, pierced -the Gird Trench, and made their way beyond it. The 64th Brigade was -held up by uncut wire, which they could not penetrate. The result -was that the Leicesters, being heavily counter-attacked, and having -their flanks open, were forced back as far as the Gird Trench, to -which they clung. The position in the evening was a curious one, for -we held the Gird Trench at two different points, but between them lay -a stretch of 1000 yards still occupied by the Germans and faced with -uncut wire. Orders reached the Divisional General during the night -that at all costs the position must be carried. By a happy -inspiration he sent for a tank from Flers, {289} and ordered the -Leicesters to bomb down Gird Trench in co-operation with the tank, -which crawled along the parapet. A strong point had been erected at -the far end of the trench, and the Germans as they rushed away from -the danger ran into a deadly machine-gun fire. The upshot was that a -great number were killed, while 8 officers and 362 men were taken, -with a loss to the attackers of 5 wounded. To add to the quaintness -of the operation, an aeroplane flew low over the trench during its -progress, helping with its bombs to make the victory complete. The -result was far more than the capture of the trench, for the 64th -Brigade, led by the Durhams, at once swept forward and captured their -objective, while the 110th Brigade upon the left reached Guedecourt -under happier auspices and remained in possession of the village. - -Although the Gird line had been pierced at this point, it was held in -its western length, and this was attacked upon September 27 by the -New Zealanders and the Fifty-fifth Lancashire Territorial Division, -both of which gained their objectives, so that the whole end of this -great trench system from a point north of Flers passed definitely -into the British possession. - -On October 1 there was a fresh general advance which led to no great -change in this part of the line, save that both the New Zealanders -and the Twenty-first Division improved their position, the latter -getting as far as Bayonet Trench. Shortly afterwards the New -Zealanders were drawn out, having been 23 consecutive days in the -line, and earned themselves a great reputation. "The division has -won universal confidence and admiration," said Sir Douglas Haig. "No -praise can be too high for such troops." - -We now turn to the Fourteenth Corps, which filled {290} the remainder -of the British line up to the point of its junction with the French. -During the battle the division of Guards had, as will be remembered, -held the left of this line, but on the day after it was replaced for -a short time by the Twentieth Division, whose 61st Brigade, -especially the 7th Cornwalls and 12th King's, were heavily engaged. -The 60th Brigade had pushed up into the fighting line, and received a -strong German counter-attack in the morning of the 17th, which broke -down before the rifles of the 6th Shropshire Light Infantry. In the -afternoon the 59th Brigade advanced upon the left and the 60th upon -the right, closing in upon the Morval position. The 12th King's -Royal Rifles of the latter brigade was held up by a strong point and -lost heavily, but the general effect was to bring the British line -nearer to the doomed village. Twice upon the 18th, German -counter-attacks swarmed down upon the exposed right flank of the 60th -Brigade, but each time they were blown back by the fire of the 12th -Rifle Brigade and the 12th Rifles. The 59th Brigade had made no -progress, the two Rifle Brigade battalions (10th and 11th) having -particularly heavy losses upon the 17th, but they were holding their -line strongly. It was impossible to do more for the moment, for the -Sixth Division upon their right was still hung up, as already -described, by the Quadrilateral. Shortly after that obstacle had -been overcome, the Guards took over once more from the Twentieth, and -were ready in conjunction with the Sixth and Fifth Divisions for a -serious advance upon Morval and Lesboeufs. - -On September 22 the 3rd Guards Brigade was in touch with the -Twenty-first Division upon the left, which was now holding Gird -Trench and Gird Support {291} as far north as Watling Street. On -this day the 4th Grenadiers, reverting after centuries to the weapon -which their name implies, were bombing their way up Gas Alley, which -leads towards Lesboeufs. On the 23rd the Twenty-first on the left, -the Guards in the centre, and the Sixth Division were advancing and -steadily gaining ground to the north-east, capturing Needle Trench, -which is an off-shoot from the Gird System. On the 24th the Germans -counter-attacked upon the 16th Brigade, the blow falling upon the 1st -Buffs, who lost four bays of their trench for a short period, but -speedily drove the intruders out once more. The 14th Durham Light -Infantry also drove off an attack. The Fifth Division was now coming -up on the right of the Sixth, and played a considerable part in the -decisive attack upon September 25. - -On this date an advance of the four divisions on this section of the -line carried all before it, the Twenty-first being north of Delville -Wood, the 3rd Brigade of the Guards operating on the German trenches -between Guedecourt and Lesboeufs, the 1st Brigade of Guards upon the -left of the village of Lesboeufs, the Sixth Division upon the right -of Lesboeufs, and the Fifth Division on Morval. - -In this attack the 4th Grenadiers upon the extreme left of the Guards -were badly punished, for the Twenty-first upon their left had been -held up, but the rest came along well, the 1st Welsh forming a -defensive flank upon the left while the other battalions reached -their full objective and dug in, unmolested save by our own barrage. -The 1st Irish and 3rd Coldstream, who were on the left of the 1st -Brigade, also got through without heavy loss and occupied the -trenches to the immediate north and north-east of Lesboeufs. {292} -The 2nd Grenadiers, who led the right of the Brigade, with their -supporting battalion the 2nd Coldstream, headed straight for the -village, and were held up for a time by uncut wire, but the general -attack upon the right was progressing at a rate which soon took the -pressure off them. - -The British infantry were swarming round Lesboeufs in the early -afternoon, and about 3.15 the 1st West Yorks of the 18th Brigade -penetrated into it, establishing touch with the Guards upon their -left. They were closely followed by their old battle companions, the -2nd Durham Light Infantry. The German resistance was weaker than -usual, and the casualties were not severe. On the Morval front the -15th Brigade of the Fifth Division, with the 95th Brigade upon their -right, were making a steady and irresistible advance upon Morval. -The 1st Norfolks and 1st Cheshires were in the front, and the latter -battalion was the first to break into the village with the 1st -Bedfords, 2nd Scots Borderers, and 16th Royal Welsh Fusiliers in -close support. The 1st Cheshires particularly distinguished itself; -and it was in this action that Private Jones performed his almost -incredible feat of capturing single-handed and bringing in four -officers and 102 men of the 146th Würtemberg Regiment, including four -wearers of the famous Iron Cross. The details of this extraordinary -affair, where one determined and heavily-armed man terrorised a large -company taken at a disadvantage, read more like the romantic exploit -of some Western desperado who cries "Hands up!" to a drove of -tourists, than any operation of war. Jones was awarded the V.C., and -it can have been seldom won in such sensational fashion. - -{293} - -Whilst the 15th Brigade of the Fifth Division attacked the village of -Morval the 95th Brigade of the same division carried the German -trenches to the west of it. This dashing piece of work was -accomplished by the 1st Devons and the 1st East Surreys. When they -had reached their objective, the 12th Gloucesters were sent through -them to occupy and consolidate the south side of the village. This -they carried out with a loss of 80 men. In the evening a company of -the 6th Argylls, together with the 2nd Home Company Royal Engineers, -pushed on past the village and made a strong point against the -expected counter-attack; while the 15th Brigade extended and got into -touch with the 2nd York and Lancasters of the Sixth Division upon -their left. It was a great day of complete victory with no regrets -to cloud it, for the prisoners were many, the casualties were -comparatively few, and two more village sites were included by one -forward spring within the British area. The Town Major of Morval -stood by his charge to the last and formed one of the trophies. On -the 26th the Germans came back upon the Guards at about one o'clock, -but their effort was a fiasco, for the advancing lines came under the -concentrated fire of six batteries of the 7th Divisional Artillery. -Seldom have Germans stampeded more thoroughly. "Hundreds of the -enemy can be seen retiring in disorder over the whole front. They -are rushing towards Beaulencourt in the wildest disorder." Such was -the report from a forward observer. At the same time a tank cleared -the obstacles in front of the Twenty-first Division and the whole -line was straight again. The British consolidated their positions -firmly, for it was already evident {294} that they were likely to be -permanent ones. The Guards and Fifth Division were taken out of the -line shortly afterwards, the Twentieth Division coming in once more -upon September 26, while upon September 27 the French took over part -of the line, pushing the Twentieth Division to the left, where they -took over the ground formerly held by the Twenty-first. Upon October -1 the 61st Brigade was ordered to push forward advanced posts and -occupy a line preparatory to future operations. This was well -carried out and proved of great importance when a week later attacks -were made upon Cloudy and Rainbow Trenches. - -Leaving this victorious section of the line for the moment, we must -turn our attention to the hard-worked and splendid Fifty-sixth -Division upon their right, whose operations were really more -connected with those of the French on their right than with their -comrades of the Fourteenth Corps upon the left. By a happy chance it -was the French division of the same number with which they were -associated during much of the time. It will be remembered that at -the close of the Flers action (September 15 and on), the Fifty-sixth -Division was holding a defensive flank to the south, in the region of -Bouleaux Wood, part of which was still held by the Germans. They -were also closing in to the southwards, so as to co-operate with the -French, who were approaching Combles from the other side. On -September 25, while the Fifth were advancing upon Morval, the -Fifty-sixth played an important part, for the 168th, their left -brigade, carried the remainder of Bouleaux Wood, and so screened the -flank of the Fifth Division. One hundred men and four machine-guns -were captured in this movement. On the 26th, as the woods {295} were -at last clear, the division turned all its attention to Combles, and -at 3.15 in the afternoon of that day fighting patrols of the 169th -Brigade met patrols of the French in the central square of the town. -The Germans had cleverly evacuated it, and the booty was far less -than had been hoped for, but none the less its capture was of great -importance, for it was the largest place that had yet been wrenched -out of the iron grasp of Germany. After the fall of Combles the -French, as already stated, threw out their left wing upon that side -so as to take over the ground which had been covered by the -Fifty-sixth Division, and afterwards by the Fifth Division. - -On September 30 the Fifty-sixth Division took over from the Guards, -and again found itself upon the right of the British line, and in -touch with the new dispositions of the French. On its left was the -Twentieth Division, and on their left the Sixth. These three -divisions now found themselves opposite to a long line of trenches, -to which various meteorological names had been given, though the -actual meteorological conditions at the time formed a greater -obstacle than the defences in front of them. A simple diagram (p. -296) will show more clearly than any words how these formidable -trenches lay with regard to the British advance. - -It may well seem to the reader that the defenders are bound to have -the best of the argument when they can thus exchange one line for -another, and as quickly as they are beaten out of one set of -strongholds confront their enemy with another one. No doubt so long -as the lines are stoutly held this is true as regards the rate of -advance. But as far as it concerns the losses which mark that vital -attrition which was {297} wearing Germany to the bone it was very -different. These trenches were not like the old permanent -fortifications where German officers in a 30-foot dug-out could smile -over the caricatures in _Ulk_ and smoke an indolent cigarette, while -the impotent British shells pitted the earth-surface far above them. -There was no such shelter in these hastily-constructed burrows, while -the guns which raked and pounded them grew stronger and more numerous -from day to day. Let the machine-gun do its worst, the heavy gun is -still the master of the field, for the machine-gun can only levy its -toll when circumstances favour it, while day or night the heavy gun -is a constant dread. We have had to mourn the swathes of our dead in -the open, but the Germans lay as thick amid the clay and chalk of the -Picardy ditches. With fine manhood they clung to them and beat back -our infantry where they could, but the tales of deserters, the -letters found on the wounded, and the condition of the trenches when -taken, all told the same story of terrible loss. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{296} - -[Illustration: METEOROLOGICAL TRENCHES, September 30-November 6, -1916.] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -On October 7 there was an infantry attack upon this trench system in -which the Forty-first, Twelfth, Twentieth, and Fifty-sixth Divisions, -together with the French, all took part in the order named from the -left. The weather was most execrable, and its vileness told entirely -against the Allies, since it was they who had to move, and since the -superior gun-power needed for a modern attack was largely neutralised -by the difficulty in using aircraft observation. The attack was at -1.45 P.M., when the troops advanced under a heavy barrage along the -whole sodden and slippery front. The results were unequal, though -the infantry behaved everywhere with their wonted valour and -perseverance. - -{298} - -The 122nd Brigade upon the extreme left of the attack could only get -on about a hundred yards, so heavy was the fire; while the 124th to -the right of them could do little better, and eventually dug in at a -point 200 yards short of the Bayonet Trench, which was their -immediate objective. Seventy officers and nearly 1300 men fell -during this attack of the Forty-first Division, which was handicapped -in many ways, for the men were weary, it was too cloudy for -reconnaissance, the battalions were already depleted, and the enemy -was fresh and unshaken. The success of the Twelfth Division upon the -right of the Forty-first was little better. The 36th and 37th -Brigades endured heavy losses, especially in the case of the two -Royal Fusilier battalions and of the 6th Buffs, whose colonel greatly -distinguished himself. In spite of every effort and considerable -loss there were no permanent gains of importance at this point. - -Things went better, however, with the Twentieth Division upon the -right. The two brigades in the front line were the 61st upon the -left and the 60th on the right. The leading battalions, counting -from the left, were the 7th Yorks Light Infantry, 12th King's -Liverpool, 6th Oxford and Bucks, and 12th Rifle Brigade. The troops -had to endure a considerable shelling before leaving their trenches, -but it seemed only to add additional fire to their advance, which -swept over the low ridge in front of them, and took a long stretch of -Rainbow Trench. The right attack was slower than the left, as it ran -into a dip of the ground in which the Germans had some cleverly-sited -wire entanglement, unseen and untouched by our guns. Nothing -daunted, the Oxford {299} and Bucks proceeded to cut lanes through -the wire under heavy fire, and one officer of the battalion had -actually succeeded in crawling under it when he was shot at -point-blank range from the German trench, The front line had now done -its work and rested in Rainbow, while the second line--consisting, -from the left, of the 7th Somersets, 7th Cornwalls, 6th Shropshires, -and 12th Rifles--swept onwards in splendid form, capturing both -Cloudy and Misty Trenches. There the victorious infantry dug -themselves in on the forward slope of the ridge. The brigades were -ahead of their comrades, with the result that their flanks were -exposed, they suffered from enfilade fire, and it was necessary to -form defensive flanks. Two counter-attacks were made during the day, -but both were beaten off. The prisoners captured in this fine -advance were 5 officers and 187 men, with 5 machine-guns and 2 -trench-mortars. By the morning of the 8th strong points had been -made and the whole line was defiant of recapture. - -The Fifty-sixth Division had advanced with equal valour upon the -right and had made good progress, though its gains had not been so -substantial as those of the Twentieth. The 167th Brigade had -attacked upon the left and the 168th upon the right. They ended with -the 7th Middlesex, their flank battalion upon the left in touch with -the Twentieth Division in Rainbow, while the London Scots on the -extreme right were in touch with the French in Hazy Trench. The -fighting was bitter, however, the men wearied, and the conditions -abominable. All the battalions lost heavily, the 4th London being -the chief sufferer, for it was on the left flank of the 168th Brigade -and was held up by a particularly murderous {300} machine-gun. In -the evening a strong German counter-attack, rushing in upon Hazy -Trench behind a thick shower of bombs, drove back both the 168th -Brigade and the French to their own original line. For the time the -advance had failed upon the right. - -The 167th Brigade had held on to Rainbow and were now bombing their -way down Spectrum. They held their ground there during the night, -and on October 8 were still advancing, though the 3rd London coming -up to reinforce ran into a heavy barrage and were sadly cut up. The -British barrage was found to be practically useless because the guns -had been brought up too near. The 169th Brigade had come up on the -right and was hotly engaged, the London Rifle Brigade getting up -close to Hazy and digging in parallel to it, with their left in touch -with the Victorias. The Germans, however, were still holding Hazy, -nor could it be said in the evening that the British were holding -either of the more advanced trenches, Dewdrop or Rainy. In the -evening the London Rifle Brigade were forced to leave their new -trench because it was enfiladed from Hazy, and to make their way back -to their old departure trenches as best they could, dragging with -them a captured machine-gun as a souvenir of a long and bloody day's -work. On October 9 the British held none of the points in dispute in -this section on the right, save only a portion of Spectrum. There -was a pause in this long and desperate fight which was conducted by -tired infantry fighting in front of tired guns, and which left the -survivors of both sides plastered with mud from head to heel. When -it was resumed, the two British divisions, the Twentieth and -Fifty-sixth, which had {301} done such long service in the line, and -were greatly reduced, had been withdrawn. The Fourth Division had -taken the place of the Londoners, while the Sixth, itself very worn, -had relieved the Twentieth. - -On October 12 both these divisions delivered an attack together with -the French and with the Fifteenth Corps upon their left. The 14th -Durham Light Infantry were in Rainbow on the left and were in touch -with the 1st West Yorks of the 18th Brigade upon their right, but -could find no one upon their left, while the German pressure was very -strong. The 18th Brigade worked along Rainbow, therefore, until it -got into touch with the Twelfth Division upon their left. The -Twelfth Division had been lent the 88th Brigade of the Twenty-ninth -Division, and this gallant body, so terribly cut up on July 1, had an -instalment of revenge. They won their objective, and it is pleasant -to add that the Newfoundlanders especially distinguished themselves. -The 16th Brigade upon the right attacked Zenith Trench, the 2nd York -and Lancaster leading the rush. The position could not be held, -however, by battalions which were depleted by weeks of constant -strain and loss. A report from a company officer says: "The few -unwounded sheltered in trench holes and returned in the dusk. The -fire was too strong to allow them to dig in. The Brigade line is -therefore the same as before the attack." - -Whilst the Sixth Division had been making this difficult and -fruitless attack the Fourth Division upon their right had been -equally heavily engaged in this horrible maze of mud-sodden trenches, -without obtaining any more favourable result. The 12th Brigade -fought on the immediate right of the 16th, some of {302} them -reaching Spectrum, and some of them Zenith. The 2nd West Ridings and -2nd Lancashire Fusiliers were the heaviest sufferers, the latter -holding a line of shell-holes in front of Spectrum where they were -exposed to a terrible barrage. The 10th Brigade were on their right, -and one battalion, the 1st Warwick, reached Foggy, but was unable to -hold it under the crushing fire. By the evening of October 13, -however, the whole of Spectrum had at last been seized, and the -enemy, who attempted to bomb along it from Dewdrop, were repulsed. -On October 18, the 88th Brigade again had a success, the 2nd Hants -and 4th Worcesters doing particularly well. For a time the fighting -died down, the British licking their wounds and sharpening their -claws for a fresh grapple with these redoubtable trenches. - -This came upon October 23, when there was an advance at 2.45 in the -afternoon by the Fourth Division upon the right and the Eighth -Division upon the left. The three-brigade front covered by the -Eighth Division is indicated by the fact that the 2nd East -Lancashires, the left battalion of the left brigade (24th), was -directed upon the junction between Mild and Cloudy, while the right -brigade (23rd) had Zenith for its objective. The first attack of the -left brigade failed, but the second brought them into Cloudy. By -4.15 the 2nd Scots Rifles of the 23rd Brigade had penetrated the -right of Zenith, and some small parties had even moved on to Orion -beyond. The central brigade (25th) had won its way up to Misty, the -2nd Lincolns, 2nd Berks, and 2nd Rifle Brigade in the lead. In the -meantime the East Lancashires on the left were endeavouring to bomb -their way down the maze of trenches, filled {303} with yard-deep mud, -which separated them from their comrades. The fighting was -desperate, however, and the losses considerable. The 2nd Lincolns -had got detached in the labyrinth, and were out of touch with their -companions. At 6.45 the Germans came again in strength and those of -the Scots Rifles who had gained Orion were driven back. The -casualties in this splendid battalion, which had suffered so often -and so much, were once again very severe. - -The Fourth Division had also had a hard fight upon the right and had -made no great progress. The French upon their right had been held up -after an initial advance. The 12th Brigade attacked Dewdrop, but -were unable to hold it. The 11th had seized Hazy, but their grip of -it was still precarious. Every position was raked with machine-guns -and clogged with the all-pervading and often impassable morass. In -mud and blood and driving rain, amid dirt and death, through day and -night, the long death-grapple never ceased until exhaustion and -winter brought a short surcease. - -Upon the 24th the hard-earned gains in these trenches were -consolidated. In the sector of the Eighth Division they were -substantial and justified the hope that this obdurate line would go -the way of all the others which had barred the army. Had it been -earlier in the season it would have been easy to wait for clear -weather, beat them into pulp with heavy guns, and then under a good -barrage capture them by assault. But this could not be done, for Sir -Douglas Haig could not afford to wait, with winter coming on and only -a few weeks or days left in which to bring his men forward to their -final line. The general position upon October 24 was that the 2nd -{304} Middlesex of the 24th Brigade held Zenith in part, that the -25th Brigade was in Gusty and held part of Misty, while the 23rd -Brigade had made no advance upon the right but their left was in -Cloudy and Mild. - -Upon this date the Thirty-third Division came up to relieve the -Fourth, and upon September 28 it made a brilliant advance which -altered the whole situation in this section. At 7 A.M. on that date -the 4th King's Liverpool of the 98th Brigade by a sudden dash carried -the whole of Dewdrop, taking 100 prisoners. The 19th Brigade upon -the right kept up with the advance, and before evening Frosty, -Gunpits, and Dewdrop had all been included in the British line. -There was a pause after this advance, and then upon November 5 there -was another advance of the Thirty-third, together with the French. -Again there was a good gain, which was effected by the 100th Brigade -on the right, and the 19th upon the left. Mirage, Boritzka, and Hazy -were all reported as being at last in our hands. The 5th Scottish -Rifles, 16th King's Royal Rifles, and 20th Fusiliers all -distinguished themselves, and all--especially the last-named--met -with considerable losses in this attack. The Seventeenth Division, -which had for a few days taken the place of the Eighth, joined in -this advance and extended the ground upon their front, the fighting -falling chiefly to the 50th Brigade, in which the 7th York and 7th -East York were the principal sufferers. Great work was also done by -the 51st Brigade, the 7th Borders and the 7th Lincolns particularly -distinguishing themselves. These battalions not only cleared up -Zenith Trench, but upon the Germans countering they reserved their -fire until the stormers were within 40 yards of them, and {305} then -mowed down several hundreds of them. "The men marched back seven -miles last night," wrote one of the officers, "after fighting for -forty-eight hours without sleep, singing at the tops of their voices -all the way. Priceless fellows!" - -On November 7 the Eighth Division was at work again, taking 1100 -yards of front, 5 machine-guns, and 80 prisoners. The season was now -far advanced and prematurely wet and cold, so that winter lines were -formed by the British in this quarter with the village of Le Transloy -in their immediate front. Over the rest of the line facing north -there had been no serious attempt at advance during this period, and -the only fighting to be recorded was on the part of the Anzac Corps, -who came in at the end of October, and took over the whole front of -the Fifteenth Corps in the centre of the line. These troops joined -the attack already recorded upon November 5, and captured that -portion of Gird Support Trench which was not yet in our possession. -For a time they held Bayonet Trench, but were driven out by a strong -bombing attack by the 5th Regiment of the Fourth Prussian Guards -Division. The Australians and the 50th Brigade worked in close -co-operation during these hard days, and it is pleasing to find the -high opinion which they entertained of each other. "On several -occasions," says an Australian, "we had to rely on Yorkshire grit to -support our division at critical moments, and the Tikes never failed -us once. We owe a big debt to the East Yorkshires in particular. We -found them the most loyal of comrades." This sentiment was heartily -reciprocated by the Imperial troops. - -The fighting now died down in this quarter and {306} the winter lull -had set in, leaving the front British trenches some hundreds of yards -from Le Transloy and the Bapaume Road. It would be an ungenerous -Briton who would not admit that in holding us off from it so long, -even if we make every allowance for the weather and its disastrous -consequences to the attack, the Germans performed a fine feat of -arms. It was done by fresh units which had not suffered from the -gruelling which their comrades had received upon the Somme, and which -would no doubt have been worn down in time, as the others had been, -but they fought with great tenacity and certainly prevented our -winter line from being as far forward as we had hoped. - -Whilst giving the German army every credit for its tenacious -resistance and for the hard digging by which it constructed so many -lines of defence that five months of hard fighting and a dozen -separate victories had been unable to carry the attackers through -them, we must still insist upon the stupendous achievement of the -British. Nearly every division had passed through the fiery ordeal -of the Somme, many of them twice and thrice, and each had retired -with fresh honour and new records of victory. Apart from great days -of battle like July 1, July 14, September 15, and September 26, when -many miles of German trench were carried with a corresponding number -of prisoners and guns, there was a separate epic round each village -and wood, so that the names of many of them will find immortality in -military history. High Wood, Trones Wood, Mametz Wood, and Delville -Wood each represents a very terrible local battle. So, too, do such -village names as Ovillers, Contalmaison, Pozières, Thiepval, -Longueval, Ginchy, and especially Guillemont. {307} Every one of -these stern contests ended with the British infantry in its -objective, and in no single case were they ever driven out again. So -much for the tactical results of the actions. As to the strategic -effect, that was only clearly seen when the threat of renewed -operations in the spring caused the German army to abandon all the -positions which the Somme advance had made untenable, and to fall -back upon a new line many miles to the rear. The Battle of the Marne -was the turning-point of the first great German levy, the Battle of -the Somme that of the second. In each case the retirement was only -partial, but each clearly marked a fresh step in the struggle, upward -for the Allies, downward for the Central Powers. - -In the credit for this result the first place must be given to the -efficiency of British leadership, which was admirable in its -perseverance and in its general conception, but had, it must be -admitted, not yet attained that skill in the avoidance of losses -which was gradually taught by our terrible experiences and made -possible by our growing strength in artillery. The severe -preliminary bombardment controlled by the direct observation which is -only possible after air supremacy has been attained, the -counter-battery work to reduce the enemy's fire, the creeping barrage -to cover the infantry, the discipline and courage which enable -infantry to advance with shrapnel upon their very toes, the use of -smoke clouds against flank fire, the swift advance of the barrage -when a trench has fallen so as to head off fugitives and stifle the -counter-attack, all these devices were constantly improving with -practice, until in the arts of attack the British Army stood ahead -even of their comrades of France. An intercepted communication in -the shape of a {308} report from General von Arnim, commanding the -Fourth German Army, giving his experience of the prolonged battle, -speaks of British military efficiency in every arm in a manner which -must have surprised the General Staff if they were really of opinion -that General Haig's army was capable of defence but not of attack. -This report, with its account of the dash and tenacity of the British -infantry and of the efficiency of its munitions, is as handsome a -testimonial as one adversary ever paid to another, and might be -called magnanimous were it not that it was meant for no eye save that -of his superiors. - -But all our leadership would have been vain had it not been supported -by the high efficiency of every branch of the services, and by the -general excellence of the _materiel_. As to the actual value of the -troops, it can only be said with the most absolute truth that the -infantry, artillery, and sappers all lived up to the highest -traditions of the Old Army, and that the Flying Corps set up a fresh -record of tradition, which their successors may emulate but can never -surpass. The materiel was, perhaps, the greatest surprise both to -friend and foe. We are accustomed in British history to find the -soldier retrieving by his stubborn valour the difficulties caused by -the sluggish methods of those who should supply his needs. Thanks to -the labours of the Ministry of Munitions, of Sir William Robertson, -and of countless devoted workers of both sexes, toiling with brain -and with hand, this was no longer so. That great German army which -two years before held every possible advantage that its prolonged -preparation and busy factories could give it, had now, as General von -Arnim's report admits, fallen into the inferior place. It was a -magnificent {309} achievement upon which the British nation may well -pride itself, if one may ever pride oneself on anything in a drama so -mighty that human powers seem but the instruments of the huge -contending spiritual forces behind them. The fact remains that after -two years of national effort the British artillery was undoubtedly -superior to that of the Germans, the British Stokes trench-mortars -and light Lewis machine-guns were the best in Europe, the British -aeroplanes were unsurpassed, the British Mills bomb was superior to -any other, and the British tanks were an entirely new departure in -the art of War. It was the British brain as well as the British -heart and arm which was fashioning the future history of mankind. - - - - -{310} - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE BATTLE OF THE ANCRE - -November 13, 1916 - -The last effort--Failure in the north--Fine work of the Thirty-ninth, -Fifty-first, and Sixty-third Divisions--Surrounding of German -Fort--Capture of Beaumont Hamel--Commander Freyberg--Last operations -of the season--General survey--"The unwarlike Islanders." - - -This considerable British victory may well have a name of its own, -though it was merely an extension of the gigantic effort upon the -Somme. The fact, however, that it was fought upon the banks of a -small subsidiary stream, and also that it was separated by a month or -more from any other serious engagement, give it a place of its own in -the narrative of the War. It has already been shown at the -conclusion of the chapter which deals with the flank operations by -the Fifth Army, commanded by Sir Hubert Gough, that the British -position after the capture of the Schwaben and other redoubts which -defended the high ground to the north of Thiepval was such that the -guns were able to take the German front line to the north of the -Ancre in enfilade and almost in rear. Under such circumstances it -might well seem that their trenches {311} were untenable, but their -position, although difficult, was alleviated by the fact that they -had been able partly to find and partly to make a series of -excavations in the chalk and clay soil of the district which gave -them almost complete protection against the heaviest shell-fire. -Whole battalions led a troglodytic life in subterranean caverns from -which they were trained to rush forth upon the alarm of an infantry -advance. It was clear, however, that if the alarm should be too -short their refuges might very easily become traps, as has so often -been the case in the German lines of defence. The safety from shells -is dearly paid for when a squad of furious stormers with Mills bombs -in their hands and death in their faces glare in from the door. -Their minds were kept easy, however, by the knowledge that broad -fields of barbed wire, so rusty and so thick that they resembled -ploughland from a distance, lay between them and the British. A very -large garrison drawn from seven divisions, one of them being the 2nd -Guards Reserve, held this dangerous salient in the German line. - -For the attack General Gough had mustered two Army Corps of six -divisions, three of which, forming the Second Corps, were to advance -from the south under General Jacob, having the almost impassable mud -slopes of the Ancre in front of them. Three others of the Fifth -Corps, under General E. A. Fanshawe, were to storm the German line -north of the Ancre. This latter movement was to be directed not only -from the new British positions, but also from the old lines as far -north as Serre. The advance from the west divided the enemy's -gun-power, and distracted his attention from the south, so that its -failure and the loss which that {312} failure involved, were part of -the price paid for the victory. - -After a two days' bombardment, which started upon November 11, and -which uprooted the greater part of the German wire, the actual attack -was made at six in the foggy, misty morning of November 13. It is -inconceivable that the Germans were not standing to arms, since dawn -had long been the hour of doom, and the furious drum-fire was -certainly the overture to a battle. The thick weather, however, -shrouded the British movements, and the actual rush of the infantry -seems at the end to have been a surprise. Both in the western and -southern advance, which covered respectively 5000 and 3000 yards, -every refinement of artillery barrage which years of experience could -suggest was used to form such a downpour as would protect the -assailants, and beat the German riflemen and gunners back into their -burrows. - -Of the three divisions which attacked the old German line from the -west, the most northern was the Thirty-first, with as objective the -second and third German line, and to form a defensive flank between -Gommecourt and Serre. This division, which contained some splendid -North-country battalions from great Yorkshire towns, advanced with -great intrepidity. So skilful was the barrage arranged that the 12th -East Yorkshires on the left and 13th East Yorkshires on the right -(10th and 11th East Yorkshires in reserve), belonging to the 92nd -Brigade, had little difficulty in reaching the German front line, -which was quickly mopped up. The going between the first and second -line was so heavy, and the German snipers so numerous, that the -barrage got ahead of the advancing waves, but after a sharp rifle -fight the {313} second line was captured, which was the final -objective of the left (12th East Yorkshires) battalion. The 13th -East Yorkshires, whose final objective was the third German line, had -a very severe fight before reaching that position. Owing to the -failure of the division on the right of the 13th East Yorkshires to -get forward, the Germans later on put in several heavy bombing -counter-attacks against their right flank, which eventually drove -them back to the second line, where they took up their position -alongside the 12th, and for the remainder of the day repulsed -numerous counter-attacks. As soon as the 12th East Yorkshires on the -left had reached their objectives they consolidated it, and with the -aid of the 93rd Brigade, to whom was attached the Machine-Gun -Sections of the Lucknow and Sialkote Cavalry Brigades, beat off a -very strong counter-attack which developed about 9.30 A.M., -practically wiping it out and several minor ones during the day. - -At 2.30 P.M. the German bombardment against the 92nd became very -intense, and was kept up till 5.30 P.M., in spite of which the 12th -and 13th East Yorkshires stuck to their gains. It was only at 9 P.M. -when the Divisional General saw that there was no prospect of the -division on the right advancing that the 12th and 13th were ordered -to fall back to their original line. - -The experience of the Third Division upon the right or south of the -Thirty-first was a very trying one. There is a strip of Picardy -between those lines from Serre to the Ancre, where more Britons have -given their lives for their country and for the cause of humanity -than in any area in this or any other war. Twice it has been the -scene of tragic {314} losses, on July 1, and yet again on November -13, though, as already said, it is well in each case to regard the -general result rather than the local tragedy. Once again the Third -Division gave itself freely and unselfishly for the common cause. In -this case, also, the cause of the scanty results lay in the heavy -ground and the uncut wire. In the case of the 76th Brigade, which -may be taken as typical of its neighbours, it advanced to the -immediate south of the 93rd, and experienced even more difficult -conditions. The 2nd Suffolks and the 10th Welsh Fusiliers were in -the van, but the 8th Royal Lancasters and 1st Gordons came up in -support, the whole thick line of men clustering in front of the wire -and endeavouring to hack a way. Sergeants and officers were seen in -front of the obstacle endeavouring to find some way through. Here -and there a few pushful men, both from the 76th Brigade and from the -9th upon its right, did succeed in passing, but none of these ever -returned. Finally, a retreat was ordered through a pelting barrage, -and even in their own front-line trenches the troops were exposed to -a furious shell-fall. It was an unfortunate business and the losses -were heavy. - -Immediately upon the right of the Third Division was the Second -Division, which attacked with the 5th and 6th Brigades in the van, -the latter being on the immediate flank of the Third Division, and -sharing in the obstacles which faced that division and the check -which resulted from them. The immediate objective was the great -Munich Trench lurking within its far-flung spider-web of wire. -Although all of the 6th Brigade save the right-hand battalion were -brought to a stand, and wound up in their own trenches, the 5th -Brigade got well forward {315} and might have got farther had it not -meant the exposure of their left flank. In the evening the 99th -Brigade, the victors of Delville Wood, were brought up with orders to -form a defensive flank to the north, while they furnished two -battalions for a farther advance to continue the success gained by -the 5th Brigade. In the early morning of November 14 these two -units, the 1st Rifles and 1st Berkshires, advanced in a proper -November fog, which caused some misdirection, and eventually the -failure of the attack, for two smaller trenches were carried under -the impression that each was the Munich. Some ground and prisoners -were, however, gained, but not the main objective. - -Meanwhile, to return to the narrative of the previous day, a very -different tale was to be told of those divisions which were operating -farther to the south, where the ridge between Serre and Beaumont -Hamel sheltered the attack from the formidable German gun-power at -Pusieux and Bucquoy in the north. - -Of the three divisions attacking from the south the Thirty-ninth was -to the south of the Ancre, the Sixty-Third Naval Division upon its -left on the north bank of the Ancre, and the Fifty-first Highland -Division still farther to the left opposite Beaumont Hamel. The task -of the Thirty-ninth Division was to clear out the Germans who held on -to the Hansa line, the last German trench system between the British -front and the river. Their chief protection was the almost -incredible condition of the ground, which consisted of tenacious mud -of varying and occasionally of dangerous depth. Munitions could only -be got across it upon pack-horses, on special {316} paths. In spite -of these difficulties, the Thirty-ninth Division carried the lines of -trenches and the village of St. Pierre Divion as well, the resistance -being far from heroic. The attack was made by the 117th Brigade, -which advanced with such speed that the front waves, consisting of -the 16th Rifle Brigade upon the right and the 17th Sherwood Foresters -upon the left, were into the German trenches before the barrage could -fall. It did fall, however, and did great harm to the supports, both -the 17th Rifles and 16th Sherwoods losing heavily, especially the -former. The British line was pushed right up to the river, and the -survivors of the garrison--some 1400 in number--were compelled to lay -down their arms. This attack to the south of the river was an -isolated, self-contained operation, apart from the larger and more -serious movement on the north bank. - -The right of the main assault was carried out by the gallant -Sixty-third Royal Naval Division, whose emergency baptism of fire at -Antwerp has been mentioned in this narrative, though its subsequent -splendid services at Gallipoli have not come within its scope. After -the evacuation of Gallipoli and the subsequent redistribution of the -eastern army, at least three fine divisions, the Eleventh, the -Forty-second, and the Naval, besides the splendid Australian and New -Zealand infantry, were transferred to the French front. This action -of the Ancre was the first opportunity which these volunteer sailors -had had of showing upon a large European stage those qualities which -had won them fame elsewhere. - -The Naval Division attacked to the immediate north of the Ancre, -having the river upon their right. The lines of assault were formed -under cover of darkness, {317} for the assembly trenches were -inadequate and the ground occupied was under direct observation from -the German lines. The division in this formation was a thick mass of -10,000 infantry on a front of about 1600 yards with a depth of 300. -Fortunately, the screen of the weather covered them completely, and -there was little and random shelling during the night, but the men -were stiff and chilled by their long vigil, during which they might -neither speak nor smoke. At last, just before dawn, the crash of the -barrage told that the hour had come, and the lines moved forward, -keeping well up to the shower of shrapnel which crept on at the rate -of 100 yards in five minutes, searching every hollow and crevice of -the ground. - -The first objective was the enemy's front-line system of triple -trenches. The second was a road in the hollow behind called Station -Road, with trenches on either side of it. The third was the trenches -which fringed the village of Beaucourt. The fourth, which was only -to be attempted after the third was consolidated, was the village -itself, which lies among trees upon the north side of the river. - -The advance of the 189th Brigade on the right of the Naval Division, -consisting of the Hood, Hawke, Nelson, and Drake battalions, was -comparatively easy, as they were partly protected from flank fire by -the dead ground formed by the low-lying northern slope down to the -river. With great dash and vigour they carried the successive lines -of trenches, and before mid-day they were consolidating the third -objective with the village in their immediate front. - -A much more difficult task confronted the centre of the advance, -consisting of the left half of the right brigade, and the right half -of the 188th Brigade, {318} which contained the 1st and 2nd -Battalions of Marines, the Ansons and the Howes. In the very track -of their course lay a formidable German redoubt, bristling with -machine-guns, and so concealed that neither the observers nor the -bombardment had spotted it. This serious obstacle caused heavy -losses to the central attack, and as it completely commanded their -advance it held them to such cover as they could find. The left of -the advance got past the redoubt, however, and reached the sunken -road, where they were in close touch with the Scotsmen upon their -left. Thus at this period of the advance the Naval Division formed a -deep curve with its right wing well forward, its centre held back, -and its left wing nearly as far advanced as its right. The mist was -so thick that it was very difficult to tell from the rear what was -going on in the battle, but the 190th Brigade held in reserve was -aware that some hitch had occurred, and pushing forward in the hope -of retrieving it, found itself involved in the fierce fighting round -the redoubt, where it also was exposed to heavy loss. This brigade, -it may be mentioned, was not naval, but contained the 1st Honourable -Artillery Company, the 4th Bedfords, 7th Royal Fusiliers, and 10th -Dublins. The German fort could not be reduced, nor could progress be -made in the centre in face of its machine-guns; but the infantry, -which had passed it on either side, extended along the Sunken Road -behind it, and joined hands so as to cut it off. The whole German -second line was then in their possession, and the right third of -their third line as well. The enemy still held firm, however, in the -centre of the first-line system, and showed no signs of weakening, -although they must have known that British troops {319} were in their -rear. An attempt was made to rebombard this portion of the line, but -it was difficult for the gunners without aerial observation to locate -the exact portion of the line which still remained with the enemy, -and there was great danger of the shells falling among our own -infantry. About three in the afternoon the conclusion was reached -that it was better for the time to leave this great pocket of Germans -alone, cutting them off from either escape or reinforcement. - -The 111th Brigade from the Thirty-seventh Division was therefore sent -up, battalion by battalion, along the river-bank until it passed the -central obstacle and reached the Sunken Road. Thence the 13th Rifles -were sent forward with orders to reach the advanced line, where the -Hoods and Drakes, somewhat reduced in numbers but not in spirit, were -lying in front of Beaucourt. It was dark before these changes could -be made. The Riflemen, when they had attained their position, rested -their right upon the Ancre, and prolonged their left, clearing the -Germans out in that direction. This movement to the left was -strengthened in the early morning when the 13th Rifle Brigade and the -13th Royal Fusiliers of the same brigade came up to join in, whilst -the H.A.C. also advanced and took up a position on the right of the -naval men. - -About seven o'clock the assault upon the village was ordered, under -the direction and leadership of Commander Freyberg of the Hoods, -already twice wounded, and wounded once again before his task was -finished. Sailors and Riflemen rushed forward at the signal, and -dashed with fierce impetuosity over the German line and down the -streets of the hamlet. The Honourable Artillery Company upon the -right {320} joined in the charge. It was completely successful, the -houses were rapidly cleared, the dug-outs taken, and many hundreds of -prisoners secured. The Riflemen emerging on the farther side of the -village immediately dug in under the direction of their only -remaining company officer. A footbridge was at the same time thrown -across the Ancre, so as to connect up with the Thirty-ninth Division -on the south. - -The German redoubt had held out manfully until its line of retreat -was entirely cut off, and even then showed signs of continued -resistance. The tanks had already won such a position in the army -that they had become one of the last resources of the commander who -was in difficulties. During the night of November 13 three of these -engines were sent for to help in reducing the intractable German -centre. Their performance was typical both of their weakness and of -their value in this early stage of their evolution. One was hit and -disabled before ever it crossed the lines. A second stuck in the mud -and refused to budge. The third won its way over the German front -line and so terrorised the obstinate garrison that they were finally -induced to lay down their arms. Eight hundred prisoners came from -this one pocket, and the whole capture of the Naval Division amounted -to nearly 2000 men. - -The advance of the Fifty-first Highland Territorial Division upon the -immediate left of the Naval Division had been equally successful, and -had ended in the capture of the important village of Beaumont Hamel -with all its network of caverns, a great store of machine-guns, and -1500 of the garrison. The objectives of the division may be said to -have been the continuation of those of the Naval Division, -substituting Beaumont Hamel for Beaucourt, but the position {321} was -complicated by a deep ravine, called after its shape the Y Ravine, -which ran down from the village to the German trenches. The ground -over which the advance was made was still littered with the skeletons -clad in rags which represented the men who had fallen in the attack -of July 1. Now, after five months, they were gloriously avenged. -The rush of the division was headed by the 153rd Brigade, with the -4th and 7th Gordons in the lead. These two fine battalions carried -the front German lines, but on reaching the Sunken Road they gave -place to the 6th and 7th Black Watch behind them, who carried the -attack up the Y Ravine and on to Beaumont, while the Seaforths and -Argylls of the other brigades, with their staunch Lowland comrades of -the 9th Royal Scots, thickened the line of attack, and gave it the -weight to carry each successive obstacle. Only in the Y Ravine was -there any momentary check to the fiery advance. There for a short -time the Germans stood stoutly to their task, and there was some of -that man-to-man work which the Scotsman loves. Then the last signs -of resistance died out, and before the late afternoon the whole -position was in the hands of the assailants, who pushed on and -occupied the low ridge to the north which separates it from Serre. -One curious incident connected with the close of the action was, that -a mopping-up party of Gordons in one of the front lines of trenches -were suddenly surprised and captured by a considerable body of -Germans, who emerged suddenly from an underground tunnel. In the -evening, however, the positions were reversed, and the prisoners were -rescued, while the Germans had to surrender to the victors. Fifteen -hundred prisoners and 54 machine-guns were the {322} spoils of the -Fifty-first Division; but these were considerably increased when the -dug-outs were more carefully examined next day. Altogether nearly -7000 officers and men were captured in the course of the action. - -Whilst the considerable action of Beaumont Hamel was fought upon the -left, the various divisions upon the south of the river forming the -remainder of Gough's Fifth Army all made a forward movement and -gained ground. Of these divisions, the Thirty-ninth, whose doings -have already been described, was nearest to the main battle, and was -most heavily engaged, winning a complete success. Upon its right in -the order given were the Nineteenth and the Eighteenth, connecting up -with Rawlinson's Fourth Army upon the right. These various divisions -all moved their lines forward in the direction of the river-bank, -with the villages of Grandcourt and Petit Miraumont in their front. -These movements were rather in the nature of a feint and a -demonstration, so that they were not accompanied by any severe -fighting. It had been planned, however, that as these divisions -advanced to the north the space which would be left between Gough's -right and Rawlinson's left should be filled up by the Thirty-second -Division, which should push on in the direction of Pys. This -movement gave rise to some severe fighting in which the historical -14th Brigade sustained some heavy losses. The immediate obstacle in -front of the division was a powerful system of trenches lying amid -morasses caused by the recent heavy rains, and known as the Munich -Line, with the Frankfort line behind it. Upon November 17 the -division took over the advanced trenches, while the {323} Eighteenth -Division side-stepped to the left. The Thirty-second Division had -formed its line for attack, with the 14th Brigade upon the left and -the 97th upon the right, the leading battalions from left to right -being the 15th Highland Light Infantry, the 2nd Manchesters, the 2nd -Yorkshire Light Infantry, and another battalion of H.L.I. The -advance was to have been upon the 17th, but from the beginning a -series of misfortunes occurred, arising largely from the weather, the -condition of the trenches, and the severe German barrage behind the -line, which made all preparations difficult and costly. The attack -was postponed till the 18th, and even then the advancing battalions -were short of bombs, without which trench fighting becomes -impossible. The ground behind the troops was so awful that one mile -in an hour was considered remarkable progress for an unladen -messenger; while the enemy's fire was so severe that of six runners -sent with a despatch only the last arrived unwounded. The Germans in -front appeared to be both numerous and full of fight, and upon the -17th they made a vain attack upon the advanced line of the 14th -Brigade. Two companies of the Manchesters sustained upon this day -the losses of half their number as they lay, an object lesson in -silent patient discipline in the muddy bottom of a shell-swept ditch. - -At 6.10 in the morning of the 18th an advance was made, but the bomb -supplies had not yet come up and the disadvantages were great. None -the less, the first line of German trenches was successfully carried -by the Manchesters, but the 15th Highland Light Infantry were held up -by wire and were unable to get forward, while the Yorkshire Light -Infantry {324} upon the right got through at some points and were -held at others. The Manchesters even penetrated to the second line -of trenches and sprang into them, but the fatal want of bombs tied -their hands, and a counter-attack of the Germans retook the position. -The Highland Light Infantry had fallen back upon Serre Trench, and -were pressed by a party of the enemy, but fortunately some of the 1st -Dorsets came up from the rear with some bombs, and the situation was -saved. In the meantime the position of those Manchesters and -Yorkshiremen who had got forward as far as the second trench, and -were exposed without bombs to a bombing attack, was very serious. -They had taken a number of prisoners and some of these they managed -to send back, but the greater part of the British were bombed to -pieces, and all died where they fought or were taken by the enemy. A -single survivor who returned from the final stand made by these -gallant men stated that he was the last man who had crawled out of -the trench, and that his comrades lay dead or dying in a group in -front of a blazing dug-out, the woodwork of which had taken fire. A -patrol next day came upon the bodies of an officer and forty men who -had died fighting to the last in a single group. - -On the left of the Thirty-second Division some movement forward had -been necessary upon the part both of the Eighteenth Division and of -the Nineteenth, in order to keep the left flank of Jacob's Second -Corps on the south of the river level with the right flank of -Fanshawe's Fifth Corps upon the northern bank. This operation did -not involve much work upon the part of the Eighteenth, but the -movement of the Nineteenth was difficult and complex, with Grandcourt -as {325} a possible objective. It meant an attack upon a maze of -trenches under the worst possible terrestrial conditions, while the -advance had really to be in three different directions--due north, -north-east, and almost due east. The 57th Brigade, strengthened by -the 7th South Lancashires of the 56th Brigade, was chosen for the -difficult task. At 6 A.M. upon November 18 in a sharp snow-storm the -advance began. - -It was the last concerted operation of the year, but it was not -unfortunately destined for success. The garrison of the trenches -appear to have been as numerous as the stormers and far more -advantageously placed. The ground was such that an advance over it -without opposition would have been no easy matter. Upon the left two -battalions, the 7th South Lancs and the 8th Gloucesters, old battle -companions of La Boiselle, pushed vigorously forward and seized the -western outskirt of Grandcourt, where they held on against every -attempt to dislodge them. Stick bombs, egg bombs, rifle-grenades, -and every sort of evil missile crashed and splintered around them, -but they had in command two leaders who might be trusted to hold what -they had taken. Only next evening when the rest of the attack had -definitely failed did these two battalions withdraw to a new line on -the immediate west of the village, taking 150 prisoners with them. - -The other three battalions had fared ill owing to numerical weakness, -lack of knowledge of the ground, loss of direction, bad weather, and -deadly machine-guns. Half of the 8th North Staffords won their way -through to the objective, but their comrades could not support them, -and they were so isolated that, after a {326} gallant resistance, -they were nearly all destroyed or captured, under very much the same -circumstances as the 2nd Manchesters upon the preceding day. The -commander of the North Staffords, Colonel Anderson, a gallant South -African, and several other officers were wounded and taken. Colonel -Torrie of the 7th East Lancashires was also killed in this -engagement. An attempt upon the part of the 9th Cheshires later in -the evening to get into touch with their lost comrades only served to -swell the casualty lists, for it was dark before it was initiated, -and all direction was impossible amid the labyrinth of mud-channels -which faced them. Two days later the Nineteenth Division was -relieved by the Eleventh. It is difficult to exaggerate the extreme -hardships which had been endured by the whole of Jacob's corps during -these operations amid the viscid mud slopes of the Ancre. Napoleon -in Poland had never better cause to curse the fourth element. The -front trenches were mere gutters, and every attempt to deepen them -only deepened the stagnant pool within. The communications were -little better. The mud was on the men's bodies, in their food, and -for ever clogging both their feet and their weapons. The hostile -shelling was continuous. It was a nightmare chapter of the campaign. -Winter had now settled down once more cheerless and prolonged. There -was much to be done in those months of gloom--divisions to be -refilled, fresh divisions to be brought out, munitions of every sort -to be stored for the days of wrath to come. But apart from the -preparations for the future, the army was never quiet, for one long -succession of trench raids, exploratory attacks, and bombardments -helped to retain that ascendancy which had been gained in {327} the -long Battle of the Somme. Before the narrative passes to the German -retreat of 1917, and the dramatic battles which followed it, it would -be well to take a brief survey of the other events which had occurred -during the last half of the year, all of which reacted more or less -directly upon the campaign in the west. - -The chief of these is undoubtedly the magnificent French recovery at -Verdun. As already stated, the German pressure was very severe in -June, but it was rapidly lessened by the counter-pressure of the -Allied advance upon the Somme. In their attempt to hold back the -Franco-British advance the Germans denuded their Verdun line to an -extent which weakened it so much that, far from advancing, it could -not hold its own. In two splendid assaults upon October 24 and -December 15, the first yielding 5000 prisoners and the second 11,000 -with 115 guns, the French drove the Germans back until a considerable -portion of their former hard-won gains had disappeared. Considering -the efforts which France was making upon the Somme it was a splendid -achievement, and it may fairly be added to the credit of the Somme -Battle, since without it, it could hardly have been possible. - -The second considerable factor was one of those great Russian -advances which, alternating with equally great Russian retreats, each -of them coming with a constant rhythm, made the war of the Eastern -Front resemble some sort of majestic and terrible tide, with an ebb -and flow which left death and destruction strewn over those unhappy -border countries. On this occasion the advance was in the Brody and -Stanislau direction, and was pushed with such energy and success by -the fiery Brusiloff that nearly 400,000 prisoners--or perhaps -Slavonic refugees would be a {328} more accurate description--were -taken by our Allies. The movement extended from June to September, -and might have been a vital one, had it not been for political -disorganisation and treachery in the rear. - -The Italian armies had in the meanwhile given a splendid account of -themselves, as every one who had seen them in the field, predicted -that they would. Though hard pressed by a severe Austrian attack in -the Trentino in May, they rallied and held the enemy before he could -debouch upon the plains. Then with three hard blows delivered upon -August 6 to August 9, where they took the town of Gorizia and 12,000 -prisoners, on October 10, and on November 1 they broke the Austrian -lines and inflicted heavy losses upon them. The coming of winter saw -them well upon their way to Trieste. - -On August 4 the British forces in Egypt defeated a fresh Turco-German -attack upon that country. The battle was near Romani, east of the -Suez Canal, and it ended in a creditable victory and the capture of -2500 prisoners. This was the end of the serious menace for Egypt, -and the operations in this quarter, which were carried on by General -Murray, were confined from this time forwards to clearing up the -Sinai peninsula, where various Turkish posts were dispersed or taken, -and in advancing our line to the Palestine Frontier. - -On August 8 our brave little ally, Portugal, threw her sword into the -scale of freedom, and so gave military continuity to the traditions -of the two nations. It would have rejoiced the austere soul of the -great Duke to see the descendants of his much-valued Caçadores, -fighting once more beside the great-grandsons of the Riflemen and -Guardsmen of the Peninsula. {329} Two divisions appeared in France, -where they soon made a reputation for steadiness and valour. - -In the East another valiant little nation had also ranged herself -with the Allies, and was destined, alas, to meet her ruin through -circumstances which were largely beyond her own control. Upon August -27 Roumania declared war, and with a full reliance upon help which -never reached her, advanced at once into the south of Hungary. Her -initial successes changed to defeat, and her brave soldiers, who were -poorly provided with modern appliances of war, were driven back -before the pressure of Falkenhayn's army in the west and Mackensen's, -which eventually crossed the Danube, from the south. On December 6 -Bucharest fell, and by the end of the year the Roumanians had been -driven to the Russian border, where, an army without a country, they -hung on, exactly as the Belgians had done, to the extreme edge of -their ravaged fatherland. To their Western allies, who were -powerless to help them, it was one of the most painful incidents of -the War. - -The Salonica expedition had been much hampered by the sinister -attitude of the Greeks, whose position upon the left rear of -Sarrail's forces made an advance dangerous, and a retreat -destructive. King Constantine, following the example of his -brother-in-law of Berlin, had freed himself from all constitutional -ties, refused to summon a parliament, and followed his own private -predilections and interests by helping our enemies, even to the point -of surrendering a considerable portion of his own kingdom, including -a whole army corps and the port of Kavala, to the hereditary enemy, -the Bulgarian. Never in history has a nation been so betrayed by its -king, and never, {330} it may be added, did a nation which had been -free allow itself so tamely to be robbed of its freedom. Venezelos, -however, showed himself to be a great patriot, shook the dust of -Athens from his feet, and departed to Salonica, where he raised the -flag of a fighting national party, to which the whole nation was -eventually rallied. Meanwhile, however, the task of General Sarrail -was rendered more difficult, in spite of which he succeeded in -regaining Monastir and establishing himself firmly within the old -Serbian frontier--a result which was largely due to the splendid -military qualities of the remains of the Serbian army. - -On December 12 the German Empire proposed negotiations for peace, but -as these were apparently to be founded upon the war-map as it then -stood, and as they were accompanied by congratulatory messages about -victory from the Kaiser to his troops, they were naturally not -regarded as serious by the Allies. Our only guarantee that a nation -will not make war whenever it likes is its knowledge that it cannot -make peace when it likes, and this was the lesson which Germany was -now to learn. By the unanimous decision of all the Allied nations no -peace was possible which did not include terms which the Germans were -still very far from considering--restitution of invaded countries, -reparation for harm done, and adequate guarantees against similar -unprovoked aggression in the future. Without these three conditions -the War would indeed have been fought in vain. - -This same month of December saw two of the great protagonists who had -commenced the War retire from that stage upon which each had played a -worthy part. The one was Mr. Asquith, who, {331} weary from long -labours, gave place to the fresh energy of Mr. Lloyd George. The -other was "Father" Joffre, who bore upon his thick shoulders the -whole weight of the early campaigns. Both names will live honourably -in history. - -And now as the year drew to its close, Germany, wounded and weary, -saw as she glared round her at her enemies, a portent which must have -struck a chill to her heart. Russian strength had been discounted -and that of France was no new thing. But whence came this apparition -upon her Western flank--a host raised, as it seemed, from nowhere, -and yet already bidding fair to be equal to her own? Her public were -still ignorant and blind, bemused by the journals which had told them -so long, and with such humorous detail, that the British army was a -paper army, the creature of a dream. Treitschke's foolish phrase, -"The unwarlike Islanders," still lingered pleasantly in their memory. -But the rulers, the men who knew, what must have been their feelings -as they gazed upon that stupendous array, that vision of doom, a -hundred miles from wing to wing, gleaming with two million bayonets, -canopied with aeroplanes, fringed with iron-clad motor monsters, and -backed by an artillery which numbered its guns by the thousand? -Kitchener lay deep in the Orkney waves, but truly his spirit was -thundering at their gates. His brain it was who first planted these -seeds, but how could they have grown had the tolerant, long-suffering -British nation not been made ready for it by all those long years of -Teutonic insult, the ravings of crazy professors, and the insults of -unbalanced publicists? All of these had a part in raising that great -host, but others, too, can claim their share: the baby-killers of -Scarborough, the {332} Zeppelin murderers, the submarine pirates, all -the agents of ruthlessness. Among them they had put life and spirit -into this avenging apparition, where even now it could be said that -every man in the battle line had come there of his own free will. -Years of folly and of crime were crying for a just retribution. The -instrument was here and the hour was drawing on. - - - - -{333} - -INDEX - - -Adlam, Lieutenant, V.C., 272 - -Air Service, 38, 39 - -Albert, 66 - -Alderson, General Sir Edwin, 21 - -Allenby, General Sir Edmund, 11, 34 - -Alsace, 3 - -Ancre, battle of the: work of the Naval Division, 315-321; capture of -Beaumont Hamel, 320-322; attack on Grandcourt, 324-326 - -Anderson, Colonel, 326 - -Arbuthnot, Rear-Admiral Sir Robert, 31 - -Armenia, invasion of, by Russians, 3 - -Arnim, General von, report on the battle of the Somme, 308 - -Ash, Colonel, 246 - -Asquith, Lieutenant Raymond, 169 - -Asquith, Mr., 330 - -Atkinson, Major, 211 - - - -Babington, General, 117 - -Bapaume, 66 - -Bazentin-le-Grand, 144, 151-152 - -Bazentin-le-Petit, 144, 145, 146-149 - -Bean, Mr., Australian chronicler, quoted, 201, 202 - -Beaucourt-sur-Ancre, 59, 60 - -Beaumont Hamel, 46, 47, 52-56, 58, 86, 200, 280, 315, 320-322 - -Bécourt, 67, 76 - -Becquincourt, 100 - -Bernard, Colonel, 62 - -Bircham, Colonel, 161 - -Bird wood, General Sir William, 190 - -Blake, Captain, 284 - -British front in France extended, 4, 11 - -Brocklehurst, Captain, 183 - -Brooke, Rupert, 169 - -Brown, Major Hall, 121 - -Brusiloff, General, 327 - -Bucharest, fall of, 329 - -Bukovina, 2, 3 - -Bulgaria, joins the Central Powers, 2; Greece surrenders the port of -Kavala to, 329 - -Burgh, Lieutenant de, V.C., 284 - -Bussu, 100 - -Byng, General Sir Julian, 21, 236 - - - -Campbell, Captain (R.F.A.), 108 - -Carden, Colonel, 126 - -Carr, Colonel, 270 - -Cavan, General Lord, 237, 251 - -Churchill, Right Hon. W. S., 260 - -Clark, Major, 140 - -Coates, Major, 199 - -Coleridge, Adjutant, 124 - -Combles, 237, 256, 259, 281, 294, 295 - -Congreve, General, V.C., 34, 86, 165 - -Congreve, Brigade-Major, 177 - -Constantine, King of Greece, 329 - -Contalmaison, 72, 73, 80, 105, 116-124, 131-133 - -Cornaby, Lieutenant, 269 - -Courcelette, 204 - -Craig, Colonel James, M.P., 62 - -Curlu, 100 - -Curtin, Mr., American journalist, quoted, 132 - - - -Davidson, Captain, 62 - -Dawson, Captain, 69 - -Delvilie Wood, 145, 153, 155, 159, 165, 171-178, 180-183, 187, 207, -211-214, 218-223, 232, 233, 262 - -Derby, Lord, 5, 95 - -D'Eyncourt, Commander, R.N., 260 - -Diggle, Major, 64 - -Dompierre, 100 - -Duck's Post, attack on, 11, 12 - - - -East Africa, 3 - -Eaucourt, 282, 283, 286 - -Edwards, Private, V.C., 270 - -Ellis, Colonel, 56 - -Erzeroum captured by Russians, 3 - - - -Falfemont, 207, 214, 224 - -Falkenhayn, General, 329 - -Fanshawe, General E. A., 311, 324 - -Fay, 100 - -Fayolle, General, 100 - -Finch, Colonel, 110 - -Flers, 236, 241, 243-247, 259, 261, 262, 282, 283 - -Flower, Colonel, 128 - -Foch, General, 11, 33, 84, 98, 99, 160 - -Forsyth, Colonel, 203 - -Franklin, Colonel, 53 - -French, Lord, 5 - -Freyberg, Commander, 319 - -Fricourt, 76, 77-84, 85, 86, 99, 101, 104 - -Frise, 100, 101 - - - -Gaffikin, Captain, 62 - -Galicia, 2 - -Gallipoli, withdrawal of British troops from, 2 - -Garvin, Captain Gerard, 169 - -General survey, of affairs in winter 1915-16, 1-7; of events in 1916, -326-332 - -Gibbs, Mr. Philip, quoted, 228 - -Gillson, Colonel, 136 - -Ginchy, 159, 207, 214, 218, 221, 222-223, 224, 226, 230-231, 250, -251, 252 - -Glasgow, Brigadier-General, 83 - -Glatz Redoubt, the, 96 - -Gommecourt, 39-45, 71, 86, 99 - -Gordon, Colonel (Gordons), 168 - -Gordon, Lieutenant (Borders), 64 - -Gorizia, Italians take, 328 - -Gough, General Sir Hubert, 106, 156, 161, 189, 194, 198, 202, 205, -207, 236, 238, 263, 264, 281, 310, 311, 322 - -Grandcourt, 322, 324, 325 - -Green, Colonel, 53 - -Grenfell, Julian, 169 - -Guedecourt, 288, 289 - -Guillemont, 144, 156, 159, 178, 183-187, 207, 214-218, 223, 224, 226, -227-228, 231 - - - -Haig, General Sir Douglas, 33, 36, 122, 160, 179, 261, 280, 289, 303, -308 - -Hamp, Sergeant, 220 - -Hankey, Captain Donald, 169 - -Hardecourt, 100 - -Hay, Colonel, 25 - -Heath, Colonel, 108 - -Hébuterne, 34, 46 - -High Wood, 148, 150, 159, 163, 166-168, 170, 187, 207-213, 232-234, -236, 237, 240-241, 262 - -Hohenzollern Redoubt, engagement near, 19 - -Hole, Lieutenant, 73 - -Hood, Rear-Admiral Hon. Horace, 31 - -Hopkinson, Colonel, 53 - -Horne, General Sir H., 34, 76, 122, 165, 236, 237, 242, 250 - -Howell, Captain, 182 - -Hudson, Major, 270 - -Hunter-Weston, General Sir Aylmer, 34, 46, 55, 68 - - - -Innes, Colonel, 53 - -Ireland, rebellion in, 19 - - - -Jacob, General, 236, 264, 279, 311, 324, 326 - -Joffre, General, 33, 331 - -Johnson, Colonel (Manchesters), 96 - -Johnstone, Captain (Rifles), 211 - -Johnstone, Lieutenant (Shropshires), 17 - -Jones, Colonel, 137 - -Jones, Sergeant, V.C. (King's Liverpool), 229 - -Jones, Private, V.C. (Cheshires), 292 - -Jutland, battle of, 31 - - - -Kavala, Greek surrender of, to Bulgaria, 329 - -Kiggell, General Sir L., 36 - -Kitchener, Lord, 5, 331 - -Kut, British force surrenders to Turks at, 2 - - - -La Boiselle, 69-75, 76, 77, 86, 104, 105, 107-109 - -Laidlaw, Colonel, 65 - -Lambton, General, 53 - -Landon, General, 150 - -Ledwidge, Francis, 169 - -Leipzig Redoubt, the, 63, 64, 65, 198 - -Le Sars, 284, 285, 286 - -Lesboeufs, 281, 291, 292 - -Lister, Charles, 169 - -Lloyd George, Mr., 331 - -Longridge, Colonel, 210 - -Longueval, 144, 145, 151, 153-155, 171-180, 213, 217 - -Loos, 4, 17-19, 30 - -Luard, Colonel, 17 - -Lynch, Colonel, 78 - -Lyon, Colonel, 212 - - - -Machell, Colonel, 64 - -Mack, Major, 252 - -Mackensen, General, 329 - -McNair, Lieutenant, V.C., 8 - -Maddison, Colonel, 69 - -Mametz, 76, 84-86, 88, 93, 96, 104 - -Mametz Wood, 116, 118, 120, 121, 124-132, 134 - -Maricourt, 95, 99 - -Markes, Brigade-Major, 176 - -Martinpuich, 204, 236, 237-240, 269 - -Mason, Lieutenant, 267 - -Maxse, General, 139, 272 - -Mercer, General, 24 - -Mesopotamia, British Expedition in, 2, 3 - -Miall-Smith, Lieutenant (Royal Fusiliers), 269 - -Military Service Bill, the, 6 - -Mobbs, Colonel, 216 - -Monastir reoccupied by the Serbian Army, 330 - -Monro, General Sir Charles, 11 - -Montauban, 84, 86-98, 99, 104 - -Montenegro overrun by Central Powers, 2 - -Moreaucourt, 100 - -Morland, General Sir T., 34, 58 - -Morval, 281, 291, 292, 293, 294 - -Mumford, Captain, 136 - -Murray, General Sir A., 328 - -Murray, Lieutenant, 185 - -Musker, Lieutenant, 186, 187 - - - -Neville, Captain, 92 - - - -Ord, Corporal, 220 - -Ovillers, 58, 66, 105, 106, 107, 110-116, 197 - - - -Palk, Colonel the Hon. C. W., 53 - -Pears, Colonel, 113 - -Phillpotts, General, 233 - -Pierce, Colonel, 56 - -Piggott, Colonel Royston, 108 - -Plumer, General Sir Herbert, 11, 14 - -Poland occupied by Central Powers, 2 - -Pommiers Redoubt, the, 89, 90 - -Portugal declares war against the Central Powers, 328 - -Pozières, 144, 156, 159, 189-204, 231 - -Price, Brigadier-General, 203 - -Primrose, Captain Neil, 169 - -Prowse, Brigadier-General, 52, 53 - -Pulteney, General Sir W., 34, 58, 66, 74, 76, 236, 241 - - - -Rawlinson, General Sir Henry, 11, 34, 106, 142, 189, 207, 214, 232, -236, 263, 322 - -Regiments: - -_Artillery--_ - -Royal Field Artillery, 93, 108 - -Trench Mortar Battery, 269 - -Honourable Artillery Company, 318, 319 - -_Cavalry--_ - -7th Dragoon Guards, 150, 158 - -20th Deccan Horse, 150, 158 - -Lucknow and Sialkote Cavalry Brigades, 313 - -_Guards--_ - -Coldstream, 252, 253, 254, 291, 292 - -Grenadier, 252, 253, 291, 292 - -Irish, 252, 253, 291 - -Scots, 253, 254, 255 - -Welsh, 291 - -_Infantry--_ - -Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 153, 164, 175, 209, 238, 293, 321 - -Bedford, 88, 89, 95, 137, 186, 187, 251, 255, 271, 273, 292, 318 - -Berkshire, 70, 71, 89, 90, 109, 177, 182, 192, 193, 210, 233, 268, -274, 302, 315 - -Black Watch, 153, 175, 210, 233, 234, 287, 321 - -Border, 8, 64, 85, 106, 114, 117, 123, 147, 272, 275, 279 - -Buffs (East Kent), 91, 92, 140, 216, 255, 273, 274, 291, 298 - -Cameron Highlanders, 153, 162, 175, 233, 238 - -Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 70, 134, 164, 166, 167, 170, 238, 302, -303, 304 - -Cheshire, 106, 107, 110, 115, 259, 276, 278, 292, 326 - -Connaught Rangers, 227, 228, 229 - -Devon, 70, 85, 147, 168, 223, 226, 293 - -Dorset, 64, 83, 113, 115, 132, 272, 324 - -Dublin Fusiliers, 19, 52, 231, 318 - -Duke of Cornwall's, 221, 226, 250, 290, 299 - -Durham Light Infantry, 49, 51, 77, 78, 80, 81, 221, 247, 250, 255, -284, 285, 289, 291, 292, 301 - -East Lancashire, 49, 50, 51, 53, 74, 121, 302, 326 - -East Surrey, 11, 12, 91, 92, 180, 215, 226, 273, 274, 293 - -East Yorkshire, 77, 83, 121, 132, 151, 304, 305, 312, 313 - -Essex, 52, 54, 89, 90, 109, 177, 196, 267, 268, 273 - -Gloucester, 28, 108, 116, 156, 157, 162, 180, 192, 193, 197, 198, -211, 226, 233, 293, 325 - -Gordon Highlanders, 10, 14, 84, 85, 149, 168, 174, 223, 314, 321 - -Hampshire, 51, 53, 55, 244, 279, 280, 302 - -Highland Light Infantry, 30, 63, 64, 65, 68, 113, 114, 150, 163, 170, -218, 237, 238, 323, 324 - -Inniskilling Fusiliers, 18, 53, 56, 61, 64, 114 - -King's Liverpool, 95, 96, 97, 98, 137, 151, 152, 164, 174, 179, 208, -220, 229, 234, 298, 304 - -King's Own Royal Lancaster, 52 - -King's Own Scottish Borderers, 134, 172, 238, 286, 292 - -King's Royal Rifles, 170, 227, 244, 245, 248, 249, 290, 304 - -Lancashire Fusiliers, 7, 8, 20, 53, 63, 64, 110, 113, 114, 118, 120, -272, 302 - -Leicester, 146, 148, 255, 256, 288, 289 - -Leinster, 215, 227 - -Lincoln, 8, 10, 42, 70, 72, 77, 81, 82, 116, 117, 122, 275, 288, 302, -303, 304 - -Liverpool, 136 - -London Rifle Brigade, 43, 300 - -London Scottish, 43, 44, 258, 299 - -1st London, 259 - -2nd London, 43, 259 - -3rd London, 44, 300 - -4th London, 43, 256, 299 - -6th London, 241 - -8th London, 259 - -9th London (Queen Victoria Rifles), 43, 256, 300 - -12th London (Rangers), 43, 258 - -13th London (Kensington), 43 - -15th London (Civil Service), 241 - -15th London (Queen's Westminsters), 43 - -Manchester, 65, 84, 85, 95, 96, 97, 113, 114, 120, 136, 137, 149, -178, 185, 186, 222, 323, 324 326 - -Middlesex, 43, 70, 77, 82, 88, 111, 112, 140, 142, 164, 168, 182, -207, 215, 218, 232, 246, 258, 269, 299, 304 - -Munster Fusiliers, 156, 212, 230, 234 - -Norfolk, 89, 90, 176, 180, 196, 267, 273, 292 - -Northampton, 88, 89, 121, 140, 142, 161, 209, 210, 211, 215, 234, -269, 271 - -North Lancashire, 20, 110, 146, 200, 210, 234, 278 - -North Staffordshire, 41, 108, 325, 326 - -Northumberland Fusiliers, 13, 63, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 113, 117, 118, -120, 148, 152, 179, 272, 285 - -Oxford and Bucks, 192, 219, 220, 221, 227, 248, 249, 250, 298, 299 - -Queen's (West Surrey), 84, 91, 93, 109, 139, 142, 150, 163, 170, 196, -218, 219, 221, 223, 233, 244, 246, 273 - -Rifle Brigade, 8, 51, 52, 53, 213, 216, 227, 228, 248, 249, 290, 298, -302, 316, 319 - -Rifles, 30, 162, 163, 182, 211, 218, 219, 220, 227, 228, 234, 248, -278, 279, 282, 290, 299, 315, 319, 320 - -Royal Fusiliers, 13, 53, 54, 88, 89, 111, 164, 167, 170, 177, 182, -186, 196, 207, 209, 269, 270, 298, 304, 318, 319 - -Royal Irish, 18, 86, 148, 149, 222, 227, 230 - -Royal Irish Fusiliers, 53, 60, 230 - -Royal Irish Rifles, 60, 61, 62, 71, 110, 230 - -Royal Lancaster, 10, 14, 314 - -Royal Scots, 72, 73, 74, 77, 80, 152, 172, 173, 178, 179, 238, 321 - -Royal Scots Fusiliers, 13, 97, 136, 152, 172, 185, 186, 238 - -Royal West Kent, 91, 92, 109, 139, 140, 142, 196 - -Seaforth Highlanders, 52, 53, 153, 175, 285, 321 - -Sherwood Foresters, 7, 8, 40, 42, 68, 117, 121, 251, 272, 278, 316 - -Shropshire, 17, 151, 219, 248, 249, 250, 256, 290, 299 - -Somerset Light Infantry, 51, 52, 53, 82, 221, 229, 250, 299 - -South Lancashire, 106, 108, 114, 169, 202, 325 - -South Staffordshire, 7, 8, 41, 84, 85, 116, 117, 123, 150, 221, 275 - -South Wales Borderers, 53, 56, 121, 129, 130, 156, 157, 162, 212, 234 - -Suffolk, 9, 10, 72, 74, 89, 92, 109, 164, 177, 178, 208, 252, 267, -268, 273, 274, 314 - -Sussex, 8, 28, 30, 93, 111, 112, 162, 192, 194, 195, 209, 211, 215, -216, 232, 234, 266, 279 - -Tyneside Irish (Northumberland Fusiliers), 72, 75 - -Tyneside Scottish (Northumberland Fusiliers), 70, 72, 73, 75 - -Warwick, 46, 49, 51, 52, 53, 85, 108, 115, 148, 149, 170, 192, 193, -197, 222, 302 - -Welsh, 121, 124, 125, 126, 128, 129, 156, 162, 234 - -Welsh Fusiliers, 10, 30, 86, 108, 118, 125, 126, 128, 129, 149, 167, -177, 221, 222, 292, 314 - -West Riding, 10, 120, 203, 302 - -West Yorkshire, 10, 13, 49, 50, 51, 70, 77, 83, 96, 151, 152, 179, -203, 255, 273, 274, 275, 292, 301 - -Wiltshire, 108, 112, 136, 198 - -Worcester, 55, 108, 112, 114, 120, 121, 163, 166, 169, 192, 218, 302 - -York and Lancaster, 49, 50, 51, 68, 82, 255, 284, 293, 301 - -Yorkshire, 81, 83, 117, 135, 178, 203, 275, 284, 285, 304 - -Yorkshire Light Infantry, 68, 77, 78, 81, 82, 219, 221, 247, 250, -298, 323 - - -Royal Engineers, 92, 117, 149, 168, 183, 218, 220, 231, 245, 293 - -Royal Naval Division, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320 - -_Overseas Forces--_ - -Australians, 116, 161, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, -196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 231, 305 - -New Zealanders, 202, 234, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 287, 288, 289 - -1st Canadians (Ontario), 278 - -2nd Canadians, 14 - -3rd Canadians (Toronto), 27 - -7th Canadians (British Columbia), 26, 27, 278 - -10th Canadians, 26 - -13th Canadians (Royal Highlanders), 16, 27, 202 - -14th Canadians (Montreal), 25 - -15th Canadians (48th Highlanders), 25, 202 - -16th Canadian Scottish, 16, 27 - -22nd Canadians, 15, 204 - -27th Canadians (Winnipeg), 15, 278 - -29th Canadians (Vancouver), 15 - -31st Canadians (Alberta), 15, 278 - -49th Canadians, 22 - -52nd Canadians (New Ontario), 25, 205 - -60th Canadians (Montreal), 205 - -60th Canadians (New Brunswick), 16 - -60th Canadians (Nova Scotia), 16 - -Princess Patricia's, 22, 24 - -Royal Canadian Regiment, 22 - -Canadian Mounted Rifles, 23 - -Newfoundland Regiment, 46, 54, 55, 301 - -South Africans, 137, 153, 155, 171, 172, 173, 175, 176, 286 - -Richebourg, 28-30 - -Rickets, Colonel, 128 - -Ripley, Colonel, 271 - -Robertson, General Sir William, 5, 308 - -Rolls, Major, 186 - -Romani, battle near, 328 - -Roumania declares war against the Central Powers, 329 - -Rushton, Lieutenant, 90 - -Ryder, Private, V.C., 270 - - - -St. Eloi, 12-16 - -St. Pierre Divion, 316 - -Salonica, 3; operations round, 329 - -Sarrail, General, 329, 330 - -Sawyer, Major, V.C., 284 - -Saye, Lieutenant, 90 - -Schwaben Redoubt, the, 61, 263, 266, 268, 272-275, 276 - -Serbia overrun by Central Powers, 2 - -Serre, 46, 49-53, 86, 311, 313 - -Shute, Major, 64 - -Sinai peninsula, operations in, 328 - -Smith, General Douglas, 227 - -Smith, Colonel, 134 - -Smuts, General Right Hon. Jan, 3 - -Snow, General Sir T., 34, 39, 45 - -Somerset, Lieutenant, 110 - -Somme, battle of the: disposition of the British Armies, 34-36; -preparations preceding the battle, 36, 37; German anticipation of -Allied attack, 37; work of the Royal Flying Corps, 38, 39; attack of -the Seventh and Eighth Corps at Gommecourt, Serre, and Beaumont -Hamel, 39-56; general failure of attack, 56; attack of the Tenth and -Third Corps at Beaucourt, Thiepval, Ovillers, and La Boiselle, fails, -58-75; attack of the Fifteenth and Thirteenth Corps at Fricourt, -Mametz, and Montauban, 76-101; capture of Fricourt, 77-84; of Mametz -village, 84-86; of Montauban, 86-98; operations of the French Army, -98-100; review of the first day's fighting, 100, 101; its decisive -importance, 101; capture of La Boiselle, 107-109; siege and reduction -of Ovillers, 109-116; operations at Contalmaison, 116-124, 131-133; -capture of Mametz Wood, 124-131; capture of Trones Wood, 134-143; -assault on and capture of villages of Bazentin-le-Petit, 145-149; and -Bazentin-le-Grand, 151-153; operations at Longueval, 153-155; cavalry -advance, 150, 157; fighting at High Wood, 166-168; South Africans in -Delville Wood, 171-176; capture of Delville Wood, 180-183; capture of -Longueval, 171-180; operations before Guillemont, 183-187; capture of -Pozières village and ridge, 189-202; advance towards Thiepval, -197-201; capture of Courcelette, 204; further fighting at High Wood, -207-213, 231-234; operations on fringe of Delville Wood, 212-213, -218-223, 231-234; attack on and capture of Guillemont, 214, 217, -227-231; attack on Ginchy, 222-223; storming of Ginchy by Irish -Division, 230-231; assault on and capture of Martinpuich village, -237-240; capture of High Wood, 240-241; advance of the New -Zealanders, 242-243; capture of the village of Flers, 243-247; debut -of the Tanks, 241, 244, 245, 247, 249, 259-261; assault on and -capture of Thiepval, 264-272; fall of Schwaben Redoubt, 272-275; -taking of Stuff Redoubt, 275-279; Germans driven finally from -Thiepval Ridge, 279; capture of the villages of Eaucourt and Le Sars, -282-285; capture of Guedecourt, 288, 289; capture of Morval and -Lesboeufs, 291-294; fall of Combles, 295; general observations on the -fighting in the Somme valley, 306-309 - -Stern, Colonel, 260 - -Stokes, Lieutenant, 211 - -Stuff Redoubt, the fighting for, 275-279 - -Swinton, Colonel, 260 - - - -Tanks, the, first appearance of, 241, 244, 245, 247, 249; -commendation by Sir Douglas Haig, 261; 264, 269, 272, 283, 285, 288, -293, 320 - -Tempest, Colonel, 254 - -Thicknesse, Colonel, 53 - -Thiepval, 58-68, 86, 156, 197-201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 237, 263, -264-272, 276 - -Thompson, Captain, 269 - -Torrie, Colonel, 326 - -Tovey, Corporal, 270 - -Townshend, General Sir Charles, 2 - -Trenchard, General, 38 - -Trentino, Austrian attack in, 328 - -Trones Wood, 135-143 - -Trotter, Colonel, 134 - - - -Usher, Colonel, 24 - - - -Venezelos, 330 - -Verdun, 1, 3, 11, 23, 33, 37, 99, 327 - -Vimy Ridge, 19 - - - -Webber, Lieutenant, 169 - -Wedgwood, Colonel, 108 - -White, Captain, V.C., 275 - -Williams, Brigadier-General Victor, 24 - -Wood, Colonel, 53 - -Wulverghem, 20 - -Wynne-Finch, Adjutant, 254 - - - -Ypres, 4, 7-11, 16-17, 21-28 - - - - -THE END - - - -_Printed in Great Britain_ by R. & R. 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