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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 1917 - -Author: Arthur Conan Doyle - -Release Date: April 09, 2021 [eBook #65045] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Al Haines - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE AND -FLANDERS 1917 *** - - - - - THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN - - IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS - - 1917 - - - - BY - - ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE - - - - AUTHOR OF - 'THE GREAT BOER WAR,' ETC. - - - - HODDER AND STOUGHTON - LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO - MCMXIX - - - - - 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. - - - THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE - AND FLANDERS - 1916 - - JANUARY TO JULY 1916. - THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME. - THE GAINING OF THE THIEPVAL RIDGE. - THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME. - THE BATTLE OF THE ANCRE. - - With Maps, Plans, and Diagrams. - - HODDER AND STOUGHTON - LONDON, NEW YORK, AND TORONTO - - - - -{v} - -PREFACE - -This, the fourth volume of _The British Campaign in France and -Flanders_, carries the story through the long and arduous fighting of -1917, which culminated in the dramatic twofold battle of Cambrai. -These events are cut deep into the permanent history of the world, -and we are still too near it to read the whole of that massive and -tremendous inscription. It is certain, however, that this year -marked the period in which the Allies gained a definite military -ascendancy over the German forces, in spite of the one great -subsequent rally which had its source in events which were beyond the -control of the Western powers. So long as ink darkens and paper -holds, our descendants, whose freedom has been won by these -exertions, will dwell earnestly and with reverence upon the stories -of Arras, Messines, Ypres, Cambrai, and other phases of this epic -period. - -I may be permitted to record with some thankfulness and relief, that -in the course of three thick volumes, in which for the first time the -detailed battle-line of these great encounters has been set out, it -has not yet been shown that a brigade has ever been out of its place, -and even a battalion has seldom gone amiss. Such good fortune cannot -last for ever. _Absit omen!_ But the fact is worth recording, as it -{vi} may reassure the reader who has natural doubts whether history -which is so recent can also lay claim to be of any permanent value. - -The Censorship has left me untrammelled in the matter of units, for -which I am sufficiently grateful. The ruling, however, upon the -question of names must be explained, lest it should seem that their -appearance or suppression is due to lack of knowledge or to -individual favour or caprice. I would explain, then, that I am -permitted to use the names of Army and Corps Commanders, but only of -such divisional Generals as are mentioned in the Headquarters -narrative. All other ranks below divisional Generals are still -suppressed, save only casualties, in connection with the action where -they received the injury, and those who won honours, with the same -limitation. This regulation has little effect upon the accuracy of -the narrative, but it appears in many cases to involve some personal -injustice. To record the heroic deeds of a division and yet be -compelled to leave out the name of the man who made it so efficient, -is painful to the feelings of the writer, for if any one fact is -clearer than another in this war it is that the good leader makes the -good unit. - -The tremendous epic of 1918 will call for two volumes in its -treatment. One of these, bringing the story up to June 30, 1918, is -already completed, and should appear by the summer. The other may be -ready at the end of the year. - -ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE. - - CROWBOROUGH, - _January_ 20, 1919. - - - - -{vii} - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER I - -THE GERMAN RETREAT UPON THE ARRAS-SOISSONS FRONT - -Hindenburg's retreat--The advance of the Fifth and Fourth -Armies--Capture of Bapaume and Peronne--Atrocious devastation by the -Germans--Capture of guns at Selency--Definition of the Hindenburg -Line--General survey - - -CHAPTER II - -THE BATTLE OF ARRAS - -April 9 to April 23, 1917. - -Vast preparations--Attack of Snow's Seventh Corps--The Ibex -Trench--Attack of Haldane's Sixth Corps--Attack of Fergusson's -Seventeenth Corps--A Scottish Front--The splendid Canadians--Capture -of Mouchy--Essex and Newfoundland--A glorious episode--The Chemical -Works--Extension of the battle to the north--Desperate fight of the -Australians at Bullecourt - - -CHAPTER III - -OPERATIONS IN THE ARRAS SECTOR FROM APRIL 23 ONWARDS - -Advance of April 23--Middlesex and Argyll--Grand fighting of the -Fifteenth Division--H.A.C. at Gavrelle--Operations of May 3--The -Gavrelle Windmill--Loss of Fresnoy--Capture of Rœux--The long -fight at Bullecourt - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE BATTLE OF MESSINES - -Plumer's long vigil--The great mines--Advance of Australians--Of New -Zealanders--Of the Twenty-fifth Division--Of the Irish {viii} -Divisions--Death of Major Redmond--Advance of Nineteenth Division--Of -the Forty-first Division--Of the Forty-seventh Division--Of the -Twenty-fourth Division--General results - - -CHAPTER V - -OPERATIONS FROM JUNE 10 TO JULY 31 - -Fighting round Lens--Good work of Canadians and Forty-sixth -Division--Action on the Yser canal--Great fight and eventual -annihilation of 2nd K.R.R. and 1st Northampton--An awful ordeal--Exit -Russia - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES - -July 31, 1917 - -Attack of July 31--Advance of the Guards--Of the Welsh--Capture of -Pilkem--Capture of St. Julien by Thirty-ninth Division--Advance of -Fifty-fifth Division--Advance of Jacob's Second Corps--General results - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES - -August 1 to September 6 - -Dreadful weather--German reaction--Attack of August 16--Advance of -Cavan's Corps--Capture of Langemarck--Dreadful losses of the two -Irish Divisions--Failure in the south--Splendid field-gunners--The -Forty-second Division upon September 6 - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES - -September 6 to October 3, 1917 - -Engagement of Plumer's Second Army--Attack of September 20--Fine -advance of Fifty-fifth Division--Advance of the Ninth {ix} -Division--Of the Australians--Strong counter-attack upon the -Thirty-third Division--Renewed advance on September 20--Continued -rain--Desperate fighting - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES - -October 4 to November 10, 1917 - -Attack of October 4--Further advance of the British line--Splendid -advance of second-line Territorials--Good work of H.A.C. at -Reutel--Abortive action of October 12--Action of October 26--Heavy -losses at the south end of the line--Fine fighting by the Canadian -Corps--Capture of Paschendaale--General results of third battle of -Ypres - - -CHAPTER X - -THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI - -First phase, November 20--Tanks _en masse_--Attack on the Tunnel -Trench--Byng's great advance--Fine work of the Sixty-second -Division--Hard fighting of Pulteney's Third Corps--Exploit of Fort -Garry Horse--Second day of battle--Rally of Germans--Capture of -Bourlon Wood by Fortieth Division--Attack by the Guards on La Fontaine - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI. - -Second phase of battle on November 30--Great German attack--Disaster -to three divisions--Desperate fight of Twenty-ninth Division--Fine -advance by the Guards--Capture and recapture of Gouzeaucourt--Hard -battle in the Bourlon Sector--Heavy losses of the Germans--Retraction -of the British line - - -INDEX - - - - -{xi} - -MAPS AND PLANS - - -Fighting Line, February 24, 1917, and Fighting Line, March 1, 1917 - -The Arras Front - -Chart of Order of Battle, Arras, April 9, 1917 - -Order of Battle, Messines, June 7, 1917 - -Line of Battle, August 16, 1917 - -The Ypres Front - -Third Ypres Battle, September 26 - -Order of Battle, October 4, 1917 - -Fighting Line, November 20, 1917 - -Battle Line of Third Army, November 20, 1917 - -Fighting Line, November 30, 1917 - -Battle Order of Third Army, November 30, 1917 - -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.] - - - - -{1} - -CHAPTER I - -THE GERMAN RETREAT UPON THE ARRAS-SOISSONS FRONT - -Hindenburg's retreat--The advance of the Fifth and Fourth -Armies--Capture of Bapaume and Peronne--Atrocious devastation by the -Germans--Capture of guns at Selency--Definition of the Hindenburg -Line--General survey. - - -In the latter days of 1916 and the beginning of 1917, the British -Army, which had in little more than two years expanded from seven -divisions to over fifty, took over an increased line. The movement -began about Christmas time, and early in the New Year Rawlinson's -Fourth Army, side-stepping always to the south, had covered the whole -of the French position occupied during the Somme fighting, had -crossed the Somme, and had established its right flank at a point -near Roye. The total front was increased to 120 miles, which may -seem a small proportion as compared to the whole. In making such a -comparison, however, one must bear in mind the difference in the -effort of sustaining an army in one's own country and in a foreign -land with all communications by water. The task of the British was -continually made more difficult by the precarious nature of their -connection with their base. Dulness of vision may be as dangerous to -a nation as treason, {2} and no enemies could have harmed the country -more than those perfectly sincere and patriotic individuals who had -for so long opposed the construction of a Channel tunnel. - -The general disposition of the British forces after this prolongation -to the south was as follows. Plumer's Second Army still held that -post of danger and of honour which centred round the Ypres salient. -South of Plumer, in the Armentières district, was the First Army, now -commanded by General Horne, whose long service with the Fifteenth -Corps during the Somme Battle had earned him this high promotion. -Allenby's Third Army carried the line onwards to the south of Arras. -From the point upon which the British line had hinged during the -Somme operations Gough's Fifth Army took over the front, and this -joined on to Rawlinson's Fourth Army near the old French position. -From the north then the order of the armies was two, one, three, -five, and four. - -The winter was spent by both sides in licking their wounds after the -recent severe fighting and in preparing for the greater fighting to -come. These preparations upon the part of the British consisted in -the addition to the army of a number of fresh divisions, and the -rebuilding of those divisions, fifty-two in number, which had taken -part in the Somme fighting, most of them more than once. As the -average loss in these divisions was very heavy indeed, the task of -reconstructing them was no light one. None the less before the -campaign re-opened, though the interval was a short three months, the -greater part of the battalions were once again at full strength, -while the guns and munitions were very greatly {3} increased. A -considerable addition to the strength of the army was effected by the -civilian railway advisers, under Sir Eric Geddes, who by the simple -expedient of pulling up their own lines at home, and relaying them in -France, enormously improved the communications of the army. - -In the case of the Germans their army changes took the form of a -considerable new levy from those classes which had been previously -judged to be unfit, and a general comb-out of every source from which -men could be extracted. A new law rendered every citizen liable to -national service in a civilian capacity, and so released a number of -men from the mines and the factories. They also increased the -numbers of their divisions by the doubtful expedient of reducing the -brigades, so that the divisions were shorn of a third of their -strength. The battalions thus obtained were formed into new -divisions. In this way it was calculated that a reserve force had -been created which would be suddenly thrown in on one or the other -front with dramatic effect. Some such plan may have been in -contemplation, but as a matter of fact the course of events was such -that the German generals required every man and more for their own -immediate needs during the whole of the year. - -It has been shown in the narrative of 1916 how the British had ended -the campaign of that year by the brilliant little victory of Beaumont -Hamel, which gave them not merely 7000 prisoners, but command of both -sides of the Valley of the Ancre. This victory had been the sequel -to the capture of the Thiepval Ridge, and this again had depended -upon the general success of the Somme operations, so that the turn of -{4} events which led to such considerable results always traces back -to the tragic and glorious 1st of July. It was clear that whenever -the weather permitted the resumption of hostilities, Sir Douglas Haig -was in so commanding a position at this point that he was perfectly -certain to drive the enemy out of the salient which they held to the -north of Beaumont Hamel. The result showed that this expectation was -well founded, but no one could have foreseen how considerable was the -retreat which would be forced upon the enemy--a retreat which gave -away for nothing the ground which cost Hindenburg so much to regain -in the following year. - -Although the whole line from the sea to the Somme was a scene of -activity during the winter, and though hardly a day, or rather a -night, went by that some stealthy party did not cross No-Man's-Land -to capture and to destroy, still for the purposes of this narrative -the three northern armies may be entirely ignored in the succeeding -operations since they had no occasion to alter their lines. We shall -fix our attention in the first instance upon Gough's Army in the -district of the Ancre, and afterwards upon Rawlinson's which was -drawn into the operations. Gough's Army consisted, at the beginning -of the year, of three corps, the Fifth (E. A. Fanshawe) to the left -covering the ground to the north of the Ancre, the Second Corps -(Jacob) immediately south of the river, and the First Australian -Corps (Birdwood) extending to the junction with Rawlinson's Army, and -covering the greater part of the old British line upon the Somme. It -was upon the Fifth and the Second Corps that the immediate operations -which opened the campaign were to devolve. - -{5} - -[Sidenote: January] - -The Fifth Corps was formed at this period of three divisions, the -Eleventh, Thirty-first, and Seventh. Each of these divisions by -constant pressure and minor operations, backed by a powerful -artillery fire, played a part in the wearing process of constant -attrition which ended in making the position of the Germans -impossible. On January 10, the 32nd Yorkshire Brigade of the -Eleventh Division carried an important trench due east of Beaumont -Hamel, taking 140 prisoners. On the next day the movement extended -farther north, where three-quarters of a mile of trench with 200 -prisoners was the prize. On January 17, another 600 yards north of -Beaumont fell into British hands. Of the 1228 prisoners who were -taken in January a considerable proportion came from this small -section of the line, though the largest single haul consisted of 350 -men who were captured by a brilliant advance of the Australians in -the Le Transloy sector upon January 29. - -[Sidenote: February] - -The movement along the valley of the Ancre was continued in February, -but at an accelerated pace, the Second Corps, which consisted of the -Sixty-third, Eighteenth, and Second Divisions, moving in conformity -with Fanshawe's men upon the northern bank. The chief initiative -still rested with the latter, and upon February 3 another push -forward of 500 yards upon a mile front yielded a hundred more -prisoners, while two sharp counter attacks by the Germans only served -to increase their losses. A number of small spurs run down to the -river upon the northern bank, and each of these successive advances -represented some fresh ridge surmounted. Upon February 6 the Second -Corps was moving upon Beaucourt, which is to the immediate {6} south -of the river, and upon the 7th the village was evacuated--the first -of that goodly list which was to adorn the official communiqués -during the next two months. On the 9th the advance crept onwards -upon both banks, gathering up a hundred prisoners, while eighty more -were taken in Baillescourt Farm upon the north bank. These men were -Hamburgers of the 85th Regiment. Upon February 10 the left of the -Fifth Corps began to feel out towards Serre, that village of sinister -memories, and 215 prisoners were taken from the trenches to the south -of the hamlet. This provoked a new counter from the enemy which was -beaten back upon February 12. A period of impossible weather -suspended the advance, but again upon February 17 the British tide -swelled suddenly into a wave which swept forward on either bank, -engulfing some crowded trenches north of Baillescourt Farm, which -yielded 12 officers and 761 men of the 65th, 75th, and 395th -Prussians. The main success was gained by the Sixty-third Division -upon the left of the Second Corps, but it was aided by the work of -the Eighteenth and Second Divisions to the south of the Ancre. The -latter met with strong resistance and had considerable losses. The -burden of this work fell chiefly upon the 99th and 54th Brigades, -both of which reached their objectives in the face of mist, darkness, -uncut wire, heavy fire, and vigorous resistance. This blow stung the -enemy into a sharp reaction, and three waves of infantry stormed up -to the lost position, which for a time they entered, but were again -beaten out of. During their temporary success they claim to have -taken 130 prisoners. - -[Sidenote: February] - -All these advances, with their accompanying and {7} ever-extending -bombardments, had been like those multiplied causes, each small in -itself, which eventually loosen and start a great landslide. The -effect must undoubtedly have been begun some weeks before when the -Germans perceived that they could no longer hold on, and favoured by -wind, rain, and fog, started their rearward movement to the great -permanent second line, the exact position of which was still vague to -the Allies. Upon February 25 the whole German front caved in for a -depth of three miles both north and south of the Ancre. Wading -through seas of mud Gough's infantry occupied Serre, Pys, Miraumont, -Eaucourt, Warlencourt, and all the ground for eleven miles from -Gomiecourt in the north to Gueudecourt in the south. On February 28 -Gomiecourt itself had been occupied by the North Country troops of -the Thirty-first Division, while Puisieux and Thilloy had also been -added to the British line. The advance was not unopposed. The -battle-patrols continually extended to attack some trench of snipers -or nest of machine-guns. Mined roads and all manner of obstructions -impeded the onward flow of the army. The retreat was orderly and -skilful, and the pursuit was necessarily slow and wary. By a -pleasing coincidence the Thirty-first Division, which occupied Serre, -was the same brave North Country Division which had lost so heavily -upon July 1 and November 13 on the same front. On entering the -village they actually found the bodies of some of their own brave -comrades who had got as far forward seven months before. - -[Sidenote: March] - -On March 4 the advance which had steadily continued in the north -spread suddenly southwards to Bouchavesnes north of Peronne, the -sector held {8} by the Twentieth and Forty-eighth Divisions of -Rawlinson's Army, which from this time onward was more and more -engaged in the forward movement. Three machine-guns and 172 -prisoners were taken. There was some interruption of the operations -at this stage owing to severe snowstorms, but upon March 10 Tries, -west of Bapaume, was taken by assault by the Eighteenth Division. -This was a formidable point, well wired and trenched, so that the -artillery in full force was needed for preparation. The infantry -went forward before sunrise, and within an hour the village with 15 -machine-guns and 290 prisoners was in British hands. The losses were -light and the gain substantial. Grevillers also fell next day. This -advance in front of Bapaume was of importance as it turned Loupart -Wood, forming part of a strong defensive line which might have marked -the limit of the German retreat. It was clear from that day onwards -that the movement was not local but far reaching. The enemy was -still too strong to be hustled, however, especially upon the northern -sector of the operations, where Jacob's Second Corps was feeling the -German line along its whole front. An attempt at an advance at -Bucquoy upon the night of March 13, carried out by the 137th Brigade -of the Forty-sixth North Midland Division, met with a check, though -most bravely attempted. The two battalions concerned, the 5th South -Staffords and 5th North Staffords, found themselves entangled in the -darkness amid uncut wire and suffered considerable loss before they -could extricate themselves from an impossible position. - -[Illustration: Fighting Line, February 24, 1917, and Fighting Line, -March 1, 1917] - -On March 19 and 20 the whole movement had become much more -pronounced, and the French as {9} well as the British were moving -over a seventy-mile front, extending from Arras in the north to -Soissons in the south. Each day now was a day of joy in France as -some new strip of the fatherland was for a time recovered, but the -joy was tempered by sorrow and anger as it was learned with what -barbarity the Germans had conducted their retreat. To lay a country -waste is no new thing in warfare. It has always been held to be an -occasional military necessity though the best commander was he who -used it least. In all Napoleon's career it is difficult to recall an -instance when he devastated a district. At the same time it must be -admitted that it comes within the recognised chances of war, and that -when Sherman's army, for example, left a black weal across the South -the pity of mankind was stirred but not its conscience. It was very -different here. These devils--or to be more just--these devil-driven -slaves, with a malignity for which it would be hard to find a -parallel, endeavoured by every means at their command to ruin the -country for the future as well as for the present. Buildings were -universally destroyed, including in many cases the parish churches. -Historical monuments, such as the venerable Castle of Coucy, were -blown to pieces. Family vaults were violated and the graves -profaned. The furniture of the most humble peasants was -systematically broken. The wells were poisoned and polluted. Worst -of all, the young fruit-trees were ringed so as to destroy them for -future seasons. It was considered the last possibility of savagery -when the Mahdi's men cut down the slow-growing palm-trees in the -district of Dongola, but every record upon earth has been swept away -by the barbarians of Europe. As usual these outrages {10} reacted -upon the criminals, for they confirmed those grim resolutions of the -Allies which made that peace by compromise for which the Germans were -eternally working an absolute impossibility. Their Clausewitz had -taught them that it is of supreme importance to make peace before -there comes a turn of the tide, but he had not reckoned upon his -descendants being so brutalised that a peace with them was a -self-evident impossibility. - -[Sidenote: March] - -Turning from the deeds of savages to those of soldiers, we have now -to trace the progress and scope of the great German retreat, the -first pronounced movement upon either side on the Western Front since -September 1914. From Arras to Roye the British Army was advancing -while the movement was carried on to Soissons by the French. On the -curve of the trenches the front measured more than a hundred miles. -So close was the touch between the two Allied armies that the patrols -of French and British cavalry rode together into Nesle. On March 18 -the Australians had occupied Bapaume, with the Seventh Division -moving upon their left and the Twentieth upon their right, the -cavalry fringe being formed of the Indian Lucknow Cavalry Brigade of -the Fourth Division. To the south the Warwick Brigade of the -Forty-eighth South Midland Division passed through Peromie. At each -end of the long curve the Germans held fast, Arras in the north and -Soissons in the south being the two fixed points, but the country -between, to a depth of ten miles in the British sector and of thirty -miles in the French, was rapidly overrun by the Allies, the cavalry -patrols feeling their way everywhere while the infantry followed hard -upon the heels of the horses. Guns and {11} munitions had been -successfully removed by the Germans but incredible quantities of -barbed wire and other defensive material had been abandoned in their -positions. Towards the end of March the left of the French and the -right of the British were in touch in the immediate front of St. -Quentin. There had been scattered fighting all along the line, and -the resistance thickened each day, so that it was evident that the -final German position had been nearly reached. On March 24 the -Australians had a sharp fight at Beaumetz between Bapaume and -Cambrai. The village was taken, lost, and retaken with considerable -loss upon both sides. It was clear that in this quarter a definite -German line had been approached. Similar reports soon came in from -Croisilles, from Lagnicourt, from Ronssoy, from Jeancourt, and all -along from Arras to St. Quentin. So gradually the famous Hindenburg -line defined itself, and the Allied Generals became more clearly -aware of the exact nature and extent of this new German position. -Early in April, by pushing up to it and brushing aside the advanced -forces which screened it, its outlines were more clearly mapped. -This process of definition led to more serious fighting, the worst of -which, as will presently be shown, fell upon the Australians at -Bullecourt, some ten miles from the Arras end of the new line. Some -foretaste, however, of the considerable resistance which they were -about to meet with in their section was encountered by the -Australians at Noreuil on April 2. The brunt of the attack upon the -village was borne by the South Australians, who behaved with great -gallantry, having to rush a difficult position intersected by sunken -roads. A small body of the stormers, some sixty in number, were cut -off {12} and overwhelmed, but the main body captured the village, -taking 137 German prisoners. Among other brisk skirmishes occurring -at the beginning of April was one at Epehy, fifteen miles north of -St. Quentin, where the 144th Brigade of the Forty-eighth South -Midland Division cleared the hamlet and sugar factory of St. Emilie. -In this operation, which was carried out chiefly by the 4th -Gloucesters, 5 officers and 80 men fell, but the German loss was -considerable. A few days later the 145th Brigade of the same -division distinguished itself by the capture after sharp fighting of -Ronssoy and of Lempire, the first village being carried by the 4th -Berks and the latter by the 5th Gloucesters. This brought the -British line in that quarter up to the final German position. - -[Sidenote: April] - -Some sharp fighting had also taken place at Savy and Selency to the -immediate west and north-west of St. Quentin, upon the front of the -Thirty-second Division, which, together with the Thirty-fifth and -Sixty-first, had been pressing the German line. On the morning of -April 2 the 14th Brigade of this division was ordered to attack -Selency. On the two previous days the village of Savy had been -taken, and a strong attack made upon the Bois de Savy by the 96th and -97th Brigades. The advance of April 2 was at early dawn and the -veteran 2nd Manchester Battalion was in the lead. The whole -operation was conducted under heavy machine-gun fire, but by swift -movement and a judicious use of the ground the losses were minimised. -Whilst the Lancashire men made direct for the village the 15th -Highland Light Infantry kept pace with them upon their right flank. -A {13} battery of six German field-guns opened fire in the very faces -of the stormers, but C Company of the Manchesters, with admirable -steadiness and presence of mind, swerved to each side and rushed the -guns from the flank, capturing them all. The attack was at 5 A.M., -and by 6.30 the whole objective had been captured. No further -advance was possible as the front line was already close to St. -Quentin, which was a German stronghold. The position at the end of -the action was that the village was in the hands of the British but -that the six guns with their caissons were in the open where the -Germans could cover them with their fire. The victors were -determined to have their trophies, and their enemy was no less eager -to make it impossible. The moment that darkness had fallen a party -of Manchesters, under the lead of Lieut. Thomas, the adjutant, and -Lieut. Ward of the 161st R.F.A., endeavoured to man-handle the guns -into the British lines, but directly they began to haul so sharp a -fire of shrapnel was opened at a range of 800 yards that they were -compelled to desist. A covering party of the 15th Highland Light -Infantry lay round the guns till dawn, and during the day they -remained safe under the rifles of the infantry. At eight o'clock on -April 3 a further attempt to bring them in was made by Major Lumsden -of the Staff, with Lieutenants Ward and Lomax of the gunners. Horse -teams were brought down, and amid a terrific barrage the gun wheels -began at last to revolve. Maddened by the sight seen under the glare -of their star shells, the German infantry surged forward and for a -time were all round the Highlanders who still guarded the guns. One -small party of Germans dashed in upon the guns with a charge of -dynamite and managed to {14} blow in the breech of one of them. They -were driven off, however, and the six guns were all brought in, while -upon April 4 the six artillery caissons were also salved. So ended a -most satisfactory little operation for which Major Lumsden received a -Victoria Cross and later the command of a brigade, while the other -officers were decorated. - -[Sidenote: April] - -On April 2 in the north of the new line, near the spot where very -great things were pending, Snow's Seventh Corps had taken Henin and -Croisilles, with the aid of the Fifth Army upon their right. It was -a small operation in itself, but it was preparing the jumping-off -place for the great battle of April 9. There was continued bickering -along the line where the British were pushing in the German outliers. -In this work the Thirty-fifth Division in the Epehy district -distinguished itself greatly during the early summer. One attack -upon a hill held by the Germans and carried by the 15th Chesters and -15th Sherwoods of the 105th Brigade was particularly brilliant. In -addition, upon April 4, the village of Metz with the adjoining -position was taken after a sharp fight by the 59th Brigade of the -Twentieth Division. The 10th and 11th K.R.R. were the battalions -chiefly engaged in this fight, which at one time had an ugly aspect, -as the Germans slipped into a gap between the Twentieth on the left -and the Eighth Division on the right. They were cleared out, -however, and the line was advanced beyond the village to the right of -the Australians. - -A more serious action was that which began upon April 13, when the -Thirty-second Division was ordered to support the left of the French -in their unsuccessful attack upon St. Quentin. The task {15} -assigned to the British division, with the Thirty-fifth Division -co-operating upon its left, was to attack the village of Fayet. This -was carried out very gallantly by the 97th Brigade, with the 2nd York -Light Infantry and the 16th Highland Light Infantry in the lead. The -village with 100 prisoners was taken at the first rush, but it was -found to be more difficult to get possession of a wood called the -Twin Copses, beyond the village. So severe was the fighting that the -General of the 97th Brigade had seven battalions under his command -before it was finished. Finally, the Twin Copses were splendidly -carried by the 11th Borders. The total of prisoners came to 5 -officers and 334 men in this very spirited operation. - -With the conclusion of the German retreat and the solidification of -the new line, some more general view may be taken of the whole -operation. It cannot be denied that it was cleverly planned and -deftly carried out, though it can hardly be said to have deserved the -ecstasies of admiration which were bestowed upon it by the German -Press. It was not, for example, as formidable an operation as the -British withdrawal from Gallipoli, an extraordinarily clever -manoeuvre which received less than its fair share of recognition at -home, because it was associated with the sad ending of high hopes. -It was also universally taken for granted in Germany that Hindenburg -was going to "reculer pour mieux sauter" as he had done once before -at Tannenberg, and that some extraordinary burst of energy at some -other point would soon change the exultation of the Allies into -despair. Nothing of the sort occurred during that year, and it -speedily became evident that the old {16} Marshal had simply moved -because his lines were untenable, and because by shortening them he -could make some compensation for the terrific losses of men at the -Somme. That he ever regained the ground was due only to the -subsequent Russian debacle. - -We have it upon the authority of Sir Douglas Haig that the great -local retreat of the Germans had no very great effect in modifying -the Allied plans. Those plans, so far as the British were concerned, -were to make a combined assault from the north and from the south -upon the Ancre salient, Gough attacking from the south and Allenby -from the north. As the salient had now ceased to exist, the rôle of -Gough was confined to following up the German retreat until he came -to the new Hindenburg line, which was an obstacle of so formidable a -character that it checked anything short of a very powerful attack. -Allenby's part of the programme was still feasible, however, and -resolved itself into an attack upon the high ground held by the -Germans and their whole line down to the point where the new -positions began. How Allenby carried out this task, and the great -success which attended his efforts, will be described in the coming -chapters. - -Before passing to this and the other great battles which will make -the year 1917 for ever memorable in our history, it would be well to -briefly enumerate those world events which occurred during these -three months and which directly or indirectly influenced the -operations in France. The French line had remained stationary save -for the forward movement already described. In Russia the lines had -also remained firm, and there was no outward indication of the -convulsions into which that unhappy country {17} was about to be -thrown by the revolution which broke out on March 12 of this year. -From Italy also there was nothing momentous to report. The most -cheering news which reached the Allies was from the British Eastern -lines of battle, where both in the Sinai Peninsula to the east of -Egypt, and in Mesopotamia, good progress was being made. The Sinai -desert had been practically cleared of that enemy who had advanced so -boastfully to the capture of Egypt, and the British lines were now -upon the green terrain which faces Gaza upon the frontier of -Palestine. The chief success, however, lay in Mesopotamia. A great -soldier had apparently appeared in the person of General Maude, whose -name may be recalled by the reader as the Commander of the 14th -Brigade upon the Western front. Leaving his limited activities in -the prosaic trenches of Flanders, he had suddenly reappeared, moving -swiftly along the track of so many of the old conquerors, and leading -his picturesque force of Britons and Indians against the ancient -capital of Haroun-el-Raschid. In February he had avenged Townshend -by recapturing Kut with more than 2000 prisoners. Following up his -victory with great speed, he entered Bagdad upon March 11 at the -heels of the defeated Turks, and chased them north along the line of -the German railway, the constructors of which had never dreamed what -strange stationmaster might instal himself at their terminus. The -approach of a Russian force seemed to hold out hopes for further -combined operations, but meanwhile the whole of southern Mesopotamia -remained in the hands of the British, and no Turk was left within -forty miles of the ancient capital. - -The chief event in Great Britain was the successful {18} flotation of -the great war loan, which attained proportions never heard of before, -and ended by bringing in the huge total of one thousand million -pounds. - -Beyond the usual skirmishes of light craft and isolated sinkings of -warships by mine or submarine, there was nothing of importance in -naval warfare, but an immense influence was brought to bear upon the -course of the war by the German decision in February to declare a war -zone round the allied countries, and to torpedo every merchant ship, -whether neutral or hostile, which entered it. The measure was a -counsel either of ignorance or of despair, for no one who knows the -high spirit of the American people could imagine for a moment that -they would permit their vessels to be destroyed and their -fellow-citizens to be killed in such a manner. Within two days of -the declaration of unlimited submarine warfare the President of the -United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, an act -which was the precursor of war, though this was not formally declared -until April 5. Great as were the loss, discomfort, and privation -caused to Great Britain, and in a less degree to the other Allies, -the accession of the United States with its enormous reserves of men -and money to the cause of Democracy was far more than a sufficient -make-weight. As events progressed, and as it became evident that -Russia, swinging from the extreme of autocracy to the extreme of -individualism, had ceased for a long time to come to be a useful -ally, it grew more and more clear that the help of America was likely -to save the Western Powers, not indeed from defeat, but from that -pernicious stalemate and inconclusive peace which could only be the -precursor of other {19} wars to follow. Apart from the vast material -help, the mere thought that the great race which has inherited our -speech and so many of our traditions was lined up with us upon the -day of Armageddon was a joy and an inspiration to every Briton. - - - - -{20} - -CHAPTER II - -THE BATTLE OF ARRAS - -April 9 to April 23, 1917 - -Vast preparations--Attack of Snow's Seventh Corps--The Ibex -Trench--Attack of Haldane's Sixth Corps--Attack of Fergusson's -Seventeenth Corps--A Scottish Front--The splendid Canadians--Capture -of Monchy--Essex and Newfoundland--A glorious episode--The Chemical -Works--Extension of the battle to the north--Desperate fight of the -Australians at Bullecourt. - - -Whilst the German line was falling back to its new positions, and the -Allies were eagerly following it across the ravished countryside -until the increased resistance and the familiar lines of barbed wire -warned them that the immediate retreat had come to an end, Sir -Douglas Haig had managed, without relaxing his pursuit, to collect a -strong striking force at the point of junction between the new German -line and the old. The blow which he contemplated was no small local -advance, but was a wide movement extending from the neighbourhood of -Lens in the north to Arras in the south, a front of more than twelve -miles. Upon this sector a tremendous concentration of artillery had -been effected, and four corps were waiting the signal for the -assault, the three southern ones forming Allenby's Third Army, while -the fourth or northern one was the right-hand corps of Horne's {21} -First Army. The southern corps were the Seventh (Snow), which -operated to the south of Arras, having Croisilles for its southern -boundary; the Sixth (Haldane), which advanced due east from Arras -with the Scarpe for its northern boundary; the Seventeenth -(Fergusson), which had its right on the Scarpe and its left on -Thelus, with its front facing the three spurs which form this end of -the Vimy Ridge; and finally the Canadian Corps (Byng), which faced -this long and sinister slope, the scene of so much bloodshed in the -past. Each corps was marshalled with three divisions in front and -one in reserve, so that there were roughly 120,000 men in the -storming line with 40,000 advancing behind them. Maxse's Eighteenth -Corps was in reserve in the rear of the Third Army, while M'Cracken's -Thirteenth Corps was behind the First Army. The Germans had six -divisions, the Eleventh Prussian, Fourteenth Bavarian, First Bavarian -Reserve, and the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Seventy-ninth reserve -in the line. Their guns also were numerous, as subsequent captures -were to prove, but it is probable that an extension of the Hindenburg -retreat was in contemplation, and that some of the heavy artillery -was already on the move. A second strong line from Drocourt to -Queant was known to exist, and its occupation would form a natural -sequel to the retirement in the south. - -The German strategists had imagined that by withdrawing their troops -over a long front they would throw out of gear all the preparations -of the Allies for the spring offensive. What they actually did was -to save their force in the Gommecourt peninsula from being cut off, -which would surely have been their fate had they waited. But in the -{22} larger issue they proved to be singularly ill-informed, for they -had stayed their retreat at the very points of the line on which the -offensive had been prepared, so that the plans of attack were neither -modified nor delayed. That this is true is evident, since such -tremendous blows as Arras in the north and Rheims in the south could -not possibly have been delivered had the preparations only begun -after the Hindenburg retreat. - -One of the most difficult problems of this attack was how to arrange -it upon that section which was covered by the town of Arras. It is -true that the German line was 1700 yards east of the market-place, -but the suburbs extended right up to it, and it was fringed with -houses. The town itself, in which the storming troops must assemble -and through which all supports and supplies must pass, was full of -narrow streets within easy range of the German guns, and previous -French experience had proved that each exit was so carefully and -accurately barraged by the German fire that it was most difficult for -the troops to debouch from it. This problem was solved by a fine -piece of military engineering. The large cellars and other -subterranean excavations with which the place abounded were connected -up and fresh tunnels constructed, so that it was eventually found to -be possible to put three whole divisions underground, with permanent -headquarters and every necessary detail, including water, electric -light, and a three-foot tramway. This fine work was carried out by -the New Zealand, the 179th, and the 184th Tunnelling Companies. A -huge dressing-station with 700 beds was also constructed. In this -great underground place of assembly the greater part of the Sixth -{23} Corps was assembled, while many of the tunnels on the south side -of the town were allotted to the use of the Seventh Corps. All this -had been carried out during the winter in the anticipation of a big -attack being made at this point. For purposes of communication, over -1000 miles of twin cable was buried in six-foot trenches or secured -to the sides of tunnels. Besides these special preparations, the -usual immense labour of preparing for a modern attack had been -thoroughly carried out along the whole line, including the -construction of very many gun positions, trench mortar emplacements, -dressing-stations, and innumerable dumps of munitions and engineering -stores. Some dislocation had been caused in the plans by a partial -withdrawal in the enemies' front trenches upon March 18, opposite the -right end of the British lines. The abandoned works were occupied -and linked up with the old system, so that upon April 9 all was in -order for the assault. The extreme difficulties caused by the -formidable defensive preparations of the enemy were fully realised, -but everything which human forethought could suggest had been done to -meet them. Above all, two great lessons taught by the Somme -experience had been thoroughly assimilated; the one that the broader -the attack the more successful it is likely to be, as it prevents a -concentration of the German guns upon a single area; the other that -it is wiser, even in the heat of battle and the glow of victory, to -limit your objective to an area which is well within the range of -your guns. That last blue line so far forward upon the map has been -the cause of many a rebuff. - -The British bombardment, which came in gusts during the days -preceding the attack, did enormous {24} damage to the German -defences. The evidence of prisoners showed that for several days -they had been reduced to their emergency rations. The wire, which in -places was a hundred yards thick, was mostly destroyed in the first -line, and greatly damaged in the second, though in the third it was -found to be largely intact, save upon the left of the line. The -space between the first and second German lines was roughly 500 -yards. Between the second and third it was about 3000. The usual -forms of bombardment were varied upon April 4 by the use of a large -number of Liven's gas projectors, throwing drums of compressed gas, -which were seen to burst in the second German line. Fifteen hundred -of these were discharged upon the front of a single corps, and they -were said to have considerable effect, the reports of prisoners -stating that in the suburb of Blangy alone there were 460 casualties -from this cause. On April 8 there was a severe gas bombardment from -4-inch trench mortars. Finally, in the early morning of April 9, -came the fearful whirlwind of fire which was the prelude to the -attack. Some idea of its intensity may be gathered from the fact -that the number of guns was so great that they could have rubbed -wheels from end to end of the line had they been so placed. At 5.30 -the word was given, and in the first dim grey of a rainy, windy, and -sleety morning, the infantry dashed forward to the attack--"wave -after wave of grimy, mud-covered, determined men, with hearts as hard -as steel and as light as feathers," to use the words of one of them. -The events may best be described from the south of the line as being -the nearest to Arras from which the battle derives its name. - -{25} - -Snow's Seventh Corps had the Twenty-first North Country Division upon -the extreme right, the Thirtieth Lancashire Division in the centre, -the Fifty-sixth London on their left, and the Fourteenth Light -Division upon the extreme northern wing. The soldiers, soaked to the -skin, with the rain beating upon their backs, and their feet -ankle-deep in the mud, set about their task in a calm, businesslike -fashion which would take no denial. No village or notable fixed -points lay in their path, but they plodded without a check or halt -over the first two lines of entrenchments, finding no very strong -resistance, save at one point upon the left of their line, and -suffering little loss from the German artillery. Considerable -numbers of the enemy were found scattered in their shattered trenches -or cowering in the dug-outs. Over a thousand of these were sent to -the rear. The advance was at the point where the new German line -branched away from the old one, the Twenty-first Division on the -right joining the left of Gough's Army in the neighbourhood of the -Cojeul River, while the Fourteenth Division was in touch with the -Third Division on the north. - -The immediate objectives of the various divisions of this Seventh -Corps were Telegraph Hill in the north opposite to the Fourteenth -Division, Neuville Vitasse opposite to the Fifty-sixth Division, St. -Martin-sur-Cojeul opposite the Thirtieth Division, and the Hindenburg -line opposite the Twenty-first Division. Taking them in turn from -the south, we shall first follow the fortunes of the north countrymen -of Campbell's Division. This division upon the first day was not -expected to do more than make a strong demonstration, because both -it, and to a less extent {26} the division upon its left, had in -front of it sheets of uncut wire and all the devilries of the fixed -German line. The object, therefore, was that they should make a -holding attack in the hope that the northern divisions of the corps -should get well forward to the east, and then swing to the south in -such a way as to make the German position untenable. This was -eventually done, and a way was cleared so that the two divisions in -the south should be able to advance with the remainder of the line. -The whole operation of the Seventh Corps has to be continually judged -by the fact that they were on the edge of the abandoned area, and -that therefore their southern front bulged out to the east in a way -which brought the successive divisions almost into an echelon -formation. - -On the left of the Twenty-first Division were the Lancashire pals of -the Thirtieth Division. Upon April 8 they had made a good start, as -the 2nd Bedfords carried the village of St. Martin, an outlier of the -Hindenburg line, but on the same date the 21st Brigade was held up in -an attempt to advance upon the left. They advanced on April 9 with -the 21st Brigade upon the left and the 90th upon the right. The -first dash behind a splendid barrage was most successful, but the -21st Brigade, after passing the front German lines, ran into uncut -wire and was held, the 18th Liverpools suffering severely. The -brigade upon the right managed, however, to get forward for some -distance, but it also was faced by uncut wire, and was compelled to -dig in as best it could. The attack was renewed two days later with -the aid of four tanks, but the wire still held, though the devoted -infantry tried again and again. Finally, however, the Fifty-sixth -{27} Division having cleared its own front sent the Victoria Rifles -bombing down the front of the Thirtieth Division, who in turn cleared -the front of the Twenty-first Division on their right, and so by the -evening April 11 the line was finally advanced. The clearing of the -front of the Twenty-first was done by the 18th Manchesters, who, -unsupported, bombed their way down 1700 yards of Hindenburg line, a -very notable achievement. - -To Hull's Fifty-sixth Division, the next upon the north, was assigned -the capture of Neuville Vitasse and the strong works which surrounded -it. The advance was carried out at 7.45--the zero time was earlier -as it travelled up the line--and was led by the 167th Brigade upon -the right and by the 168th Brigade upon the left, while the 169th -were in support. "The bombardment and the covering fire were -magnificent," says one who marched in the ranks; "I almost felt sorry -for the poor old Hun, only, after all, he is such a Hun." The chief -fighting was on the right, where the 3rd London and 8th Middlesex -stormed the main portion of the village. At 10.30 all the eastern -edge had been secured, and the 1st London moved forward to take the -Cojeul Switch line. Unfortunately, they struck up against uncut wire -and a very heavy belt of fire. Colonel Smith, the commanding -officer, and the great majority of the other officers were killed or -wounded, and the advance was brought to a stand. The 18th Liverpools -of the 21st Brigade upon the right had also been halted by the uncut -wire. The colonel of the 7th Middlesex took command of this -difficult situation so far as it affected the advance of his brigade, -and threw his battalion in to strengthen the 1st Londons, so that -{28} together they captured the Cojeul Switch Trench. The Londoners -were then well ahead of the Liverpool men upon their right, so the -1st London threw back a defensive flank while the 7th Middlesex -stormed forward against the powerful Ibex Trench. Three separate -attempts were made, much impeded by the deep mud, and all ending in -failure, so that darkness fell before the task had been accomplished, -but with true British tenacity, at 3 A.M., in the darkest hour before -dawn, the Middlesex men tried once more and carried Ibex, taking a -number of prisoners. The 168th Brigade had with varying fortunes -kept pace upon the left, and in the early morning the London Scottish -on its right were in touch with Ibex Trench. The position of the -167th was still dangerous upon the flank, as it was always ahead of -its southern neighbours, so that instead of advancing eastwards, the -colonel of the Middlesex now turned south, his depleted ranks being -strengthened by the 9th London (Victorias) from the reserve brigade. -The enemy were only forty yards off upon the flank, with a perfect -warren of trenches, and the mud was so dreadful that some men who got -in could hardly be dragged out again alive. In spite of every -difficulty the Londoners, after an initial check, swept triumphantly -down Ibex and Zoo trenches, clearing in one wild, glorious rush the -whole position, capturing 197 more prisoners of the 31st Prussian -Regiment with several machine-guns. Captain Cousens, who led this -charge, after being badly wounded, was unhappily killed by a sniper -in the moment of victory. The Victorias were too late to join in the -victorious charge which stands to the credit of the 7th Middlesex, -but they helped to hold and to extend what had been won. {29} The -general effect of the advance of this division was to turn the flank -of the southern German defences and to open up a road for the -Thirtieth and Twenty-first Divisions upon the right. - -The Fourteenth Light Division to the north of the Londoners was faced -by the slight slope and formidable defences of Telegraph Hill. They -went forward in close conformity with the Sixth Corps upon their -left, the 42nd Brigade being upon the left and the 43rd upon the -right. Their movement during the day was a particularly fine one, -and they not only took the strong position of Telegraph Hill, but -they carried the British line to a point far to the east of it. -Their whole advance was largely regulated by the situation upon their -northern flank, and they were exposed to such an enfilade fire -whenever they got at all ahead, that they found it impossible to act -entirely upon their own. - -Upon the left of the front was a strong German position called "The -Harp," which was very gallantly carried by the 42nd Brigade. Sixteen -tanks which were to have lent them a hand in this difficult operation -failed for some reason to arrive in time, and the infantry had to -advance with no help save their own stout hearts. The attack was -carried out by the 9th K.R.R. with the 4th Royal Fusiliers of the -Third Division acting upon their left, and their comrades of the 6th -Oxford and Bucks upon their right. Their only serious opponents here -as elsewhere were snipers and machine-gunners, but these were all of -the best, and caused heavy losses before the whole objective with its -garrison had been captured. By 9.15 in the morning it was entirely -in British hands, and as the day wore on the division kept steadily -improving {30} their position, though still short of their final -objective, that elusive line, which is so easy to draw and so hard to -attain. In the evening, an attempt was made by the Fourteenth -Division to struggle still further eastwards. This advance had no -success, and so the forward units of the whole Seventh Corps dug in -on the general line from Feuchy Chapel Road in the north to near -Croisilles in the south, having after a desperate day's fighting -achieved a gain which averaged two or three miles, and a total of -nearly 2000 prisoners with a number of guns. Concerning these -prisoners, it may be unsafe to generalise, but it is certain that -many of them surrendered very readily. As to their general type the -opinion of a commanding officer who handled many of them may be -quoted: "The officers were mild persons, none of the bullet-headed, -bristly-moustached, truculent Prussian type. The prisoners generally -do not inspire one with respect. Braggarts and bullies in -prosperity, in adversity they cringe." - -Haldane's Sixth Corps was to the immediate left of the Seventh, and -its operations were directed due east of Arras. The three front -divisions, counting from the south, were the Third, the Twelfth South -of England, and the Fifteenth Scottish, with the Thirty-seventh -English in reserve. The troops of the assaulting divisions had been -assembled for three days in the caves under Arras, but on the night -of April 8 they were silently passed into the assembly trenches, an -operation which was carried through with little interference or loss. -The vile weather may have been a blessing in disguise, as it covered -all the preparations from the German observation. - -The right of the attacking line was formed by the {31} 76th Brigade -of the Third Division, a unit which had distinguished itself greatly -in previous fighting. The 8th and 9th Brigades were in close -support. Its front was south of the Arras-Cambrai Road. To the left -of the 76th Brigade the line was carried on by the 37th and 36th -Brigades of the Twelfth Division. Their right rested on the -Arras-Cambrai Road. To their left were the 44th and 45th of the -Fifteenth Division. Their left rested upon the Scarpe. Nothing -could have gone more smoothly than the advance, which kept well up -with the barrage. Only at Observation Hill was vigorous resistance -encountered, and the German barrage was so belated that it fell upon -empty trenches after the stormers had left them. The line of -infantry as it swept forward in its irresistible advance was formed, -counting from the south, by the 10th Welsh Fusiliers, the 1st -Gordons, the 6th Queen's, the 7th East Surreys, the 11th Middlesex, -the 7th Sussex, the 8/10th[1] Gordons, the 9th Black Watch, the 6/7th -Scots Fusiliers, and the 11th Argyll and Sutherlands. To the courage -which had always been their birthright, the infantry now added all -the cool war wisdom which experience of many battles must bring with -it, and all those devices for overcoming the scattered forts of the -enemy and avoiding their machine-guns, which had been learned on the -Somme and the Ancre, were now practised to keep down the losses of -the assault. - - -[1] Where two numbers are given for one battalion, it means that two -battalions with these numbers have been telescoped into one. - - -The advance of the 76th Brigade had been to the south of the great -high road which leads from Arras to Cambrai--a road which was -destined to be second only to the Menin Road as a centre of hard -fighting. {32} The Gordons led the attack and took the front line -with a number of the Prussian 38th Regiment. The 10th Welsh -Fusiliers then passed through the ranks of the Highlanders and -captured Devil's Wood. So swift were these movements that the German -barrage was always in the rear. Having thus secured the first -objective, the 9th Brigade, strengthened by the 2nd Suffolks, stormed -forward to the next line of defence. The 4th Royal Fusiliers on the -right took Nomeny, Spring, and Lynx Trenches, when the Suffolks -passed through them and took Neuilly Trench. The 12th West -Yorkshires took Tilloy village. The 13th Liverpool, after being held -up on the left, carried the line forward and, by getting its -machine-gun on to the roof of Tilloy Château, dominated the country -to the extreme discomfort of the German snipers. Besides these -numerous trenches and strong points, the 9th Brigade helped to take -the fortified position known as The Harp, an exploit in which they -were much assisted by a couple of tanks. Here a considerable number -of prisoners were made, including most of a battalion of the 162nd -Regiment, together with its commander. - -It will save confusion if we follow the fortunes of each division for -the day, regardless of what is going on upon its flank, as it is -impossible to understand a narrative which switches continually from -one portion of the line to another. The whole operation of the Sixth -Corps was somewhat behind the time appointed, as each division had -met with some delays, but the advance towards the third objective was -begun about one o'clock in this southern area. The 8th Brigade had -now taken up the running, and the 9th had fallen into support. -Reinforced by the two reserve {33} battalions of the 76th Brigade, -the victorious advance was resumed, the 2nd Royal Scots and 7th -Shropshires carrying the Bois des Boeufs to the south of the Cambrai -Road, together with five guns which had been concealed in it. To -those who had experienced what the capture of a wood meant in the -Somme fighting, it was indeed a promise for the future that this -considerable plantation should offer so slight a resistance. The 8th -Brigade fought its way onwards for another mile or more until it had -attained the line of Feuchy Chapel. Here the German resistance had -thickened and the artillery fire had increased in the same ratio as -the British had weakened. A halt was called, therefore, and the -infantry consolidated their advanced position. An attempt by the -Gordons and the 8th Royal Lancasters to reach the extreme final -objective was checked in the evening by a very heavy fire upon both -flanks. - -In the centre, the Twelfth Division had met with strong resistance at -several points, which caused the assault to fall behind the barrage. -These centres of German resistance were usually isolated houses or -small redoubts, so that it was possible in many cases to mask them -and to push onwards. No village or large fixed defence lay in their -path, and in spite of a check for some time at the estaminet upon the -Cambrai Road, they were able to line up with their comrades to the -south upon the second objective about half-past twelve o'clock. At -this point the 35th Brigade passed through the advanced lines and -moved to the front. A number of difficult positions were taken, -including Observation Hill, and the ground was so thoroughly cleared -that the assailants were able to go forward with the assurance that -their {34} wounds would not be in the back. It was found, however, -as they neared the line of the third German position, that -considerable stretches of wire had been imperfectly cut, and that the -machine-gun fire was so severe as to make the final assault -impossible. The infantry dug in, therefore, and waited for further -support from the guns, many of which were already on the move. The -9th Essex upon the right actually reached the Feuchy Chapel Work and -held their grip of it, keeping in line with the 8th Brigade upon the -south. - -The Fifteenth Division to the north of the corps' front had before -them the very strong position called the Railway Triangle, where the -line to Lens branches away from the line to Douai. This formidable -place was attacked by the Scotch infantry, and after a severe -struggle it was captured about 11.30 save for its eastern side, which -was finally taken later in the morning, the artillery aiding the -assailants by some extraordinarily good shooting. The advance was -then resumed, and the division found itself shortly after noon in the -line of the second objective. Six brigades of field artillery had -followed closely upon the heels of the infantry and managed, in spite -of the unfavourable state of the ground, to take up a position to -cover the further attack. When one recalls the dreadful weather and -the shell-pocked state of the countryside, it was a remarkable feat -upon the part of the gun-teams to get their pieces so rapidly -forward. Several tanks came forward also, and did good work not only -upon this front, but at Tilloy and The Harp. - -The Fifteenth Division was now somewhat behind the others, but -shortly after two o'clock the 46th Lowland Brigade advanced upon the -third objective. {35} These splendid soldiers brushed aside every -obstacle, and when fired upon at short range by German guns rushed -onwards with a yell and captured the battery. By 4 P.M. they had -fully reached their final line and had pushed out their patrols some -hundreds of yards to the eastwards. This fine advance, which was the -only one to reach the extreme limit upon this front, was carried out -by the 7th Scots Borderers, 10th Scots Rifles, and 12th Highland -Light Infantry, with the 10/11th Highland Light Infantry mopping up -behind them. - -At 7 P.M. an attempt was made by the two southern divisions to get -forward from the Feuchy Chapel Line and gain a position level with -the 46th Brigade. Evening was setting in, however, the men were -weary and the difficulties manifold, so that no progress was made, -both the Third and the Fourteenth Divisions suffering additional -losses in the attempt. - -The Thirty-seventh Division, composed entirely of English troops, -North, South, and Midland, had moved up in the rear of the fighting -line, and in the middle of the afternoon it found itself in the -German second line system, while the corps' mounted troops had -followed behind the Fifteenth Division, as far as the Railway -Triangle. As evening fell, the Thirty-seventh Division pushed -forward with the intention of reaching the extreme point attained by -the Fifteenth Division and then swinging to the right in the hope of -capturing Monchy. The advance seems, however, to have taken a -direction rather too much to the south, with the result that instead -of finding the opening made by the 46th Brigade they came upon the -more contracted Feuchy line held by the {36} Twelfth and Third -Divisions. Here they were held up by a field of wire as their -comrades had already been, and the two brigades concerned--the 111th -upon the left and the 112th upon the right--remained in line with the -35th and the 8th Brigades, the units being considerably intermingled. -The 63rd Brigade, however, which was now a brigade of the -Thirty-seventh Division, though the reader will associate it with the -Twenty-first Division in the past, was able to keep its true -direction, and before night had finally established itself at the -north end of Orange Hill well up to the third objective and in touch -with the 46th Brigade. The corps' cavalry also pushed forward along -the south bank of the Scarpe, capturing three 8-inch howitzers upon -the way, and halting opposite Fampoux, where they were in touch with -the Fourth Division upon the northern bank of the river. - -Such was the splendid day's work of Haldane's Corps. It is true that -in the south the uncut wire had made it impossible for them to reach -their ultimate objective, but they had in the space of the one Easter -day captured the villages of Feuchy and of Tilloy, the strong -redoubts of The Harp and the Railway Triangle, gained some thirty-six -square miles of ground, and taken 2000 prisoners with 60 guns. It -was a most notable achievement. We shall now pause on the evening of -this first day of battle and we shall go back to reconstruct the -operations upon the northern bank of the Scarpe. - -The Seventeenth Corps (Fergusson) was upon the left of the Sixth. -Its right-hand unit, Lukin's Ninth Division, consisting of two -Scottish and one South African brigade, was operating upon the -immediate north of the Scarpe. This division was to attack with {37} -three brigades in line, the 26th on the right, 27th on the left, and -South Africans between. Upon the left of the Ninth was Nicholson's -Thirty-fourth Division, drawn largely from Scotland and Tyneside, the -same fine division which had been the very pivot upon which the -battle of July 1 had turned. Upon the left of the corps was the -Fifty-first Highland Territorial Division which had distinguished -itself so greatly at Beaumont Hamel five months before. It may be -said, therefore, that the fighting line of the Seventeenth Corps upon -this great day was predominantly Scottish, but Lambton's veteran -Fourth Division was in immediate support. The whole battle-front was -from the right bank of the Scarpe near Arras up to the post known as -the Commandant's House, just south of Thelus. There were no villages -over the greater part of this front, but there were great numbers of -fortified farms and strong posts of every description, besides the -usual lines of wired trenches. The ground was in successive ridges -and a big tactical obstacle existed in the Lens-Arras railroad in its -alternate cuttings and embankments. The long eager line of -Highlanders, Tynesiders, and South Africans rolled over every -obstacle, and by ten o'clock had mastered all the first objectives, -which were the three lines of German trenches. In the south the -Ninth Division, led by a well-known South African Imperial soldier, -had carried first Blangy and then Athies by storm. There was a time -when the 26th Brigade upon the right was hung up, but with fine -initiative the right flank of the Transvaal Regiment worked down -along the railway cutting and helped to clear the front of its -neighbours. In the centre, the Thirty-fourth Division, after a short -check at a network {38} of trenches called "The Pump," had reached -its allotted positions. In the north the clansmen, who as -Territorials were sprung from the very soil of the Highlands, had -swiftly advanced to the south of Thelus and had covered the right -wing of the First Canadians while they captured that village. It was -victory all along the line, and victory without those excessive -losses which have made many of our greatest successes as tragic as -they are glorious. The artillery barrage had been found to be a -powerful antidote against the deadly machine-guns. "When our barrage -lifted off the railway cutting, the machine-guns had been silenced -and all the gunners were found to be dead." Such was the report of a -South African officer. - -[Illustration: THE ARRAS FRONT] - -Allusion has been made to the check caused by the strong point called -"The Pump" and the trenches called the Kleemanstellung just east of -it. Some detail should be added in this matter, for it retarded the -attack of the flanks of two divisions, and the delay caused by it had -the effect that the Canadians on the left and the Ninth upon the -right were further forward in the late afternoon than part of the -Fifty-first and the Thirty-fourth, which might have caused a -dangerous situation. The Thirty-fourth Division had advanced upon a -three-brigade front, which consisted from the south of the 101st, the -102nd, and the 103rd. On the north of the 103rd was the 152nd -Brigade of the Fifty-first Division with the Seaforths as the flank -battalion. This pestilent strong point, armed with well-served and -well-concealed machine-guns, lay between the two brigades and held up -the flanks of both, inflicting considerable losses not only on the -Seaforths, but {39} on the 25th Northumberland Fusiliers, who were on -the left of the Thirty-fourth Division. For a considerable time the -advance was held. The 27th reserve battalion of the Northumberland -Fusiliers were sent up, and one of its companies, led with a fine -mixture of valour and cunning, carried the place by storm. The whole -line then got forward, but the losses had been heavy, including -Colonel Hermon of the 24th Northumberland Fusiliers. In the evening -it was found that the final objective had not yet been fully attained -at this quarter of the field, for it had been marked at a farm called -Maison de la Côte, from which the front line was still a thousand -yards distant. A brilliant little attack, however, by the 103rd -Brigade, in the early morning of April 10, captured the whole -position. Besides the check at The Pump, there had been another on -the Fifty-first divisional front at a post called the "Deutsche -Haus." The consequence of this was a loss of the barrage and a delay -which led to the isolated left of the Fifty-first losing direction -entirely and wandering round in a half-circle. The circumstances -were so complex that it was not until next morning that they could be -cleared up. Had the Germans had the spirit for a counter-attack, -they would certainly have found a considerable gap in the line. - -These events were in the northern area of the Seventeenth Corps. In -the southern portion, at about eleven o'clock, the reserve division -came forward, and, passing through the weary ranks of the Ninth, -pushed on along the northern bank of the river. The advance had -already been a splendid one, the Ninth Division having 2000 prisoners -to its credit, but this {40} movement of the Fourth Division against -an enemy who was already badly shaken was a very fruitful one. The -12th Brigade was nearest the Scarpe, with the 11th upon the left, -while the 10th moved forward in close support. Two obstacles faced -the division, the straggling village of Fampoux upon the bank of the -river, and the Hyderabad Redoubt, a considerable fort to the north of -the village. The 12th Brigade moved swiftly forward in the nearest -approach to open warfare that had been seen for years. The 1st Royal -Lancasters were on the right of the swift flexible line, the 2nd -Lancashire Fusiliers in the centre, and the 2nd Essex upon the left. -The brigade fought its way in the teeth of a very hot fire to the -outskirts of Fampoux, where the reserve battalion, the 2nd West -Ridings, passed through the King's Own and carried the village in -splendid style late in the evening at the point of the bayonet. It -is a remarkable fact that the wire in front of the village had not -been cut by the artillery, and the infantry passed in single file -through the gaps in it, after disposing of the only German -machine-gunner who offered resistance. At the same time the 11th -Brigade kept pace upon their left flank--the Hampshires to the left -and Somersets to the right, while the 1st Rifle Brigade, passing -through them, rushed the strong position of the Hyderabad Redoubt, -and the East Lancashires formed a defensive flank. Communication was -at once opened across the Scarpe with Haldane's Corps upon the south -side. By this fine advance of the Fourth Division the right of the -Seventeenth Corps had got considerably further forward than the -centre, so that a defensive line had to be formed sloping back from -this advanced point. This was the position {41} upon the evening of -the first day of battle, and it was destined to remain so in the -south for many a day to come, for the formidable Chemical Works lay -immediately to the east on either side of the Arras-Douai railway -track, and these were to prove a very grave obstacle to a further -advance on this line. Meanwhile, 3500 prisoners with 50 captured -guns testified to the success of the Seventeenth Corps. - -Following upon this brief sketch of the work done by the Seventh, -Sixth, and the Seventeenth Corps upon the first day of the Battle of -Arras, we must now turn to the splendid achievement of the Canadian -Corps upon the left. The reputation of the Canadians as brilliant -soldiers, as dashing in attack as they were steady in defence, had -already been solidly established by a long series of military feats -beginning with the ever-memorable second battle of Ypres and -continuing on to the capture of Courcelette and the fine fighting of -the Somme. Hitherto, they had acted in comparatively small bodies, -but now the whole might of Canada was drawn together in the four fine -divisions which lay facing the historic Vimy Ridge--a long gradual -slope which reaches a height of more than 450 feet at the summit. -They were arranged in their numerical order from the south, the First -(Currie) being in touch with the Fifty-first British Division, while -the Fourth (Watson) had upon its left Holland's First Corps, which -was not engaged in the first day's operations. The front covered by -the Canadians was from the south end of the Ridge to the Souchez -River, close to Lens. Nothing could have been more magnificent or -more successful than their advance, the Second and Third Divisions -(Burstall and Lipsett) attaining their full objectives {42} at every -point, and the First doing the same after a short check. There was -no rebuff save in the extreme north of the line. Sweeping onwards -with irresistible fury, they overran three lines of German trenches, -including the famous La Folie Farm, captured the village of Farbus, -and secured the splendid total of 70 officers and 3500 men as -prisoners, the same number as were taken by their British comrades to -the immediate south. They not only crowned the redoubtable ridge, -but they made their way down the eastern slope and established their -line beyond it. Many of the German infantry were captured in the -great chalk excavations in which they had taken refuge, two large -tunnels in particular--the Volker and the Prinz Arnault -Tunnels--being crammed with men. Incredible incidents happened in -these subterranean burrows, where small bodies of Canadian moppers-up -were faced suddenly by large numbers of armed Germans in hiding. In -one well-authenticated case four Canadians bluffed and captured 2 -officers and 70 men from a Bavarian unit who were found in such a -pocket, an incident which meant a V.C. for Major Macdowell. When the -Kaiser in prophetic mood had spoken about what would happen when his -Bavarians met the British, such an incident was far from his -thoughts. It should be mentioned that the Fifth British Division was -in close support of the Canadians, and that the 13th Brigade of this -division was incorporated with the Second Canadians upon that day. -It was used in conjunction with the 6th Canadian Brigade on its right -to take the final objectives, the eastern slopes of the Ridge, just -north of Farbus Wood, which they did successfully with slight losses. - -{43} - -[Sidenote: April 10] - -During the night of the 9/10th April there was fighting at several -points, notably at the north end of the Vimy Ridge. Here the Fourth -Canadian Division had some difficulty in holding its ground against -several strong counter-attacks of the Germans. It is probable that -no body of troops in the whole battle had a harder task, or stuck to -it more tenaciously, than this Fourth Canadian Division. Hill 145, -which was an outlier of the Ridge, was very strongly held and -desperately defended, so that it would have turned any but -first-class troops. The final clearing of this point was effected -upon April 10, and led to further operations in conjunction with -British troops to the north, which will be afterwards described. - -The second day of the Battle of Arras, April 10, was spent partly in -the consolidation of the ground gained and partly in increasing the -area now occupied. The troops were in high heart, for although the -full extent of the victory had not yet been realised, it was already -known that at least 10,000 prisoners and 100 guns had fallen into -their hands, figures which showed that the battle had been the most -serious military disaster which had yet befallen the enemy. A fuller -enumeration taken some days later gave 13,000 men, 3 howitzers, 28 -heavy guns, 130 field-guns, 84 trench-mortars, and 250 machine-guns -as the total capture. It may be mentioned that over 1000 prisoners -were taken from each of the six different German divisions already -enumerated, which disposes of their mendacious assertion that only -two divisions occupied their front. It was certainly the greatest -blow delivered by the British Army up to that date, and the only -other day's fighting at all comparable in its results was the French -attack upon the Champagne {44} front on September 25, 1915, where the -number of prisoners was greater but the capture of guns was less. - -The Battle of Arras may be considered as having been in truth a -one-day battle in the same sense as the succeeding Battle of -Messines, for in each case the attack was delivered in order to gain -a definite objective, which was the ridge from which observation -could be obtained. The extreme limit of advance had not, however, -been reached either in the south or in the north, and so in both -these areas hard fighting continued, due partly to the efforts of the -British to enlarge their gains and partly to the rally of the Germans -and their attempts at counter-attack. There was no concentration of -troops or guns, however, upon the side of the British, and no attempt -at any considerable advance. We shall first follow these operations -in the south where they centred chiefly round the village of Monchy -and Wancourt in the areas of the Sixth and Seventh Corps. These we -shall weave into a connected narrative, after which we shall return -to the Vimy region and trace the movements which led to hard fighting -in that quarter. - -In the Seventh Corps to the south the Fifty-sixth Division of London -Territorials had, as already described, enlarged the area which it -had taken the day before in the Neuville Vitasse sector. The general -curve of the line was such that it was not possible for the units of -the Seventh Corps to get forward until the Sixth Corps to the north -had won some ground, but upon the afternoon of the 12th a very fine -advance was made, by which the 169th Brigade stormed Heninel. The -Cojeul River was crossed by the {45} Fourteenth Light Division, and -the heights upon the eastern bank were occupied. The 41st Brigade of -this unit had now come into the line. The first attempt upon the -heights failed with heavy losses. Next morning it was found that -Hill 90 had been evacuated, and they were able to advance and seize -Wancourt. This brought the left flank of the Seventh Corps up to the -right flank of the Sixth Corps, and ensured close co-operation in -those operations to the north which will presently be more fully -described. This storming of the German position in this section was -the more important as the troops were faced by the new Hindenburg -Line. It was well known that an alternative line from Drocourt to -Queant existed some miles to the eastward, but none the less the fall -of the front section at a period when much of its wire was still -intact proved to the Germans how impossible it was to hold off -British troops by mere passive obstacles. The tanks were of great -assistance to the assailants in this difficult operation. Upon April -13 and 14 the Twenty-first Division, with the aid of the 19th Brigade -from the Thirty-third Division, carried forward the line to the high -ground about 1000 yards east of the stream at Henin, astride of that -portion of the Hindenburg Line. Here all further attempts to advance -were stopped by fresh German troops, until the operations were -renewed upon April 23. This advance of the Twenty-first Division -upon April 13 and 14 was in connection with a general movement of -Snow's Corps, but neither the Fifty-sixth London Territorials in the -centre nor the Fiftieth North Countrymen on the left, both of them -enfiladed from the north, could make much progress beyond the line of -Wancourt Tower, and there was little to {46} show for a hard day's -work. The Thirty-third Division (Pinney) now took over the front -from the Twenty-first. - -[Sidenote: April 10] - -The immediate task which lay before the Sixth Corps upon April 10 was -to get the Third and Twelfth Divisions forward to the same line which -the Fifteenth Division had reached. It will be remembered that the -46th Brigade of the latter division, together with the 63rd Brigade -from the supporting Thirty-seventh Division, had pushed on as far as -Orange Hill, half a mile farther eastward than the Feuchy Line which -formed the front of the two southern Divisions. Six brigades of -field artillery had been hurried up, and with the help of these guns, -aided by trench-mortars, the wire which held up the advance was -partly blown away. The Third and Twelfth Divisions were then able to -move forward and to make one line with the Fifteenth--an operation -which was completed by mid-day, the 8th Brigade doing some brilliant -work. The strongly fortified village of Monchy, elevated above the -plain, lay immediately in front of the Sixth Corps, and its capture -was their next task. With this object in view, the 63rd Brigade was -swung round from the north and worked its way south and east, getting -into touch with the other brigades of the Thirty-seventh Division, -which passed through the newly captured third objective and occupied -the ground upon the west of the village. A general advance was then -made on each side of the village, the 112th Brigade occupying La -Bergère upon the Cambrai road due south of Monchy, while the 1/11th -Brigade, with the 9th and 10th Royal Fusiliers in the lead, in the -face of a considerable opposition, pushed onwards until it gained a -footing on the outskirts {47} of the village and on the high ground -to the north of it, where the 154th Company R.E. dug a temporary -line. This was the position on the evening of April 10, while the -British line had been strengthened by the presence of the 7th Brigade -of Cavalry from the Third Cavalry Division, who were following -closely behind the Thirty-seventh Division. In all these operations -the weather greatly impeded progress, as it prevented the advance of -the guns needed to break down wire and other obstacles. - -During the night of April 10 the Twelfth Division was withdrawn into -reserve, and the advance was resumed in the early morning by the -remaining divisions and the cavalry. At 5 A.M. the infantry was -closing in upon Monchy under a heavy fire. The line of advance -extended right across the Cambrai road, the 76th Brigade finding -itself opposite to the village of Guémappe. Here they were exposed -to a very heavy fire of machine-guns, and this famous brigade -sustained heavy losses, which were increased by a second attempt to -get forward in the afternoon. The 76th Brigade finally entrenched -itself some half a mile to the west of Guémappe and waited for -developments. The 8th Royal Lancasters were particularly hard hit in -their attack. - -In the meantime the 111th Brigade of the Thirty-seventh Division had -advanced directly upon Monchy, and after severe fighting, in which -the splendid infantry struggled onwards in the face of every possible -difficulty of German resistance and of driving snowstorms, the place -was carried by assault. The three regiments of cavalry from the 8th -Brigade, the Royal Horse Guards, 10th Hussars, and Essex Yeomanry, -advanced at a gallop and did splendid service by taking {48} part in -the attack, following closely upon the infantry, and helping to -consolidate the village. By nine o'clock in the morning the 13th -K.R.R. and 13th Rifle Brigade, greatly aided by a very active and -efficient tank, had driven their way to the farthest houses upon the -eastern side. About 150 of the garrison remained in their hands, -while very many lay dead among the ruins of the shattered buildings. -The cavalry, who lost their brave leader, General Bulkeley Johnson, -emerged on the eastern side of the village and lost heavily at that -point, especially in horses, some 500 of which were hit. They had -the satisfaction, however, of getting their light guns fairly on to -the Germans, as they streamed across the open. One who was present -says: "The cavalry filled the gap between us and the 112th Brigade. -They lost heavily, and their conduct was magnificent." The new gain -was instantly consolidated by the Colonel of the Rifles. - -The Fifteenth Division upon the left of the Thirty-seventh had been -fighting its way forward upon the north, endeavouring to keep in line -with the Thirty-seventh. It had got somewhat ahead of the Fourth -Division, however, which was to the north of the Scarpe, and in -consequence had to face the whole fire from the strong village of -Rœux, which held them up. The general line of the corps that -night was La Bergère, Monchy, and then the line of the Monchy-Fampoux -road as far as the Scarpe. To the north of the Scarpe there had been -no forward movement, as the Chemical Works to the east of Fampoux -presented an obstacle which was beyond the immediate scope of Sir -Charles Fergusson's operations. - -[Sidenote: April 11] - -On the night of April 11 the Thirty-seventh {49} Division, which had -suffered considerably in the capture of Monchy, and the Fifteenth -which had lived up to its reputation during fifty-six hours of -incessant fighting under most inclement conditions, were withdrawn -for a short rest, while the Twelfth Division returned into the line, -and the Seventeenth took the place of the Thirty-seventh. April 12 -was spent in consolidation and in bringing up heavy howitzer -batteries along the Cambrai road, and placing them in positions -between Feuchy and Tilloy where they could support the coming -operations. - -[Sidenote: April 12] - -From the time that the British had captured the village, both it and -the whole front line in that area had been subjected to a most severe -German bombardment, which tried the troops extremely, but did not -prevent them from repulsing several attempts at counter-attack, none -of which reached the front trenches. On the night of April 12 the -Twelfth Division, which was considerably worn from its exertions, was -drawn out and was replaced by the famous Twenty-ninth Regular -Division, which had gained such honour and suffered such losses at -Gallipoli and on the Somme. There was no forward movement upon April -13 in the region of Monchy, but farther south the 9th Brigade, which -had taken the place of the 76th in front of Guémappe, endeavoured to -reach that village, but were met and checked by the same murderous -machine-gun fire which had held up their comrades, a fire which came -both from the hamlet itself and from the high ground to the south -which lay within the area of the Seventh Corps. The 1st -Northumberland Fusiliers and 12th West Yorks, which led the attack, -both suffered severely. - -[Sidenote: April 14] - -As no large movement was contemplated upon {50} this front it was now -held by only two divisions, the Twenty-ninth to the south and the -Seventeenth to the north, covering the whole broad area from the -north of the Cojeul River to the south of the Scarpe. At 5.30 upon -April 14 both divisions advanced in order to test the German strength -and, if possible, to push them farther back from Monchy. It was an -unsuccessful day, and yet it was one of those failures which will be -remembered where facile successes have been forgotten, for it brought -with it one episode which elicited in the highest degree the -historical qualities of British infantry. It had been arranged that -the 88th Brigade, consisting of the 2nd Hants, 4th Worcesters, 1st -Essex, and the Newfoundland Regiment, should attack due east of -Monchy, while another brigade of the Twenty-ninth Division should -advance to their right, and the Seventeenth Division guard their -flank upon the left. Both of the flank attacks failed, however, and -the result was that the storming line of the 88th Brigade, consisting -of the Essex men on the left and the Newfoundlanders on the right, -found themselves in possession of the German trenches on Infantry -Hill, east of Monchy, but with both wings exposed and with so -terrific a barrage behind them that they were practically cut off -from assistance. This might have mattered little under ordinary -circumstances, since two such battalions might be counted upon to -hold their ground, but by an evil chance their advance had coincided -with a considerable German counter-attack from the Bois du Sart, made -by a whole Bavarian division with the intention of retaking Monchy. -The result was a Homeric contest in which two battalions held up a -whole division, shattered a considerable attack, and {51} were -practically annihilated in doing so. Of some companies not a single -man returned and yet few were ever reported as prisoners in Germany. -No more gallant feat of arms has been performed in the war. The 2nd -Hants and 4th Worcesters in support did their best to help their -comrades, and sustained considerable losses themselves in the -attempt, but they were never able to reach the real front line, and -it is undoubtedly true that the two battalions alone received and -broke the full strength of the Bavarian Division, which was entirely -fresh, having taken no part in any previous fighting. It was -difficult in the barrage and confusion--the ground being -unreconnoitred--to direct reinforcements to the points where they -were so urgently needed, but a lieutenant of the Essex passed through -the German barrage and managed to bring up one company of the 2nd -Hants, who came too late to retrieve the fight, but were able to take -up the defence of the northern flank and to prevent the Germans from -getting round in that quarter. Small parties of the enemy got up to -the fringes of the village, but the edge had been taken completely -from their assault, and in spite of the heavy barrage, the staff of -the brigade headquarters, who were the only troops available, were -sufficient to hold them off; Colonel Forbes Robertson doing -particularly good work with a Lewis gun. No German set foot in -Monchy. Of the headquarter staff there were only nine survivors, -each of whom was decorated. - -Apart from the attack so heroically repelled, a second had developed -to the south-east of Monchy which was driven back by rifles and -machine-guns. The total German losses during the day must have been -very heavy, and they had nothing to show for {52} it, though the -British casualties amounted to some 4000, chiefly in the Twenty-ninth -Division. - -It must be admitted that the Germans, who had been strongly -reinforced in men and in guns, were fighting with great resolution on -this front, and their defence and counter-attacks were equally -gallant. - -From this date onwards until April 22, there was no particular -forward movement, and every effort was concentrated upon the -improvement of defences and communications. There were no fresh -German counter-attacks, but there was constant and heavy bombardment -upon both sides, the Germans pouring shells into Monchy and raking -every road which led to the front, while the British overwhelmed -Guémappe, Rœux, and Pelves with their fire. The only change of -troops was that upon the night of April 19 the Fifteenth Scottish -Division, after its short rest, pushed in upon the right of the -Twenty-ninth Division, taking over the ground between La Bergère on -the north and the Cojeul River on the south. The order of battle of -the Sixth Corps was therefore from the north the Seventeenth, -Twenty-ninth, and Fifteenth Divisions. - -We shall now retrace our steps to glance at what had been going on -since the first day of the battle upon the front of the Seventeenth -Corps to the immediate north of the Scarpe. It has already been -recorded how the flank unit, the Fourth Division, after relieving the -Ninth Division found itself faced with the strongly-fortified -Chemical Works and the village of Rœux. The position was a very -formidable one, as future tragic experiences were to prove. Two -brigades of the Ninth Division, the 27th Lowlanders upon the left and -the South Africans upon the right, were ordered to pass the line of -the Fourth Division {53} and to endeavour to carry the place by -assault. The attempt was not successful, though it was urged with -great valour. The wastage of the division had already been such that -neither brigade numbered 2000 bayonets. The average strength of the -South African regiments was about 400 men. As a result, the attack -was wanting in weight, and was repulsed with considerable loss, which -fell chiefly upon the 1st Cape and 2nd Natal battalions in the front -line of the South Africans. The attackers endured heavy losses in -debouching from the narrow exits of Fampoux under fire, and they were -afterwards faced with 700 yards of open ground swept by bullets. In -spite of this, some of the stormers did actually penetrate the German -lines, as was proved later by the discovery of their bodies. - -[Sidenote: April 10] - -To the north of this section of fierce fighting the line, which had -sagged upon the evening of April 9, had been brought level upon April -10 by the readjustment of the Fifty-first Division, and by the attack -of the 103rd Brigade of Tyneside Scottish upon the Maison de la Côte -position. From that time the British front was firm in this region, -and a strong counter-attack of four German battalions, who could be -seen streaming westwards in lines of motor 'buses, was broken to -pieces upon the night of April 11 by the steady rifle-fire of the -27th Northumberland Fusiliers who occupied the front trenches. - -Facing this section of the line was the village of Bailleul which was -abandoned by the Germans, and was taken over by Pereira's Second -Division, who had relieved the Highland Territorials upon April 13. -Shortly afterwards the Sixty-third Naval Division took over from the -Thirty-fourth. These two {54} divisions belonged to the Thirteenth -Corps (M'Cracken), which from now onward occupied a space in the line -between the Seventeenth to the south and the Canadians to the north. -The strong villages of Oppy and of Gavrelle lay now in front of the -British in this quarter, but the German line was destined to remain -unbroken for a considerable period. An attack was made upon Gavrelle -by the 190th Brigade, the landsman unit of the Naval Division, but -this was only partially successful. Farther to the north the Second -Division had no better fortune against Oppy, which was attempted more -than once. The further advance against these places will be found -recorded further on, where it will fit into its place among the other -incidents of the renewed general attack upon April 23. - -[Sidenote: April 13] - -The Canadians in the Vimy Ridge area were occupied during three days -of dreadful weather in consolidating their new positions, and in -pushing the Germans out of that northern portion which they still -held. The Fourth Canadian Division had suffered much from -machine-gun fire from Hill 145 in the Souchez district, but this was -taken upon April 10. There was still a good deal of work to be done, -however, at that end of the line, and upon April 12 a joint attack of -Canadians and British cleared the ground in this quarter. Attacking -at dawn in a snowstorm, the resolute Canadian infantry drove their -way over the northern limits of Vimy Ridge, capturing among other -positions an outlier of the Vimy Ridge, the venomous little hill -called The Pimple, which had been a thorn in their side. At the same -time the Twenty-fourth British Division moved forward nearly opposite -to Lens, the river Souchez separating them from the Canadians. The -immediate obstacle which {55} faced the British troops was a -scattered wood, the Bois-en-Haches, which was most gallantly attacked -by the 73rd Brigade. The front line in this fine advance was formed -by the 9th Sussex on the left and the 2nd Leinsters upon the right, -supported by the 13th Middlesex and 7th Northamptons. Both the -Sussex and the Irish battalions, especially the latter, had heavy -losses, but they never faltered until their objective was won. Upon -April 13 there was a general forward movement along the whole -Canadian line, in the course of which they occupied Willerval in the -south and both Vimy and Givenchy-en-Gohelle in the north. On the -same date the 15th and 95th Brigades of the British Fifth Division -took over from the Fourth Canadian Division from the Souchez River to -south of Givenchy-en-Gohelle. These two brigades actually took over -on the move forward, and did not stop until they had reached a line -Cité-des-Petits-Bois to the Vimy-Lens Road just short of La Coulotte. - -The Twenty-fourth Division in the north joined in this attack as, to -a limited extent, did the Sixth Division upon its left. It may be -explained that both of these divisions, together with the Forty-sixth -in support of them, formed Holland's First Corps. The Twenty-fourth -Division advanced upon a three-brigade front, the 72nd, 17th, and -73rd Brigades in that order from the left, sweeping forward in one -line. Complete success attended their efforts. Angres, Lievin, and -Cité St. Pierre were all stormed and occupied. The 17th Brigade, -which had been strengthened by the inclusion of the 1st Marine -Battalion, did particularly well, for it was faced by two dangerous -strong points called Crook and Crazy, both of which were carried, the -3rd Rifle Brigade {56} being conspicuous in each operation. Some -days later, the Forty-sixth Division took over from the Twenty-fourth -and the new line was firmly held, the area of the Forty-sixth being -from the Souchez River in the south to Fosse 12 de Lens in the north. -Farther to the north the Sixth Division had made some progress, but -had not been able to surmount the old enemy, Hill 70, the long, clear -glacis of which had cost the British such losses at Loos. The -Twenty-fourth Division had lost 3000 men in these operations, but -their services had been of great value, for the grip upon Lens was -appreciably tighter, and according to Sir Douglas Haig's despatch it -was the capture of this position which prevented the Germans from -attempting the retaking of the positions which they had lost. The -British Army was close to the great mining centre, one of the springs -of wealth in France. Ominous explosions and dense plumes of dark -smoke seemed to show that it was a spring which would be sealed for -many a day. So precipitate had been the German retreat in this area -that candles were found burning in the dug-outs, meals were half -consumed, and large stores of engineering materials and grenades were -left behind. - -Pausing for a moment at this instant, with the line advanced from -three to six miles along the whole front, one may take a glance at -the practical results of this great battle. As a mere military -triumph it was a considerable one, since the total booty in the -immediate battle came by this date to some 14,000 men and 180 guns. -Its strategical result was to win the high ground along the whole of -a front which had been considered impregnable, and so to give both -better observation and drier foothold to the army. {57} It was clear -that it must entail a prolongation of the same operation to the -north, and this was manifested two months later at the victory of -Messines. That again pointed to a fresh prolongation towards the -higher ground round Ypres, which led to the severe but successful -fighting in the autumn. Thus the Arras Battle was the prologue to -the whole campaign of 1917. - -It is impossible, even in so brief an account as this, to turn away -from this great victory without a word as to the splendid service of -the airmen, and the glorious efforts by which they secured the -supremacy over their brave adversaries. The air, the guns, the -infantry--those are the three stages which lead from one to the other -in a modern battle. Starting with every possible disadvantage, our -knight-errants of the air, as without hyberbole they may well be -called, by a wonderful mixture of reckless dare-devil bravery and -technical skill brought their side to victory. The mixture of the -Berserk fighter and of the cool engineer, as ready with the spanner -and oil-can as with the pistol and machine-gun, is indeed a strange -product of modern tactics. No mention of these grand men, most of -them hardly more than boys in their years, could be complete which -did not specially name one who is likely to remain as a great memory -and inspiration in the Service, Captain Albert Ball, a gallant youth -whose bravery and modesty were equally beautiful. He brought down -not less than forty-three German planes in single combat before -meeting his own glorious end. - -[Sidenote: April 9-12] - -Whilst this battle had been raging along the Arras front, the great -southern curve which marked the eventual halting-place of the German -retreat was {58} the scene of continual fighting, which attained no -great intensity save at Bullecourt, but smouldered all along the -line, as the British drove in the outlying German posts and impinged -upon the main Hindenburg position from Croisilles to St. Quentin. -Detail of these smaller operations hardly comes within the scale of -this narrative, but some indication of their nature and sequence may -be given. On April 2 had been the successful advance upon Ecoust, -Noreuil, Louverval, and Doignies, which was carried out to the -immediate south of the Seventh Corps area by the left of Gough's -Fifth Army. The troops engaged were the British Divisions--the -Seventh, Fifty-eighth, and Sixty-second upon the left near -Croisilles, the Fourth Australians at Noreuil, and the Fifth -Australians at Doignies and Hermies. This brought the army in this -section up to the front Hindenburg Line, which the Australians with -little support behind them proceeded at once to break, a most valiant -but rather rash undertaking, as it was clear that the task was one -which required the massed batteries of several army corps to bring it -to success. The idea was to connect up with the flank of the Third -Army in its new positions and the Sixty-second British Division -advance on the left for the same purpose. The attack, which began -upon April 12, was directed against the line at a point between -Bullecourt village upon the left and Lagnicourt upon the right. A -broad apron of barbed wire covered the whole German front, and the -only means of piercing it, in the absence of heavy gun power, was by -the crushing force of tanks. The attack was delivered across the -snow in the early morning by men many of whom had never seen snow -{59} in their lives until they entered the war zone. In some places -the tanks broke the wire, but for the greater part the infantry--West -Australians and New South Welshmen on right, Victorians on left--with -extraordinary gallantry and with considerable loss worked its way -through it, taking the village of Riencourt. On the farther side, -however, they were met with repeated bombing attacks which continued -through the morning and afternoon with such pertinacity that the -Australian supply of bombs was exhausted. There were only three -tanks, and though they behaved with the greatest audacity they were -all put out of action. The artillery support being inadequate, the -infantry had to fall back, and one considerable party, some 700 in -number, were unable to get through the wire, so that after doing all -that men could do they were compelled to surrender. Several of these -men escaped later with fresh tales of that German brutality to -prisoners which has been their constant policy, with a few honourable -exceptions, since the first days of the war. When the large national -issues have been settled or forgotten, these smaller villainies will -leave Germans as outcasts among the civilised nations of the earth, -with no living men save the murderers of Armenia with whom they can -hold equal converse. This temporary repulse upon the Hindenburg Line -by no means disheartened the Australians, who argued that if with so -little support they could effect so much, a more deliberate assault -could hardly fail of success. Within three weeks, as will be shown, -they were to prove the truth of their contention. - -[Sidenote: April 15] - -In the meantime, a considerable German attack had been prepared which -fell upon the Australian line {60} in the early morning of April 15. -Two Guards Divisions and two ordinary divisions took part in it, so -that it was no small matter. The outposts were weak and a number of -the field-guns had been brought well forward into the front line, so -that the first onset crashed through the defences and brought about a -situation which might have been dangerous. The front line rallied, -and with the aid of supports advanced so swiftly upon the Germans -that they had little time to injure the guns which had come for the -moment into their power. The front of the attack was nearly six -miles, from Hermies to Noreuil, with its centre at Lagnicourt, and -all along this extended position the stormers had rushed forward in -heavy masses into the Australian line. It was easier to break than -to destroy, for every scattered post spat out bullets from rifles and -Lewis guns, fighting viciously until it was either submerged or -rescued. In some posts, notably that of Subaltern Pope, an old -warrant-officer of the Navy from West Australia, the men fired away -every cartridge and then all died together, stabbing and thrusting -with their bayonets into the grey clouds which hemmed them in. -Seventy German dead were found round his position. In front of -Lagnicourt, the Germans had the advanced guns in their hands for -nearly two hours, but they had been dismantled by the gunners before -they were abandoned, and the Prussian Guardsmen had apparently no -means of either moving or of destroying them. All of them, save -five, were absolutely intact when retaken. A rush of Queenslanders -and New South Welshmen drove back the intruders, retrieved the guns, -and followed the fugitives into Lagnicourt. Large numbers of the -Germans were shot down in their retreat, {61} especially in their -efforts to get back through the gaps in their own wire. Both sides -took several hundred prisoners in this action, but the German losses -were heavy, and nothing at all was gained. - -The units which have been mentioned, the Seventh, Fifty-eighth, and -Sixty-second Divisions, with the Fourth and Fifth Australian -Divisions, constituted for the moment the whole of Gough's Fifth -Army. To its south, extending from the right of the Australians at -Hermies down to the junction with the French at St. Quentin, lay -Rawlinson's Fourth Army, which consisted at this period of the -Fifteenth Corps (Du Cane) upon the left, with the Twentieth, Eighth, -and Forty-eighth Divisions in the line. To the south of this was the -Third Corps with the Fifty-ninth, Thirty-fifth, and Thirty-second -Divisions in the line. Their general instructions were to push the -enemy back so as to gain complete observation of the Hindenburg -system. The Twentieth Division pushed up into Havrincourt Wood, and -gradually by many skirmishes cleared it of the enemy, an operation -which extended over some time, but was not accompanied by any hard -fighting. - -A sharp little action, already described, was fought at the extreme -south of the British line upon April 13, in which the Thirty-second -Division was engaged. This unit captured Fayet, which is only one -mile north of St. Quentin. At the same time, the two divisions upon -the left, the Thirty-fifth and the Fifty-ninth, advanced and captured -the ground in front of them. After some fighting, these two -divisions occupied the Gricourt-Pontruet line. This section of the -line ceased after April to concern the {62} British commanders, for -the St. Quentin end of it was taken over by the French, while the -trenches north of that were occupied by Canadian and Indian cavalry, -so as to release fresh divisions for the operations in the north. - -The full objects of the Arras battle, so far as they could be -attained, had been reached after a week of fighting. Had he only -himself to consult, Sir Douglas would have assumed a strict defensive -from that time onwards and begun at once to transfer his forces for -those operations which he had planned in Flanders. It was essential, -however, that he should hold and use up as many German divisions as -possible in order to help the French offensive which was about to -start in the south. How successful the British General had been -already in this design is shown by his own statement that after this -week of fighting the Germans had twice as many divisions opposite to -him as they had at the beginning, and were driven into constant -counter-attacks which cost them heavy losses. The whole aftermath of -the Battle of Arras, extending until the end of May, is to be judged -from this point of view, and though we may be inclined to wince at -the heavy losses and the limited results, we have to bear in mind -continually the wider strategic meaning of the operations. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{63} - -[Illustration: Chart of ORDER OF BATTLE--ARRAS April 9, 1917] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - -{64} - -CHAPTER III - - OPERATIONS IN THE ARRAS SECTOR FROM - APRIL 23 ONWARDS - -Advance of April 23--Middlesex and Argyll--Grand fighting of the -Fifteenth Division--H.A.C. at Gavrelle--Operations of May 3--The -Gavrelle Windmill--Loss of Fresnoy--Capture of Rœux--The long -fight at Bullecourt. - - -Upon April 16 the great French offensive had broken out upon the -Aisne, directed against the line of Chalk Downs which the British had -learned to know so well in 1914, and aiming at that ancient road, the -Chemin des Dames, which some of the First Division had actually -reached in that year. The attack was very successful in the outset, -a haul of prisoners and guns being secured which brought their -victory to a level with that at Arras. After a time, however, the -defence became too strong for the attack, and the French losses -became very serious. Whilst they were gathering their strength for a -fresh blow, which was brilliantly delivered later in the year, it was -necessary for Sir Douglas to keep up his pressure to the north, and -to engage guns and troops which should, according to his original -plan, have been diverted long ago to the Flemish front. This had the -effect of delaying the operations there, and this in turn brought us -into the premature rainy season which began upon {65} August 1 and -lasted with very few breaks for the rest of the autumn. Thus the -circumstances at this date, unavoidable as they were, had a malign -effect upon the year's campaign, which was greatly increased by the -wild proceedings of the new Russian rulers, if the organisers of -anarchy can be known by such a name. These preposterous people, who -began their career of democracy by betraying all the democracies of -the world, and exemplified their morality by repudiating the loans -which had been made to Russia in her need, reduced the armies to such -a state of impotence that they were useless as allies, so that the -Latin and Anglo-Saxon races had to fight with the full weight of the -military autocracies. This fact made the situation both upon the -Italian and upon the Western fronts infinitely more serious than it -would otherwise have been, since not only the men, but the munitions -of the Germans, could be concentrated upon their undoing. - -[Sidenote: April 23] - -Upon April 23 there was a renewal of the advance all along the -British line, which took for its objectives, counting from the south, -Bois du Vert, Bois du Sart, Pelves, Rœux, Gavrelle, Oppy, -Acheville, etc. - -Upon this date, Snow's Seventh Corps in the south had the -Thirty-third Division upon its right, the Thirtieth in the centre, -and the Fiftieth upon the left. It was a day of hard fighting and of -very limited gains, for General Snow experienced all the -disadvantages which the attack has against the defence, when there is -no overwhelming artillery to blast a road for the infantry. All -three divisions made some progress in the early hours of dawn, but -the whole of the two northern divisions and the centre of the -Thirty-third Division were soon {66} held up and were finally driven -back to their starting-point by very heavy machine-gun fire. About -11 A.M. a heavy German counter-attack, preceded by a terrific shower -of shells, came rolling down the Cojeul Valley, driving back the -Fiftieth Division after their very fine initial advance. The -obstacle in front of the troops was nothing less than the Hindenburg -front line, so that they might well find it a difficult nut to crack. -The Thirtieth Division fell back in touch with the Fiftieth, but the -Thirty-third managed to hold on to its gain of ground on the flank -which had brought it into the German front line south of the Sensée -River. - -The position at this part of the line had become serious, and was -ever more so as the evening passed into night, for the forward -position of the Thirty-third Division had exposed its whole left -flank, its advanced units were cut off, and the Germans, pushing back -the Lancashire men of the Thirtieth Division, had worked forward to -an extent which threatened the guns. If the advance continued, the -Thirty-third Division must either fall back under most difficult -conditions or be overwhelmed. General Pinney held his ground, and -was comforted in doing so by the sounds all night of a brisk -rifle-fire upon his front, though it was impossible to ascertain what -troops were in so isolated a position. With the first light of -morning, two battalions of the 19th Brigade, the 20th Royal Fusiliers -and 2nd Welsh Fusiliers, were pushed forward to clear up the -situation. They came after advancing 1200 yards upon the remains of -two grim, battle-stained companies, one of the 1st Middlesex and one -of the 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who had spent some -fifteen hours in {67} the heart of the enemy's advance, seeing their -attacks sweeping past them, but keeping as steady as two rocks in a -stream. Apart from the other hardships of their position, they had -endured the whole of the British barrage put down to stop the German -advance. This stout defence not only screened the face of the -Thirty-third Division, but to some extent covered the flank of the -Thirtieth--a striking example of what may be accomplished by a small -body of determined men who refuse to despair, be the situation ever -so desperate. In their shell-holes were found a score or so of -German prisoners whom they had held in their clutch. Lieutenant -Henderson of the Highlanders received the V.C. over the fine stand -made by his troops, and Lieut. Archibald of the same battalion, -together with Captain Belsham and Lieut. Rutter of the Middlesex, -received decorations for valour, as did many of their brave -followers. It was a deed which was worthy of the famous 91st and of -the old Die-Hards of Albuera. Altogether upon this day the -Thirty-third Division gained great distinction, and, as a visible -sign of its prowess, 750 prisoners from the German Sixty-first -Division. - -The attack, so far as the Sixth Corps was concerned, was launched in -the early morning of April 23, with the 44th and 45th well-tried -Scottish Brigades upon the right; on their left were the 88th and -87th Brigades of Regulars, and farther north still was the 51st -Brigade with one battalion of the 50th. The remaining brigades were -in reserve, with the Third Division in support behind them. - -The advance was met by an extremely heavy machine-gun fire and by a -desperately destructive barrage of heavy artillery. In spite of -this, the {68} infantry made good progress at several points. The -Highlanders of the 44th and the Lowlanders of the 45th Brigades faced -the deadly fire with equal bravery, and had soon established -themselves to the north and partly to the east of Guémappe. The -Twenty-ninth Division had also made a fine advance, being screened -from the flank fire which told heavily upon their comrades to north -and south. By nine o'clock they had reached the line which had been -marked out as their objective, and though the Germans came swarming -down from Pelves, they could not budge them from their new positions. -On the British left, however, the advance had failed, for the guns in -Rœux on the north side of the Scarpe commanded their flank, and -the 51st Brigade was unable to get forward in the north, and only -slightly in the south. The German counter-attacks developed so -strongly in the course of the morning that the Fifteenth Division had -to fall back from their advanced positions, taking up a line due -north of Guémappe, where it was in very close touch with the Germans -in front and with the 88th Brigade upon the left. Both brigades of -the Twenty-ninth Division, thrown out in a large semi-circle, held -fast to their ground all day. At six in the evening the support -brigade of the Fifteenth Division, the 46th Brigade, advanced and -again won the forward line, including the village of Guémappe; but -the Seventeenth Division upon the left was unable to get forward. -The 46th Brigade, as night fell, found its isolated position so -precarious that it fell back a little so as to get into closer touch -with the right of the Twenty-ninth Division, but still held on to the -village. It was a long and hard day's fighting, in which both {69} -parties gave and took severe blows. The German resistance was very -strong from the first, and though a fair amount of ground was gained, -it was at a considerable cost, which was only justified by the fact -that the enemy in their counter-attacks suffered even more heavily. -At nightfall, a portion only of the first objective had been won. -Bavarian and Scot had fought till they were weary round Guémappe, and -never had the dour tenacity of our northern troops been more rudely -tested. It was a fine exhibition of valour on both sides, but the -village stayed with the Scots. - -The Seventeenth Corps on the other side of the Scarpe had very -similar experiences upon this day of battle as their neighbours in -the south. The Thirty-seventh Division was on their left and the -Fifty-first upon the right. The Thirty-seventh pushed their line -forward to their final objective, which did not contain any -particular village. This advanced line they were able to hold. The -Fifty-first Division, charging forward with the old Celtic fire, -carried the Chemical Works by assault, and the Corona Trench beyond -them; but after a desperate day of alternate advance and retreat, -their final line was to the west of the Chemical Works. It was a -very hard day's work upon this sector, and the losses upon both sides -were very heavy. - -The Thirteenth Corps upon the same day had attacked Oppy and Gavrelle -to the north, with the result that the Sixty-third Division captured -the latter. Oppy had proved to be, for the time, inviolable; but the -assault upon Gavrelle was brilliantly successful, the village being -stormed with a splendid rush, in spite of the most deadly fire, by -the 189th and {70} 190th Brigades of the Sixty-third Naval Division. -The German losses were greatly increased upon this occasion by their -unsuccessful counter-attacks, which spread over several successive -days, and never made an impression. It is on record that one -gathering of 2000 men, collected in a hollow, was observed and -signalled to the guns, with the result that they were simply shot to -pieces by a sudden concentration of fire. An officer who observed -this incident has made a statement as to the complete nature of the -catastrophe. More than 1000 prisoners were taken on this front, and -nearly 3000 in all. To the north of the line the Fifth Division also -advanced on the German position, the chief attack being carried out -by the 95th Brigade, having the Electric Generating Station as its -objective. In this operation the 1st Cornwalls particularly -distinguished themselves. The result of the advance was a mere -readjustment of the line, for the 15th Brigade upon the right was -stopped by uncut wire, though the Germans were actually seen holding -up their hands in the trenches. Seeing the attack at a standstill, -the Germans brought up their machine-guns and drove it back. Upon -the immediate north of the Fifth Division, the Sherwood Forester -Brigade of the Forty-sixth Division was brought to a stand in front -of Hill 65 and Fosse 3, two strong positions bristling with -machine-guns. The 6th and 8th Foresters suffered heavily in this -attack, 9 officers and 200 men being killed, wounded, or taken. -Farther still to the north, the Sixth Division had moved towards the -Dynamite Magazine and Nash Alley, but here also the attack was held -by the defence. On the whole, in spite of the prisoners and in spite -of Guémappe and {71} Gavrelle, it was doubtful if the gains made up -for the losses upon the day's balance. - -[Sidenote: April 24] - -A second day of hard fighting was destined to follow that of April -23, though the advance began later in the day. In the area of the -Seventh Corps some advance was made in the centre and two field-guns -were captured. The Sixth Corps also went forward again. The front -attacked was strong, the fire heavy, and the attacking troops had -again and again been through the furnace, which had only tempered -their courage, but had woefully consumed their numbers. The -Fifteenth Division in the south got forward some distance and dug -themselves in on the new line. The Twenty-ninth also made some -gains, but were unable to retain them, and fell back upon their old -line. In the movement some of the parties to flank and rear were -overwhelmed, and 250 men, including 3 officers, were taken. In the -north, the Seventeenth Division held its old line, and did not join -in the advance. After nightfall the Twelfth Division came into line -again, relieving the weary Twenty-ninth. Farther north the -Seventeenth Corps and the First Army were driving back -counter-attacks. - -The next day (April 25) saw the long struggle still renewed. In the -early morning the 50th and 52nd Brigades of the Seventeenth Division -went forward and made some progress, as did the indomitable Fifteenth -Division in the south. It was clear, however, that the forces -available for attack were not strong enough to attain any -considerable result in this portion of the line. The Fifteenth, -however, were not to be denied, and with extraordinary tenacity they -made a sudden night attack upon April 26, and {72} for a time got -possession of a strong German post, called Cavalry Farm, which barred -the way. The [Sidenote: April 27] enemy counter-attacked in the -early morning of April 27 and re-occupied the Farm, but the Scotsmen -held firmly to the trenches immediately south of it. At this date -the Seventeenth drew out of the line and the Third came in again in -the centre of the Corps front, while the Twelfth moved to the left. -They were just in time to meet a strong German night attack upon -April 27, which broke before the rifle and machine-gun fire of the -infantry at the point of contact between the two divisions. The -German losses were heavy, and they left a few prisoners behind them. - -[Sidenote: April 28] - -April 28 had been fixed for a forward movement of Fergusson's -Seventeenth Corps on the north of the Scarpe, so the Twelfth Division -on the south bank advanced in sympathy with it. This attack gained -possession of part of Bayonet Trench, a formidable line which crossed -the front, but a further attack was unable to clear the whole of it, -on account of the very severe machine-gun fire down the Scarpe -Valley. It was a day of hard fighting to the north of the Scarpe, -which only affected the line of the Sixth Corps to the extent that -the Thirty-fourth Division failed to carry the Chemical Works on the -north bank of the river. It was the possession by the enemy of this -position and of the village of Rœux to the east of it which was so -fatal to all advances south of the Scarpe, as the guns from these -places enfiladed the southern line. But for this the Twelfth -Division might have reached their whole objective. The Thirty-fourth -Division made another attempt upon Rœux in the middle of the -night, but again {73} without success, and the Second Division -farther north had no better luck in front of Oppy. - -Although the progress had been very limited at the southern end of -the line, there were better results to the north. The Canadians, -whose staying power in this long-drawn fighting was as remarkable as -their valour, had taken Arleux, together with a considerable section -of trench upon either side of it. This fine assault was opposed by -wire, by sunken roads, and by a desperate hand-to-hand encounter amid -the ruins, all of which failed to hold the Canadian infantry. On -their right the 5th and 6th Brigades of the Second Division were -heavily engaged in front of Oppy and Oppy Wood with some success at -first, but this was neutralised by a strong German counter-attack. -Some progress had been made also by the Thirty-seventh Division upon -the left, and by the Thirty-fourth Division to the right of the -Seventeenth Corps to the north of Gavrelle, and on the slopes of the -long incline known as Greenland Hill between Gavrelle and Rœux. -In these two days of defensive fighting the German bulletins claimed -a victory, but the fact that they had lost ground and nearly 1000 -prisoners was sufficient to show how hollow was the pretence. Their -losses were greatly increased by the continual unsuccessful -counter-attacks which they threw against the new positions in the -Oppy line, which had now reached the edge of the village. Gavrelle -village was attacked no less than seven times, and each time the -stormers were completely repulsed. - -[Sidenote: April 23] - -One particular deed of valour connected with these operations demands -some fuller exposition. The front of the German line which had been -breached {74} between Gavrelle on the south and the Bailleul-Gavrelle -railway upon the north, was a narrow one, and the Naval Division had -penetrated here to a depth of nearly 1000 yards, thus creating a -narrow salient into the German defences with its apex at a fortified -windmill. The 4th Bedfords, supported by the 7th Royal Fusiliers, -were responsible for this advance. The attacks at the north had -failed. Thus the troops in the salient had a most difficult task in -holding the position in view of the determined counter-attacks, which -had continued with hardly a check from April 23, when the salient was -formed. The pressure fell upon the 190th Brigade, and very -especially upon the 7th Royal Fusiliers and the 1st Honourable -Artillery Company. - -The orders had been given to endeavour to widen the base of the -salient by bombing up the German trenches to the northward, and this -work was committed to Major Osmond of the H.A.C. The attack was to -be carried on in two parallel lines--the one up the original front -trench and the other up the original support trench. Three young -lieutenants--Pollard, O'Brien, and Haine--led the bombers, and they -came away with a rush which would have gladdened the hearts of the -many generations of soldiers who have served in this ancient corps. -The railway to the north was their limit, and they had almost reached -it when Haine's party found itself held up by a fortress containing -200 of the Fusilier Guards. He sat down before it, repulsed a severe -counter-attack, sent back for trench mortars, and upon April 28, -after a rest during which the 1st Marine Battalion maintained and -enlarged the line, he attacked it in due form. After a short but -vigorous {75} bombardment, he captured it with two machine-guns and -fifty of the garrison. He was ordered to leave a platoon in the -captured post, but they, in turn, were besieged by an attacking force -of the German Guards coming down-trench, and driving in the extreme -right of the Second Division in the north. The platoon, or what was -left of it, blew up the guns and retreated upon the main body of -their Company, who were assembled, under Haine, just south of the -railway. There they established a block and remained fast, while -Pollard threw out his bombers on the left to form a defensive flank. - -Whilst the Royal Marines had held the line they had endeavoured to -push the Germans to the north and had lost heavily in the venture. -They--or the scanty remains of them--were now relieved by the 4th -Bedfords and 7th Royal Fusiliers. Encouraged by this strengthening -of the general line, the indefatigable Haine, whose company now -numbered only thirty-five men, assembled his miniature siege-train, -beleaguered the fort once more, and captured it for the second time -with its garrison. Pollard with his men then pushed past, and took -the northern objective which had already cost so dearly. Having -seized it, he called to his aid men of the Bedfords, the 7th -Fusiliers, and of the 22nd Royal Fusiliers of the Second Division to -hold the new line. The battle swung and swayed for a time as the -Germans made successive efforts, but the whole Naval Division front -and part of the Second Division front was cleared. The total trench -line taken by Pollard was about a mile, and 1000 yards of this he -cleared with the help of four bombers, while Haine repelled no fewer -than fourteen attacks. Altogether it was a remarkable {76} example -of what audacity and initiative can do, and both these young officers -obtained the V.C. for their determined valour, while Major Osmond, in -local charge of the operation, won his D.S.O. - -[Sidenote: May 3] - -May 3 was a day of general battle upon the British front, the attack -being arranged to help the coming French advance due upon May 5. The -main action raged from Vimy in the north to the Scarpe, while to the -south of the Scarpe the Sixth Corps and Seventh Corps still continued -their indefatigable struggles to get forward past the Monchy-Guémappe -line on to Pelves and Cherisy. The upshot of the long day's fighting -was the capture of Fresnoy by the Canadians at one end of the line, -and of a part of the new German line by the Australians at the other -end. The Oppy position was also enlarged and strengthened, and -progress was made all along the front as far south as Croisilles. -Nearly a thousand additional prisoners were taken by the Seventh -Corps. - -The operations in the southern area upon May 3 were carried out by -the hard-worked Twenty-first Division upon the right, the Eighteenth -in the centre, and the Fourteenth on the left. Good progress was -made all along the line, which extended in the evening roughly from -the St. Rohart Factory through a point 1000 yards west of Cherisy to -the west edges of Fontaine. All three divisions had hard fighting, -and all three lived up to their high reputations. At one time, the -53rd Eastern County Brigade of the Eighteenth Division had actually -entered and passed Cherisy, but the pressure of the counter-attacks -and of the guns was too strong, and they had to relax their grip. In -commenting upon this achievement, General Snow remarked: "I have -never met {77} a division which so persistently pushed its way -forward during the intervals between heavy fighting, and the ground -(over 1000 yards) won in this manner stands to its credit." The 8th -Norfolk and 10th Essex did particularly well. In the Fourteenth -Division the 42nd Brigade was in close touch with the Londoners on -their left, while the 44th were on the right. The first 1500 yards' -advance of this division was easy going, but here as elsewhere the -darkness caused loss of touch and some confusion, which was not -improved by the severe fire into which the troops came with the -breaking of the dawn. It is a dismal experience at any time to -trudge through that leaden sleet, but most dismal surely in that cold -ghostly hour of early morning. The 8th Rifle Brigade and 7th K.R.R. -did all that men could do, and held a flank for the Eighteenth -Division when they advanced upon Cherisy, but when at last the latter -was forced back the Fourteenth Division retired also, and found -themselves by 10.30 in the morning little advanced from where they -started. - -The exertions and losses of the 42nd Brigade upon the left of the -divisional front were not less than those upon the right, nor had -they anything solid to show for them. Their advance was led by the -5th Oxford and Bucks upon the right, with the 9th Rifle Brigade upon -the left. The Oxfords with great gallantry captured a position -called New Trench, and endeavoured to consolidate it, but after -sustaining a shattering fire from every sort of missile, and after -having lost 300 men, they were charged by six or seven waves of -infantry, each wave being about 150 strong. Their numbers and the -volume of their fire were not sufficient to stop such an advance, -{78} and the remnants fell back after having taken heavy toll of -their assailants. - -The advance to the immediate south of the Scarpe was started at an -hour before dawn, and was carried out by the Fifty-sixth, Third, and -Twelfth Divisions of the Sixth Corps in the order named from south to -north. This attack from the onset met with the same terrific -machine-gun fire which had limited all our gains and made them so -costly upon this front. On the extreme right the 69th Brigade made a -most dashing advance, passing through Cavalry Farm in the darkness, -and making good their footing in the German system of trenches to the -east of it. In this quarter the gain of ground was permanent, but -the 167th Brigade upon the left was not so successful, and was held -up by wire and machine-guns, as was the 8th Brigade upon its left. -All the leading battalions in this quarter sustained crushing losses, -especially the 1st London, the 7th Middlesex, and the 2nd Royal -Scots. For some reason the British artillery preparation seems to -have been entirely inadequate. "As soon as the first wave topped the -ridge between our front line and the German trench, it was obvious -that the latter had never been adequately dealt with, and had -apparently escaped the barrage, as it was full of infantry standing -shoulder to shoulder, and waiting for our men to come on. In -consequence, while isolated groups got forward, the great bulk of our -men were attacked by a withering fire, and pinned down into shell -holes from which they were unable to emerge until after darkness." - -The hostile shelling in all this St. Rohart area was almost incessant -during the day, and of so heavy a volume that it was such as had -hardly ever been {79} witnessed by any one present. "If we had -another day of it I verily believe we should have been reduced to -idiocy." So wrote a brave veteran who endured it. It was therefore -clear that the British counter-battery work had been at fault. Add -to this that the start before dawn had the same effect as in other -parts of the line, causing clubbing of units with loss of direction, -and it must be admitted that the experience of the soldiers upon May -3 was not a happy one. Deverell's Third Division upon the left of -the Fifty-sixth found much the same conditions and could make little -progress. On the extreme left, however, the 36th Brigade of the -Twelfth Division, the same unit which had done so well at Ovillers, -made a fine advance, gaining the position known as Scabbard Trench. -They lost it temporarily to a counter-attack, but it was again taken -and permanently held by the 7th Sussex. The fact that the -corresponding point on the north bank of the Scarpe had not yet been -taken by the flank unit of the Seventeenth Corps made it impossible -to get farther forward in this quarter. The difficulty of the -Twelfth Division, which had made the farthest advance in the morning, -was that they had gone forward in the darkness, and had lost -direction and touch with each other, while leaving behind them -scattered parties of German infantry. The result was that when the -Germans began their counter-attacks the front British lines were -practically surrounded, and several small parties of the 37th Brigade -were cut off. One little post of the 6th Buffs was entirely isolated -a thousand yards ahead of the British line, but held off the enemy -all day, and 15 men, the survivors out of 40, made their way back in -the evening, scrambling through {80} German trenches and shooting -down all opposition. By that time the whole right of the Twelfth -Division had been forced back to its original line, but the left -still held firm in Scabbard Trench. The division had 2000 casualties -in this day's fighting. - -The 169th Brigade had in the meanwhile maintained a difficult -position with very great gallantry. This position had been always -isolated upon the left, but it was covered upon the right by the -successful advance of the Fourteenth Light Division to the south of -the Cojeul River. About mid-day, however, a strong German advance -forced the Fourteenth Division back to their original line, with the -result that the right flank of the 169th Brigade became exposed. It -was only when there seemed an imminent possibility of being cut off -that this gallant brigade, which contained the 2nd London, Victorias, -Westminsters, and London Rifle Brigade, was compelled to drop back to -their original line. It was a barren and bloody day in this section -of the line, save for the limited gain upon the south of the Scarpe. -Two machine-guns and 100 prisoners were the meagre trophies of a long -day's fighting. Yet in estimating results, one must never lose sight -of that necessity for constant action which is the only method by -which the side which has the stronger reserves can assert its -eventual superiority in a war of attrition. - -To the north, the Fourth Division gained ground east of the Chemical -Works and penetrated into Rœux, but were driven out once more, the -10th and 11th Brigades, especially the 1st Somersets and 2nd -Seaforths, having very heavy losses. The Ninth Division got well -forward upon their left, some of them over-shooting their -objective--Uit Trench--and {81} being cut off. Very heavy -counter-attacks in the afternoon broke upon this and upon the other -sections of the Third Army. In the evening, both the Fourth and -Ninth Divisions with gallant pertinacity tried to get forward again -in the hope that their advanced posts might still be rescued, but -they had no success. A hundred prisoners were taken, but at least as -many were lost, including Highlanders, West Ridings, and Lancashire -Fusiliers, victims of their own push and valour. - -To the north of the Ninth Division, two divisions of the Thirteenth -Corps, the Thirty-first to the south and the Fifth to the north, had -beaten furiously against the German line upon the Oppy-Gavrelle -sector. The efforts of these divisions were greatly handicapped, as -in the case of others, by the very early hour at which the action had -begun, and by moonlight in the earlier hours, which exposed the -assembly of the troops. Starting in pitch darkness the brigades lost -touch and direction, so that they were unable to reach their -objectives with the speed and precision which is so necessary if -barrages and machine-guns are to be avoided. The 92nd East Yorkshire -Brigade of the Thirty-first Division advanced upon Oppy Wood, and -found itself among trees in the darkness with criss-cross lacings of -barbed wire from the branches in every direction, and a heavy fire -beating on their ranks. The obstacles would have been difficult in -day-time, but were impossible at night. The battalions got -completely mixed up, and finally a strong German attack drove them -back to their trenches, in spite of a most strenuous resistance, -notable for many deeds of valour, for one of which, the single-handed -attack upon a {82} machine-gun, Lieutenant Harrison of the 11th East -Yorks received a posthumous Victoria Cross. - -The 93rd West Yorkshire Brigade had got off well and had reached its -objective, but this successful German attack exposed the 16th West -Yorkshires, who were the flank battalion, to pressure upon its left -rear, so that they had eventually to fall back. This exposed the -15th and part of the 18th West Yorkshires, who were now holding -Gavrelle village and the trenches to the immediate north of it. For -a time things were very critical, and the windmill which commanded -the village was retaken by the enemy. The Colonel of the 15th West -Yorks collected sixty men of his battalion and held splendidly to the -east side of the village for the whole day. One company of the 18th -Durhams under Lieutenant Hitchings was sent to retake the windmill, -which they did, but were driven out again by the shattering fire of -the enemy. They re-formed at the foot of the slope and attacked and -recaptured the mill once more, only to be driven out for the third -time. Again they took the mill, and this time they drove back the -German counter-attack and held on to the position. Sixty out of a -hundred in the British ranks had fallen, but when the battle painter -of the future is in search for a subject, he will find none better -than that of the forty survivors under their boy leader, wearied, -blood-stained, but victorious in their shot-torn mill. The whole -Gavrelle position was now held, the 93rd being strengthened by two -battalions from the 94th York and Lancaster Brigade. - -The one outstanding success of the day was the capture of Fresnoy by -the First Division of Canadians, which was carried out with the usual -dash and gallantry {83} of this veteran unit, whose worth had now -been proved upon so many battlefields. The fighting was the more -severe as the village was full of German troops mustered for an -attack. Fresnoy was, however, most difficult to hold, as the enemy -had retained trench systems both to the north and to the south of it. -Shortly after its capture the First Canadians were drawn out of the -line for a rest, and the Thirteenth Corps extended to the left, so as -to take over its front and to connect with the Second Canadians. - -[Sidenote: May 8] - -In the early dawn of May 8 the garrison of the village was driven out -by a powerful attack from three German divisions. This attack fell -at the point of contact between the left of the British and the right -of the Canadians, and was so severe that both were pushed back. The -95th Brigade of the Fifth Division, which had moved down from the -Lens area, was the particular one which bore the brunt upon the -British line, and the two front battalions, the 1st East Surreys and -12th Gloucesters, lost heavily under the terrible concentrated -shellfire which a survivor who had tested both described as being "as -bad as Longueval." For some reason the artillery support was -deficient, and the S.O.S. signals were unanswered. The infantry were -driven out by the German rush, and a gallant counter-attack led by a -Major of the Gloucesters, with some of their men and some of the 1st -Cornwalls, failed to recover the position. The Canadians made no -less desperate efforts, but it was impossible to stand against the -concentrated bombardment. "You could not see for mud in the air," -says an observer. Fresnoy became once more a part of the German -line. The price paid, however, was a very heavy one, for it was only -the second {84} attacking division, who were the famous 5th -Bavarians, which effected a lodgment after the leading division had -been broken and driven back with very heavy losses by the rapid fire -of the defenders. Upon the British side a large proportion of the -small garrison was killed or wounded, while 300 were taken. The 1st -Devons came up in the evening and the line was reconstructed about -600 yards to the rear of the old one. It was determined, however, to -push it forward at once, and in the early morning of May 9 the Fourth -Canadians upon the left, the Devons in the centre, and the 15th -Brigade upon the right, pushed on once more, and established the line -close to the village, which still remained in the hands of the enemy. - -Up to this point the new British offensive which had started upon -April 9, and had now come practically to an end, had yielded the -splendid results of 400 officers and 19,100 men prisoners, 98 heavy -guns, and 159 field-pieces captured, together with 227 trench -mortars, 464 machine-guns, and other material. - -The battle of May 3, which had ended by some gain of ground, and by -the capture of nearly 1000 prisoners (as against some 300 which were -lost upon that day), was the last general action along the new line, -though it was followed by numerous local engagements. - -[Sidenote: May 10] - -On May 10, in the dusk of the evening, the lull upon the Scarpe was -broken by a most successful attack by the Fourth Division upon -Rœux Station, the Cemetery, the Chemical Works, and finally the -village itself, every one of these points being taken by storm. The -value of this success may be judged by the fact that this was the -ninth assault upon the position, a fact which gives an index both of -the {85} pertinacity of British infantry and of the steadfast courage -of the successive German garrisons. The 10th Brigade, led by that -man of many wounds and honours, de Wiart, took the village itself, -the Dublin Fusiliers and the newly formed battalion, made from -dismounted Household Cavalry, doing good service. Berners' 11th -Brigade had advanced upon the left and captured all their objectives, -the 1st Hants taking the Château, whilst the 1st East Lancashires and -the 1st Rifle Brigade got the Chemical Works, the scene of so many -combats. The place was defended by the 362nd Brandenburgers, who -were nearly all killed or taken, the prisoners being over 500 in -number. The Fourth Division handed over Rœux to the 51st Highland -Territorials, who successfully held it during a very desperate -counter-attack upon the night of May 13. The incessant and costly -counter-attacks of the Germans in all these regions proved how vital -they considered these lost positions. On May 11 there was another -sharp little action which improved the British position. Upon that -date the 168th Brigade of the Fifty-sixth Division made a sudden -attack at nightfall upon Tool Trench, an awkward position which ran -along a small spur and had been a cause of loss in the previous -attack. It was captured with a rush, together with a handful of -prisoners and six machine-guns. This position was consolidated and -permanently held. On the same night the 169th Brigade on the right -advanced its line between Cavalry Farm and the Cojeul River. Next -day an attempt was made to carry forward this success along the -northern portion of the corps line, but was met with so heavy a -barrage that it was not possible to carry it out. - -{86} - -The strain upon the divisions during this continuous fighting had -been so great that it was found necessary to give them all the rest -and relief possible. With this object in view, the Sixth Corps front -was held now by only two divisions, the Fifty-sixth upon the right -and the Twenty-ninth on the left. In order to cover the whole line, -the Corps mounted troops were advanced and were placed in the -trenches upon the south of the Scarpe, which were less vulnerable -since the capture of Rœux by the Fourth Division. - -[Sidenote: May 16] - -In the dim light of the very early morning of May 16, after a heavy -shell-fall, a new division of the enemy was thrust forward just north -of the Scarpe. In a long day's fighting it was practically -destroyed, for though in its first ardent advance it flowed over the -shot-shattered advance posts, it was finally held, and then after a -long tussle was shot out of its new positions by the rifles and Lewis -guns, until before evening it was back whence it started. In this -brisk action thousands of the assailants were killed or wounded with -nothing to show for it save the substantial losses which they -inflicted. This very severe attack fell mainly upon the Fifty-first -Division, who showed once more that British formations, even if -penetrated, are very far from being defeated. - -On May 18 there was a spirited local operation by the 8th Middlesex -of the 167th Brigade, in which they made a very gallant bombing -attack upon that portion of Tool Trench which was not yet in British -hands. The opposition, however, was so strong that no permanent good -could be effected. On the next day there was a further attempt to -get forward, both by the 167th and by its neighbour, the 87th -Brigade. The fire was too deadly, however, and the advance {87} was -not successful. This failure seems to have been due to a knowledge -on the part of the enemy as to the coming assault, for the -machine-gun fire and the barrage opened in full force at the very -moment when the leading line of infantry sprang over the lips of -their assembly trenches. - -[Sidenote: May 20] - -May 20 marked a successful advance of the Thirty-third Division on -the right of the Seventh Corps, against the Hindenburg Line in the -Sensée Valley and southwards towards Bullecourt. On this occasion -there was no preliminary bombardment and no creeping barrage. A mist -helped the 98th Brigade to deploy unobserved under the bulge of the -chalk hills that rise to the south of the Sensée Valley. When this -mist rose the Germans had a fine, though transitory, view of British -tactics, for the battalions were advancing as upon an Aldershot field -day. The 100th Brigade worked down the Hindenburg Line north of the -river, crossed it, and joined hands with their comrades on the south. -It was a complete surprise, and counter-attack was checked by the -volume of the British gun-fire which tore up the whole rear of the -German defences. The result was the capture of more than a mile of -the front line on either side of the Sensée River, with half a mile -of the support line, and 170 prisoners, with many machine-guns. The -losses in this well-managed affair were well under a thousand. - -[Sidenote: May 30] - -For ten days after this the southern front was quiet, and the only -change consisted in the withdrawal of the Fifty-sixth and the -substitution of the Thirty-seventh Division. On May 30 a minor -operation was carried out upon a small section of German trench by -the 88th Brigade, {88} assisted by the 8th East Lancashires from the -112th Brigade. This attack had some partial success, but was -eventually driven out of the captured by a strong counter-attack, -with the result that a small body of the 3rd Middlesex Regiment, some -thirty in number, were isolated and taken or slain. Greater success, -however, attended the next operation, which was an attack upon June -14 upon Infantry Hill, which included Hook Trench and Long Trench. -This very successful advance was carried out by the 1st Gordons and -2nd Suffolks, the two regular battalions of the 76th Brigade. The -whole position was stormed by a surprise attack and 180 prisoners -were taken. A counter-attack was broken up by the British artillery. -The losses of the storming battalions were well under 400 men. Two -days later the Germans again made a strong effort to thrust back the -British advance, but again they failed with considerable loss, save -at the more advanced posts which they occupied. A British attempt -next morning to regain these lost posts was not successful. Upon -June 18, the anniversary of the great day when Germany and Britain -fought together for freedom, there was a fresh attack to retake Hook -and Long Trench. It surged up to and into the trenches, but could -not disperse the sturdy men of Suffolk, who held them. The German -wave lost its momentum and broke up into pools, which soon were swept -back with the ebbing tide. Nearly 200 prisoners were taken in this -spirited affair. - -[Sidenote: June 5] - -The Seventeenth Corps had a brisk day upon June 5, which extended -into three days of fighting. On this date the Ninth Division upon -the right and the Thirty-fourth upon the left moved forward {89} -suddenly in the evening, covering the space between Rœux and -Gavrelle. The attack was directed against a dangerous network of -trenches called Curly, Charlie, and Cuthbert, which guarded the -rising slope known as Greenland Hill. The brunt of the fighting was -borne by the 27th or Lowland Brigade in the south, and by the 102nd -Tyneside Brigade in the north. In the latter brigade the 20th and -21st Northumberland Fusiliers carried the trenches opposite to them, -while the Scottish infantry kept pace with them upon the right. -After hard fighting the whole front German position fell into the -hands of the stormers, who had to defend it against a long series of -desultory counter-attacks, which lasted until June 7, when the enemy -finally gave up the attempt to regain the ground which he had lost. -Six officers and 217 men were captured, and the German losses in -killed were very heavy, each front battalion reckoning that there -were between three and four hundred enemy dead scattered in front of -it. It was a spirited local action attended by complete success. - -It is necessary now to go back in point of time and pick up the -narrative at the northern end of the line. - -[Sidenote: May 24] - -On Thursday, May 24, the operations at Lens, in abeyance since April -23, broke out once more, when the Forty-sixth Division, which had -extended its left so as to occupy much of the ground formerly held by -the Sixth Division, made an attempt upon Nash Alley and other -trenches in front of it. The attack was made by the 137th Stafford -Brigade, and was launched at seven in the evening. The objectives -with twenty-eight prisoners were easily secured. It was found -impossible, however, {90} to hold the captured ground, as every -German gun within range was turned upon it, and a furious succession -of assaults wore down the defenders. Captain McGowan beat off five -of these onslaughts before he was himself blown to pieces by a bomb. -Every officer being down, Major MacNamara came forward from -Headquarters to take command, and in the morning withdrew the -detachment, an operation which was performed with great steadiness, -the men facing back and firing as they retired. Major MacNamara was -himself killed in conducting the movement. There were incessant -skirmishes, but no other outstanding action for some time in the -north of the line, so we must again return to the extreme south and -follow the fortunes of the Australians and their British comrades -upon the Bullecourt sector. - -[Sidenote: May 3] - -The operations of the Australians and of the British divisions were -renewed upon May 3 in front of Bullecourt and Lagnicourt, the scene -of the brave but unsuccessful attack of April 11, when the Australian -infantry with little support penetrated the Hindenburg Line. On this -second occasion the British gun-power was very much heavier and -cleared a path for the attack, while laying down an excellent -barrage. The original advance was in the first glimmer of daylight, -and by 6.30 it had penetrated well into the Hindenburg Line, the wire -having been blown to pieces. The advance made its way by successive -rushes to the right of Bullecourt village, where it clung for the -rest of the day, the infantry engaged being almost entirely men from -Victoria. Laterally by their bombing parties they extended their -hold upon the two front lines of German trenches to the right, in -which quarter the attack had originally {91} been held up. In the -meantime the 62nd Yorkshire Territorial Division had fought their way -up to the village and were engaged in desperate hand-to-hand fighting -among the shattered brick houses. An Arras English aviator, flying -at a height of only 100 feet or so, passed up and down the Australian -battle-line helping with his machine-gun, and finally dropping a -message, "Bravo, Australia!" a few moments before a bullet through -the petrol tank brought him at last to earth. The greeting of this -brave lad might well have been the voice of the Empire, for the -Australian infantry wrought wonders that day. The British division -having been held at Bullecourt, the result was that the Australians -projected as a salient into the Hindenburg Line, and that they were -attacked on both flanks as well as in front, but they still held on -not only for May 3, but for two days that followed, never losing -their grip of the trenches which they had won. On the right the -Germans made counter-attacks which have been described by the -admirable Australian Official Chronicler as being done in "School of -Seals" formation, where a hundred grey-backs all dived together from -one shell crater to another, none of these attacks got up, owing to -the rapid and accurate rifle fire which met them. The German bombing -attacks down the trenches were met by showers of trench-mortar bombs, -which broke them up. The Germans had trench-mortars also, however, -and by their aid they made some of the right-hand positions -untenable, but West Australian bombers restored the fight, and the -New South Welshmen added further to the gains. In vain a battalion -of Prussian Guards and a column of picked storm-troops beat up -against that solid defence. The {92} position once taken was always -held. The Seventh Division had relieved the Sixty-second, and had -tightened its grip upon the outskirts of Bullecourt and from this -time onwards its daily task was on the one hand to push farther into -the ruins and to eradicate more of the scattered German posts, and on -the other to move out upon the right and get close touch with the -Australians so as to cover one side of their dangerous salient. Each -object was effected in the midst of fighting which was local and -intermittent, but none the less very desperate and exhausting. -During a week continual counter-attacks moving up from Riencourt -broke themselves upon either the British or Australian lines. The -9th and 10th Devon battalions of the 20th Brigade, and their comrades -of the 2nd Borders and 2nd Black Watch, were especially hard pressed -in these encounters, With inexorable pressure they enlarged their -lines however, and by May 17 the British Fifty-eighth Division of -London Territorials (Cator), which had taken over the work, could -claim to have the whole of Bullecourt in their keeping, while their -brave Oversea comrades had fairly settled into the gap which they had -made in the Hindenburg front line. Though the operations were upon a -small scale as compared with great battles like Arras, no finer -exploit was performed upon the Western front during the year than -this successful advance, in which the three British divisions and the -Australians shattered no less than fifteen attacks delivered by some -of the best troops of Germany. Sir Douglas Haig, who is not prodigal -of praise, says in his final despatch: "The defence of this 1000 -yards of double trench line, exposed to attack on every side, through -two weeks {93} of constant fighting, deserves to be remembered as a -most gallant feat of arms." The losses were naturally heavy, those -of the three British divisions--the Seventh, Fifty-eighth, and -Sixty-second--being approximately the same. They had been opposed by -Guards Regiments and Brandenburg Grenadiers, the very cream of the -Prussian Army, and had rooted them out of their carefully prepared -position. - - - - -{94} - -CHAPTER IV - -THE BATTLE OF MESSINES - -June 7, 1917 - -Plumer's long vigil--The great mines--Advance of Australians--Of New -Zealanders--Of the Twenty-fifth Division--Of the Irish -Divisions--Death of Major Redmond--Advance of Nineteenth Division--Of -the Forty-first Division--Of the Forty-seventh Division--Of the -Twenty-fourth Division--General results. - - -The operations upon the Somme in the autumn of 1916 had given the -British command of the high ground in the Somme district. The next -move was to obtain a similar command in the continuation of the same -high ground to the north. This was accomplished from Arras to Lens -in the great battle which began upon April 9, 1917. After the -complete conquest of this Vimy position, the next step was obviously -to attack the prolongation of the same ridge in the Ypres direction. -This was carried out with great success upon June 7 in the Battle of -Messines, when nine miles of commanding country were carried and -permanently held, from the neighbourhood of Ploegstrate in the south -to Hill 60 and Mount Sorel in the north. Thus many spots which will -for ever be associated with the glorious dead--Hill 60 itself, with -its memories of the old 13th and 15th Brigades, Wytschaete, where the -dismounted troopers fought {95} so desperately in the fall of 1914; -Messines, sacred also to the memory of the cavalry and of the British -and Indian infantry who tried hard to hold it; finally the long, -gently sloping ridge which was reddened by the blood of the gallant -London Scots when they bore up all night amid fire and flame against -the ever-increasing pressure of the Bavarians--all these historic -places came back once more into British keeping. It is this action, -so splendid both in its execution and in its results, which we have -now to examine, an action which was a quick sequel to the order of -the German command that "the enemy must not get Messines Ridge at any -price." - -For two thankless years Sir Herbert Plumer, the officer who in his -younger days had held on in such bulldog fashion to the country north -of Mafeking, had been the warden of the Ypres salient. His task had -been a peculiarly difficult and responsible one--indeed, many a -military critic might have said _a priori_ that it was an impossible -one. The general outline of the British trenches formed a loop -rather than a salient, and there was no point in it which could not -be shot into from behind. Add to this that all the rising ground, -and therefore all the observation, lay with the enemy, and that the -defending troops were very often skeleton divisions which had come up -exhausted from the south. Taking all these circumstances together, -one can understand the facts which turned General Plumer's hair white -during these two years, but never for an instant weakened the -determination of his defence. There was no one in the Army who did -not rejoice, therefore, when it was learned that the Second Army had -been chosen for the next attack, and that the long-suffering Plumer -{96} was at last to have a chance of showing that he could storm a -line as well as hold one. - -Preparatory to the attack, some twenty great mines had been driven -into the long, low hill, which is really little more than a slope, -attaining a height of 250 feet at the summit. These mines contained -600 tons of explosives, and had been the work of constant relays of -miners during many months. These tunnelling companies of miners, -drawn from all sorts of material and officered by mining engineers -and foremen, did some splendid work in the war, and the British -finally outfought the Germans under the earth as completely as they -did both on it and above it. The accumulation of guns was even -greater than at Arras, and they were packed into about half the -length of front, so that the effect of the massed fire when it broke -out in the morning of June 7 was crushing to an extent never before -known in warfare. What with the explosions of the mines and the -downpour of shells, the German front line, with its garrison, may be -said to have utterly disappeared, so that when at 3.20 in the first -faint flush of a summer morning the infantry dashed forward to the -attack, the path of victory had already been laid out before them. -Let us examine the general composition of the British line before we -follow the fortunes of the various units. - -General Plumer's Army had been moved down the line so as to cover all -its objectives, and Gough's Fifth Army from the south had been put in -to the north of it, occupying the actual salient. This Army was not -in the first instance engaged. The Second Army consisted of three -Corps. The northern of these was Morland's Tenth Corps, which was in -the {97} region of St. Eloi. This Corps consisted, counting from the -north, of the Twenty-third, Forty-seventh and Forty-first Divisions -with the Twenty-fourth in reserve. Upon its right, facing -Wytschaete, was Hamilton Gordon's Ninth Corps, containing from the -north the Nineteenth, Sixteenth, and Thirty-sixth Divisions, with the -Eleventh in reserve. Still farther to the right was the Second Anzac -Corps (Godley) facing Messines with the Twenty-fifth British -Division, the New Zealanders, and the Third Australians in line from -the north, and the Fourth Australians in reserve. This was the -British battle-line upon the eventful dawn of June 7, 1917. - -To take the work of individual units, we shall begin with the Third -Australian Division (Monash) upon the extreme right. The men, like -their comrades all along the line, had endured very heavy shelling in -their assembly trenches, and sprang eagerly forward when the word to -advance was given. The First and Second Australian Divisions had -given so splendid an account of themselves already in the Hindenburg -Line, that it was no surprise to find that their mates were as -battleworthy as any troops in the Army. The whole country in front -of them was drenched with gas, which hung heavy with the mists of -morning, but the weird lines of masked men went swiftly onwards in -open order through the poison region, dashed over the remains of the -German trenches, crossing the small river Douve upon the way, and -then pushing on from one shot-shattered building to another, keeping -well up to the roaring cloud of the barrage, occupied without a hitch -the whole of their allotted position. With a single pause, while -Messines was being occupied upon their left, the leading line of {98} -Victorians and Tasmanians drove straight on for their ultimate goal, -sending back a stream of captured prisoners behind them. Only at one -trench was there a sharp hand-to-hand fight, but in general so -splendid was the artillery and so prompt the infantry that the enemy -had never a chance to rally. It was a perfect advance and absolutely -successful. Some indications of counter-attacks came up from the -Warneton direction during the afternoon and evening, but they were -beaten out so quickly by the shrapnel that they never came to a head. -Half-a-dozen field-guns, as well as several hundred prisoners, fell -to the lot of the Australians. - -Upon the immediate left of the Australians was the New Zealand -Division (Russell), which had done so splendidly at the Somme. Their -Rifle Brigade had been given the place of honour exactly opposite to -Messines, and by eight o'clock they had occupied the village and were -digging in upon the farther side. Thirty-eight machine-guns and a -number of prisoners were the trophies of their advance. There was no -severe fighting, so well had the mines and the guns together done -their work; but the men who stormed the village found numerous -cellars and dug-outs still occupied, into which they swiftly -penetrated with bayonet or bomb. In one of these regimental -headquarters was found a message from General von Laffert ordering -the 17th Bavarian Regiment to hold the village at all costs. It is -certainly extraordinary how these unfortunate and gallant Bavarians -were thrust into every hot corner, and if the reason lies in the fact -that their Prince Rupprecht had the honour of commanding the German -Army of Flanders, then it is an honour which will leave its grievous -trace upon {99} his country for a century to come. It is an -extraordinary historical fact that the Bavarians, who were themselves -overrun and crushed by the conquering Prussians in 1866, should have -paid without demur the enormous blood tribute to their conquerors in -a cause in which they had no direct interest, since no annexation of -Briey metals or Belgian lands would bring prosperity to Bavaria. - -The losses of the New Zealanders in their fine advance were not -heavy, but they had a number of casualties that evening and next -morning in their newly, consolidated position, which included -unfortunately Brigadier-General Brown, one of the finest officers in -the force, who was killed by a burst of shrapnel. - -Upon the immediate left of the New Zealanders was the Twenty-fifth -(Bainbridge), a sound, hard-working British Division, which had a -fine and a very long record of service upon the Somme. The task -allotted to this division was a formidable one, consisting of an -attack upon a 1200-yard front, which should penetrate 3000 yards and -cross nine lines of German trenches, the concealed Steenebeek Valley, -and crush the resistance of a number of fortified farms. In spite of -these numerous obstacles, the advance, which was well-covered by -General Kincaid-Smith's guns, was splendidly successful. The 74th -Brigade was on the right, the 7th upon the left, with the 75th in -reserve. Observers have recorded how at the very instant that the -men surged forward under their canopy of shells, six miles of S.O.S. -rockets rose in one long cry for help from the German line. From the -right the British wave of stormers consisted of the 2nd Irish Rifles, -the 13th {100} Cheshire, the 3rd Worcesters, and the 8th North -Lancashires, veterans of Ovillers and the Leipzig Redoubt. Keeping -close behind a barrage of sixty guns, they flooded over the enemy -trenches, just missing the answering barrage which came pattering -down behind them. These troops advanced without a check to the line -of the Steenebeek, where the work was taken up by the second wave, -consisting of the 9th Lancs, 11th Lancashire Fusiliers, 10th -Cheshires, and 1st Wilts, the order being taken from the right. For -a time there was a dangerous gap between the Wiltshires and the flank -of the Ulstermen to the left, but this was bridged over, and the -advance rolled on, with a constant capture of prisoners and -machine-guns. Only at one point, named Middle Farm, was there a -notable resistance, but the Lancashire Fusiliers and Irish Rifles -combined to crush it. All this attack had been carried out in a dim -light, half mist and half dust-laden from explosions, where obstacles -were hardly seen until they were reached, and where it took fine -leading and discipline to preserve direction, so that numbers of men -lost touch with their own battalions and went forward as best they -might. These are the times when shirkers have their chance and when -the true individual quality of troops is most highly tested. Out of -touch with officers on either side, the British advanced and the -Germans surrendered. - -On the capture of all the first objectives the 8th South Lancashires -and 11th Cheshires of the 75th Brigade passed through the victorious -ranks of their fellow brigades and pushed on against the strong -October system of trenches beyond. The 8th Borders followed closely -behind, consolidating the ground won {101} by the forward line. It -was still only four in the morning. As the 75th Brigade swept -forward, it found the 1st New Zealand Brigade upon its right, and the -107th Ulster Brigade upon its left, all moving swiftly in one great -line. By eight o'clock all immediate opposition had been beaten -down, and the full objectives were being consolidated by the 106th -Field Company Royal Engineers, five field-guns having been added to -the other trophies. These might have been got away by the enemy had -not the machine-guns knocked out the gun teams. The 110th and 112th -Brigades of British artillery had been pushed up after the infantry, -and though some delay was caused by the unfortunate destruction of -Major Campbell and his whole battery staff by a single shell, the -batteries were in action within the German lines by 11 A.M. - -About midday a counter-attack began to develop, along the front of -the Second Anzac Corps, involving both British, New Zealanders, and -Australians, but the blow already received had been too severe, and -there was no resilience left in the enemy. The attempt died away -under a withering fire from rifles and machine-guns. By 2 P.M. all -was quiet once more. - -The British effort was not yet at an end, however. The long summer -day was still before them, and there was a good reserve division in -hand. This was the Fourth Australian Division (Holmes), two brigades -of which passed through the ranks of the Twenty-fifth and New Zealand -Divisions, about 3.15 P.M. Their objective was a further system of -trenches 500 yards to the east and well down the other slope of the -Messines Hill. The advance of each brigade was admirable, {102} but -unfortunately they diverged, leaving a dangerous gap between, in -which for two days a party of the enemy, with machine-guns, remained -entrenched. At the end of that time two battalions of the 13th -Australian Brigade, the 50th and 52nd, carried the place most -gallantly by storm and solidified the line. - -Passing from the area of the Anzac Corps to that of the Ninth Corps, -we come first upon Nugent's Thirty-sixth Ulster Division, which had -not reappeared in any battle since its day of glory, and of tragic -loss in front of Thiepval. It was now, by a happy chance or by a -beneficent arrangement, fighting upon the right flank of the -Sixteenth Southern Irish Division (Hickie) and the two may be treated -as one, since they advanced, step by step, in the same alignment up -the bullet-swept slope, and neither halted until they had reached -their full objectives. The Ulstermen went forward with the 107th -Brigade of Irish Rifles upon the right in close touch with the -Twenty-fifth Division, while the 108th was on the left, keeping line -with their fellow-countrymen, both Irish divisions dashing forward -with great fire and resolution. - -The Sixteenth Irish Division for the purpose of the attack consisted -of four brigades, having been strengthened by the addition of the -33rd Brigade from the Eleventh Division. In the attack, the 47th -Brigade was upon the right and the 49th upon the left. If some -further detail may be permitted in the case of men who were playing -so loyal a part at a time when part of Ireland had appeared to be so -disaffected, it may be recorded that the Irish line counting from the -right consisted of the 6th Royal Irish, the 7th Leinsters, the 7/8th -Royal Irish Fusiliers, and the 7th Inniskilling Fusiliers. These -battalions sprang up {103} the Wytschaete slope, closely followed by -their second line, which was formed by the 1st Munster Fusiliers, 6th -Connaught Rangers, 2nd Royal Irish and 8th Inniskillings. In this -order, in close touch with the Ulstermen upon their right and the -English Nineteenth Division upon their left, they swept up the hill, -their Celtic yell sounding high above the deep thunder of the guns. -The explosion of the huge mines had a disconcerting effect at the -first instant, for great masses of debris came showering down upon -the men in the advanced positions, so that the dense smoke and the -rain of falling earth and stones caused confusion and loss of -direction. The effect was only momentary, however, and the eager -soldiers dashed on. They swarmed over Wytschaete village and wood, -beating down all resistance, which had already been badly shaken by -the accurate fire of General Charlton's guns. It was in the assault -of the village that that great Irishman, Major Willie Redmond, fell -at the head of his men. "He went in advance when there was a check. -He was shot down at once. As he fell, he turned towards his men and -tried to say something. No words came, but he made an eloquent -gesture with his right arm towards the German line, and the Irish -swept forward." The profound gratitude of every patriot is due to -him, to Professor Kettle, to Mr. Stephen Gwynn, M.P., and to all -those Nationalists who had sufficient insight to understand that -Ireland's true cause was the cause of the Empire, and that it was the -duty of every Irishman of all shades of opinion to uphold it in arms. -_O si sic omnes!_ An Irishman could then hold his head higher to-day! - -By 3.45 A.M. the first objective had been taken, and by five the -second, save in front of the Leinsters, {104} where there was a stout -resistance at a German machine-gun post, which was at last overcome. -It was at this period that a dangerous gap developed between the -retarded wing of the right-hand brigade and the swiftly advancing -flank of the left, but this opening was closed once more by seven -o'clock. By 7.30 the third objective had been cleared by the 1st -Munsters on the right and the 2nd Irish Rifles on the left, for the -second line had now leap-frogged into the actual battle. By eight -o'clock everything had fallen, and the field-guns of the 59th and -113th Brigades R.F.A. had been rushed up to the front, well-screened -by the slope of the newly conquered hill. The new position was -swiftly wired by the 11th Hants and Royal Engineers. - -There now only remained an extreme line which was, according to the -original plan, to be the objective of an entirely new advance. This -was the Oostaverne Line, so called from the hamlet of that name which -lay in the middle of it. Its capture meant a further advance of 2000 -yards, and it was successfully assaulted in the afternoon by the 33rd -Brigade, consisting of the 7th South Staffords, 9th Sherwoods, 6th -Lincolns, and 6th Borders. It has been frequently remarked, and -Guillemont might be quoted as a recent example, that both Englishmen -and Irishmen never fight better than when they are acting together -and all national difference is transmuted suddenly into generous -emulation. So it was upon the field of Messines, for the advance of -the 33rd Brigade was a worthy continuation of a splendid achievement. -Keeping pace with the 57th Brigade of the Nineteenth Division to -their north, they dashed aside all obstacles, and by 5.45 were in -complete possession of the farthest {105} point which had ever been -contemplated in the fullest ambition of the Generals. - -The enemy had been dazed by the terrific blow, but late in the -evening signs of a reaction set in, for the German is a dour fighter, -who does not sit down easily under defeat. It is only by -recollecting his constant high qualities that one can appreciate the -true achievement of the soldiers who, in all this series of -battles--Arras, Messines, and the Flanders Ridges--were pitch-forking -out of terribly fortified positions the men who had so long been -regarded as the military teachers and masters of Europe. Nerved by -their consciousness of a truly national cause, our soldiers fought -with a determined do-or-die spirit which has surely never been -matched in all our military annals, while the sagacity and -adaptability of the leaders was in the main worthy of the -magnificence of the men. As an example of the insolent confidence of -the Army, it may be noted that on this, as on other occasions, all -arrangements had been made in advance for using the German dumps. -"This should invariably be done," says an imperturbable official -document, "as the task of rapidly getting forward engineer stores is -most difficult." - -A line of mined farms formed part of the new British line, and upon -this there came a series of German bombing attacks on June 8, none of -which met with success. The 68th Field Company of the Engineers had -inverted the position, turning the defences from west to east, and -the buildings were held by the Lincolns and Sherwoods, who shot down -the bombers before they could get within range even of the far-flying -egg-bomb which can outfly the Mills by thirty paces, though its -effect is puny in comparison {106} with the terrific detonation of -the larger missile. From this time onwards, the line became -permanent. In this long day of fighting, the captures amounted to 8 -officers and 700 men with 4 field-guns and 4 howitzers. The losses -were moderate for such results, being 1100 men for the Irish and 500 -for the 33rd Brigade. Those of the Ulster Division were also about -1000. - -Upon the left of the Irishmen the advance had been carried out by -Shute's Nineteenth Division. Of this hard fighting division, the -same which had carried La Boiselle upon the Somme, the 56th -Lancashire Brigade and the 58th, mainly Welsh, were in the line. The -advance was a difficult one, conducted through a region of shattered -woods, but the infantry cleared all obstacles and kept pace with the -advance of the Irish upon the right, finally sending forward the -reserve Midland Brigade as already stated to secure and to hold the -Oostaverne Line. The ground to be traversed by this division, -starting as it did from near Wulverghem, was both longer and more -exposed than that of any other, and was particularly open to -machine-gun fire. Without the masterful artillery the attack would -have been an impossibility. None the less, the infantry was -magnificently cool and efficient, widening the front occasionally to -take in fortified posts, which were just outside its own proper area. -The 9th Cheshires particularly distinguished itself, gaining part of -its second objective before schedule time and having to undergo a -British barrage in consequence. This fine battalion ended its day's -work by blowing to shreds by its rifle-fire a formidable -counter-attack. The Welsh battalions of the same 58th Brigade, the -9th Welsh Fusiliers, 9th Welsh, and 5th South Wales Borderers fought -their {107} way up through Grand Bois to the Oostaverne Line with -great dash and gallantry. The village of that name was itself taken -by the Nineteenth Division, who consolidated their line so rapidly -and well that the German counter-attack in the evening failed to make -any impression. Particular credit is due to the 57th Brigade, who -carried on the attack after their own proper task was completed. - -We have now roughly sketched the advance of the Ninth Corps, and will -turn to Morland's Tenth Corps upon its left. The flank Division of -this was the Forty-first under the heroic leader of the old 22nd -Brigade at Ypres. This unit, which was entirely English, and drawn -mostly from the south country, had, as the reader may remember, -distinguished itself at the Somme by the capture of Flers. It -attacked with the 122nd and 124th Brigades in the line. They had -several formidable obstacles in their immediate front, including the -famous Dammstrasse, a long causeway which was either trench or -embankment according to the lie of the ground. An estaminet upon -this road was a lively centre of contention, and beyond this was -Ravine Wood with its lurking guns and criss-cross of wire. All these -successive obstacles went down before the steady flow of the -determined infantry, who halted at their farthest line in such -excellent condition that they might well have carried the attack -forward had it not been prearranged that the Twenty-fourth, the -reserve division, should pass through their ranks, as will presently -be described. - -To the left of the Forty-first was the Forty-seventh London -Territorial Division containing the victors of Loos and of High Wood. -The effect of {108} the mines had been particularly deadly on this -front, and one near Hill 60 is stated by the Germans to have taken up -with it a whole Company of Wurtembergers. The position attacked by -the Londoners was on each side of the Ypres-Comines Canal, and -included some formidable obstacles, such as a considerable wood and a -ruined country-house named "The White Château." Again and again the -troops were held up, but every time they managed to overcome the -obstacle. Around the ruined grandeur of the great villa, with all -its luxuries and amenities looking strangely out of place amid the -grim trimmings of rusty wire and battered cement, the Londoners came -to hand-grips with the Prussians and Wurtembergers who faced them. -In all 600 prisoners were sent to the rear. - -To the left of the Forty-seventh London division, and forming the -extreme flank of the attack, was the Twenty-third Division -(Babington) of Contalmaison fame, a unit which was entirely composed -of tough North of England material. It was in touch with the regular -Eighth Division upon the left, this being the flank division of the -Fifth Army. The latter took no part in the present advance, and the -Twenty-third had the task of forming a defensive flank in the Hooge -direction, while at the same time it attacked and conquered the low -ridges from which the Germans had so long observed our lines, and -from which they had launched their terrible attack upon the Canadians -a year before. No long advance was expected from this division, -since the object of the whole day's operations was to flatten out an -enemy salient, not to make one upon our own side. Sufficient ground -was occupied, however, to cover the advance farther {109} south, and -without this advance it would have been impossible for the supporting -division to carry on, without exposing its flank, the work which had -been done by the two divisions upon the right. At 3.10 in the -afternoon, the Twenty-fourth Division under General Bols, an officer -whose dramatic experience in the La Bassée fighting of 1914 has been -recounted in a previous volume, advanced through the ranks of the -Forty-first and Forty-seventh Divisions at a point due east of St. -Eloi, its attack being synchronised with that upon the Oostaverne -line farther south. The operation was splendidly successful, for the -73rd Brigade upon the left and the 17th upon the right, at the cost -of about 400 casualties, carried that section of the Dammstrasse and -the whole of the historic, blood-sodden ground upon either side of -it, so rounding off the complete victory of the Second Army. So -close to the barrage was the advance of the infantry, that the men of -the 1st Royal Fusiliers and 3rd Rifle Brigade, who led the 17th -Brigade, declared that they had the dust of it in their faces all the -way. - -It only remains to be added that on the extreme left of the line the -Germans attempted a counter-attack while the main battle was going -on. It was gallantly urged by a few hundred men, but it was destined -to complete failure before the rifles of the 89th Brigade of the -Thirtieth Division (Williams). Few of these Germans ever returned. - -It was a one day's battle, a single hammer-blow upon the German line, -with no ulterior operations save such as held the ground gained, but -the battle has been acclaimed by all critics as a model and -masterpiece of modern tactics, which show the {110} highest power of -planning and of execution upon the part of Sir Herbert Plumer and his -able Chief-of-Staff. The main trophy of course was the invaluable -Ridge, but in the gaining it some 7200 prisoners fell into British -hands, including 145 officers, which gives about the same proportion -to the length of front attacked as the Battle of Arras. The Germans -had learned wisdom, however, as to the disposition of their guns in -the face of "the unwarlike Islanders," so that few were found within -reach. Sixty-seven pieces, however, some of them of large calibre, -remained in possession of the victors, as well as 294 machine-guns -and 94 trench mortars. The British losses were about 16,000. The -military lesson of the battle has been thus summed up in the words of -an officer who took a distinguished part in it: "The sight of the -battle-field with its utter and universal desolation stretching -interminably on all sides, its trenches battered out of recognition, -its wilderness of shell-holes, _débris_, tangled wire, broken rifles, -and abandoned equipment, confirms the opinion that no troops, -whatever their morale or training, can stand the fire of such -overwhelming and concentrated masses of artillery. With a definite -and limited objective and with sufficient artillery, complete success -may be reasonably guaranteed." It is the big gun then, and not, as -the Germans claimed, the machine-gun which is the Mistress of the -Battle-field. The axiom laid down above is well proved, but it works -for either side, as will be shown presently where upon a limited area -the weight of metal was with the Germans and the defence with the -British. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{111} - -[Illustration: Order of Battle, MESSINES, June 7, 1917] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -So fell Messines Ridge. Only when the British {112} stood upon its -low summit and looked back upon the fields to westward did they -realise how completely every trench and post had been under German -observation during these years. No wonder that so much of the best -blood of Britain has moistened that fatal plain between Ypres in the -north and Ploegstrate in the south. "My God!" said an officer as he -looked down, "it is a wonder that they let us live there at all." -"It is great to look eastwards," said another, "and see the land -falling away, to know that we have this last height and have wrested -it from them in three hours." It was a nightmare which was lifted -from the Army upon June 7, 1917. - - - - -{113} - -CHAPTER V - -OPERATIONS FROM JUNE 10 TO JULY 31 - -Fighting round Lens--Good work of Canadians and Forty-sixth -Division--Action on the Yser Canal--Great fight and eventual -annihilation of 2nd K.R.R. and 1st Northamptons--An awful -ordeal--Exit Russia. - - -The Battle of Messines was so complete and clean-cut within its -pre-ordained limitations that it left few readjustments to be -effected afterwards. Of these, the most important were upon the left -flank of the Anzac Corps, where, as already narrated, some Germans -had held out for some days in the gap left between the two forward -brigades of the Fourth Australians. These were eventually cleared -out, and upon the night of June 10 the 32nd Brigade of the Eleventh -Division extended the front of the Ninth Corps to the south, and -occupied all this sector, which had become more defensible since, by -the energy and self-sacrifice of the 6th South Wales Borderers, a -good road had been driven right up to it by which stores and guns -could proceed. - -It was determined to move the line forward at this point, and for -this purpose the Twenty-fifth Division was again put in to attack, -with the 8th Borders on the left and the 2nd South Lancs on the -right, both of the 75th Brigade. The objective was {114} a line of -farmhouses and strong posts immediately to the east. The men were -assembled for the attack in small driblets, which skirmished forward -and coalesced into a line of stormers almost unseen by the enemy, -crouching behind hedges and in the hollows of the ground. At 7.30 in -the evening, before the Germans realised that there had been an -assembly, the advance began, while the New Zealanders, who had -executed the same manoeuvre with equal success, kept pace upon the -right. The result was a complete success within the limited area -attacked. The whole line of posts, cut off from help by the barrage, -fell into the hands of the British in less than half-an-hour. The -enemy was found lying in shell-holes and improvised trenches, which -were quickly cleared and consolidated for defence. After this second -success, the Twenty-fifth Division was drawn out, having sustained a -total loss of about 3000 during the operations. Their prisoners came -to over 1000, the greater number being Bavarians. - -For a time there was no considerable action along the British line, -but there were large movements of troops which brought about an -entirely new arrangement of the forces, as became evident when the -operations were renewed. Up to the date of the Battle of Messines -the Belgians had held the ground near the coast, and the five British -Armies had lain over their hundred-mile front in the order from the -north of Two, One, Three, Five, and Four. Under the new arrangement, -which involved a huge reorganisation, it was the British Fourth Army -(Rawlinson) which came next to the coast, with the Belgians upon -their immediate right, and an interpolated French army upon the right -of them. Then came Gough's {115} Fifth Army in the Ypres area, -Plumer's Second Army extending to the south of Armentières, Horne's -First Army to the south end of the Vimy Ridge, and Byng's Third Army -covering the Cambrai front, with dismounted cavalry upon their right -up to the junction with the French near St. Quentin. Such was the -general arrangement of the forces for the remainder of the year. - -Save for unimportant readjustments, there were no changes for some -time along the Messines front, and little activity save at the -extreme north of that section on the Ypres-Comines Canal. Here the -British gradually extended the ground which had been captured by the -Forty-seventh Division, taking some considerable spoil-heaps which -had been turned into machine-gun emplacements by the Germans. This -supplementary operation was brought off upon June 14 and was answered -upon June 15 by a German counter-attack which was completely -repulsed. Some brisk fighting had broken out, however, farther down -the line in the Lens sector which Holland's First Corps, consisting -of the Sixth, Twenty-fourth, and Forty-sixth Divisions, had faced -during the Battle of Arras. This sector was rather to the north of -the battle, and the German line had not been broken as in the south. -These divisions had nibbled their way forward, however, working up -each side of the Souchez River until they began to threaten Lens -itself. The Germans, recognising the imminent menace, had already -blown up a number of their depots and practically destroyed -everything upon the surface, but the real prize of victory lay in the -coal seams underground. Huge columns of black smoke which rose over -the shattered chimneys and winding gears {116} showed that even this, -so far as possible, had been ruined by the enemy. - -On June 8, the Forty-sixth Division carried out a raid upon so vast a -scale that both the results and the losses were greater than in many -more serious operations. The whole of the 138th Brigade was -concerned in the venture, but the brunt was borne by the 4th Lincolns -and 5th Leicesters. On this occasion, use was made upon a large -scale of dummy figures, a new device of the British. Some 400 of -these, rising and falling by means of wires, seemed to be making a -most heroic attack upon an adjacent portion of the German line, and -attracted a strong barrage. In the meanwhile, the front trenches -were rushed with considerable losses upon both sides. When at last -the assailants returned, they brought with them twenty prisoners and -a number of machine-guns, and had killed or wounded some hundreds of -the enemy, while their own losses came to more than 300. A smaller -attack carried out in conjunction with the 11th Canadian Brigade upon -the right also gave good results. - -On June 19, the 138th Brigade, moving in conjunction with the -Canadians, took and consolidated some of the trenches opposite them. -Unhappily, their position did not seem to be clearly appreciated, as -some of our own gas projectors fell in their new trench, almost -exterminating a company of the 5th Leicesters. The sad tragedy is -only alleviated by so convincing if painful a proof of the powerful -nature of these weapons, and their probable effect upon the Germans. - -The combined pressure of the Forty-sixth Division and of the Fourth -Canadians began now to close in {117} upon Lens. Upon June 25 the -6th South Staffords, with the brave men of the Dominion operating to -the south of them, pushed the Germans off Hill 65. Upon June 28 -there was a further advance of the 137th and 138th Brigades, which -was much facilitated by the fact that the Canadians upon the day -before had got up to the village of Leuvette upon the south. A -number of casualties were caused by the German snipers after the -advance, and among the killed was M. Serge Basset, the eminent French -journalist, who had followed the troops up Hill 65. - -A successful advance was made by the Forty-sixth Division and by the -Canadians upon the evening of June 28, which carried them into the -village of Avion and ended in the capture of some hundred prisoners. -This operation was undertaken in conjunction with the Fifth Division -near Oppy, upon the right of the Canadians. Their advance was also -attended with complete success, the 95th and 15th Brigades clearing -by a sudden rush more than a mile of German line and killing or -taking the occupants. To the north of them both the 4th Canadians -and the 46th Midlanders carried the success up the line. The advance -was an extraordinary spectacle to the many who looked down upon it -from the Vimy heights, for a violent thunderstorm roared with the -guns, and a lashing downpour of rain beat into the faces of the -Germans. They were tired troops, men of the Eleventh Reserve -division, who had already been overlong in the line, and they could -be seen rushing wildly to the rear before the stormers were clear of -their own trenches. An unfired and brand-new machine-gun was found -which had been abandoned by its demoralised crew. The flooded fields -impeded {118} the advance of the Canadians, but the resistance of the -enemy had little to do with the limits of the movement. - -Upon June 30 the 6th North Staffords and 7th Sherwood Foresters made -a fresh advance and gained their objectives, though with some loss, -especially in the case of the latter battalion. This operation was -preparatory to a considerable attack upon July 1. This was carried -out upon a three-brigade front, the order being 139th, 137th, 138th -from the north. The 139th were in close touch with the Sixth -Division, who had lent two battalions of the 71st Brigade to -strengthen the assailants. The objective was from the Souchez River -in the south, through Aconite and Aloof Trenches, to the junction -point of the Sixth Division, north-west of Lens. The day's fighting -was a long and varied one, some ground and prisoners being gained, -though the full objective was not attained. The dice are still badly -loaded against the attack save when the guns throw their full weight -into the game. The Lincoln and Leicester Brigade in the south had -the suburb of Cité du Moulin as their objective, and the 4th Lincolns -next to the Canadians got well up; but the 5th Lincolns on their left -were held up by wire and machine-guns. Through the gallantry of -Sergeant Leadbeater one party penetrated into the suburb and made a -lodgment in outlying houses, although their flank was entirely in the -air. As the day wore on, the line of the 138th Brigade was driven in -several times by the heavy and accurate shell-fire, but was each time -reoccupied by the enduring troops, who were relieved in the morning -by the 4th and 5th Leicesters, who spread their posts over a -considerable area. One of these {119} small posts, commanded by -Lieutenant Bowell, was forgotten, and held on without relief, food, -or water until July 5, when finding himself in danger of being -surrounded this young officer effected a clever withdrawal--a -performance for which he received the D.S.O. - -Whilst the 138th Brigade had established itself in the fringes of -Cité du Moulin, the Stafford men upon their left (137th Brigade) had -captured Aconite Trench and also got among the houses. A number of -the enemy were taken in the cellars, or shot down as they escaped -from them, the Lewis guns doing admirable work. About one o'clock, -however, a strong attack drove the Stafford men back as far as Ague -Trench. The support companies at once advanced, led by Major Graham -of the 5th North Staffords, who was either killed or taken during the -attack, which made no progress in face of the strong masses of German -infantry. The result of this failure was that the remnants of two -companies of the 5th North Staffords, who had been left behind in -Aconite Trench, were cut off and surrounded, all who were not killed -being taken. In spite of this untoward result, the fighting on the -part of the battalions engaged had been most spirited, and the -conflict, after the fall of most of the officers and sergeants, had -been carried on with great ardour and intelligence by the junior -non-commissioned officers. - -On the left, the Sherwood Forest Brigade (strengthened by the 2nd -Regular battalion of their own regiment) advanced upon the -Lens-Lievin Road and the network of trenches in front of them. It -was all ideal ground for defence, with houses, slag-heaps, railway -embankments, and everything which the Germans could desire or the -British abhor. The {120} brigade had advanced upon a three-battalion -front, but as the zero hour was before dawn, and the ground was -unknown to the Regular battalion upon the right, the result was loss -of direction and confusion. Separated parties engaged Germans in -isolated houses, and some very desperate fighting ensued. In the -course of one of these minor sieges, Captain Chidlow-Roberts is said -to have shot fifteen of the defenders, but occasionally it was the -attackers who were overpowered by the number and valour of the enemy. -The Germans tried to drive back the British line by a series of -counter-attacks from the Lens-Bethune Road, but these were brought to -a halt during the morning, though later in the afternoon parties of -German bombers broke through the scattered line, which presented -numerous gaps. The losses of the Sherwood Forester Brigade were -considerable, and included 5 officers and 186 men, whose fate was -never cleared up. Most of these were casualties, but some remained -in the hands of the enemy. The total casualties of the division in -this action came to 50 officers and about 1000 men. - -This hard-fought action concluded the services of the North Midland -Division in this portion of the front. It had been in the line for -ten weeks, and under constant fire for the greater part of that time. -The strength of the battalions had been so reduced by constant -losses, that none of them could muster more than 300 men. Upon July -2 the Forty-sixth Division handed over their line to the Second -Canadians and retired for a well-earned rest. Save for two very -fruitful raids in the Hulluch district in the late autumn, this -Division was not engaged again in 1917. - -{121} - -The Germans had strengthened the defence of Lens by flooding the -flats to the south of the town, submerging the Cité St. Augustin, so -that the Fourth Canadians on the right of the Forty-sixth Division -could not push northwards, but they had advanced with steady -perseverance along the south bank of the Souchez, and got forward, -first to La Coulotte and then as far as the village of Avion, which -was occupied by them upon June 28--a date which marked a general move -forward on a front of 2000 yards from the river to Oppy. Meanwhile, -the Sixth Division had also pushed in upon the north and north-west -of Lens, which was closely invested. The First Canadian Division -relieved the Sixth Division early in July, so that now the pressure -upon Lens was carried out by three Canadian Divisions, one to the -north, one to the west, and one to the south of the town. No actual -attack was made until the middle of August, but for the sake of -continuity of narrative we may reach forward and give some short -account of the operations upon that occasion. After constant -pressure, and the drifting of a good deal of gas over the huge -house-covered area which faced them, the Canadians made an attack -upon August 15, which brought them into the very suburbs of the town, -while advancing their line both to the north and to the south of it. -Two Canadian divisions, the First upon the left and the Second upon -the right, made the main attack, while the Fourth Division guaranteed -their southern flank. The First Division found itself in what was -practically the old British line, as it was defined at the end of the -Battle of Loos in September 1915, nearly two years before. This -veteran division had not far to go to find its enemy, for the German -{122} trenches were not more than 120 yards away. Flooding over them -after a heavy discharge of flaming oil drums, the Canadians swept -with little loss up that deadly slope of Hill 70, sacred to the -memory of the Scots of the Fifteenth Division and of many other brave -men who found their last rest upon it. The 3rd Brigade upon the left -and the 2nd upon the right topped the low hill and charged roaring -down into the Cité St. Auguste beyond. There was a fierce fight at -Cinnebar Trench and the other points which made up the German second -line. The enemy infantry stood up stoutly to the push of bayonet, -and there was some bloody work before the line was finally taken and -consolidated by the Canadians. The Second Division in the meanwhile, -advancing with the 5th Brigade upon the left and the 4th upon the -right, had carried their charge right up to the edge of the city -itself, and had established themselves among the shattered houses. -As the 5th Brigade rushed forward, they encountered a body of German -infantry advancing as if to an attack, so that for a few glorious -minutes there was close bludgeon work in No-Man's-Land before the -German formation was shattered and the stormers rushed on. A -counter-attack developed about mid-day in front of the First -Division, and the grey-clad troops could be clearly seen marching up -in fours, breaking into artillery formation and finally deploying in -line, all after the most approved British fashion--a fact which was -explained later by the discovery in the dug-outs of official copies -of a translation of the latest Aldershot regulations--surely a most -unexpected result of the clash of the two nations, and one which is a -compliment to our military instructors. The British methods of -defence, however, proved {123} upon this occasion to be more -efficient than those for attack, and the Germans were shot back into -the rubble-heaps behind them. The losses of the Canadians in this -advance were not heavy, save in the 5th Brigade, which had in front -of it a network of trenches in front of Cité St. Emile, and carried a -hard task through with great valour and perseverance. From this time -forward the advanced line was held, and it was only the deflection of -the Canadian Corps to the north which prevented them from increasing -their gains at Lens. - -The seven weeks of comparative peace between the conclusion of the -Battle of Messines and the beginning of those long-drawn operations -which may be called the Battle of the Ridges, was broken by one -tragic incident, which ended in the practical annihilation of two -veteran battalions which held a record second to none in the Army. -As misfortunes of this sort have been exceedingly rare in the -progress of the war, it may be well to narrate this affair in greater -detail than the general scale of this chronicle would justify. - -Strickland's First Division had taken over the sector which was next -the sea, close to the small town of Nieuport. The frontage covered -was 1400 yards and extended to Lombardzyde, where Shute's -Thirty-second Division carried the line along. The positions had not -been determined by the British commander, but were the same as those -formerly occupied by the French. It was evident that they were -exceedingly vulnerable and that any serious attempt upon the part of -the Germans might lead to disaster, for the front line was some six -hundred yards beyond the Yser River, and lay among sand {124} dunes -where the soil was too light to construct proper trenches or -dug-outs. The river was crossed by three or four floating bridges, -which, as the result showed, were only there so long as the enemy -guns might choose. The supporting battalions were east of the river, -but the two battalions in the trenches were to the west, and liable -to be cut off should anything befall the bridges behind them. It was -indeed a very difficult situation both for Strickland and Shute, for -the Germans had complete local supremacy both in guns and in the air. - -Upon July 10, the day of the tragedy, the two battalions in front -were the 2nd King's Royal Rifles, next the sea, and the 1st -Northamptons, upon their right. The Brigadier of the 2nd Brigade had -been wounded only a few days before, and a new man was in local -command. The story of what actually occurred may be told from the -point of view of the Riflemen, who numbered about 550 on the day in -question. Three companies, A, D, and B, in the order given from the -left, were in the actual trenches, while C Company was in immediate -support. The night of July 9-10 was marked by unusually heavy fire, -which caused a loss of seventy men to the battalion. It was clear to -Colonel Abadie and his officers that serious trouble was brewing. An -equal shellfall was endured by the Northamptons on the right, and -their casualties were nearly as heavy. So weakened was A Company in -its post along the sand dunes that it was drawn into reserve in the -morning of July 10, and C Company took its place. During this night -an officer and twenty men, all Rhodesians, from B Company, were -pushed forward upon a raid, but lost nine of their number on their -return. From 8.50 {125} in the morning until 1 P.M. the fire was -exceedingly heavy along the whole line of both battalions, coming -chiefly from heavy guns, which threw shells capable of flattening out -any dug-out or shelter which could be constructed in such loose soil. -For hour after hour the men lay motionless in the midst of these -terrific ear-shattering explosions, which sent huge geysers of sand -into the air and pitted with deep craters the whole circumscribed -area of the position. It was a horrible ordeal, borne by both -battalions with the silent fortitude of veterans. Many were dead or -shattered, but the rest lay nursing the breech-blocks of their rifles -and endeavouring to keep them free from the drifting sand which -formed a thick haze over the whole position. The two supporting -battalions across the canal, the 2nd Sussex and 1st North Lancashire, -were also heavily shelled, but their position was more favourable to -taking cover. There was no telephone connection between the Rifles' -Headquarters and the advanced trenches, but Lieutenant Gott made -several journeys to connect them up, receiving dangerous wounds in -the attempt. About twelve, the dug-out of B Company was blown in, -and a couple of hours later that of C Company met the same fate, the -greater part of the officers in each case being destroyed. An -orderly brought news also that he had found the dug-out of D Company -with its inmates dead, and a dead Rifleman sentry lying at its door. -As the man was staggering and dazed with shell-shock, it was hoped -that his message was an exaggeration. The telephone wire to the rear -had long been cut, and the doomed battalions had no means of -signalling their extreme need, though the ever-rising clouds of sand -were enough to show what they were enduring. No {126} message of any -sort seems to have reached them from the rear. The fire was far too -hot for visual signaling, and several pigeons which were released did -not appear to reach their destination. With sinking hearts the -shaken and dazed survivors waited for the infantry attack which they -knew to be at hand. There were really no means of resistance, for, -in spite of all care, it was found that the all-pervading sand, which -nearly choked them, had put out of gear the mechanism of all the -machine-guns and most of the rifles. The divisional artillery was -doing what it could from the other side of the Yser, but the volume -of fire from the heavies was nothing as compared with the German -bombardment. To add to the misery of the situation, a number of -German aeroplanes were hawking backwards and forwards, skimming at -less than 100 feet over the position, and pouring machine-gun fire -upon every darker khaki patch upon the yellow sand. - -Both the battalion commanders behaved with the utmost intrepidity and -coolness. Of Colonel Abadie of the Rifles, it was said by one of the -few survivors: "He inspired all with the utmost confidence. He did -everything in his power and was splendid the whole time." Great -hopes were entertained that some diversion would be effected by the -gunboats upon the flank, but for some reason there was no assistance -from this quarter. Hour after hour passed, and the casualties -increased until the dead and wounded along the line of both -battalions were more numerous than the survivors. At 3 P.M. the -regimental dug-out of the Rifles showed signs of collapse under the -impact of two direct hits. Those who could move betook themselves to -an unfinished tunnel in the sand in {127} which a handful of -Australian miners were actually working. These men had changed their -picks for their rifles, and were ready and eager to help in the -defence of the position. In little groups, unable to communicate -with each other, each imagining itself to be the sole survivor, the -men waited for the final German rush. At 7.15 it came. A division -of German marines made the attack, some skirting the British line -along the seashore and approaching from the flank or even from the -rear. As many Riflemen as could be collected had joined the -Australians in the tunnel, but before they could emerge the Germans -were dropping bombs down the three ventilation shafts, while they -sprayed liquid fire down the entrance. The men who endured this -accumulation of horrors had been under heavy fire for twenty-four -hours with little to eat or drink, and it would not have been -wonderful if their nerve had now utterly deserted them. Instead of -this, every one seems to have acted with the greatest coolness. "The -Colonel called to the Riflemen to sit down, and they did so with -perfect discipline." By this means the spray of fire passed over -them. The entrances were blown in, and the last seen of Colonel -Abadie was when, revolver in hand, he dashed out to sell his life as -dearly as possible. From this time the handful of survivors, cut off -from their Colonel by the fall of part of the roof, saw or heard no -more of him. The few groups of men, Rifles or Northamptons, who were -scattered about in the sandy hollows, were overwhelmed by the enemy, -the survivors being taken. Four officers, who had been half-buried -in the tunnel, dug their way out, and finding that it was now nearly -dark and that the Germans {128} were all round them, proceeded to -make their way as best they could back to the bank of the river. An -artillery liaison officer made a gallant reconnaissance and reported -to the others that there was a feasible gap in the new line which the -enemy was already digging. The adjutant of the battalion, with the -second-in-command, and his few comrades, who included an Australian -corporal, crept forward in the dusk, picking their way among the -Germans. Altogether, there were 4 officers, 20 Australians, and 15 -Riflemen. One of the Australians, named McGrady, was particularly -cool and helpful, but was unfortunately killed before the party -reached safety. Even at this crisis the military code was strictly -observed, and the confidential documents of the battalion carefully -destroyed by the adjutant. As the British emerged into the gloom -from one end of the tunnel, a party of Germans began to enter at the -other, but were so skilfully delayed by two Riflemen, acting as -rearguard, that they were unable to stop the retreat. The men -streamed out at the farther end under the very noses of their -enemies, and crept swiftly in small parties down to the river, which -at this point is from 70 to 100 yards broad. Across their path lay a -camouflage screen some twelve feet high, which had been set on fire -by the shells. It was a formidable obstacle, and held them up for -some time, but was eventually crossed. Here they were faced by the -problem of the broken bridges, and several were shot while -endeavouring to find some way across. Finally, however, the swimmers -helping the others, the greater number, including the four Rifle -officers, got safely across, being nearly {129} poisoned by gas -shells as they landed upon the farther side. Of the Northamptons, it -would appear that only one officer, Captain Martin, made his escape, -though badly wounded. Colonel Tollemache was heard calling out to -his men: "It may be the last time, but fight like Englishmen!" He -and all his staff became casualties or prisoners. The Northampton -front was not more than forty yards from that of the Germans, and the -rifle-fire of the latter swept the parapet to such an extent that it -was impossible to stop the rush. A private who was No. 1 of a -machine-gun, with two other men, who knew nothing of the mechanism, -rushed a gun out upon the flank and held up the grey wave for a -minute or so before being submerged, while a sergeant also -distinguished himself by a determined resistance and by finally -crossing the Canal to explain the situation to those in command there. - -So ended an experience which can have had few parallels even in this -era of deadly adventure. Of the Riflemen, it was found next day that -3 officers and 52 men had rejoined their brigade. If so many got -away it was largely due to the action of Rifleman Wambach, who swam -the canal with a rope in his mouth, and fixed it for his more -helpless comrades. Even fewer of the Northamptons ever regained the -eastern bank. "Like the Spartans at Thermopylae the men of -Northampton and the Riflemen had died where they had been posted. -Heroism could do no more." Out of about 1200 men, nearly all, save -the casualties, fell into the hands of the victors. Every officer -seems to have behaved with the utmost possible gallantry, and not -least the battalion surgeon, Captain Ward, who stood by his wounded -until both he and {130} they fell into the hands of the Germans. -Such was the deplorable affair of Nieuport, a small incident in so -great a war, and yet one which had an individuality of its own which -may excuse this more extended account. The total German advance was -600 yards in depth, upon a front of three-quarters of a mile. - -The attack had extended to the eastward upon the farther side of the -Geleide Creek, but here the positions were more favourable for -defence, as there were supports available and the communications had -not been broken. It is a most significant sign of the enormous -respect which the German authorities entertained for the British -Army, that this limited action in which only two weak British -battalions were overwhelmed was solemnly announced by them in their -official bulletin to be "a great and magnificent victory." When one -remembers how the British in turn would have dismissed so small an -action as a mere incident in the campaign, had they been the victors, -it is indeed a most memorable tribute. The main cause of the defeat, -apart from the faulty position, appears to have been that the -infantry took over the new line more quickly than the artillery, and -that the French heavies had withdrawn before the British heavies were -ready for action. A British officer, afterwards released, was -informed by the Germans that they had 182 batteries concentrated upon -the position, while there were only 13 ready for the defence. - -It was hoped in Germany and feared in Britain that the new position -gained by the Germans at the north of the Yser River would enable -them to outflank the British defences at Lombardzyde, and to destroy -the 97th Brigade, which lay to the north of {131} the river. The -situation certainly looked most alarming in the map, and no military -critic could have imagined that the position could be held. The -British soldier has a way of doing, however, what the lecture-rooms -would denounce, and after some very desperate fighting the lines were -maintained. The attack was not on so overwhelming a scale as on the -left, but it was severe and long continued, from 7.30 P.M. till the -evening of July 11. The enemy had at one time won three lines of -defence, but they were eventually thrust back, General Shute feeding -his fighting line from his reserves until he had the upper hand. The -main strain fell upon the 11th Borders and 16th H.L.I., but as the -action went on the 17th Highland Light Infantry, 15th Lancashire -Fusiliers, and 16th Northumberland Fusiliers were all in turn -involved. It was a real infantry fight, often in the dark and -sometimes at close grips, and it ended with the line as it was before -the attack commenced. The severity of the action may be judged by -the fact that the brigade had nearly a thousand casualties. From -this time the line remained unchanged until the great Battle for the -Flanders Ridges turned the thoughts of both parties to larger issues. - -Before we enter upon an account of that terrific and protracted -engagement, one should mention a brisk action which was fought by -those stark fighters the New Zealand Division, upon the Warneton -front, to the immediate south of the Messines area. There is a small -ruined village, hardly rising to the dignity of a mention upon the -maps, called La Basseville, which was held by the Germans under the -very noses of the men with the red hatbands. Upon the night {132} of -July 27 the Wellington battalion, a name of good military omen, -captured this place with some of its Bavarian garrison. In the early -morning the Germans came again with a rush, however, and regained the -place. The New Zealanders attacked once more in the night of July -31, so that their venture may appear to have been in connection with -the larger operations in the north. Once more the village was -captured by the Wellington and Auckland infantry with some fifty more -prisoners and seven machine-guns. The Germans lost heavily in -killed, and the losses were doubled or trebled by their gallant but -unsuccessful counter-attacks, which were undertaken often by such -limited groups of men that they seemed the results less of reasoned -tactics than of desperation. From this time La Basseville passed -into the British system. - -This month of July was signalised by the last efforts of the Russian -Army so long as it remained a serious force. Under Brusiloff and -Korniloff they made an attack upon the Austro-German lines, but after -initial successes they were paralysed by the growing disaffection and -disorganisation of the soldiery, who had all the want of discipline -of the old French republicans without the fiery valour and -patriotism. From this time onward Russia played no real military -part in the great war, save as the betrayer of Roumania, the deserter -of Serbia, and the absorber of such ill-spared supplies as she could -get from her former allies. - - - - -{133} - -CHAPTER VI - -THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES - -July 31, 1917 - -Attack of July 31--Advance of the Guards--Of the Welsh--Capture of -Pilkem--Capture of St. Julien by Thirty-ninth Division--Advance of -Fifty-fifth Division--Advance of Jacob's Second Corps--General -results. - - -It had been accepted as an axiom at this stage of the war that no -great operation could be in the nature of a surprise--an axiom which, -like most other axioms, was shown later in the year to have some -startling exceptions. To pack the base of the historic Ypres salient -with guns, and to assemble within and behind its trenches the -storming troops for a great advance was, however, an operation which -could not possibly be concealed. British aircraft might have an -ascendency in observation, but that did not prevent the German fliers -from being both daring and skilful. All camouflage, therefore, was -thrown aside, and throughout the month of July Sir Douglas Haig -openly assembled his forces for the widening or destruction of the -iron bands which had so long constricted us in this northern area. -The Fifth Army gathered for the venture, still commanded by Sir -Hubert Gough, the victor of Thiepval. On his left, {134} opposite -Bixschoote, on the edge of the inundations, was a French army under -General Antoine, a genial giant who impresses those who meet him as a -mixture of Porthos and d'Artagnan. The general rôle of the French -Army was to cover the British from counter-attack from the north, -especially from Houthulst Forest, in the depths of which great -reserves might lurk, for it covers no less than 600 acres. Upon the -right, and engaged in a subsidiary degree in the operations, was the -Second Army, under Sir Herbert Plumer, fresh from the triumph of -Messines. - -The direction of this new attack against the ridges of Flanders was -the logical sequence from the preceding operations of the year. The -high ground of the Ancre had been taken late in 1916. The high -ground of Vimy fell into British hands in April. In June the Germans -had been driven in one strenuous day from the high ground of -Messines. The whole line of ridges from end to end was in British -hands save only those which girt in Ypres and dominated it from the -north and north-east. It is true that these so-called ridges were -often little more than undulations, but they meant firmer ground, -artillery observation, self-concealment, and everything which makes -for military advantage. For these reasons Sir Douglas Haig turned -his strength now in that direction. After his successive advances he -might say with Wellington: "Knowing well that if we laid our bloody -hands upon a town it was fated to fall." The men who took Ciudad -Rodrigo or stormed the dreadful breach of Badajos could teach nothing -in hardihood and contempt of death to those who carried Guillemont or -Ovillers. - -In attacking a salient like that of Ypres and in {135} endeavouring -to flatten it out, it is obvious that the efforts must be made at the -sides rather than in the centre, since success in the latter case -would simply mean a larger salient. Of the two sides of the salient -the success of Messines had already relieved the pressure in the -south, and this area was clearly less important than the north, since -it was farther from the sea. It was evident that any considerable -success upon the northern side would advance the British line towards -Bruges, and an occupation of Bruges would surely mean the abandonment -by Germany of the Flemish coast. For these reasons the effort of the -British was chiefly directed towards the north-east, a tract of -ground which was difficult when dry, but which became grotesque in -its difficulties when it rained and the small low-lying streams or -"beeks" which meandered through it spread out into broad marshy -bottoms. These all-pervading morasses, when ploughed up with -innumerable shell-holes, were destined to form an almost insuperable -military obstacle. In attacking at such a point Sir Douglas could -only hope that the weather would abide as a neutral, but as a fact, -now as so often before, its action was bitterly hostile. Up to the -very day of the advance it smiled deceitfully only to break into a -month of rain from the very hour of the attack. If Berlin needs one -more monument in her meretricious "Sieges-Alee," she may well erect -one to the weather, which has saved her cause as surely as the geese -of old saved Rome. - -So notorious were the British preparations, culminating in the usual -terrific bombardment, that the approaching conflict was discussed in -the German papers weeks before it occurred. Their preparations {136} -had been gigantic, and took a new form which called for corresponding -ingenuity upon the side of the stormers if it was to be successfully -countered. The continuous trench had, save in the old system, been -discarded as offering too evident a mark for the shattering guns. -The ground was held by numerous disconnected trenches, and strong -points arranged in depth rather than in breadth, so that the whole -front should form one shock-absorber which would yield at first, but -must at the last bring any pressure to a stand. Scattered thickly -among these small posts there were concrete forts, not unlike the -Martello towers of our ancestors, but sunk deeply into the ground, so -as to present a small mark to gun-fire. These forts were made of -cement and iron with walls so enormously thick that a direct hit from -anything less than a six-inch gun could not possibly harm them. The -garrisons of each were composed of twenty or thirty men, with two or -three machine-guns. There was usually no visible opening, the -entrance being approached by a tunnel, and the windows mere slits -which gave a broad traverse for a machine-gun. They were -contrivances which might well hold up an army, and it was a fine -example of British adaptability as well as courage that they were -able to make progress against them. The days of the gallant -bull-headed rush were over, and the soldiers had learned in a cruel -school that the fighting man must be wary as well as brave. - -At four o'clock in the morning, in the first grey light of a rainy -morning, under a canopy of grey sweeping clouds, and in a fog-girt -landscape of bedraggled fields and brown patches of mire, the French -and British infantry sprang forward with splendid {137} alacrity upon -this dangerous venture which should culminate in taking the last -dominant ridge upon the British front from those who had held them so -long. - -The French attacked upon the extreme left of the line, and had an -extremely difficult task, which they accomplished with a dash and -spirit which won the unstinted admiration of their British comrades. -In front of them was the canal, but they had succeeded in throwing -across some troops in the days before the battle. It was fitting -that they should advance the line in this sector, for they were -starting from the very spot to which their comrades had been pushed -in the poison-gas battle of April 22, 1915, more than two years -before. The ground in front of them was very marshy, and as a -background to the German position loomed the great forest of -Houthulst, which was known to be a strong gun position and place of -arms. It was subjected, however, to such a shattering bombardment -that it was nearly silent when the attack advanced, and the French -poilus, pushing rapidly on from point to point, seized the village of -Steenstraate, and finally the larger village of Bixschoote, -establishing their line well to the north of that point. It was a -most valorous advance, and if no detail can be given of it save this -passing mention, it is because it belongs to that weighty and -wonderful volume which shall record the glorious military deeds of -France, a volume which can only be written with proper appreciation -and knowledge by a French pen. - -The British line of battle was formed by five corps, the Fourteenth -(Cavan) to the north, the Eighteenth (Maxse) upon its right, the -Nineteenth (Watts) upon the right of that, the Second (Jacob) came -next, and then upon the southern edge of the {138} area, and hardly -engaged in the main fighting, was the Tenth (Morland). Each corps -had two divisions in the line and two in reserve. We will take each -in turn, starting from the north. It should be noted that the four -first corps made up Gough's Fifth Army, and that the Tenth Corps was -the only part of Plumer's Army to be engaged. - -Cavan's Fourteenth Corps was next to the French, with the Guards in -immediate touch with our allies, and the Thirty-eighth Welsh Division -upon its right. The Twentieth and the Twenty-ninth Divisions were in -support. We shall now follow the splendid advance of the Guards, a -division which more and more as the war progressed reasserted its -position as the very cream of the Army. - -On the days preceding the action a number of bridges had been thrown -across the canal, and the attacking brigades had been passed over -this impediment, so that they were able to deploy rapidly and escape -the German barrage which fell, for the most part, behind them. This -most useful work was carried out by the 1st Guards Brigade, -especially by the 3rd Coldstream and 1st Irish, who got across the -first. This brigade was relieved, and on the day of battle the 3rd -Brigade was upon the left in close liaison with the French, while the -2nd Brigade was on the right with their flank touching the Welshmen. -Two "Hate Companies," as they were called, were thrown out on the -divisional front, whose task it was to make special discharges of oil -drums, thermite, and other missiles which might smooth the way for -the advance of the infantry. At 4.24 the whistles of fate were heard -shrilly all along the line, and the Guards rose up from {139} their -wet assembly ditches, and went forward in their usual sedate and -inexorable fashion. The front line of battle of the two brigades, -counting from the French flank, were the 1st Welsh, 1st Grenadiers, -2nd Irish, and 1st Scots, while behind them in the second line were -their comrades of the 2nd Scots, 4th Grenadiers, 1st Coldstream, and -3rd Grenadiers. Each platoon of the Irish carried a green flag -adorned with the Irish harp. - -The attack at first was so strong or the opposition so weak that in -ten minutes the first-line objective had been gained. From this -point the shock-absorber system began to act, a system which must -prevail save where the attackers know when to suspend their effort so -that the spring of resistance is never pressed back to the uttermost. -The British generals had learned this lesson and the aims of any one -day's battle were strictly limited. Thus, although the losses grew -and the difficulties increased, the Guards were well within their -powers, in gradually pushing forwards to the Steenbeek stream, which -was the extreme limit assigned to them. As they advanced sections -were told off to deal with the various concrete forts and other -strong points, a method of attack which gave great scope for the -initiative of individual junior officers or non-commissioned -officers, and which was fruitful in acts of valour. About six -o'clock the German machine-guns in Hey Wood held up the line for a -time, and the 2nd Brigade had the chagrin of seeing some German guns -limbering up and withdrawing in front of them, while their own -barrage fell as an invisible steel curtain which covered them from -seizure. It was remarked generally of the British barrage that -though extremely accurate as a rule, it {140} still consisted too -much of shrapnel and not enough of high explosives, so that it had -not the shattering and uprooting effect which was needful. The -Germans had read the lessons differently, for at this period of the -war their barrage consisted almost entirely of 5.9 "crumps" with a -small admixture of shrapnel. - -By the early afternoon the front lines of the Guards had fulfilled -their programme, and a number of prisoners, including the commanding -officer and adjutant of the 73rd Hanoverians, had been conducted to -the rear. The losses of the Guards had not been excessive, save in -the right flank battalions, especially the 1st Scots, but they -included many valuable officers killed or wounded, including Colonel -Greer of the 2nd Irish, Colonel Romilly of the 1st Scots, and Colonel -Lord Gort of the 4th Grenadiers. Among many deeds of valour which -were added to the records of the division upon that morning there may -be mentioned that of the heroic surgeon David Lees, who was decorated -for passing five times through the barrage carrying wounded, and of -the brave Irish priest, Father Knapp, who absolutely refused to take -shelter when his men were exposed, and met his death rather than -leave them. It is invidious, however, to mention brave men where all -were brave. About three o'clock the 1st Guards Brigade passed -through the ranks of their comrades and carried the advance forward -to its limit. The order of their advance from the left was the 2nd -Coldstream, with the 2nd Grenadiers on the right, while the 3rd -Coldstream and 1st Irish took the corresponding places in the second -line. The 2nd Grenadiers lost heavily from a flank fire, its -difficulties and those of all the right flank being increased by the -fact that the railway line, {141} dotted with German strong points, -ran as the boundary between divisions. Captain Ritchie, of Loos -fame, was among the casualties. The Grenadiers got so far ahead that -the protective barrage became thin and erratic, hardly existing in -many places. The whole brigade moved forward in close touch with the -113th Brigade of Welshmen upon their right. The latter after the -final objective was reached were shelled for a time out of their -position, so that the Irish and Grenadiers had to throw back a -defensive flank, but the Welsh with dogged spirit came back to their -work and re-established their line late in the evening. Their work -will presently be described, but so far as the Guards are concerned -it may be added that, with the help of the 55th and 76th Field -Company R.E., all they took they kept, although the physical -surroundings were appalling, for they found themselves for three days -lying on the forward slope of a low ridge under heavy rain in deep -puddles of water, exposed to German shelling and to the constant -stinging of invisible German snipers. No conditions could have been -more trying, but the Guards stuck it out with a quiet patient -discipline which was as fine as the valour of their assault. "We are -just lying in a snipe bog in the rain," wrote an Irish officer. Due -dispositions were made for relief among the three brigades, and the -line was held until a farther advance should become possible--an -event which was continually postponed by the incredible weather. - -Passing to the 38th Welsh Division upon the right of the Guards, -their battle line consisted of the 113th Brigade upon the left, -consisting entirely of battalions of Welsh Fusiliers, while the {142} -114th Brigade, formed from the Welsh Regiment, was on the right. The -order of the foremost battalions taken from the left was the 16th and -13th Welsh Fusiliers, with the 13th and 10th Welsh. The experiences -of the division upon its advance were, as might be expected, not -unlike those of the Guards. "It was still dark," says one graphic -correspondent, "and all we had to guide us was our barrage moving -forward like a living line of fire, from left to right as far as the -eye could see." The first objective was captured with little loss, a -fair number of prisoners being taken in the Caesar Support Trench. -In attacking the second objectives the reserve line came through the -front one, so that the order of the troops, taken again from the left -in the 114th Brigade, was the 15th and 14th Welsh, while in the 113th -Brigade, which had a less difficult task, there was a mere change of -companies in the units already engaged. The opposition now became -fiercer and the losses more severe. Marsouin Farm, and Stray Farm on -the right, and the village of Pilkem upon the left poured bullets -upon the advancing infantry, who slipped from shell-hole to -shell-hole, taking such cover as they could, but resolutely pushing -onwards. Again and again the machine-gun forts were isolated, -surrounded, and compelled to surrender. The Welshmen had reached -their second objective in the scheduled time. The 15th Welsh -Fusiliers were now pushed into the firing-line upon the left, and the -advance went forward. A gap had formed between the Welshmen and the -Highlanders of the Fifty-first Division upon their right. In this -gap lay Rudolph Farm, spitting fire from every cranny and window. A -platoon of the 15th Welsh turned aside from their {143} path and -captured or killed all who were in the German post. To the immediate -left of this point lay another stronghold called Iron Cross. This -was rushed by the 14th Welsh, at considerable loss to themselves, but -twenty of the garrison were bayoneted, forty captured, and three -machine-guns secured. Just beyond the Iron Cross was a German -dressing-station which yielded forty more prisoners. - -The 15th Welsh Fusiliers on the left had in the meanwhile a severe -ordeal, for so heavy a fire poured upon them from the clump of trees -known as Battery Copse that they were left with hardly an officer and -with their protective barrage rapidly receding into the distance. -The men were staggered for a time, but struggled forward again with -fine resolution, and at last established themselves upon the same -line as Iron Cross. - -Whilst the fighting line had been getting forward as described, the -113th carrying among other obstacles the village of Pilkem, and both -brigades, but especially the 114th, bursting through three separate -battalions of the famous Käferlein regiment of the Guards, the -reserve brigade had been keeping in close attendance in spite of the -German barrage. Now two battalions of the 115th Brigade were slipped -into the front, the 11th S.W. Borderers and the 17th Welsh Fusiliers. -These fine fresh troops took up the running and made for the final -objective, which was the Steenbeek stream. This was successfully -reached, in spite of the ever-growing resistance, and the final line -was formed with posts upon the farther side of the Steenbeek. -Shortly after three o'clock a strong counter-attack broke upon this -Welsh line, and for a time the Borderers were forced {144} from the -post at "Au bon gîte" which they had occupied and were thrown across -the river. Aided by a good barrage of artillery and machine-guns the -attack was finally beaten off, about a hundred Germans who had -charged through the barrage being shot down by rifle fire. After -this there was no attempt upon this day to disturb the new front of -the Welsh Division, though upon August 1 in the afternoon there was -some sign of a counter-attack, which was broken up by the British -artillery before it could materialise. From then onwards the weather -made further operations impossible. On August 6 the Twentieth -Division took over this new line. - -The advance of the Welsh Division, including as it did the two -exploits of capturing the strongly fortified village of Pilkem, and -of utterly scattering three battalions of one of the most famous -regiments in the Prussian service, was worthy of the great reputation -which they had won at Mametz Wood. The way in which the men followed -up the barrage and tackled the concrete forts was especially worthy -of mention. The Cockchafers mentioned above were the dandy regiment -of Berlin, and their utter defeat at the hands of a brigade of the -New Army must indeed have been bitter to those who remembered the -cheap jests which had been made at that Army's expense. Four hundred -prisoners from this regiment found their way to the cages. -Altogether 700 prisoners were taken, nearly all Guardsmen from the -Third Division. The Welsh had about 1300 casualties, including -Colonels Radice, Norman, and Taylor. Among the dead was one, Private -Ellis H. Evans of the 15th Welsh Fusiliers, whose position and -importance were peculiarly Cymric, since he was the winner {145} of -the Bardic chair, the highest honour of the Eisteddfod. An empty -Bardic chair was afterwards erected over his grave. It is only in -Wales that the traditions of Athens are preserved, and contests of -the body and of the mind are conducted in public with equal honour to -the victors. - -To the south of Cavan's Fourteenth Corps lay Maxse's Eighteenth -Corps, extending from the right of the Thirty-eighth Division to a -point opposite to the village of St. Julien. Maxse's Eighteenth -Corps consisted of four divisions, the Fifty-first supported by the -Eleventh being upon the left, and the Thirty-ninth supported by the -Forty-eighth upon the right. South of the St. Julien front they -connected up with Watts' Nineteenth Corps to the south. It should be -mentioned that the whole corps' front was occupied for some weeks -before the battle by the 33rd Brigade, who at great strain and loss -to themselves held this long stretch in the face of constant gassings -and shellings, in order that the attacking divisions might be able to -practise for the day of battle. - -Taking the narrative once more from the north, the Fifty-first -Highland Territorial Division (Harper), a unit which has seen an -extraordinary amount of service during the war, advanced with the -usual dash of these magnificent clansmen. Everything went down -before their disciplined rush. There was no particular geographical -point in the area which they conquered, but their whole front was -covered by fortified posts, some of which fell with ease, while -others put up a considerable resistance. Prominent among the latter -was Rudolph Farm, which was on the line between the Thirty-eighth and -Fifty-first Divisions, pouring a flanking fire upon each and holding -{146} up the left of the Fifty-first. This post was eventually -stormed by the Welsh. Finally the Highlanders, clearing the ground -carefully behind them, reached their full day's objective, which was -the line of the Steenbeek. Here they dug themselves in and beat off -an enemy counter-attack. - -On the right of the Highland Territorial Division was the -Thirty-ninth Division, consisting of the 116th Sussex Brigade, the -117th Rifle and Sherwood Foresters Brigade, and the 118th mixed -Territorial Brigade. The attack was undertaken by the 117th Brigade -upon the north in touch with the Highlanders, and the 116th upon the -south. Both of these brigades got forward in excellent style, but -the position was strong and the losses were heavy. Canadian Farm was -taken by the 117th Brigade, and the 116th also attained its full -objective. Finally, the spare brigade, the 118th, passed through the -ranks of the others, and fought their way into St. Julien, where no -British foot had been placed since April 24, 1915, when the heroic -remnant of the Canadians had been cut off and overpowered in its -streets. - -The operation would have been entirely successful had it not been for -the attempt to advance beyond the village. This was carried out by -the same brigade, the 118th, with the 6th Cheshires upon the right, -the 1st Herts in the centre, and the 4/5th Black Watch upon the left. -The Cambridge Battalion was in support. The attack was -extraordinarily gallant, but was held up by uncut wire and very -severely punished. No permanent gain was effected, but greater -constancy has seldom been seen. The Hertfordshire men were -particularly fine. Their Colonel Page and their {147} adjutant were -both killed, and every combatant officer was on the casualty list, so -that it was the serjeant-major who withdrew the 120 men who had gone -forth as a strong battalion. The doctor was wounded, and only the -chaplain was left, who distinguished himself by being the last man to -recross the Steenbeek with a wounded man slung over his shoulder. -Such was the experience of the Herts, and that of the Cheshires and -of the Highlanders differed only in detail. - -A counter-attack along the whole corps' front was beaten back upon -the evening of July 31, but the concentration of German artillery -upon St. Julien was so terrific that it was found necessary next day -to withdraw the 1st Cambs who garrisoned the village, the adjacent -bridge over the Steenbeek being retained. Next day the village was -reoccupied. - -The Thirty-ninth Division, very hard hit by its victorious but -strenuous service, was relieved upon August 4, after a terrible four -days of constant rainfall and shell-fall, by the Forty-eighth South -Midland Territorial Division, while a few days later their Highland -comrades were relieved by the Eleventh Division. So battered was the -Thirty-ninth Division that it was taken forthwith out of the line and -its place in the corps was filled by the Fifty-eighth. - -To return to the order of the advance, Watts' Nineteenth Corps, which -was the next one to the south, consisted of the Fifty-fifth West -Lancashire Territorials with the Thirty-sixth Ulsters upon the left, -while the Fifteenth Scottish Division supported by the Fourteenth -Light Division were on the right. Of these we will deal first with -the attack of the men of Lancashire. - -{148} - -The advance was made by the 166th Brigade upon the left, and by the -165th upon the right. The first German line was rapidly carried, and -the only serious fighting was at the strong point known as Pommern -Redoubt, which held out for some time but was eventually captured -about 10 A.M. The 166th Brigade, which covered the space between St. -Julien in the north and the Wieltje-Gravenstafel Road in the south, -was led by the 5th King's Royal Lancasters and the 5th North -Lancashires, while the 165th Brigade, with their left upon the road -and their right in touch with the Fifteenth Division, were composed -entirely of battalions of the King's Liverpool Regiment, the 5th and -6th in front, the 7th and 9th in the second line. This brigade upon -being counter-attacked used its liquid fire apparatus with good -results. "From under the mantle of fire ran blazing Huns with -heartrending cries, but I cannot say we had any sympathy for them. -We remembered John Lynn and the other Lancashire lads who had been -gassed and roasted round Ypres in the battles of other days, and we -felt that the Huns were only being paid back in their own coin." The -losses in the first stages of the advance were not severe and came -chiefly from the machine-gun fire of the three strongholds of Bank -Farm, Spree Farm, and Pommern Castle. The latter was very -formidable, spouting bullets on three sides, so that the 165th -Brigade was held up by it for a time. In the second stage of the -attack the 164th Brigade with the 4th North Lancashires on their -right and the 5th Lancs Fusiliers upon their left pushed through the -ranks of their comrades and carried the advance on, taking Hindu Cott -and Gallipoli, and finally reaching the {149} most advanced -objective, whence they pushed out patrols to Toronto and Aviatik -Farms. They were exposed to strong counter-attacks as will be shown. - -This fine advance had been matched by Reed's Fifteenth Scots Division -on the right. Of their conduct that day it can only be said that it -was worthy of the reputation which they had gained at Loos and at the -Somme. The Scottish bands who fought under Gustavus Adolphus in the -Thirty Years' War left a renown in Germany which lingers yet, and it -is certain that some memory of the terrible "Hell-hags," as they were -called by the German soldiers, will preserve the record of Scotch -military prowess so long as any of their adversaries are alive to -speak of it. Two brigades led the advance, the 44th upon the right -and the 46th upon the left. As in the case of the Lancashire men -upon their left the first stages of the attack were easy. On getting -past the German line, however, the full blast of fire struck the -infantry from Douglas Villa, Frezenberg Redoubt, Pommern Castle, Low -Farm, Frost House, and Hill 37. By ten o'clock, however, the second -objectives had been taken. The 45th Brigade now pushed through, and -though held up on the right by Bremen Redoubt, they attained the full -objective upon the left, and kept in close touch with the 164th -Brigade. The position, however, was perilous and, as it proved, -impossible, for Watts' Corps was now well ahead of either of its -neighbours. About two o'clock a violent German drive struck up -against the exposed flank of the Fifty-fifth Division, causing great -losses, especially to the 4th Royal Lancasters, some of whom were cut -off. Another counter-attack beat against the left of the enfeebled -{150} 45th Brigade. As a result the remains of the four front line -battalions were pushed back some hundreds of yards, but at 5 P.M. the -edge was taken off the attack and the German infantry were seen to be -retiring. About 1 P.M. next day this attack was renewed down the -line of the Ypres-Roulers Railway, and again the Fifteenth Division -bore a heavy strain which forced it back once to the Frezenberg -Ridge, but again it flooded forward and reoccupied its line. So -severe had been the exertions and the losses of these two divisions -that they were drawn out of the line as soon as possible, their -places being taken by the 36th Ulsters upon the left and the 16th -Irish upon the right. - -We now come to Jacob's Second Corps lying to the south of the -Nineteenth with its left resting upon the Ypres-Roulers Railway. It -contained no less than five divisions, three of which were in the -line and two in support. Those in the line, counting from the north, -were the Eighth Regular Division with its left on the railway and its -right at Sanctuary Wood, the Thirtieth Lancashire Division in the -centre, and the Twenty-fourth Division opposite Shrewsbury Forest -with its right resting upon the Zillebeke-Zandvoorde Road. In -support was the Twenty-fifth Division upon the left, and the -Eighteenth Division upon the right. - -The Eighth Division advanced upon a two-brigade front, the 23rd upon -the left and the 24th upon the right. Many strong posts including -several woods faced the assailants, and from the beginning the -resistance was very obstinate. None the less, in spite of numerous -checks and delays, the advance was carried forward for half a mile -and {151} captured the whole of the front line trenches without much -loss, for the German barrage was slow and late whereas the British -artillery support was excellent. Indeed it may be remarked that one -of the features of the battle was the remarkable preparation by which -General Jacob, with the aid of his two artillery leaders, managed to -place nearly a thousand pieces into a line which was fully exposed to -enemy observation. It was done at a considerable loss of men and -guns, but it was absolutely essential to the advance. - -The low rising called the Bellewaarde Ridge was the first objective -of the division and was easily taken. The two magnificent Regular -brigades swept onwards with a perfect order which excited the -admiration of spectators. As they passed over the curve of the -ground they came into heavy fire from the farther rise near Westhoek, -but it neither slowed nor quickened their gait. Hooge, Bellewaarde -Lake, The White Château, all the old landmarks were passed. When the -full objective had been reached after more than half a mile of steady -advance the 25th Brigade passed through the ranks of their comrades -and carried on until, as they neared Westhoek, they ran into a very -heavy flank fire from Glencorse Wood in the south. This was in the -area of the southern division, so that the 25th Brigade were aware -that their flank was open and that the Thirtieth Division had not -come abreast of them. They halted therefore just to the west of -Westhoek, and as their flank remained open all day they had to -content themselves with consolidating the ground that they had won -and beating back two counter-attacks. The left of the division kept -their station well forward upon the {152} Ypres-Roulers Railway, with -their left in close touch with the Scotsmen to the north. The -division was relieved next day by the Twenty-fifth Division. All the -battalions had done great things in the action, but some specially -fine work was put in by the 1st Sherwood Foresters upon the left of -the advance of the 24th Brigade. At one point it was necessary to -cut through wire which held up the advance, and the gallantry of the -wire-cutting detachment was such that the dying continued to snip at -the strands, while even the dead contrived to fall forward in an -attempt to screen with their bodies their living comrades. The -losses were very heavy, but the historic old 45th Foot, the "old -Stubborns" of the Peninsula, never in its long career carried through -more gallantly in so fierce a fight. The 2nd Northamptons also -increased their high reputation upon this arduous day, during which -they took many prisoners. - -The Thirtieth Division, which consisted, as will be remembered, to a -large extent of "Pal" battalions from Liverpool and Manchester, -advanced to the south of the Eighth. Sanctuary Wood and other strong -points lay in front of the 90th and 21st Brigades which provided the -first lines of stormers. The resistance was strong, the fire was -heavy, and the losses were considerable, so that the assailants were -held up and were unable to do more than carry the front trenches, -whence they repulsed repeated counter-attacks during the rest of the -day. In the initial advance the 2nd Scots Fusiliers, that phoenix of -a battalion, so often destroyed and so often renewed, wandered in the -dusk of the morning away from its allotted path and got as far north -as Château Wood in the path of the 24th Brigade. This caused {153} -some dislocation of the front line, but the Manchester men on the -right of the Scots pushed on and struck the Menin Road as far forward -as Clapham Junction. The 21st Brigade in the meantime had to pass a -great deal of difficult woody ground and met so much opposition that -they lost the barrage, that best friend of the stormer. Bodmin Copse -was reached, but few penetrated to the eastern side of it. The -strong point of Stirling Castle was, however, taken by the -Manchesters of the 90th. It was the line of Dumbarton Lakes which -proved fatal to the advance, and though two battalions of the 89th -and finally the East Anglians of the 53rd Brigade from the supporting -Eighteenth Division were thrown into the fight, the latter winning -forward for some distance, they found that it was finally rather a -question of holding ground than gaining it. The ultimate line, -therefore, was across from Clapham Junction. Since neither of the -divisions on either side was in any way held up, save perhaps at one -point, it is probable that the southern advance would have been more -successful but for the limited advance of the Thirtieth Division. - -Upon August 2, much exhausted, they were drawn out of the line and -the Eighteenth Division took their place, and held the Clapham -Junction and Glencorse Wood, which their own 53rd Brigade had largely -been instrumental in winning, against repeated attacks. - -Upon the right of the Thirtieth Division was the Twenty-fourth, a -famous fighting unit which was the only division able to boast that -it had been present at Vimy Ridge, Messines, and Ypres--three great -battles in the one year. The ground in front {154} of this division -was broken and woody, including Shrewsbury Forest and other natural -obstacles. None the less good progress was made, especially upon the -right, while the left was only retarded by the fact of the limited -advance in the north. The advance was made upon a three-brigade -front, the 17th upon the left, the 73rd in the centre, and the 72nd -upon the right. The 17th, advancing with that fine battalion the 3rd -Rifle Brigade alone in the front line, carried all before it at -first, but found both flanks exposed and was compelled to halt. The -73rd, led by the 2nd Leicesters and the 7th Northamptons, were held -up by a strong point called Lower Star Post in front of them. On the -right the 72nd, with the 8th Queen's and the North Staffords in the -lead, gained the house called the Grunenburg Farm, which marked the -line of their immediate objective. There they dug in and held -firmly, connecting up with the left of Plumer's Army to the south. -Several unsuccessful counter-attacks were made in the succeeding days -upon this point, in one of which on August 5 Colonel de la Fontaine -of the 9th East Surreys was killed. - -If the attack of the Second Corps upon this and other occasions met -with limited success, it is to be remembered that the long clear -slope leading to Glencorse and Inverness Woods upon either side of -the Menin Road represented as impossible a terrain for an advancing -force as could be imagined. When finally these woods were won, -officers who stood among the tree-stumps and looked back were amazed -to think that such ground could have been taken, and were filled with -surprise that the Ypres salient could have been held so long under an -observation {155} from which nothing could be concealed. When such -positions are held by troops which have a world-wide reputation, in -concrete fortifications, one should be surprised, not that the -assailants should have failures but that they should have the dour -resolution which brought them at last to success. - -All the four corps already mentioned, covering the front from the -junction with the French in the north to Shrewsbury Forest in the -south, belonged to Gough's Fifth Army. Of Plumer's Second Army only -a portion of the extreme left, consisting of Morland's Tenth Corps, -was engaged upon July 31. The flank unit, the Forty-first English -Division, was in the front line opposite Basseville, with the New -Zealanders upon their right. There was no intention to advance the -line to any distance in this locality, but the whole task assigned to -the troops was completely carried out, and the front was pushed -forward until it was level with the right of the Twenty-fourth -Division. It has been explained by Sir Douglas Haig, however, that -the attack in this quarter had never any serious intentions, and that -it was in the nature of a feint in order to distribute the German -reserve of men and guns. None the less the ground captured by the -123rd Brigade of the Forty-first Division represented a substantial -gain, including the village of Hollebeke and all the broken and -difficult country to the north of the bend of the Ypres-Comines Canal -and east of Battle Wood. The advance along this portion of the front -varied from 200 to 300 yards, while the New Zealanders at the right -of the line covered the short area assigned to them in their usual -workmanlike fashion, taking after a short fight the hamlet of La -Basseville. On {156} the right of the New Zealanders were the -Australians, whose movement, in accordance with the general plan was -a small one, including the capture of a ruined windmill opposite -their position. This was captured, retaken, and captured once again -in a spirited little fight, and August 1 saw more fighting in this -sector under very trying conditions of weather and ground. - -We have now briefly reviewed the work of each of the twelve divisions -which were in line upon the 31st of July. In some places success was -absolute, in some it was partial, in none was there failure. -Speaking generally it may be said that the Thirty-ninth, Fifty-first, -Welsh, and Guards, had captured their full objectives, including the -villages of St. Julien, Pilkem, and the Pilkem Ridge; that the -Fifty-fifth and Fifteenth had carried the first and second lines, -with the villages of Verlorenhoek and Frezenberg and the -all-important ridge; finally that the units upon their right had -captured the German first lines, including Hooge, Hollebeke, Stirling -Castle, and a line of woods. Apart from the gain of important and -dominant positions, 6000 prisoners and 133 officers were taken, -together with 25 guns, exclusive of those which had been captured by -General Antoine to the north. The progress of the French had been -admirable, and they had not only reached their full objectives but -had gone beyond them and seized the village of Bixschoote, driving -back one severe German counter-attack which surged up to the point of -junction between them and the Guards. With such results the first -day of the third Battle of Ypres was undoubtedly a British victory, -but it was a victory which was absolutely complete {157} in the -north, and incomplete in the south. Only one British disaster -occurred during the day, and that was in the appearance of that -constant and formidable ally of the Central Powers, the autumn rain. -That night it began, and for many weeks it continued in a dreary -downpour upon a land which at the best of times is water-laden and -soft. For two months to come it may be said that operations were -really impossible, and that if they were occasionally driven forward -by the fiery determination of the British leaders, they were -undertaken at such a desperate disadvantage that large results were -out of the question. Impassable mud and unfordable craters covered -the whole German front, and a swimming collar might well have been -added to those many appliances with which the patient British soldier -was already burdened. - - - - -{158} - -CHAPTER VII - -THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES - -August 1 to September 6 - -Dreadful weather--German reaction--Attack of August 16--Advance of -Cavan's Corps--Capture of Langemarck--Dreadful losses of the two -Irish Divisions--Failure in the south--Splendid field-gunners--The -Forty-second Division upon September 6. - - -From the evening of July 31 till that of August 1, there were -intermittent and sporadic German attacks along the whole of the new -line, which were the more dangerous as the wretched weather made it -impossible for the aircraft to operate and the artillery support was -therefore unreliable. None the less, the wet and weary infantry -huddling in the puddles and ditches were not to be forced back. Only -at St. Julien, as already described, was there a temporary loss of -ground. In this quarter, the Thirty-ninth Division, especially the -118th Brigade, sustained very heavy losses, some of the battalions -being almost annihilated for military purposes. For days in -succession they lay in improvised trenches sodden and cold in the -pitiless rain, and when the rising waters drove them out they were -shot down by the enemy. None the less, the ground was held and the -abandoned village was regained. - -{159} - -Another point at which the German reaction was particularly severe -upon August 1 was near Bremen Redoubt and the Roulers Railway. Here -at 3.30 P.M. the enemy attacked with great valour, the blow falling -chiefly upon the 24th Brigade on the left of the Eighth and the 44th -on the right of the Fifteenth Divisions. The 10th Gordons, 2nd -Northamptons, and 1st Sherwood Foresters were for a time fighting for -their lives, the regimental staff of the Gordons having to defend the -burrow which served as Headquarters. The 7th Camerons were also -engaged in this desperate conflict which was fought ankle-deep in mud -and under driving rain-clouds. Finally a body of Highlanders under -Captain Geddes of the Gordons made so fierce a charge that the -Germans were driven back and abandoned the attempt in despair. Their -advance, however, had been so sudden and so fierce that there was a -time when the line was in grave danger. Captain Symon of the -Camerons did great work also in the charge which turned the tide. -Both Geddes and Symon were decorated for their valour. - -From the first day of the battle the front had been quiet in the -sector of the Second Corps, save for constant reciprocal -bombardments, the Germans endeavouring to hinder consolidation, while -the British prepared for an advance upon Glencorse and Inverness -Woods. Upon August 10 an attempt was made to carry the line forward, -the Twenty-fifth Division advancing upon the left opposite to -Westhoek and the Eighteenth Division coming forward upon the right. -The operation was a local one, but was attended with some success, -the Twenty-fifth reaching their full objective and occupying the -village of {160} Westhoek. This attack was carried out by the 74th -Brigade, and was a model operation of the kind. Westhoek itself was -rushed by the 2nd Irish Rifles, but the 11th Lancashire Fusiliers on -the north did equally well, fighting their way to the advanced line -and capturing several houses with their garrisons. The 9th North -Lancashires had also a very fine day's work, but the 13th Cheshires, -coming up in support, lost heavily from the barrage which had been -too slow to catch the main attack. None the less the survivors made -their way to the extreme line, where they joined up with some 7th -Bedfords from the 54th Brigade to the south, and held a covering -flank so as to block any attack upon Westhoek. The Cheshires did -particularly well in this strenuous day's work, they and the -Fusiliers having repeated hand-to-hand fights with the German -counter-attacks. At one time a body of the Cheshires were quite cut -off, but they held their own with determined bravery until their -comrades rescued them. The Eighteenth Division were held up by the -heavy flanking fire from Inverness Copse. The left of the advance -got into the south-western edge of Glencorse Wood, touching the 74th -Brigade south of Westhoek, but the right brigade could not get -farther than the road east of Stirling Castle. On the whole, -however, it was a good advance, and in the meantime the Twenty-fourth -Division had drawn closer to Lower Star Post, the obstinate strong -point which had held up the 73rd Brigade upon July 31. The Germans -showed their resentment at these new advances by five counter-attacks -on the evening of August 10, all of which, especially the last, were -strongly pressed. These attacks were most strongly {161} made -against the 76th Brigade upon the left, but by the exertions of the -106th and 130th Field Companies Royal Engineers, and their pioneers, -the 6th South Wales Borderers, they had consolidated to such an -extent that they held out against extreme pressure. The 7th Bedfords -and 7th Queens in the front of the Eighteenth Division had also much -to endure, and were pushed to the very edge of Glencorse Wood. All -day the Irish Riflemen in Westhoek could see the Germans in small -bodies dribbling over into the Hannebeek valley in front of them -until in the evening a large force had accumulated. From ten in the -morning the drift had been going on. The 10th Cheshires and 3rd -Worcesters of the 7th Brigade had come up to thicken the attenuated -line, but the danger was threatening, and rockets and pigeons were -sent up to warn the guns. A very heavy barrage was laid down by them -and stopped the attack. The enemy could be seen running for safety -in every direction. At the same time an attack broke upon the 11th -Lancashire Fusiliers to the north. An isolated house, which was -occupied by a small party of this battalion, was so closely attacked -that three Germans were shot as they clambered through the windows, -but the North Countrymen stood fast, and forty-eight dead were picked -up round this post in the morning. This ended the enemy's attempts -to recover the lost ground. The fighting had been severe, and the -British losses were heavy. For a second time within a year the 13th -Cheshires had their commanding officer and every other officer of the -battalion upon the casualty list. When one reads such figures one -can ask with confidence whether all the exclusiveness of a special -{162} caste with its codes of honour and appeals to violence can -exceed the quiet courage of those civilian gentlemen who undertook -the leading of our new armies. - -Six field-guns with 8 officers and 300 men were taken in this -Westhoek operation. The enemy consisted of the German Fifty-fourth -Reserve Division, and all accounts agree that both in defence and in -counter-attack their conduct was admirable. - -The ground was still very wet and the conditions deplorable, but the -advance must be continued at all costs if the preparations were not -to be thrown away and winter to find us still within the old -pent-house of Ypres. By the end of the second week in August the -higher ground was beginning to dry, though the bogs in between were -already hardly passable. One more fortnight would be invaluable, but -Sir Douglas could not afford to waste another day. Upon August 16 -the advance was renewed. - -As the original attack had been from a concavity which was almost a -semicircle, and as it had encroached upon the German area round the -whole circumference, the result was that the front was now too large -for simultaneous attack, and the whole of the units of Plumer's Army -which had formerly taken part in the battle were now to the south of -the storm-area. The line of battle extended from the French -positions in the north down to the north-west corner of Inverness -Wood. Along this line the four corps of Cavan (Fourteenth), Maxse -(Eighteenth), Watts (Nineteenth), and Jacob (Second), were extended -in their former order. In each case the divisions which had borne -the brunt of July 31 were now in support, while the old supporting -divisions were in the line. As before, {163} we will take the corps -in their order from the north, premising that after the usual heavy -bombardment the attack began at 4.45 in the morning. - -Of the French upon the extreme left of the line it can only be said -that they did all and more than they were asked to do. With the -grand, swift dash which is the characteristic of their infantry they -stormed the various fortified farms along the line of the Steenbeek, -though some of them held out long after the main lines of our Allies -had passed them. The two ends of the Bridge which crosses the stream -at the village of Drie-Grachten were secured, and the whole of the -peninsula made good. - -The front of Cavan's Fourteenth Corps was formed by the grand old -Twenty-ninth Division upon the left, and the Twentieth Light -Division, the heroes of many fights, upon the right. Both divisions -lived up to their highest that day, which means that many a brave man -died at his highest to carry on the record. On the whole, the Mebus -or pill-boxes, the new German concrete forts, were less effective in -the north than in the south, which may have depended upon the general -lie of the country which gave them a shorter area of fire. Small -bodies of brave men--sometimes a single brave man--managed to get up -to them and to silence them by hurling a sudden bomb through the -porthole from which the gun protruded. - -The advance of the Twenty-ninth Division was begun by crossing in the -early dawn the bridges thrown over the Steenbeek. Starting from the -line of the stream, the advanced mud-beplastered lines, extending as -they crossed country, coalescing as they concentrated upon any -obstacle, moved swiftly {164} forwards to their objectives, which -were taken in their entirety. Passerelle Farm was carried by the -veterans of the Twenty-ninth, and so was Martin's Mill upon the -right, many prisoners being sent to the rear. Another heave took -them across the grass-grown lines of the abandoned railway and on -into the hamlet of Wijdendrift, the line being established well to -the north-east of that place. - -Whilst the Twenty-ninth Division had made this fine advance upon the -left, the Twentieth had done equally well upon the right, and had -ended their brilliant attack by storming after a short but sharp -contest the village of Langemarck, that old battle centre of 1914. - -The start of the attack was as fine as its execution, for the two -brigades were marshalled into their positions in pitch darkness upon -ground which was bewildering in its badness, close under the untaken -redoubt of Au Bon Gite, whose garrison at any moment might give the -alarm. So silent was the operation that the enemy was utterly -ignorant of it, though they kept up a continual machine-gun fire all -night which made the assemblage even more difficult. In the early -dawn the German fort was rushed by two companies of the 11th Rifle -Brigade under Captain Slade. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{165} - -[Illustration: LINE OF BATTLE, August 16, 1917] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Then keeping within thirty yards of the barrage the attack moved -forward as best it might through the swamps. The 60th Brigade was on -the right and the 61st upon the left. The latter had never yet -failed to carry its objective, and now it surged through the village -of Langemarck and out at the farther side. The 12th King's Liverpool -with the 7th Battalion of the Sussex, Durham, and {166} Yorkshire -Light Infantry were the heroes of this exploit. The German colonel -commanding the 3rd Battalion 261st Regiment, and a crowd of very -shaken prisoners from the 79th Prussian Reserve Division were picked -out of the ruins. On the right the 60th Brigade had made an equally -fine advance, the King's Royal Rifles being on the flank in touch -with the 12th King's Liverpool, with the 6th Shropshires on their -right, while the 6th Oxford and Bucks, cleared up the numerous -pill-boxes at Au Bon Gite on the banks of the Steenbeek. There were -many casualties in the advance, including Colonel Prioleau of the -Rifle Brigade, caused chiefly by the fire of the murderous Mebus -which studded the ground. These were engaged by small groups of men, -specially trained for the work, who frequently, by their cool, -purposeful courage, succeeded in silencing what would seem to be an -impenetrable stronghold. Sergeant Cooper of the Rifles attacked one -of these places with twelve men, and had his whole party shot down. -None the less, he closed with it, and firing through the loop-hole -with a borrowed revolver, he caused the surrender of the garrison of -forty men with seven guns, winning his V.C. Such deeds were done all -along the line, and without them the advance must have been held up. -Finally the 60th Brigade established themselves upon the line of -Langemarck, in touch with the captors of the village, but in the late -afternoon a heavy German attack broke in between the King's -Liverpools and the Rifles, annihilating the left flank Company of the -latter battalion, which fought desperately to the end under Captain -Dove, who was among those who fell. So critical was the situation at -one time that a defensive flank 200 yards {167} in length was held by -an officer and fifteen men, with hardly any cartridges in their -pouches. Touch was kept, however, between the two Brigades, and -before evening they had dug in and consolidated the new position. -There had been victory along all this front, and by sunset the whole -of the objectives of the Fourteenth Corps, with the exception of a -small length of trench to the north-east of Langemarck, were in the -hands of Cavan's infantry. - -Maxse's Eighteenth Corps was formed by the Eleventh Division upon the -left, and the Forty-eighth South Midland Territorials upon the right. -The advance was over the Langemarck-Zonnebeke Road, and on over -broken Mebus-studded country with no village nor even any farm-house -to give a name and dignity to the considerable gain of ground. The -advance was, though not complete, of great tactical importance, as it -screened the flank of the successful corps in the North. - -Brilliant success had marked the operations of the Fourteenth Corps, -and modified success those of the Eighteenth. In the case of the -four gallant divisions which formed the front of the Nineteenth and -Second Corps, it can hardly be said that they had any gains, while -their losses were always heavy, and in some cases simply disastrous. -Yet, conditions of weather, and ground and position being what they -were, it was impossible to impute a shadow of blame to officers or -men, who faced a difficult and often an impossible task with the -spirit of heroes. To show how desperate that task was, and the -extraordinary punishment which was endured by the infantry, the -narrative of the Sixteenth and Thirty-sixth Divisions which formed -Watts' Corps may be told at greater length. {168} The Sixteenth -which is treated first was on the right of the Corps in the -Frezenberg sector of the attack. - -This division, which had occupied under torrential rain and heavy -fire the Frezenberg Ridge since August 4, was much exhausted before -the advance began. The losses had fallen mainly upon the 47th -Brigade, which had held the line, but the attacking brigades which -now took its place were by no means immune. On the day before the -battle, Brigadier-General Leveson-Gower of the 49th Brigade and -practically all his staff became casualties from gas poisoning, and -the command had to be taken over by the C.O. of the Irish Fusiliers. -So heavy was the pressure upon the division that 107 officers and -1900 men were on the casualty lists before the advance had begun. -None the less, the spirit of the troops was high, and all were eager -for the clash. On August 16 the attack was made at 4.45 in the -morning, the Thirty-sixth North of Ireland Division being on the left -and the Eighth upon the right of the Sixteenth Division. It was upon -a two-brigade front, the 48th being on the right and the 49th upon -the left. So difficult were the conditions that it was only a -quarter of an hour before zero that the concentration was complete, -most of the troops being more fit for a rest than for a battle. - -The line of advance was formed by the 7th Irish Rifles and 9th Dublin -Fusiliers upon the right, while the 7th and 8th Inniskilling -Fusiliers were on the left. At the signal they went forward over -very heavy ground, the barrage slowing down to five minutes per -hundred yards. We shall first follow the right attack. - -Both the Irish Rifles and the Dublin Fusiliers {169} found themselves -at once within the sweep of numerous machine-guns which caused very -heavy casualties. The Rifles for a time were in touch with the 2nd -Middlesex of the Eighth Division upon their right, but the latter got -caught in their own barrage with the result that it had to fall back. -The Rifles, who had lost practically every officer, moved down the -railway and across the Hannebeek, but were so reduced in number that -it was not possible for the few survivors to hold the German -counter-attack advancing about 4 P.M. from Zonnebeke. The Dublin -Fusiliers, who had wilted under a heavy enfilade fire from Vampire -Farm and Bremen Redoubt, were in equally bad case, and all officers -and orderlies who tried to get forward to the assaulting companies -were killed or wounded. Two companies of the 2nd Dublin Fusiliers -which came up in support shared in the catastrophe and were -practically annihilated. Of one company two officers and three men -survived unscathed. Of another one non-commissioned officer and ten -men. Such figures will show the absolute devotion with which the -Irishmen stuck to their work and are not, so far as can be known, -exceeded by any losses endured by considerable units during the war. -Some of these scattered remains lay out until the evening of August -17, endeavouring to hold a new line, until after dusk they fell back -to the trenches from which they had started. - -On the left the Inniskilling Fusiliers got away in fine style with -the 7/8th Irish Fusiliers in close support moving so swiftly that -they avoided the German barrage. Beck House and other strong points -were rapidly taken. A fort named Borry Farm upon the right could not -be reduced, however, {170} and its five machine-guns raked the -advancing lines. Three separate attacks upon the concrete -emplacements of this position all ended in failure. Part of the -attacking force remained in front of the untaken position, while -another portion passed it on the north side working on to the -neighbourhood of Zevenkote. At this side there had been more success -as the 7th Inniskillings had taken Iberian Trench and consolidated -it. Thence they moved forward to the eminence called Hill 37, but -met with heavy blasts of fire from that position and from Zonnebeke. -The enemy now counter-attacked from Hill 37, and as the left flank of -the Inniskillings was entirely exposed, since they had outrun the -Ulster men upon their left, they were forced to retire to a position -at Delva Farm. This was untenable, however, since both flanks were -now exposed, so the whole line fell back to Iberian Trench. This, -however, proved to be also impossible to hold on account of the truly -terrible losses. In the whole force in that quarter of the field -only one officer seems to have been left standing. Both the 8th -Fusiliers upon the right and the Ulster men upon the left had -retired, and by 9.30 A.M. there was no alternative for the shattered -remnants of the 49th Brigade but to seek the shelter of their own -line, while the 6th Connaughts and 7th Leinsters were brought up to -support them. Of the 7th Inniskillings there were left one wounded -officer and no formed body of men at all, while no other battalion of -the brigade was of greater strength than half a company. It was -indeed a dreadful day in all this Southern section of the line. The -losses had been so heavy that no further attack could be organised, -and in spite of the fact that scattered men were still lying {171} -out, it was impossible to form a new line. Upon the night of August -17 the Fifteenth Division came forward again to relieve the exhausted -but heroic infantry, who had done all that men could do, and more -than men could be expected to do, but all in vain. - -Nor had their brother Irishmen of the Thirty-sixth Division upon -their left any better fortune. The failure of one division may -always be due to some inherent weakness of its own, but when four -divisions in line, of the calibre of the Thirty-sixth, Sixteenth, -Eighth, and Fifty-sixth all fail, then it can clearly be said, as on -the first day of the Somme Battle, that they were faced by the -impossible. This impossible obstacle took the immediate form of many -concrete gun emplacements arranged chequer-wise across the front, -each holding five guns. But the contributory causes in the case of -all the divisions except the Fifty-sixth was their long exposure in -dreadful weather to a sustained bombardment which would have shaken -the nerves of any troops in the world, apart from thinning their -ranks. In the Sixteenth Division alone 1200 men were under treatment -for trench fever and swollen feet, besides the heavy losses from -shell fire. - -The fortunes of the Thirty-sixth Ulster Division were in all ways -similar to those of the Sixteenth. There was the same initial -advance, the same experience of devastating fire from concrete strong -points, the same slaughter, and the same retreat of a few survivors -over ground which was dotted with the bodies of their comrades. Upon -the right the attack was urged by the 108th Brigade with the 9th -Irish Fusiliers upon the right and {172} the Irish Rifles upon the -left, with two other battalions of the same regiment in support. The -attack starting from the line of Pommern Castle got forward as far as -Gallipoli Farm, but there it was faced by a machine-gun fire, coming -chiefly from Hill 35, which was simply annihilating in its effect. -Only the remains of the 9th Irish Fusiliers ever got back to their -original line. For many hours the Irish Rifles held on to the rising -ground to the north-east of Pommern Castle, but by four in the -afternoon the shattered 108th Brigade was back in its own trenches. - -The attack of Jacob's Second Corps was carried out upon August 16 by -two divisions, the Eighth (which had relieved the Twenty-fifth) in -the Ypres-Roulers Railway-Westhoek line, and the Fifty-sixth London -Territorials which had relieved the Eighteenth Division in the -Glencorse Wood-Stirling Castle line. - -The Eighth Division advanced with the 23rd Brigade upon the left and -the 25th upon the right. The barrage was excellent, the infantry -were on the top of their form, and all went well. Starting at 4.45 -A.M., within an hour they had taken Zonnebeke Redoubt, Iron Cross -Redoubt, and Anzac. This marked their limit, however, for heavy -machine-gun fire was sweeping across from machine-gun emplacements of -concrete in Nonneboschen Wood in the south. The right flank of the -25th Brigade fell back therefore to the line of the Hannebeek, and -the stormers of Zonnebeke Redoubt, men of the 2nd West Yorkshire, -were compelled to fall back also to the same line. The Germans were -now in an aggressive mood, and were seen several times advancing in -large numbers down the wooded slopes in front of the British -positions, but were always stopped by the heavy barrage. {173} About -2.30 P.M. their pressure caused a short retirement, and the situation -was made more difficult by the failure of the 23rd Brigade to find -touch with the division upon their left. The pressure of the -counter-attacks still continued, and the German losses were heavy, -but the machine-gun fire was so deadly in the exposed Hannebeek -Valley that a further withdrawal was ordered until the troops were -almost in the line from which they had started. - -The advance of the Fifty-sixth Division upon the right could not be -said to be more successful. The 167th Brigade were on the left, the -169th in the centre with the desperate task of carrying Nonnebosch -and Glencorse, while the hard-worked 53rd Brigade of the Eighteenth -Division was detailed to form a defensive flank upon the south. It -was really the failure of this attack which contributed greatly to -the failure of the whole, for there was a strong point at the -north-west corner of Inverness Copse with strong machine-gun -emplacements which could sweep the area to the north over a wide arc. -Thus all the troops north of this point were faced from the start by -a devastating fire. The 167th Brigade got well forward to Nonne -Boschen, but was stopped by bogs and so fell behind the barrage. On -the left they reached Albert Redoubt, but were driven in by a strong -counter-attack. The 169th reached the east end of Glencorse Wood -where they killed many Germans and captured sixty gunners, but the -counter-attacks gradually drove the line back to whence it started. -A German officer captured a few days later has described how he saw -the London men, mostly without officers, walking slowly back in front -of his advance. It was a day of hard slogging upon this sector with -very {174} little to show for it. So serious were the losses of the -Fifty-sixth Division that the Fourteenth Division took its place next -day, while the other London Territorial unit, the Forty-seventh -Division (Gorringe) took over the line of the hard-worked Eighth. - -Thus we have passed down the whole line upon August 16, and have -noted the victory of the north, the stalemate of the centre, and the -failure on the south. There can be no doubt that the losses of the -British were very much in excess of those of the Germans, for the -line of the latter could be held cheaply owing to the Mebus system -which presented a new and formidable problem for the British -generals. On the other hand the actual trophies of victory lay with -the attack, since in the north they had possessed themselves of the -German third line, and had captured 30 guns with more than 2000 -prisoners. - -During the wet and miserable fortnight which followed this engagement -the British line was advanced at many points by local operations, -each small in itself but yielding in the aggregate some hundreds of -prisoners, and representing a gain of ground of about 800 yards for -two miles upon the St. Julien front. The Eleventh and Forty-eighth -Divisions which still held this sector were responsible for the -greater part of this advance which was carried out by three efforts, -upon August 19, 22, and 27. Upon the earlier date the advance of the -South Midlanders was particularly fine, when the 145th Brigade was -heavily engaged, the Gloucesters and Buckinghams leading a fine -assault which gained an appreciable section of ground. The bombing -parties of the 4th Berkshires, a battalion recruited from Reading, -did particularly good service, {175} following up the first line and -reducing a number of strong points which had been left untaken. The -losses among the stormers were heavy, but the results were -substantial and there were some hundreds of prisoners. Especially -fine during this and subsequent actions was the conduct of the -field-gunners, British, Canadian, and Australian, who habitually -worked their guns in the open with their horses in attendance, -changing positions, advancing and unlimbering in the good old fashion -with no attempt at camouflage, and defiant of the German shells or -aeroplanes. The team-drivers had little to do in the war up to now, -but when their chance came they and their gallant horses went through -the barrage and the poison clouds as if they were no more than London -fogs. The admiration of the gunners for each other was mutual. Mr. -Bean, the Australian chronicler, narrates how a British artillery -Major complimented the neighbouring Australian battery saying: "We -could not believe you could carry on in such a fire": to which the -Australian Major replied: "Well, do you know, we were thinking -exactly the same thing about you." Of such are the ties of Empire. - -On August 22 the Fourteenth Division carried out an attack upon -Glencorse and Inverness Woods, going over the top at 7 A.M. The 42nd -Brigade was on the left facing Glencorse, the 43rd upon the right -facing Inverness. The light infantry battalions went forward in fine -style, the 5th Shropshires and 6th Cornwalls upon the left carrying -all before them and attaining their full objective, which was -strictly limited in its extent. This was held and consolidated. The -6th Somersets and 10th Durhams went forward on the right, but the -{176} fighting was severe and the progress slow. None the less it -was sure, and before evening the greater part of Inverness Copse was -in the hands of these four battalions, together with nearly 200 -prisoners. An to attempt next morning, August 23, to capture -Fitz-Clarence Farm, just north of Inverness Copse, though supported -by three tanks, was not a success, two of the tanks being hit by -gun-fire and the third reaching the Farm without any infantry at its -heels. At the same time a counter-attack upon the 5th Shropshires -was beaten back by rifle fire. On the next day there was still heavy -fighting in this sector, for the Germans could not bear to give up -this wood, and made many attempts to regain it. The 42nd Brigade -held every inch of their line in Glencorse, but the 43rd were pushed -back to the western edge of Inverness where they held on. - -There had been a slight forward movement upon each side of the -Fourteenth Division during these three days of battle, the -Forty-seventh Division taking an advanced line in the north, while -the steadfast Twenty-fourth, still in the line of battle, came -forward in the south. The 17th Brigade upon the right of the -Fourteenth Division guarded its flank during the advance, and a -dashing exploit was performed by one of its officers, Lieutenant -Stonebanks of the 1st Royal Fusiliers, who took a strong point with -its garrison by a sudden attack, so gaining his cross. - -Among the other operations which were carried out between the larger -engagements in the hope of improving the local position were a series -which covered the ground from Fortuin in the north to the south of -the Roulers Railway. This point, which was still occupied by the -Nineteenth Corps, was {177} covered upon the left by the Sixty-first -Division, a second line English Territorial unit, which faced Hill -35, while on the right the Fifteenth Division had come back into the -battle once more. These two divisions made two advances upon August -22 and upon August 27 in an endeavour to enlarge their front, but -neither was successful. Early in September the Forty-second -Division, which had returned with a considerable reputation from -Gallipoli, took the place of the hard-worked Fifteenth. Upon -September 6 they again endeavoured to get forward, but the fact that -Hill 37 on their left flank had not been taken proved fatal to their -advance. The ground was swept from this position of vantage so that -when the Forty-second Division went forward upon September 6 to try -and storm the line of farms, Iberian, Beck, and Borry, which lay in -front of them, they were smitten on their left flank by this deadly -fire and suffered heavy losses--the more heavy because with heroic -tenacity they held to their task long after its failure was -inevitable. The 125th Brigade showed an intrepidity in this attack -which in any former war would have been historical, but in this -prolonged exhibition of human and military virtue does but take its -place among many as good. The 5th and 6th Lancashire Fusiliers who -led the stormers had practically ceased to exist after the action, -while the 7th and 8th in support had heavy losses. The general -lesson of such attacks would seem to be here, as on the Somme, that -it is better to wait for a general advance in order to rectify -inequalities of the line, rather than to approach them by local -attacks--also that an untaken strong point upon the flank is -absolutely fatal to any isolated {178} effort. From this time -onwards the line was quiet, making preparation for the great coming -attack. - -On the rest of the Allied battle-line the principal event of August -was a successful Italian attack to upon the Isonzo Front beginning -upon August 19, which not only gained ground but brought in no less -than 20,000 prisoners. On the Verdun Front upon August 20 the French -had a fine little victory, winning back the last remains of what they -had lost in the great struggle, and taking over 5000 prisoners. -Since April 9 the Allied gains in prisoners had been British 45,000, -French 43,000, Italians 40,000, Russians 33,000. The British at this -date held 102,000 Germans as against 43,000 British prisoners held by -the Germans. - -[Illustration: THE YPRES FRONT] - - - - -{179} - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES - -September 6 to October 3, 1917 - -Engagement of Plumer's Second Army--Attack of September 20--Fine -advance of Fifty-fifth Division--Advance of the Ninth Division--Of -the Australians--Strong counter-attack upon the Thirty-third -Division--Renewed advance on September 26--Continued rain--Desperate -fighting. - - -The attack of August 16, with its varying and not wholly satisfactory -results, had been carried out entirely by the armies of Antoine and -of Gough. It was clear now to Sir Douglas Haig that the resistance -of the Germans was most formidable along the line of the Menin Road, -where the long upward slope and the shattered groves which crowned it -made an ideal position for defence. To overcome this obstacle a new -force was needed, and accordingly the Second Army was closed up to -the north, and the command in this portion of the field was handed -over to General Plumer. This little white-haired leader with his -silky manner, his eye-glass, and his grim, inflexible resolution, had -always won the confidence of his soldiers, but the complete victory -of Messines, with the restraint which had prevented any aftermath of -loss, had confirmed the whole army in its high appreciation of his -powers. - -These changes in the line, together with the {180} continued rain, -which went from bad to worse, had the effect of suspending operations -during the remainder of the month save for the smaller actions -already recorded. Fresh dispositions had to be made also in order to -meet the new German method of defence, which had abandoned the old -trench system, and depended now upon scattered strong points, lightly -held front lines, and heavy reserves with which to make immediate -counter-attacks upon the exhausted stormers. The concrete works -called also for a different artillery treatment, since they were so -strong that an eighteen-pounder or even a 5.9 gun made little -impression. These new problems all pressed for solution, and the -time, like the days, was growing shorter. - -The front of the new attack upon September 20 was about eight miles -in length, and corresponded closely with the front attacked upon July -31, save that it was contracted in the north so that Langemarck was -its limit upon this side. Upon the south the flank was still fixed -by the Ypres-Comines Canal, just north of Hollebeke. The scheme of -the limited objective was closely adhered to, so that no advance of -more than a mile was contemplated at any point, while a thousand -yards represented the average depth of penetration which was -intended. The weather, which had given a treacherous promise of -amendment, broke again upon the very night of the assembly, and the -troops were drenched as they lay waiting for the signal to advance. -Towards morning the rain stopped, but drifting clouds and a dank mist -from the saturated soil deprived the attackers of the help of their -aircraft--so serious a handicap to the guns. But the spirits of the -men rose with the difficulties, after the good {181} old British -fashion, and at 5.40 on this most inclement morning, wet and stiff -and cold, they went forward with cheerful alacrity into the battle. - -The field of operations was now covered by two British armies, that -of Gough in the north extending from beyond Langemarck to the -Zonnebeke front, while Plumer's Army covered the rest of the line -down to Hollebeke. It may be said generally that the task of the men -in the south was the more difficult, since they had farther to -advance over country which had seemed to be almost impregnable. None -the less the advance in the north was admirably executed and reached -its full objectives. Cavan's Fourteenth Corps still held the extreme -north of the British line, but neither they nor the French upon their -left were really engaged in the advance. They covered the front as -far south as Schreiboom, where the right of the Twentieth Division -joined on to the left of the Fifty-first Highlanders. This latter -division formed the left flank of the main advance, though the 59th -Brigade, the 60th Brigade, and the 2nd Brigade of Guards did push -their line some short distance to the front, on either side of the -Ypres-Staden Railway, the 59th Brigade capturing Eagle Trench and the -60th Eagle House. This was a very formidable position, crammed with -machine-guns, and it took four days for its conquest, which was a -brilliant feat of arms carried out by men who would be discouraged by -no obstacle. The garrison were picked troops, who fought -desperately, and everything was against the attack, but their -pertinacity wore down the defence and eventually, upon Sept. 23, the -10th Rifle Brigade and the 12th Royal Rifles cleared up the last -corner of the widespread stronghold. - -{182} - -The hard-worked Highland Territorials of the Fifty-first Division -were worn with service but still full of fire. Their advance was -also an admirable one, and by nine o'clock they had overcome all -obstacles and dug in upon their extreme objective. Quebec Farm was a -special stronghold which held the Highlanders up for a time, but -finally fell to their determined assault. Rose Farm, Delva Farm, and -Pheasant Farm were also strongly defended. About 10 A.M. many strong -counter-attacks were made in this area, one of which for a time drove -back the line of the Highlanders, but only for a short period. This -particular attack was a very gallant one effected by Poles and -Prussians of the Thirty-sixth and Two hundred and eighth Divisions. -It was noted upon this day that the Prussians fought markedly better -than the Bavarians, which has not always been the case. The method -adopted both by the Highland Division and in some other parts of the -line in order to overcome strong points, such as farms, was a -concentration of portable trench-mortars firing heavy charges with a -shattering effect. Pheasant Farm was a particularly difficult -proposition, and yet it was so smothered by a cloud of these missiles -that the distracted garrison was compelled to surrender. This use of -what may be called a miniature and mobile heavy artillery became a -feature of the last year of the War. - -Next to the Fifty-first Division, and covering the ground to the -north and east of St. Julien was the Fifty-eighth Division, a new -unit of second line London Territorials which had done a good deal of -rough service in the line, but had not yet been engaged in an -important advance. Upon this occasion {183} it bore out the old -saying that British troops are often on their top form in a first -engagement. Their advance was a brilliant one and attained its full -objective, taking upon the way the strongly-fortified position of -Wurst Farm. Nowhere in the line was the ground more sodden and more -intersected with water jumps. The 173rd Brigade was on the right, -the 174th upon the left, the former being led by the young hero of -the Ancre Battle and the youngest Brigadier, save perhaps one, in the -whole army. It was a magnificent battle _début_ for the Londoners -and their coolness under fire was particularly remarkable, for in -facing the difficult proposition of Wurst Farm they avoided making a -frontal attack upon it by swinging first left and then right with all -the workmanlike precision of veterans, The capture of Hubner Farm by -the 2/6th and 2/8th London was also a particularly fine performance, -as was the whole work of Higgins' 174th Brigade. - -The two divisions last mentioned, the Fifty-first and the -Fifty-eighth, formed the fighting line of Maxse's Eighteenth Corps -upon this day. On their right was Fanshawe's Fifth Corps, which had -taken the place of the Nineteenth Corps. The most northern division -was that sterling West Lancashire Territorial Division, the -Fifty-fifth, which had now been in and out of the fighting line but -never out of shell fire since the evening of July 31, or seven weeks -in all. In spite of its long ordeal, and of the vile ground which -lay at its front, it advanced with all its usual determination, the -164th Brigade upon the left, and the 165th upon the right, each of -them being stiffened by one battalion from the Reserve Brigade. The -8th Liverpool Irish were {184} upon the extreme left, which moved -down the left bank of the Hannebeek and struck up against the -difficult obstacle of Schuber Farm, which they succeeded, with the -co-operation of the 2/4th London and of two Tanks, in carrying by -assault. Farther south a second farm-house, strongly held, called -the Green House, was carried by the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers, while -the 4th North Lancashire took Fokker Farm upon the right. When one -considers that each of these was a veritable fortress, stuffed with -machine-guns and defended by 2nd Guards Reserve regiment, one cannot -but marvel at the efficiency to which these Territorial soldiers had -attained. The 4th Royal Lancasters kept pace upon the right. The -advance of the 165th Brigade was equally successful in gaining -ground, and there also were formidable obstacles in their path. -After crossing the Steenbeek they had to pass a very heavy barrage of -high explosives and shrapnel which, however, burst upon percussion -and was neutralised to some extent by the softness of the ground. -The line of advance was down the Gravenstafel Road. A formidable -line of trenches were carried and Kavnorth Post was captured, as were -Iberian and Gallipoli, strong points upon the right. A -counter-attack in the afternoon which moved down against the two -brigades, was broken by their rifle-fire, aided by the advent of the -two supporting battalions, the 5th South Lancashires and 5th North -Lancashires. The ground thus taken was strongly held until next -evening, September 21, when under cover of a very heavy fire the -enemy penetrated once more into the positions in the area of the -164th Brigade. Just as darkness fell, however, there was a fine -advance to regain the ground, in which the whole {185} of the -headquarters staff, with bearers, signallers, runners, and -men-servants, swept up to the position which was captured once more. -Among other positions taken upon September 20 was Hill 37, which had -been so formidable a stronghold for the Germans in the murderous -fighting of August 16. This commanding point was taken and held by -the 5th, 6th, and 9th King's Liverpools, with part of the 5th South -Lancashires, all under the same officer who led the 36th Brigade in -their fine attack upon Ovillers. The position was strongly -organised, and upon the next day it beat back a very determined -German counter-attack. - -The Ninth Division was on the right of the Fifty-fifth with the South -Africans upon the left flank. At the opening of the attack the 3rd -(Transvaal) and 4th (Scottish) South African regiments advanced upon -the German line. Within an hour the latter had carried Borry Farm, -which had defied several previous assaults. At eight o'clock both -these regiments had reached their full objectives and the supporting -units, the 1st (Cape) and 2nd (Natal) regiments went through their -ranks, the men of the Transvaal cheering the men of Natal and the -Cape as they passed. By 9.30 the second objectives, including Beck -House, had also fallen. There was a considerable concentration of -Germans beyond, and the 5th Camerons came up in support, as an attack -appeared to be imminent. The artillery fire dispersed the gathering, -however, and the 2nd Regiment spreading out on the left to Waterend -House established touch with the Lancashire men to their north. -Bremen Redoubt had been captured, and this was made a nodal point -against any {186} counter-attack, as was Vampire Redoubt. By mid-day -the 1st Regiment on the right had lost heavily and was forced to dig -in and act upon the defensive as German concentrations were visible -in the Hannebeke Woods. A second battalion of the 26th Brigade, the -7th Seaforths, were at this time sent up in support. The left flank -was also checked and a defensive post organised at Mitchell's Farm. -The shelling from the direction of Hill 37 was very heavy, the more -so as the Africans were ahead of the 165th Brigade upon their left. -A number of German aeroplanes flying low and using their machine-guns -complicated a situation which was already sufficiently serious, for -the small-arm ammunition was running low and only a few hundred -exhausted men with a thin sprinkling of officers remained in the -fighting line. The artillery played up splendidly, however, and -though the enemy massed together at Bostin Farm he could never get a -sufficient head of troops to carry him through the pelting British -barrage. Thus the day drew to a close with heavy losses cheerfully -borne, and also with a fine gain of ground which included several of -the most sinister strong points upon the whole line. The South -Africans have been few in number, but it cannot be disputed that -their record in the field has been a superb one. - -In the meantime the 27th Brigade, upon the right of the South -Africans, had also done a splendid day's work. In the first dash the -battalion upon the left front, the 12th Royal Scots, had taken -Potsdam Redoubt with its garrison. Thence the line rolled on, the -Scots Fusiliers and Highland Light Infantry joining in turn in the -advance, until evening found them with the same difficulties and also -with {187} the same success as their African comrades. As night fell -this right wing was in touch with the Australians near Anzac, and -thence passed through the wood and along the railway bank to the -junction with the left brigade, which in turn stretched across to -Gallipoli and to Hill 37, which was now in the hands of their -Lancashire neighbours and bristling with their machine-guns. That -night the Ninth Division lay upon the ground that they had won, but -the men had been without sleep or warm food for three days and nights -under continual fire, so that, hardy as they were, they had nearly -reached the limit of human endurance. It is worthy of remark that -the wounded in this part of the field were attended to in many cases -by captured German surgeons, and that one of these had an experience -of Prussian amenities, for his brains were scattered by a sniper's -bullet. - -The First and Second Australian Divisions joined the left unit of -Plumer's Army, but worked in close co-operation with the Ninth -Division upon their right. In a day of brilliant exploits and -unqualified successes there was nothing to beat their performance, -for they were faced by that which tries the nerves of the stoutest -troops--an area which has already been tested and found to be -impregnable. With all the greater fire did the brave Australian -infantry throw itself into the fray, and they had the advantage over -their predecessors in that the line was well up on either side of -them, and that enemy guns upon their flanks were too busy upon their -own front to have a thought of enfilading. The result of the -Australian advance was instant and complete, for the remainder of -Glencorse Wood and Nonne Boschen were over-run and by ten o'clock the -{188} "Diggers" were through the hamlet of Polygonveld and into the -original German third line beyond it. The western part of Polygon -Wood was also cleared, and so, after a sharp fight, was the strong -point called "Black Watch Corner," which is at the south-western -extremity of the wood. At this point the advance of the Australians -was not less than a mile in depth over ground which presented every -possible obstacle. Over at least one of their captured redoubts -their own Australian flag with the Southern Cross upon it was -floating proudly in the evening. The losses of the division were -serious, the greater part being due to an enfilade fire from the -right, coming probably from the high ground in the south near Tower -Hamlets, which struck their flank as they approached the south of -Polygon Wood. Anzac upon the left marked their northern limit. -Nothing could have been finer than the whole Australian attack. -"They went into battle," says their scribe, "not singing and laughing -like many British regiments, but very grim, very silent, with their -officers marching quietly at the head of each small string of men." -They are dour, determined fighters, flame-like in attack, iron in -defence, and they have woven a fresh and brilliant strand into the -traditions of the Imperial armies. It should be mentioned that it -was the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th Brigades which carried forward the -line to victory. - -Good as the Australian advance had been it could not be said to have -been better than Babington's Twenty-third Division upon their right. -They, too, had to cross ground which had been littered by the bodies -of their comrades, and to pass points which brave men had found -impassable. But all went well {189} upon this day, and every -objective was seized and held. Inverness Copse, of evil memory, was -occupied at the first rush, and the advance went forward without a -check to Dumbarton Lakes and on past them until the Veldhoek Ridge -had fallen. A counter-attack which broke upon them was driven back -in ruin. The advance was across the marshy Basseville Beek and -through the dangerous woods beyond, but from first to last there was -never a serious check. It was on the Yorkshires, the West -Yorkshires, and the Northumberland Fusiliers of the 68th and 69th -Brigades that the brunt of the early fighting fell, and as usual the -North-country grit proved equal to the hardest task which could be -set before it. The final stage which carried the Veldheek Ridge was -also a North-country exploit in this section of the line, as it was -the 10th West Ridings and the 12th Durhams, who with fixed bayonets -cleared the ultimate positions, reaching the western slopes of the -upper Steenbeek Valley where they dug in the new temporary lines. - -On the extreme south of the line the advance had been as successful -as elsewhere, and at nearly every point the full objective was -reached. Upon the right of the Twenty-third Division was the -Forty-first, a sound English Division which had distinguished itself -at the Somme by the capture of Flers. The leading brigades, the -122nd and 124th, with Royal Fusiliers, King's Royal Rifles, and -Hampshires in the lead, lost heavily in the advance. The snipers and -machine-guns were very active upon this front, but each obstacle was -in turn surmounted, and about 8.30 the Reserve Brigade, the 123rd, -came through and completed the morning's work, crossing {190} the -valley of the Basseville Beek and storming up the slope of the Tower -Hamlets, a strong position just south of the Menin Road. Among the -points which gave them trouble was the Papooje Farm, which was found -to be a hard nut to crack--but cracked it was, all the same. This -same brigade suffered much from machine-guns east of Bodmin Copse, -both it and the 124th Brigade being held up at the Tower Hamlet -Plateau, which exposed the wing of the 122nd who had reached all -their objectives. So great was the pressure that the Brigadier of -the 124th Brigade came up personally to reorganise the attack. The -11th West Kent, the southern unit of the 122nd, had their right flank -entirely exposed to German fire. Two young subalterns, Freeman and -Woolley, held this dangerous position for some time with their men, -but Freeman was shot by a sniper, the losses were heavy, and the line -had to be drawn in. Colonel Corfe of the 11th West Kent and Colonel -Jarvis of the 21st K.R.R. were among the casualties. In spite of all -counter-attacks the evening found the left of the Forty-first -Division well established in its new line, and only short of its full -objective in this difficult region of the Tower Hamlets, where for -the following two days it had to fight hard to hold a line. The -losses were heavy in all three brigades. - -On the right of the 41st and joining the flank unit of Morland's -Tenth Corps was the Thirty-ninth Division. This Division attacked -upon a single brigade front, the 117th having the post of honour. -The 16th and 17th Sherwood Foresters, the 17th Rifles, and the 16th -Rifle Brigade were each in turn engaged in a long morning's conflict -in which {191} they attained their line, which was a more limited one -than that of the divisions to the north. - -South of this point, and forming the flank of the whole attack, was -the Nineteenth Division, which advanced with the West-country men of -the 57th Brigade upon the right, and the Welshmen of the 58th Brigade -upon the left. Their course was down the spur east of Zillebeke and -then into the small woods north of the Ypres-Comines Canal. The 8th -Gloucesters, 10th Worcesters, 8th North Staffords, 6th Wiltshires, -9th Welsh, and 9th Cheshires each bore their share of a heavy burden -and carried it on to its ultimate goal. The objectives were shorter -than at other points, but had special difficulties of their own, as -every flank attack is sure to find. By nine o'clock the work was -thoroughly done, and the advance secured upon the south, the whole -Klein Zillebeke sector having been made good. The captors of La -Boisselle had shown that they had not lost their power of thrust. - -This first day of the renewed advance represented as clean-cut a -victory upon a limited objective as could be conceived. The logical -answer to the German determination to re-arrange his defences by -depth was to refuse to follow to depth, but to cut off his whole -front which was thinly held, and then by subsequent advances take -successive slices off his line. The plan worked admirably, for every -point aimed at was gained, the general position was greatly improved, -the losses were moderate, and some three thousand more prisoners were -taken. The Germans have been ingenious in their various methods of -defence, but history will record that the Allies showed equal skill -in their quick modifications of attack, {192} and that the British -during this year's campaign had a most remarkable record in never -being once held by any position which they attacked, save only at -Cambrai. It is true that on some sections, as in the south of the -line on August 16, there might be a complete check, but in every -action one or other part of the attack had a success. In this -instance it was universal along the line. - -The Germans did not sit down quietly under their defeat, but the -reserve counter-attack troops came forward at once. Instead, -however, of finding the assailants blown and exhausted, as they would -have been had they attempted a deep advance, they found them in -excellent fettle, and endured all the losses which an unsuccessful -advance must bring. There were no less than eleven of these attempts -upon the afternoon and evening of September 20, some of them serious -and some perfunctory, but making among them a great total of loss. -They extended over into September 21, but still with no substantial -success. As has already been recorded, the front of the 55th -Division, at Schuler Farm, east of St. Julien, was for a time driven -in, but soon straightened itself out again. In this advance, which -embraced the whole front near St. Julien, the German columns came -with the fall of evening driving down from Gravenstafel and following -the line of the Roulers Railway. They deployed under cover of a good -barrage, but the British guns got their exact range and covered them -with shrapnel. They were new unshaken troops and came on with great -steadiness, but the losses were too heavy and the British line too -stiff. Their total lodgment was not more than 300 yards, and that -they soon lost again. By nine o'clock all was clear. {193} Among -the British defences the ex-German pill-boxes were used with great -effect as a safe depository for men and munitions. This considerable -German attack in the north was succeeded next day by an even larger -and more concentrated effort which surged forward on the line of the -Menin Road, the fresh Sixteenth Bavarian Division beating up against -the Thirty-third and the Australian Divisions. There was some fierce -give-and-take fighting with profuse shelling upon either side, but -save for some local indentations the positions were all held. The -Victorians upon the right flank of the Australians' position at -Polygon Wood were very strongly attacked and held their ground all -day. Pinney's Thirty-third Division had come into line, and the -German attack upon the morning of September 25 broke with especial -fury upon the front of the 98th Brigade, which fought with a splendid -valour which marks the incident as one of the outstanding feats of -arms in this great battle. Small groups of men from the two regular -battalions, the 1st Middlesex and the 2nd Argyll and Sutherlands, -were left embedded within the German lines after their first -successful rush, but they held out with the greatest determination, -and either fought their way back or held on in little desperate -groups until they were borne forward again next day upon the wave of -the advancing army. - -The weight of the attack was so great, however, that the front of the -98th Brigade was pushed back, and there might have been a serious -set-back had it not been for the iron resistance of the 100th -Brigade, who stretched south to the Menin Road, joining hands with -the 11th Sussex of the Thirty-ninth {194} Division upon the farther -side. The 100th Brigade was exposed to a severe assault all day most -gallantly urged by the German Fiftieth Reserve Division and supported -by a terrific bombardment. It was a terrible ordeal, but the staunch -battalions who met it, the 4th Liverpools who linked up with their -comrades of the 98th Brigade, the 2nd Worcesters, 9th Highland Light -Infantry, and 1st Queens, were storm-proof that day. On the Menin -Road side the two latter battalions were pushed in for a time by the -weight of the blow, and lost touch with the Thirty-Ninth Division, -but the Colonel of the Queens, reinforced by some of the 16th K.R.R., -pushed forward again with great determination, and by 9 A.M. had -fully re-occupied the support line, as had the 9th Highland Light -Infantry upon their left. So the situation remained upon the night -of the 25th, and the further development of the British -counter-attack became part of the general attack of September 26. It -had been a hard tussle all day, in the course of which some hundreds -in the advanced line had fallen into the hands of the enemy. It -should be mentioned that the troops in the firing-line were -occasionally short of ammunition during the prolonged contest, and -that this might well have caused disaster had it not been for the -devoted work of the 18th Middlesex Pioneer Battalion who, under heavy -fire and across impossible ground, brought up the much-needed boxes -and bandoliers. The resistance of the Thirty-third Division was -greatly helped by the strong support of the Australians on their -flank. It was a remarkable fact, and one typical of the -inflexibility of Sir Douglas Haig's leadership and the competence of -his various staffs, that the fact that this severe action {195} was -raging did not make the least difference in his plans for the general -attack upon September 26. - -At 5.50 in the morning of that date, in darkness and mist, the -wonderful infantry was going forward as doggedly as ever over a front -of six miles, extending from the north-east of St. Julien to the -Tower Hamlets south of the Menin Road. The latter advance was -planned to be a short one, and the real object of the whole day's -fighting was to establish a good jumping-off place for an advance -upon the important Broodseinde Ridge. Some of the war-worn divisions -had been drawn out and fresh troops were in the battle line. The -Northern Corps was not engaged, and the flank of the advance was -formed by the Eleventh Division (Ritchie) with the 58th Londoners -upon their right, the two forming the fighting front of Maxse's -Eighteenth Corps. Their advance, which was entirely successful and -rapidly gained its full objectives, was along the line of St. -Julien-Poelcapelle Road. The total gain here, and in most other -points of the line, was about 1000 yards. - -Upon the right of Maxse's Corps was the Fifty-eighth Division, which -also secured its full objective. The German line upon this front was -held by the Twenty-third Saxon Division (Reserve), which yielded a -number of prisoners. The Londoners fought their way down the line of -the Wieltje-Gravenstafel Road, overcoming a series of obstacles and -reaching the greater portion of their objectives. There were no -notable geographical points to be captured, but the advance was a -fine performance which showed that the Fifty-eighth was a worthy -compeer of those other fine London territorial divisions which had -placed the reputation of the mother city at the very front of all -{196} the Imperial Armies. The Forty-seventh, the Fifty-sixth, the -Fifty-eighth, and the Sixtieth in Palestine had all shown how the -citizen-soldier of the Metropolis could fight. - -Fanshawe's Corps consisted upon this date of the Fifty-ninth Division -upon the left, and the Third upon the right. The Fifty-ninth -Division, which consisted of second-line battalions of North Midland -Territorials, made a fine advance upon the right of the Gravenstafel -Road, keeping touch with the Londoners upon the left. Here also -almost the whole objective was reached. The German positions, though -free from fortified villages, were very thick with every sort of -mechanical obstruction, in spite of which the attack went smoothly -from start to finish. It is clear that the British advance was fully -expected at the south end of the line, but that for some reason, -probably the wretched state of the ground, it was not looked for in -the north. - -The Third Division had kept pace with the Australians to the south -and with the Midlanders to the north, and had captured the village -and church of Zonnebeke, which formed their objective. Very strong -counter-attacks upon all the part of the land to the immediate north -of Polygon Wood were beaten down by the masterful fire of the British -artillery. - -To the right of the Fifth Corps the Australians pursued their -victorious career, going to their full limit, which entailed the -possession of the whole of Polygon Wood. The Fourth and Fifth -Divisions were now in the battle line. Pushing onwards they crossed -the road which connects Bacelaer with Zonnebeke, and established -themselves {197} firmly on the farther side south of Zonnebeke. Some -300 prisoners with a number of machine-guns were taken in this fine -advance. The pressure upon the Australians was especially heavy upon -the right flank of the Fifth Australian Division, since the left of -the Thirty-third Division had been driven in, as already described, -by the very heavy German attacks upon September 25, so that the -Victorians of the 15th Australian Brigade at the south end of the -line started with their flank exposed. They were in close touch -throughout with the 19th Brigade of the British Division, and the 2nd -Welsh Fusiliers found themselves intermingled with the Victorians in -the advance, with whom they co-operated in the capture of Jut Farm. -It was a fine feat for the Victorians to advance at all under such -circumstances, for as they went forward they had continually to throw -out a defensive flank, since the Germans had re-occupied many of the -trenches and Mebus, from which they had been ejected upon the 20th. -This strip of ground remained for a time with the Germans, but the -Thirty-third Division had also advanced upon the right of it, so that -it was left as a wedge protruding into the British position. Cameron -House was taken at the joining point of the two divisions, and -gradually the whole of the lost ground was re-absorbed. - -To the right of the Australians the Thirty-third Division went -forward also to its extreme objective, gathering up as it went those -scattered groups of brave men who had held out against the German -assault of the preceding day. This gallant division had a -particularly hard time, as its struggle against the German attack -upon the day before had been a very severe one, which entailed heavy -losses. {198} Some ground had been lost at the Veldhoek Trench north -of the Menin Road, where the 100th Brigade was holding the line, but -this had been partially regained, as already described, by an -immediate attack by the 1st Queen's West Surrey and 9th Highland -Light Infantry. The 2nd Argyll and Sutherlands were still in the -front line, but for the second time this year this splendid battalion -was rescued from the desperate situation which only such tried and -veteran soldiers could have carried through without disaster. -Immediately before the attack of September 26, just after the -assembly of the troops, the barrage which the Germans had laid down -in order to cover their own advance beat full upon the left of the -divisional line, near Glencorse Wood, and inflicted such losses that -it could not get forward at zero, thus exposing the Victorians, as -already recorded. Hence, although the 100th Brigade succeeded in -regaining the whole of the Veldhoek Trench upon the right, there was -an unavoidable gap upon the left between Northampton Farm and Black -Watch Corner. The division was not to be denied, however, and by a -splendid effort before noon the weak spot had been cleared up by the -Scottish Rifles, the 4th King's Liverpools, and the 4th Suffolks, so -that the line was drawn firm between Veldhoek Trench in the south and -Cameron House in the north. A counter-attack by the Fourth Guards -Division was crushed by artillery fire, and a comic sight was -presented, if anything can be comic in such a tragedy, by a large -party of the Guards endeavouring to pack themselves into a pill-box -which was much too small to receive them. Many of them were left -lying outside the entrance. - -{199} - -Farther still to the right, and joining the flank of the advance, the -Thirty-ninth Division, like its comrades upon the left, found a hard -task in front of it, the country both north and south of the Menin -Road being thickly studded with strong points and fortified farms. -It was not until the evening of September 27, after incurring heavy -losses, that they attained their allotted line. This included the -whole of the Tower Hamlets spur with the German works upon the -farther side of it. The extreme right flank was held up owing to -German strong points on the east of Bitter Wood, but with this -exception all the objectives were taken and held by the 116th and -118th, the two brigades in the line. The fighting fell with special -severity upon the 4th Black Watch and the 1st Cambridge of the latter -brigade, and upon the 14th Hants and the Sussex battalions of the -former, who moved up to the immediate south of the Menin Road. The -losses of all the battalions engaged were very heavy, and the 111th -Brigade of the Thirty-seventh Division had to be sent up at once in -order to aid the survivors to form a connected line. - -The total result of the action of September 26 was a gain of over -half a mile along the whole front, the capture of 1600 prisoners with -48 officers, and one more proof that the method of the broad, shallow -objective was an effective answer to the new German system of defence -by depth. It was part of that system to have shock troops in -immediate reserve to counter-attack the assailants before they could -get their roots down, and therefore it was not unexpected that a -series of violent assaults should immediately break upon the British -positions along the whole newly-won line. These raged during the -{200} evening of September 26, but they only served to add greatly to -the German losses, showing them that their ingenious conception had -been countered by a deeper ingenuity which conferred upon them all -the disadvantages of the attack. For four days there was a -comparative quiet upon the line, and then again the attacks carried -out by the Nineteenth Reserve Division came driving down to the south -of Polygon Wood, but save for ephemeral and temporary gains they had -no success. The Londoners of the Fifty-eighth Division had also a -severe attack to face upon September 28 and lost two posts, one of -which they recovered the same evening. - -Up to now the weather had held, and the bad fortune which had -attended the British for so long after August 1 seemed to have -turned. But the most fickle of all the gods once more averted her -face, and upon October 3 the rain began once more to fall heavily in -a way which announced the final coming of winter. None the less the -work was but half done, and the Army could not be left under the -menace of the commanding ridge of Paschendaale. At all costs the -advance must proceed. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{201} - -[Illustration: THIRD YPRES BATTLE, September 26] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - -{202} - -CHAPTER IX - -THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES - -October 4 to November 10, 1917 - -Attack of October 4--Further advance of the British line--Splendid -advance of second-line Territorials--Good work of H.A.C. at -Reutel--Abortive action of October 12--Action of October 26--Heavy -losses at the south end of the line--Fine fighting by the Canadian -Corps--Capture of Paschendaale--General results of third Battle of -Ypres. - - -At early dawn upon October 4, under every possible disadvantage of -ground and weather, the attack was renewed, the infantry advancing -against the main line of the ridge east of Zonnebeke. The front of -the movement measured about seven miles, as the sector south of the -Menin Road was hardly affected. The Ypres-Staden railway in the -north was the left flank of the Army, so that the Fourteenth Corps -was once more upon the move. We will trace the course of the attack -from this northern end of the line. - -Cavan's Corps had two divisions in front--the Twenty-ninth upon the -left and the Fourth upon the right, two fine old regular units which -had seen as much fighting as any in the Army. The Guards held a -defensive flank together with the French between Houthulst Forest and -the Staden railway. The advance of the Twenty-ninth was along the -line of the {203} railway, and it covered its moderate objectives -without great loss or difficulty. Vesten Farm represented the limit -of the advance. - -The Fourth Division (Matheson) started from a point east of -Langemarck and ended from 1000 to 1500 yards farther on. They -advanced upon a two-brigade front with the 11th Brigade upon the -right, with the northern edge of Poelcapelle as its objective, while -the 10th Brigade upon the left moved upon the line of 19-Metre Hill. -The fire from this strong point was very severe, and it drove back -the 2nd Seaforths, who were the right battalion of the 10th Brigade, -thus exposing the flank of the 1st Hants, who were on the left of the -11th. The veteran Highlanders soon rallied, however, and the line -was strengthened at the gap by the advance into it of the 1st East -Lancashires. Both the Seaforths and the Lancashire men lost very -heavily, however, by a devastating fire from machine-guns. The 1st -Somersets upon the right had a misadventure through coming under the -fire of British artillery, which caused them for a time to fall back. -They came on again, however, and established touch with the 33rd -Brigade, who had occupied Poelcapelle. There the Fourth Division lay -on their appointed line, strung out over a wide front, crouching in -heavy rain amid the mud of the shell-holes, each group of men unable -during the day to see or hold intercourse with the other, and always -under fire from the enemy. It was an experience which, extended from -day to day in this and other parts of the line, makes one marvel at -the powers of endurance latent in the human frame. An officer who -sallied forth to explore has described the strange effect of that -desolate, shell-ploughed {204} landscape, half-liquid in consistence, -brown as a fresh-turned field, with no movement upon its hideous -expanse, although every crevice and pit was swarming with life, and -the constant snap of the sniper's bullet told of watchful, unseen -eyes. Such a chaos was it that for three days there was no -connection between the left of the Fourth and the right of the -Twenty-ninth, and it was not until October 8 that Captain Harston of -the 11th Brigade, afterwards slain, together with another officer ran -the gauntlet of the sharpshooters, and after much searching and -shouting saw a rifle waved from a pit, which gave him the position of -the right flank of the 16th Middlesex. It was fortunate he did so, -as the barrage of the succeeding morning would either have -overwhelmed the Fourth Division or been too far forward for the -Twenty-ninth. - -Upon the right of the Fourth Division was the Eleventh. Led by -several tanks, the 33rd Brigade upon the left broke down all -obstacles and captured the whole of the western half of the long -straggling street which forms the village of Poelcapelle. Their -comrades upon the right had no such definite mark before them, but -they made their way successfully to their objective. - -Upon the right of the Eleventh Division, the 48th South Midland -Territorials had a most difficult advance over the marshy valley of -the Stroombeek, but the water-sodden morasses of Flanders were as -unsuccessful as the chalk uplands of Pozières in stopping these -determined troops. Warwicks, Gloucesters, and Worcesters, they found -their way to the allotted line. Winchester Farm was the chief centre -of resistance conquered in this advance. - -To the right of the Midland men the New Zealanders--that {205} -splendid division which had never yet found its master, either on -battlefield or football ground--advanced upon the Gravenstafel spur. -Once more the record of success was unbroken and the full objective -gained. The two front brigades, drawn equally from the North and -South Islands, men of Canterbury, Wellington, Otago, and Auckland, -splashed across the morass of the Hannebeek and stormed their way -forward through Aviatik Farm and Boetleer, their left co-operating -with the Midlanders in the fall of the Winzic strong point. The -ground was thick with pill-boxes, here as elsewhere, but the soldiers -showed great resource and individuality in their methods of stalking -them, getting from shell-hole to shell-hole until they were past the -possible traverse of the gun, and then dashing, bomb in hand, for the -back door, whence the garrison, if they were lucky, soon issued in a -dejected line. On the right, the low ridge magniloquently called -"Abraham's Heights" was carried without a check, and many prisoners -taken. Evening found the whole of the Gravenstafel Ridge in the -strong hands of the New Zealanders, with the high ruin of -Paschendaale Church right ahead of them as the final goal of the Army. - -These New Zealanders formed the left unit of Godley's Second Anzac -Corps, the right unit of which was the Third Australian Division. -Thus October 4 was a most notable day in the young, but glorious, -military annals of the Antipodean Britons, for, with the First Anzac -Corps fighting upon the right, the whole phalanx made up a splendid -assemblage of manhood, whether judged by its quality or its quantity. -Some 40,000 infantry drawn from the islands of the {206} Pacific -fronted the German and advanced the British line upon October 4. Of -the Third Australians it can only be said that they showed themselves -to be as good as their comrades upon either flank, and that they -attained the full objective which had been marked as their day's -work. By 1.15 the final positions had been occupied and held. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{207} - -[Illustration: ORDER OF BATTLE, October 4, 1917] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Gravenstafel represents one end of a low eminence which stretches for -some distance. The First and Second Australian Divisions, attacking -upon the immediate right of the Second Anzac Corps, fought their way -step by step up the slope alongside of them and established -themselves along a wide stretch of the crest, occupying the hamlet of -Broodseinde. This advance took them across the road which leads from -Bacelaer to Paschendaale, and it did not cease until they had made -good their grip by throwing out posts upon the far side of the crest. -The fighting was in places very sharp, and the Germans stood to it -like men. The official record says: "A small party would not -surrender. It consisted entirely of officers and N.C.O.'s with one -medical private. Finally grenades drove them out to the surface, -when the Captain was bayoneted and the rest killed, wounded, or -captured. One machine-gunner was bayoneted with his finger still -pressing his trigger." Against such determined fighters and on such -ground it was indeed a glory to have advanced 2000 yards and taken as -many prisoners. In one of the captured Mebus a wounded British -officer was found who had been there for three days. His captors had -treated him with humanity, and he was released by the Australians, -none the worse for his adventure. There is no doubt that in all this -portion of the line the Germans were themselves in the very {208} act -of advancing for an assault when the storm broke loose, and the -British lines trampled down and passed over the storm troops as they -made for their allotted objectives. - -On the immediate right of the Australians was Morland's Tenth Corps, -with the Seventh, Twenty-first, and Fifth Divisions in the battle -line. The Seventh Division had stormed their way past a number of -strongholds up the incline and had topped the ridge, seizing the -hamlet of Noordhemhoek upon the other side of it. This entirely -successful advance, which maintained the highest traditions of this -great division, was carried out by the Devons, Borderers, and Gordons -of the 20th Brigade upon the left, and by the South Staffords and -West Surreys of the 91st Brigade upon the right. The full objectives -were reached, but it was found towards evening that the fierce -counter-attacks to the south had contracted the British line in that -quarter, so that the right flank of the 91st Brigade was in the air. -Instead of falling back the brigade threw out a defensive line, but -none the less the salient was so marked that it was clear that it -could not be permanent, and that there must either be a retirement or -that some future operation would be needed to bring up the division -on the right. - -To the right of Noordhemhoek the Twenty-first Division had cleared -the difficult enclosed country to the east of Polygon Wood, and had -occupied the village of Reutel, but encountered such resolute -opposition and such fierce counter-attacks that both the advancing -brigades, the 62nd and the 64th, wound up the day to the westward of -their full objectives, which had the effect already described {209} -upon the right wing of the Seventh Division. Both front brigades had -lost heavily, and they were relieved in the front line by the 110th -Leicester Brigade of their own division. During the severe fighting -of the day the losses in the first advance, which gained its full -objectives, fell chiefly upon the 9th Yorkshire Light Infantry. In -the second phase of the fight, which brought them into Reutel, the -battalions engaged were the 8th East Yorks and 12th Northumberland -Fusiliers, which had to meet a strong resistance in difficult -country, and were hard put to it to hold their own. The German -counter-attacks stormed all day against the left of the line at this -point around Reutel, making the flanks of the Fifth and Seventh -Divisions more and more difficult, as the defenders between them were -compelled to draw in their positions. A strong push by the Germans -in the late afternoon got possession of Judge Copse, Reutel, and -Polderhoek Château. The two former places were recovered in a -subsequent operation. - -On the flank of the main attack the old Fifth Division, going as -strongly as ever after its clear three years of uninterrupted -service, fought its way against heavy opposition up Polderhoek -Château. The Germans were massed thickly in this quarter and the -fighting was very severe. The advance was carried out by those -warlike twins, the comrades of many battles, the 1st West Kents and -2nd Scots Borderers upon the right, while the 1st Devons and 1st -Cornwalls of the 95th Brigade were on the left, the latter coinciding -with the edge of Polygon Wood and the former resting upon the Menin -Road. The 13th actually occupied Polderhoek Château, but lost it -again. The 95th was much incommoded by finding {210} that the -Reutelbeek was now an impassable swamp, but they swarmed round it and -captured their objectives, while its left sot beyond Reutel, and had -to throw back a defensive flank on its left, and withdraw its front -to the west of the village. The chief counter-attacks of the day -were on the front of the Fifth and Twenty-first Divisions, and they -were both numerous and violent, seven in succession coming in front -of Polderhoek Château and Reutel. This fierce resistance restricted -the advance of Morland's Tenth Corps and limited their gains, but -enabled them to wear out more of the enemy than any of the divisions -to the north. - -Upon the flank of the attack, the advance of the Thirty-seventh -Division had been a limited one, and had not been attended with -complete success, as two of the German strongholds--Berry Cottages -and Lewis House--still held out and spread a zone of destruction -round them. The 8th Somersets, 8th Lincolns, and a Middlesex -battalion of the 63rd Brigade all suffered heavily upon this flank. -On the northern wing the 13th Rifles, 13th Rifle Brigade, and Royal -Fusiliers of the 111th Brigade drove straight ahead, and keeping well -up to the barrage were led safely by that stern guide to their -ultimate positions, into which they settled with a comparative -immunity from loss, but the battalions were already greatly exhausted -by long service and scanty drafts, so that the 13th Rifles emerged -from the fight with a total strength of little over a hundred. It -must be admitted that all these successive fights at the south of the -Menin Road vindicated the new German systems of defence and caused -exceedingly heavy losses which were only repaid by scanty {211} and -unimportant gains of desolate, shell-ploughed land. - -The total result of this Broodseinde action was a victory gained -under conditions of position and weather which made it a most notable -accomplishment. Apart from the very important gain of ground, which -took the Army a long way towards its final objective, the -Paschendaale Ridge, no less than 138 officers and 5200 men were taken -as prisoners. The reason for this considerable increase in captures, -as compared to recent similar advances, seems to have been that the -Germans had themselves contemplated a strong attack upon the British -line, especially the right sector, so that no less than five of their -divisions had been brought well up to the front line at the moment -when the storm burst. According to the account of prisoners, only -ten minutes intervened between the zero times allotted for the two -attacks. The result was not only the increase in prisoners, but also -a very high mortality among the Germans, who met the full force of -the barrage as well as the bayonets of the infantry. In spite of the -heavy punishment already received, the Germans made several strong -counter-attacks in the evening, chiefly, as stated, against the lines -of the Fifth and Twenty-first Divisions north of the Menin Road, but -with limited results. An attack upon the New Zealanders north of the -Ypres-Roulers railway had even less success. Victorious, and yet in -the last extremity of human misery and discomfort, the troops held -firmly to their advanced line amid the continued pelting of the -relentless rain. - -The bravery and the losses of the British artillery were among the -outstanding incidents of this and subsequent fighting. It was not -possible on that {212} water-sodden soil to push forward the great -guns. Therefore it became necessary to make the very most of the -smaller ones, and for this object the 18-pounder batteries were -galloped up all along the line and then unlimbered and went into -action in the open within a mile of the enemy. By this spirited -action the infantry secured a barrage which could not otherwise have -been accurately laid down. It should be emphasised that in this and -other advances the numbers of the German were very little inferior to -those of the British, which makes the success of the attacks the more -surprising. Thus, in this instance, Plumer had eight divisions in -line in the southern area of the battle, while opposed to him he had -the Tenth Ersatz, Twentieth Division, Fourth Guards, part of -Forty-fifth, part of Sixteenth, the Nineteenth Reserve, and the -Eighth Division. - -In Sir Douglas Haig's long and yet concise despatch, which will -always serve the historian as the one firm causeway across a quagmire -of possibilities and suppositions, we are told frankly the -considerations which weighed with the British Higher Command in not -bringing the Flanders Campaign to an end for the year with the -capture of the Gravenstafel-Broodseinde Ridge. The season was -advanced, the troops were tired, the weather was vile, and, worst of -all, the ground was hardly passable. All these were weighty reasons -why the campaign should cease now that a good defensible position had -been secured. There were however some excellent reasons to the -contrary. The operations had been successful, but they had not -attained full success, and the position, especially in the north, was -by no means favourable for the passing of the winter, since the -low-lying ground {213} at Poelcapelle and around it was exposed to -fire both from the Paschendaale Ridge and from the great forest upon -the left flank and rear. If our troops were weary, there was good -evidence that the Germans were not less so; and their minds and -morale could not be unaffected by the fact that every British attack -had been attended by loss of ground and of prisoners. Then again, it -was known that the French meditated a fresh attack in the Malmaison -quarter, and good team play called for a sustained effort upon the -left wing to help the success of the right centre. Again, the -rainfall had already been abnormally high, so that on a balance of -averages there was reason to hope for better weather, though at the -best it could hardly be hoped that the watery October sunshine would -ever dry the fearsome bogs which lay between the armies. Of two -courses it has always been Sir Douglas Haig's custom to choose the -more spirited, as his whole career would show, and therefore his -decision was now given for the continuance of the advance. In the -result the weather failed him badly, and his losses were heavy, and -yet the verdict of posterity may say that he was right. Looking back -with the wisdom that comes after the event, one can clearly see that -had the whole operation stopped when the rains fell after the first -day, it would have been the wisest course, but when once such a -movement is well under way it is difficult to compromise. - -Since the line had already been established upon high ground to the -south, it was evidently in the north that the new effort must be -made, as the front of advance was contracted to six miles from the -extreme left wing, where the French were still posted, to a {214} -point east of Zonnebeke. The wind was high, the rain intermittent, -and the night cloudy and dark; but in spite of all these hindrances -the storming troops were by some miracle of disciplined organisation -ready in their assembly trenches, and the advance went forward at -5.20 on the morning of October 9. - -Upon the left an extremely successful advance was carried out by the -French and by the Guards. Of our gallant Allies it need only be said -that on this day as on all others they carried out to the full what -was given them to do, and established their advanced posts a mile or -so to the eastward on the skirts of Houthulst Forest, taking St. -Janshoek and pushing on, up to their waists sometimes in water, to -the swamps of Corverbeck. - -Cavan's Corps consisted of the Guards upon the left, the Twenty-ninth -in the centre, and the Fourth Division upon the right. The advance -of the Guards was as usual a magnificent one, and the 1st Brigade -upon the right, the 2nd on the left, pushed forward the line on their -sector for more than a mile, beginning by the difficult fording of -the deep flooded Brombeek and then taking in their stride a number of -farmhouses and strong points, as well as the villages of Koekuit and -Veldhoek--the second hamlet of that name which had the ill-fortune to -figure upon the war-map. Four hundred prisoners were left in their -hands, mostly of the 417th Regiment, who had only taken over the line -at four that morning. The 2nd Brigade of Guards worked all day in -close touch with the French, amid the dangerous swamps in the north, -while the 1st Brigade kept their alignment with the 4th Worcesters, -who formed the left unit of the 88th Brigade upon their right. Even -under the awful {215} conditions of ground and weather the work of -the Guards was as clean and precise as ever. - -The ground in front of the Guards was sown very thickly with the -German concrete forts, but it was the general opinion of experienced -soldiers that, formidable as were these defences, they were less so -than the old trench systems, which in some cases could not be passed -by any wit or valour of man. At this stage of its development the -Mebus could usually be overcome by good infantry, for if its -loopholes were kept buzzing with the rifle bullets of the stormers, -and if under cover of such fire other parties crawled round and girt -it in, its garrison had little chance. The infantry attained -considerable proficiency in these operations, and "to do in a -pill-box" became one of the recognised exercises of minor tactics. -The losses of the Guards in this brilliant affair were not very -heavy, though towards the latter stage the 1st Irish upon the right -got ahead of the Newfoundlanders and were exposed to a severe flank -fire in the neighbourhood of Egypt House. The 1st Coldstreams upon -the extreme left flank were also held up by a strong point near -Louvois Farm. It was eventually taken with its forty inmates. The -gallant German officer absolutely refused to surrender, and it was -necessary to bayonet him. Altogether the two brigades lost 53 -officers and 1300 men. In connection with their advance and with the -subsequent operations it should be mentioned that the Guards -artillery was worthy of the infantry, and that the way they followed -up in order to give protective barrages, slithering anywhere over the -wet ground so long as they could only keep within good slating -distance of the counter-attacks, was a fine bit of work. The pioneer -battalion, the 4th Coldstreams, {216} and the three R.E. Companies, -55, 75, and 76, put in a great deal of thankless and unostentatious -work in the elaborate and difficult preparations for the advance. - -The Twenty-ninth Division upon the right of the Guards had the 88th -Brigade in front, with the Newfoundlanders behind the Worcesters on -the left flank. Their task was to push along the Langemarck-Staden -railway and reach the forest. They carried the line forward to Cinq -Chemins Farm, where they established their new line. The 1st Essex -and 2nd Hants were also heavily engaged, and all four battalions -lived up to their high reputation. - -To the right of the Twenty-ninth was the 12th Brigade of the Fourth -Division, who had taken over the front line from their comrades in -that fearsome wilderness already described. The line of advance was -along the Ypres-Staden railway, and the front was kept level with -that of the Guards. Reinforced by the 1st Rifle Brigade, the advance -went swiftly forward over dreadful ground until it reached its limits -at Landing Farm, about half a mile north-east of Poelcapelle. - -Maxse's Corps upon the right still consisted of the Eleventh and -Forty-eighth Divisions. The Eleventh Division had already captured -the half of the long village of Poelcapelle, and now after some very -hard fighting the second half up to the Eastern skirts fell into the -hands of the 32nd Brigade. As they advanced, the Forty-sixth Midland -men kept pace with them upon the right. These troops had the very -worst of the low-lying ground, though they had the advantage of being -in position and not having to assemble in the dark and rain, as was -the fate of the more southern troops. The gallant Yorkshire {217} -battalions of the 32nd Brigade made several attempts to carry the -strong point at the Brewery, east of the village, and the Midlanders -had the same difficulties at a machine-gun centre called Adler Farm -and Burn's House. These two points, both still untaken, marked the -furthest limits of the advance in either case, and in the evening the -ground gained was contracted not so much on account of German action -as because it was impossible to get supplies up to the extreme line -under the observation from the ridge. - -Upon the right of Maxse's Corps and forming the left of the Second -Anzac Corps was another Territorial Division, the Forty-ninth, drawn -from the County of Broad Acres. This division, although it has -seldom appeared up to now in the central limelight of battle, had -done a great amount of solid work near the Ancre during the Somme -battle, and on other occasions. All that will be said about the -difficulties of the Sixty-sixth Division apply also to the -Forty-ninth, and it may be added that in the case of both units the -barrage was too fast, so that it was impossible for the infantry to -keep up with it. None the less, they struggled forward with splendid -courage, and if they did not win their utmost objective, at least -they gained a broad belt of new ground. A limit was put to their -advance by Bellevue, a stronghold on one of the spurs under -Paschendaale, which was so tough a nut to crack that the weary -fighting line was brought at last to a halt. The Sixteenth Rhineland -Division, who held this part of the line, won the respect of their -adversaries by their tenacity. The West Yorkshires of the 146th -Brigade and the York and Lancasters and Yorkshire Light Infantry of -the 148th bore the brunt of the battle. - -{218} - -On the immediate right of the Yorkshire men was the Sixty-sixth -Division, a second-line unit of East Lancashire Territorials only -recently arrived upon the seat of war, and destined, like many other -new arrivals, to do conspicuously good work on their first venture. -The General who commanded the Division would be the first to admit -his obligations to the officers who had sent over these battalions in -so battle-worthy a condition. Indeed the country owes more than it -ever knows to these retired officers, veterans of the Old Imperial -wars, who, far from the honours and excitements of the line, devoted -their time and strength to the training of the raw material at home. -They lead no charges and capture no villages, and their names are -read in few gazettes: and yet it is their solid work, based upon -their own great experience, which has really led many a charge to -victory and proved the downfall of many a village. "If there be a -procession through London, the 'dug-outs' should lead the van," said -a soldier who had that broader vision which sees both the cause and -the effect. - -In the case of all these divisions the conditions before the attack -were almost inconceivable. For four days and nights the men were in -shell-holes without shelter from the rain and the biting cold winds, -and without protection from the German fire. At 6 P.M. on the -evening of October 13 the Sixty-sixth and also the Forty-ninth fell -in to move up the line and make the attack at dawn. So dark was the -night and so heavy the rain that it took them eleven hours of groping -and wading to reach the tapes which marked the lines of assembly. -Then, worn out with {219} fatigue, wet to the skin, terribly cold, -hungry, and with weapons which were often choked with mud, they went -with hardly a pause into the open to face Infantry who were supposed -to be second to none in Europe, with every form of defence to help -them which their capable sappers could devise. And yet these men of -Yorkshire and Lancashire drove the Prussians before them and attained -the full limit which had been given them to win. - -The Sixty-sixth Division advanced with the 197th Brigade on the right -of the Ypres-Roulers railway. It consisted entirely of battalions of -the Lancashire Fusiliers, a regiment which from Minden onwards has -been in the van of England's battles. Upon their left was the 198th -Brigade, consisting half of East Lancs and half of Manchester -battalions. So covered with mud were the troops after their long -night march that the enemy may well have wondered whether our native -soldiers were not once more in the line. Savagely they stuck to -their task with that dour spirit which adverse conditions bring out -in our soldiers; every obstacle went down before them; they reached -their utmost limit, and then, half buried in the mud and stiff with -cold, their blue and cramped fingers still held steady to their -triggers and blew back every counter-attack which the Germans could -launch. It was a fine performance, and the conditions of the attack -cannot be defined better than by the following extract from the -account of an officer engaged: "After advancing through the mud for a -further three hours, I halted the Company in shell-holes to enable me -to discover our exact whereabouts; this was a bad mistake, because -when I found the direction we had to go in {220} I could not awake -the poor fellows, who had fallen asleep as soon as they had sat down. -I had to slave-drive, and somehow got them a little further forward -before getting blown up myself." It should be added that at a later -date some Australians who got up close to Paschendaale reported that -they found "not far from the village some of the dead of the -second-line Lancashire Territorials, who had fought beside us in an -earlier battle." - -Upon the south of the Second Anzac Corps were the Australian -divisions, who carried forward the movement they had so splendidly -initiated. The advance set before them on this day was not a deep -one, but such as it was it was carried 600 yards over the ground -north of Broodseinde. Owing to the difficult lie of the ground, the -attacking troops were particularly exposed to machine-gun fire, -especially at the cutting of the Roulers railway which at this point -comes through the low ridge. The result was a considerable loss of -men. The Australians had been a week in the line without rest in -continual fighting, and they were very weary, but still full of dash -and zeal and sympathy for others. "We met one British officer," says -Mr. Bean, "stumbling back with both his puttees long since lost in -the mud. 'Bitterly disappointed we were late,' he said. 'Hard luck, -too, upon the Australians.' One thought to oneself when one heard of -the conditions, that it was only due to their undiluted heroism that -they ever got there at all." It was the Second Australian Division -which was chiefly engaged in this difficult battle, and it was they -who carried Daisy Wood, the chief obstacle in that area. The First -Australian Division were hardly included in the {221} original -scheme, being too far to the right; but being unable to witness a -fight without joining in it they advanced upon Celtic Wood, passed -through it, and had some excellent fighting with a strong German -trench upon the further side of it. The operation was a raid rather -than an advance, but it was very useful, none the less, as a -distraction to the Germans. - -On the extreme south of the line Reutel, which had been left in -German hands upon October 4, was now carried by storm in a very -brilliant operation which removed the salient of the Seventh Division -to which allusion has already been made. This advance was carried -out by two battalions, the 2nd Warwicks upon the left and the 2nd -Honourable Artillery Company upon the right. The former took, after -hard fighting, the outlying woods and trenches to the north of the -village, but the Londoners achieved the more difficult task of -carrying the village itself. It was a desperate enterprise, carried -out under heavy fire, which was so deadly that when the depleted -ranks reached their further objective not an officer was left -standing. The high quality of the rank and file is shown in the -prompt way in which they took the necessary steps upon their own -initiative, by which the new line should be held. As to their -losses, they can be best indicated by the dry official comment: "The -remnants of A, C and D Companies were withdrawn to Jolting Trench and -organised into two platoons under Sergeant Jenkinson." The Colonel -might well be proud of his men, and London of her sons. - -The extreme right of the British attacking line upon October 9 was -formed by the 15th Brigade of the Fifth Division. Once again they -got into the {222} Polderhoek Château, and once again they had to -retire from it and resume the position in front of it. There have -been few single points in the War which have been the object of such -fierce and fluctuating strife. - -The net effect of this battle in the mud was to fling the whole line -forward, the advance being much more shallow in the south than in the -north. The line had rolled down from the Broodseinde Ridge, crossed -the shallow valley, and now established itself upon the slope of -Paschendaale. Two thousand one hundred prisoners had been taken in -this advance. It was clear, however, that matters could not remain -so, and that, be the weather what it might (and worse it could not -be!) Sir Douglas was bound to plant his men upon the higher ground of -Paschendaale before he called his halt for the winter. - -Upon October 12, under conditions which tended to grow worse rather -than better, Sir Douglas Haig made a fresh attempt to get forward. -As the Paschendaale Height became more clearly the final objective, -the attack narrowed at the base, so that instead of extending from -the Menin Road in the south, it was now flanked by the Ypres-Roulers -railway, and so had a front of not more than five miles. The new -attack was carried out largely by the same troops as before in the -north, save that the 51st Brigade of the Seventeenth Division was -pushed in between the Guards upon the left and the 12th Brigade of -the Fourth Division upon the right. Advancing along the line of the -Ypres-Sladen railway, the 3rd Brigade of Guards and their comrades of -the Fourteenth Corps got forward to their limited objectives, where -they sank once more into the sea of {223} mud through which they had -waded. On both sides the making of trenches had entirely ceased, as -it had been found that a few shell-holes united by a small cutting -were sufficient for every purpose as long as the head of the soldier -could be kept out of the water. So useful were these holes as -shelters and rifle-pits that it became a question with the British -artillery whether they should not confine their fire entirely to -shrapnel, rather than run the risk of digging a line of entrenchments -for the enemy. - -In this advance the 51st Brigade did remarkably well, advancing 1200 -yards and securing two objectives. It is amongst the curiosities of -the campaign that Major Peddie of the 7th Lincolns, with another -officer and four men, took 148 prisoners from a farm--a feat for -which he received the D.S.O. - -On Maxse's front the Eighteenth and Ninth Divisions had taken over -the front line. The Eighteenth made some progress, but the Ninth, of -which it can truly be said that they never leave a front as they -found it, took the village of Wallemolen, making a good advance. - -The New Zealanders were on the right of the Ninth Division, covering -a front of 1600 yards from Adler House on the left to the Ravebeek -upon the right, where they joined the Australian Division. They were -faced partly by uncut wire in the Bellevue position and partly by -marsh. The conditions for the Australians upon their right were no -better. The matter was made worse by the impossibility of getting -the heavier guns forward, while the light ones slid their trails -about in the mud after every discharge in a manner which made -accurate shooting well-nigh impossible. The losses were heavy in the -attack, {224} two Colonels of New Zealand battalions being among the -dead. The New Zealand Rifle Brigade were particularly hard hit. It -was found that progress was impossible under such conditions, and the -attack was called off. So far as the Germans went, 1000 more were -added to the occupants of the cages--so far as the mud and weather -went, they gained a clear victory over the British Army, for the -losses were heavy, and there was very little gain of ground in -exchange. - -Upon October 22, the ground having dried a little, there was some -movement at the northern end of the line, the position being improved -and 200 prisoners taken. The two operations which effected these -results were carried out in the north by Franks' Thirty-fifth -Division co-operating with the French, and in the Poelcapelle region -by the 53rd Brigade of the Eighteenth Division, which carried the -point known as Meunier Hill, the Essex, Suffolks, and Norfolks of -this splendid unit covering themselves once more with glory. The -Thirty-fourth Division, which had taken the place of the Fourth upon -the right of Cavan's corps, also moved forward in correspondence with -the flanking units, the Northumberland Fusiliers of the 103rd Brigade -keeping touch with the 8th Norfolks of the 53rd. - -Some hard fighting was associated with the attack of the Thirty-fifth -Division in the north. It may be remarked that the Bantam idea had -not proved to be a successful one. It had been abandoned, and the -Thirty-fifth was now undistinguishable from any division either in -its physique or in its spirit. Upon this occasion both the 105th -Brigade upon the left and the 104th upon the right fought with -magnificent courage. The advance of {225} the former Brigade was -particularly fine in the region of Panama House. The 14th Glosters -and 16th Cheshires attained their fullest objective, and though the -latter were finally bent back by the strong German attacks in the -afternoon, the Glosters' fighting line, reinforced by some of the -16th Sherwood Foresters, held fast under the most desperate -circumstances. Their Colonel might well be proud of the fact that in -an attack carried out by one French and two British divisions his -battalion of Glosters was the only one which remained rooted and -unshaken upon the ultimate line. The Lancashire Fusiliers shone -greatly also in the attack, though they were unable to maintain their -most advanced positions. The German shell-fire, and especially the -German snipers from the wood on the left, and from a covered road, -were the cause of heavy losses, but the troops were in excellent -fettle, and the 104th Brigade actually executed a little raid on its -own during the night, bringing back a machine-gun and five more -prisoners. - -On October 26, the rain still pouring down as heavily as ever, and -the earth about as liquid as the heavens, the advance was once again -renewed upon a narrow front which was mostly on the slope of the hill -and therefore offered some foothold for the struggling infantry. -Paschendaale was but a few hundreds of yards away, and it was -imperative that it should be held before the season ended. Haig's -troops were weary, and several fresh divisions which he could have -called upon were already earmarked for the surprise attack which he -was planning in the south. It was imperative, however, to have some -fresh thrusting force which could be trusted to break down the -remaining obstacles and not only seize the {226} dominant village, -but hold it after seizure. For this object the close Canadian -beleaguerment of Lens, which was to have ended in an assault, was -abandoned, and the Canadian Corps was brought round to the Ypres -front, taking the place of the Anzac Corps. In the new advance it -occupied, therefore, the central position of the line. - -There had been several divisional changes in the north. The front of -General Cavan's line consisted now of the Fiftieth Division next the -French, the Thirty-fifth Division, and the Fifty-seventh Division. -Maxse's battle line was the Fifty-eighth London Division and the -Sixty-third Naval. In spite of every possible disadvantage, fresh -ground was gained by these units, and Varlet Farm, Bray Farm, and -Banff House were added to the British area. - -The conditions of these low-lying valleys to the north, which had -long been difficult, had now become really impossible, and this was -the last attempt to advance in the Houlthulst Forest area. It takes -personal and detailed narrative to enable the reader to realise the -situation which the troops had to face. An officer of the 170th -Brigade, a Lancashire unit which displayed great valour and lost half -its numbers upon this date, writes: "I have never seen such a sight -as that country was in the valley of the Broombeek and Watervlietbeek -just south of Houthulst Forest. Nothing on earth but the wonderful -courage of the Lancashire lads enabled them to get so far as they -did. We went over with our rifles and Lewis guns bound up with -flannel so as to keep the mud out, and with special cleaning -apparatus in our pockets, but you can't clean a rifle when your own -hands are covered an inch thick! We killed a great {227} number--one -of the Sergeants in the 'Loyals' laid out 13 with his bayonet; -altogether we actually killed over 600 with the bayonet: but, as I -say, the ground was too heavy to allow us to out-manoeuvre the -pill-boxes, and though we took three or four, the rest did us in. In -one box we got 38 Boche, killed them all with a Lewis gun through the -porthole." After that day no more advance was tried in the low-lying -valleys named. The impossibility was seen. - -The Canadian Corps went forward with one brigade of the Fourth -Division upon the right and two brigades of the Third Division upon -the left. A brigade of the First Australian Division supported their -left upon the Ypres-Roulers railway, and the Sixty-third Naval -Division continued the attack. Each of these units gained ground -under the most desperate conditions. The Australians captured -Decline Wood, so securing the flank of the attack. The Canadians -pushed forward on each side of the Revebeek, one of the innumerable -streams which meander through this country. The Third Canadian -Division advanced finely, but their right-hand brigade was held up by -the machine-gun fire from Bellevue Spur, which had wrought such -damage in the former attack, and was compelled to fall back upon its -original line. The Canadians rallied for a second spring, and in the -afternoon by a splendid effort, when all their Northern grit and -energy were needed, they flooded over the obstacle and lined up with -their comrades. They were now right astride of the main ridge and -close up to the edge of the village. To the north, the Sixty-third -Naval Division, which formed the right unit of Maxse's Corps, pushed -forward to the line of the {228} Paddebeek, while the Londoners of -the Fifty-eighth Division kept their place upon the left. The German -artillery had greatly increased in strength, thanks to the Russian -collapse, and every fresh idiocy of Petrograd was transmuted into -showers of steel and iron in the plains of Flanders. Their infantry -also became more aggressive with this stronger support, and two heavy -counters broke upon the Canadians in the afternoon of October 26. In -spite of every obstacle, it was an important day in this section of -the line for Paschendaale was almost reached, and the Germans must -have viewed with despair the ever-advancing line, which neither they -nor Nature had been able to stop. - -In the south the operations during the day were not so successful, -and the subsidiary aims were not attained. In the morning, the Fifth -Division attacked and once again captured the Wood and Château of -Polderhoek. The 1st West Kents and 13th Warwicks of the 13th Brigade -carried out this dashing and arduous operation, and took some 200 -men, who formed the garrison. The Seventh Division meanwhile had -advanced upon Gheluvelt, the 2nd West Surrey, 1st South Staffords and -Manchesters of the 91st Brigade advancing to the south of the Menin -Road in order to guard the flank of their comrades who followed the -line of the road which would lead them to this famous village. The -flanking brigade was held up, however, at the old stumbling-block -near Lewis House and Berry Cotts, where the German fire was very -deadly. This failure enabled the enemy to bring a very heavy -cross-fire upon the 2nd Borderers and 2nd Gordons of the 20th -Brigade, forming the column of attack. In spite of this fire, {229} -the stormers forced their way into Gheluvelt, but found themselves -involved in very hard fighting, while their guns were choked with -mud, and useless save as pikes or clubs. Under these circumstances -they were forced back to their own line. Encouraged by this success, -the Germans then advanced in very heavy masses and attacked the new -positions of the Fifth Division with such fury that they also had to -loose their grip of the precious twice-conquered Château and fall -back on the line whence they started. It cannot be denied, -therefore, that though the British gained ground in the north upon -October 26, they sustained nothing but losses after their great -exertions in the south upon that date. The two outstanding features -of the fighting seem to have been the extreme difficulty of keeping -the weapons in a serviceable condition, a factor which naturally told -in favour of the stationary defence, and also the innocuousness of -percussion shells, since in such a swamp they bury themselves so -deeply that their explosion does little harm. Some 500 prisoners -were made in the southern area, but many more in the north. - -Upon October 30, in cold and windy weather, the attack was renewed -upon a comparatively narrow front, with the First Australian Division -upon the extreme right, then the Fourth Canadians, then the Third -Canadians, and finally the Sixty-third Division upon the left. The -Canadians advancing along the ridge towards the doomed village were -faced by a terrific concentration of German guns upon that limited -space and by strong infantry attacks, none of which turned them from -their purpose. The direction of the attack was from west and -south-west. {230} The Fourth Canadians soon had all their objectives -and held them firmly, taking Crest Farm on the edge of the village. -The Third Canadians had heavy resistance to overcome, but captured -the spur in front of them and joined up with their comrades at Graf. -The Sixty-third Division found it very difficult to get forward, -however, and this held back the left wing of the Canadians. Five -severe attacks were made upon the Canadians, but were all beaten off -by their steady fire. In some cases, notably at Crest Farm, the -machine-guns captured from the Germans were turned upon their late -owners as they debouched from the village. There was considerable -evidence of demoralisation among the German infantry upon this -occasion whenever the British could get to grips with it, and some -sections actually ran away at the outbreak of the fight, which is a -very unusual occurrence in so disciplined and brave an army. The -latter part of the action was fought in driving rain, which hardly -allowed vision of more than a couple of hundred yards. - -All these heroic exertions were consummated at six on the morning of -November 6, when the Canadian infantry, advancing with heroic dash, -flung themselves upon the village and carried the British line right -through it, emerging upon the naked ridge beyond. The advance on the -left was made by the 1st Brigade, while the 5th Brigade took the -village. Many strong points lay just north of the hamlet, but each -of them was rushed in turn. It was a splendid success, and wrought -by splendid men. The chronicler cannot easily forget how by a -wayside Kentish station he saw the wounded from this attack lying -silent and patient after their weary journey, {231} and how their -motionless, clay-spattered figures, their set, firm faces and their -undaunted eyes, gave him an impression of military efficiency and -virtue such as none of the glitter and pride and pomp of war have -ever conveyed. So fell Paschendaale, and so, save for some minor -readjustments upon the Ridge, ended the great battle which can only -be all included in the title "The Third Battle of Ypres." - -Several attempts were made to clear the whole of the ridge but the -rain was still continuous, the ground a nightmare, and the fire of -the German guns was concentrated upon so limited a space that the -advance was hardly possible. Jacob's Second Corps had come back into -the line, and one of its units, the First Division, came up upon -November 9 on the left of the Canadians, and endeavoured in -co-operation with them to extend the position. The Germans had -cleverly removed their heavy guns to such a position that they could -reach the ridge, while the British guns, immobile in the mud, could -not attempt any counter-battery work. In this way a very intense -fire, against which no reply could be made, was kept up on the ridge. -On November 10 the 2nd Canadian Brigade upon the right and the 3rd -British Brigade upon the left endeavoured to work forward; but the -losses were heavy and the gains slight. The two leading British -battalions, the 1st South Wales Borderers and the 2nd Munsters, were -the chief sufferers. It was clear that the season was too far -advanced to attempt any useful work. On November 12 the -Thirty-second Division relieved the First, and the line was again -slightly advanced; but no more could be done and the troops settled -down into the quagmire to {232} spend the winter as best they might. -The Eighth Corps took over the lines of the Canadians, who returned, -after their splendid and arduous work, to their old sector at Lens. - -On the other sectors of the northern front there had been a lull -while this last stage of the Paschendaale fighting was in progress. -It was broken only by a sharp, sudden attack by the Fifth Division -upon its old enemy, the Poldershoek Château, upon November 6. After -some severe fighting the attack failed and the British line remained -as before. - -Thus, after a continuance of three months, the long struggle came to -an end. Only the titanic Battle of the Somme had exceeded it in -length and severity. The three great Battles of Ypres are destined -to become classical in British history, and it will be a nice -question for the judgment of posterity which of the three was the -most remarkable military performance. Though the scene was the same, -the drama was of a very different quality in each act, but always -equally intense. In the first, inferior numbers of British troops -with a vastly inferior artillery held up the German Army in its first -rush for the coast, and, by virtue of the high training and close -cohesion of the old regulars, barred their path even at the cost of -their own practical annihilation. In the second, a less homogeneous -and less trained British force, still with a very inferior artillery, -held back a German line which was formidable, less for its numbers -than for the sudden use of new methods of warfare against which their -opponents could neither guard nor reply. The line receded under the -pressure, but the way was still barred. In the third, the British -advanced and steadily pushed back a German Army {233} which was -probably inferior in numbers--and certainly was so in gun power--but -which held a series of predominating positions stiffened by every -method which experience could suggest or ingenuity devise. Their -resistance was helped by the most adverse weather conditions which -could be conceived. The net result of the fighting was not only the -capture of the crest of the final ridge, but the taking of 24,000 -prisoners and 72 guns. When one remembers that the Germans in the -days of their ascendancy could not in the two battles of Ypres put -together have taken more than 5000 men, one can measure the -comparative success of each army in this conflict of giants. It -would be vain to pretend that we did not hope for a greater gain of -ground in this great autumn movement, but the reach of a General must -often exceed his grasp, and here it was no small prize which still -remained with the victor. - -One can only sum up the matter by quoting the measured words of the -Field-Marshal in Command: "This offensive, maintained for -three-and-a-half months under the most adverse conditions of weather, -had entailed almost superhuman exertions on the part of the troops of -all arms and services. The enemy had done his utmost to hold his -ground, and in his endeavours to do so had used up no less than -seventy-eight divisions, of which eighteen had been engaged a second -or third time in the battle, after being withdrawn to rest and refit. -Despite the magnitude of his efforts, it was the immense natural -difficulties, accentuated manifold by the abnormally wet weather, -rather than the enemy's resistance, which limited our progress and -prevented the complete capture of the ridge." - -Whilst this long and arduous struggle had been {234} raging the chief -events upon the other seats of war had been a fine French victory on -the Aisne which yielded nearly 10,000 prisoners. This was upon -September 23, but the rejoicings of the Allies were turned to sorrow -by the news next day of the set back of the second Italian army at -Caporetto, where the soldiers, demoralised by insidious propaganda, -offered at the most critical sector hardly any resistance to the -enemy who had been reinforced by some German divisions. The result -was that the other Italian armies upon right and left were compelled -to fall back and could find no standing ground until they had crossed -the Piave. Udine and the whole Friulian Plain were lost and all the -results of so many heroic months were undone. It was one of the -saddest tragedies of the war, though destined in the future to be -most gloriously avenged. - - - - -{235} - -CHAPTER X - -THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI - -First phase, November 20--Tanks _en masse_--Attack on the Tunnel -Trench--Byng's great advance--Fine work of Braithwaite's Sixty-second -Division--Hard fighting of Pulteney's Third Corps--Exploit of Fort -Garry Horse--Second day of battle--Rally of Germans--Capture of -Bourlon Wood by Fortieth Division--Attack by the Guards on La -Fontaine. - - -The year 1917 had begun with high hopes for the Allies since they had -planned a common offensive which could hardly have failed to break -the German resistance. Both France and England had honourably -carried out their share in the common contract. It was the sudden -and absolute break down of Russia which caused the year to set in -gloom rather than in glory. The phenomenon of that great fermenting -putrefying country was more like some huge cataclysm of nature, some -monstrous convulsion of the elements, than any ordinary political -movement, so that anger and contempt were softened into pure -amazement as the gradual dissolution of the vast organism took place -from week to week before a wondering world. It was as though a -robust man had suddenly softened into liquid putrescence before one's -eyes. But from a military standpoint it was a disaster of the first -order for the Allies and checked their victorious career in the West, -where the failing {236} German line could always be buttressed up by -fresh guns and fresh divisions from the East. Now on the top of this -misfortune another unforeseen and almost incredible occurrence placed -them at a further disadvantage. The Italian army had done so -splendidly well and had won such unfailing ascendancy over the -Austrians that their stability seemed as firm as the mountains amid -which they fought. It seems, however, that insidious and treasonable -propaganda of the familiar type had spread disaffection in the ranks, -and the Second Army, which held the very centre of the Gorizian line, -collapsed suddenly. The result was a very great success for the -Austrian and German forces, who pushed through the breach, and with -little loss to themselves captured more than 200,000 prisoners and -nearly 2000 guns. It was a very severe blow for the Allies, and -never was their fine spirit better shown than by the instant steps -which they took to hold Italy up in the moment of her extreme need. -By road and by rail reinforcements poured through the passes of the -Alps and along the shores of the Mediterranean. Whilst the flanking -armies of the Italians fell back upon new lines French and British -divisions were hastening forward to share their pressing danger. The -Isonzo and the Tagliamento had been in succession abandoned, for a -severe flanking attack from the north threatened to break through the -passes and debouch upon the Friulian Plain. Finally the line of the -Piave was reached which still covered Venice. Here the steadier -troops were halted. In the First Army upon the right there had been -little disorganisation, and their retreat along the coast under -constant pressure was a fine bit of work. Ten batteries of British -heavies were {237} among the artillery of this army, and every one of -them was man-handled to the new positions. By mid-winter two French -and two British Corps, veterans of many battles, were lined up on or -near the Piave, waiting eagerly to try conclusions with these new -adversaries. This detached British army was commanded by General -Plumer, with Generals Lord Cavan and Haking as his Corps commanders. -The two Corps, the Thirteenth and Fourteenth, were made up of the -Fifth, Seventh, Twenty-third, Forty-first, and Forty-eighth -Divisions, grand units all. It was a sore loss to the battle-line of -Flanders--a loss which in the case of two of them was but temporary. - -We shall now descend the line to the section which extends from -Bullecourt in the north to Villers-Ghislain in the south, opposite to -the important town of Cambrai, some seven miles behind the Hindenburg -Line. It was here that the Field-Marshal had determined to strike -his surprise blow, an enterprise which he has described in so lucid -and detailed a despatch that the weary chronicler has the rare -experience of finding history adequately recorded by the same brain -which planned it. The plan was a very daring one, for the spot -attacked was barred by the full unbroken strength of the Hindenburg -main and support lines, a work so huge and solid that it seems to -take us back from these superficial days to the era of the Cyclopean -builder or the founder of the great monuments of antiquity. These -enormous excavations of prodigious length, depth, and finish are -object lessons both of the strength of the Germans, the skill of -their engineers, and the ruthlessness with which they exploited the -slave and captive labour with which so much of it was built. Besides -this {238} terrific barricade there was the further difficulty that -the whole method of attack was experimental, and that to advance -without artillery fire against such a position would appear to be a -most desperate venture. On the other hand it was known that the -German line was thin and that their man-power had been attracted -northwards by the long epic of the Paschendaale attack. There was a -well-founded belief that the tanks would prove equal to the task of -breaking the front, and sufficient infantry had been assembled to -take advantage of any opening which might be made. The prize, too, -was worth a risk, for apart from the possibility of capturing the -important centre of Cambrai, the possession of the high ground at -Bourlon would be of great strategic value. The enterprise was placed -in the hands of General Byng, the famous leader of the Third Cavalry -Division and afterwards of the Canadian Corps, who had taken -Allenby's place at the head of the Third Army. Under him were from -the north, the Sixth, Fourth, Third, and Seventh Corps under Haldane, -Woolcombe, Pulteney, and Snow, containing some of the most seasoned -fighting material in the army. The troops were brought up stealthily -by night, and the tanks which were crawling from every direction -towards the trysting-place were carefully camouflaged. The French -had been apprised of the attack, and had made arrangements by which, -if there were an opening made to the south some of their divisions -should be available to take advantage of it. - -[Illustration: Fighting Line, November 20, 1917] - -The tanks were about four hundred in number and were under the -separate command of General Elles, a dashing soldier who inspired the -utmost enthusiasm in his command. It had always been {239} the -contention of the tank designers in England that their special weapon -needed, what it had never yet found, virgin ground which was neither -a morass nor wilderness of shell-holes. The leading lines of tanks -had been furnished with enormous faggots of wood which they carried -across their bows and which would be released so as to fall forward -into any ditch or trench and to form a rude bridge. These ready-made -weight-bearers were found to act admirably. - -One difficulty with which the operations were confronted was that it -was impossible for the guns to register properly without arousing -suspicion. It was left to the gunners, therefore, to pick up their -range as best they might after the action began, and this they did -with a speed and accuracy which showed their high technical -efficiency. - -Taking the description of the operations upon November 20th from the -north end of the line we shall first deal with the subsidiary but -very important and successful attacks carried out by Haldaae's Sixth -Corps in the neighbourhood of Bullecourt. The Hindenburg Line at -this point consisted of a front trench with a second or support -trench 300 yards behind it, and many scattered Mebus or concrete -machine-gun forts. The British had already a lodgement in part of -the front trench, and the main objective now was the support trench -which was called "Tunnel Trench" because it had a tunnel 30 or 40 -feet down along its whole length with staircase entrances every 25 -yards. The units to whom the attack was entrusted were the Third -Division upon the right, and the Sixteenth Irish Division upon the -left. - -The morning of November 20 was overcast but not actually raining, -with low visibility, which may {240} account for the fact that the -German barrage was feeble, slow, and inaccurate. - -The advance of the Sixteenth Division was by three brigades, the 47th -on the right, the 48th in the centre, and the 49th upon the left. -Every up-to-date infantry-saving device, the artillery barrage, the -machine-gun barrage, and the Stokes-mortar smoke-screen was used to -the full. The guns had been reinforced by a portion of the artillery -of the Thirty-fourth Division, and the support which they gave was -admirably effective. We will trace the attack from the right. - -The flank battalion was the 6th Connaughts with the 1st Munsters upon -their left. Their objective was taken with a spring. The Munsters -were able to consolidate at once. The Connaughts had more trouble as -a rush of German bombers came down upon their right, driving the -flank company in and forcing it back down the sap. For several hours -there was hard fighting at this point, which was often hand-to-hand -when the Irish bayonet men rushed at the German bomb-throwers. -Finally a block and a defensive flank were formed, and two big Mebus, -Mars and Jove, were left in the hands of the stormers. - -In the centre the advance of the 10th Dublin Fusiliers and of the 2nd -Dublin Fusiliers was entirely successful. So sudden was the attack -that many of the enemy were found wearing their gas masks. Two large -Mebus, Juno and Minerva, with a good stretch of tunnel trench -remained, together with many prisoners, in the hands of the stormers. -The position was rapidly wired with concertina wire and new trenches -dug for defence and communication by the {241} 155th Field Co. R.E. -and the 11th Hants Pioneer battalion. - -On the left the storming battalions were the 2nd Royal Irish and the -7/8th Irish Fusiliers. The Royal Irish carried both tunnel and -support trenches with the Flora Mebus, taking 200 prisoners. Many -Germans retreated into the tunnel, but were pelted out again by Mills -grenades. The Fusiliers were equally successful, but had one short -hold-up owing to the determined resistance of a single officer and -ten men. This little party made a brave fight, and were so situated -that they commanded two lines of trench. Eventually they were all -killed. The support trench was occupied, the tunnel cleared by the -174th Tunnelling Company, and the whole position made good in a most -workmanlike way. A series of counter-attacks were stamped out by the -barrage before they could get properly going. - -The tunnel, as explained, was a continuous gallery opening into the -trench and extending eastwards. It had numerous chambers leading -off, fitted with wire bunks, tables, etc. This section was -elaborately mined, but the position of the leads had been accurately -disclosed by a deserter, and they were soon cut by the sappers. - -In this swift and successful operation some 635 prisoners of the -470th and 471st Regiments were taken, with many minor trophies. Many -Germans had been killed, 330 bodies being counted in the trenches -alone. Altogether it was a remarkably smooth-running operation, and -the model of an attack with limited objective, upon which General -Haldane and all concerned might be congratulated. It was the more -remarkable as it was carried out without {242} preliminary -bombardment, and no help from the tanks. - -While the Irish had attacked upon the left a single brigade of the -Third Division, the 9th, advanced upon their right, and keeping pace -with their comrades carried out a most successful attack, securing a -further length of the tunnel trench. There was no further fighting -of consequence in this area of the battle, save for some movement -forward on the part of the Irish division and one short -counter-attack by the Germans. - -It will be understood that this attack was some miles to the north of -the main battle, and that a long section of unbroken Hindenburg Line -intervened between the two. Along this line the Fifty-sixth Division -kept up a spirited Chinese attack all day. The real advance was upon -a frontage of six miles which covered the front from Hermies in the -north to Gonnelieu in the south. Every company of the advancing -units had been instructed to fall in behind its own marked tank. At -6.20, just after dawn, in a favouring haze, General Elles gave the -signal, his iron-clad fleet flowed forward, the field of wire went -down with a long splintering rending crash, the huge faggots were -rolled forward into the gaping ditches, and the eager infantry -crowded forward down the clear swathes which the monsters had cut. -At the same moment the guns roared out, and an effective -smoke-barrage screened the whole strange spectacle from the German -observers. - -The long line of tanks, magnified to monstrous size in the dim light -of early dawn, the columns of infantry with fixed bayonets who -followed them, all advancing in silent order, formed a spectacle -which none who took part in it could ever forget. Everything went -{243} without a hitch, and in a few minutes the whole Hindenburg Line -with its amazed occupants was in the hands of the assailants. Still -following their iron guides they pushed on to their further -objectives. As these differed, and as the fortunes of the units -varied, it will be well to take them in turn, always working from the -left of the line. - -The British front was cut across diagonally by a considerable canal -with deep sides, the Canal du Nord. Upon the north side of this was -one division. This flank unit was the famous Thirty-sixth Ulsters, -who behaved this day with their usual magnificent gallantry. -Advancing with deliberate determination, they carried all before -them, though exposed to that extra strain to which a flank unit must -always submit. Their left was always enfiladed by the enemy and they -had continually to build up a defensive line, which naturally -subtracted from their numbers and made a long advance impossible. -None the less, after rushing a high bank bristling with machine-guns -they secured the second Hindenburg Line, where they were firmly -established by 10.30 after a sharp contest with the garrison. They -then swept forward, keeping the canal upon their right, until by -evening they had established themselves upon the Bapaume-Cambrai -Road. It was the brigade moving parallel to the Sixty-second -Division upon which the heavier work fell. - -Upon the immediate right of the Irishmen was Braithwaite's -Sixty-second Division of West Riding Yorkshire Territorials--one of -those second line units whose solid excellence has been one of the -surprises of the war. Six of them had already come to the front, and -not one of the six which had not made its {244} mark. On this -occasion the men of the West Riding made an advance which was the -admiration of the army, and which the Field-Marshal, who weighs his -words carefully, described as "a brilliant achievement." The first -obstacle in front of the 185th West Yorkshire Brigade upon the right -was the village of Havrincourt, which, with the aid of the tanks, -they carried in dashing style, though the resistance from the Château -was very fierce. Behind it lay the reserve German line, which also -was taken at the point of the bayonet. Upon the left the 187th -Brigade, containing two Yorks and Lancaster and two Yorkshire Light -Infantry battalions, swept gloriously forward and got every -objective, including the northern half of Havrincourt. The 2/5th -Yorkshire Light Infantry was particularly fine, as it charged without -tanks and yet kept up with the line. The 186th Brigade, consisting -of four battalions of the West Riding Regiment, then passed through -in a splendid rush which carried them up to and through the village -of Graincourt, regardless of the fact that Flesquières on the right -was untaken. Surging on the 188th Reserve Brigade reached and -captured the important village of Graincourt, much aided by two -audacious tanks. With an energy which was still unabated they pushed -on to Anneux, where they reached the fringe of the houses. It was a -truly splendid day's work, in which four and a half miles of every -devilry which German sappers could build or German infantry defend -was inexorably beaten down. In all these operations they were aided -and supported, not only by the tanks, but by the 11th Hussars, and -also by a body of King Edward's Horse. Thirty-seven guns and 2000 -prisoners were the fine trophies of this one division. - -{245} - -Upon the right of Braithwaite's Yorkshiremen was the Fifty-first -Highland Territorial Division. They also made a fine advance, but -were held up by the strongly organised village of Flesquières. The -approach to it was a long slope swept by machine-gun fire, and the -co-operation of the tanks was made difficult by a number of advanced -field-guns which destroyed the slow-moving machines as they -approached up the hill. If the passage of the Hindenburg Line showed -the strength of these machines, the check at Flesquières showed their -weakness, for in their present state of development they were -helpless before a well-served field-gun, and a shell striking them -meant the destruction of the tank, and often the death of the crew. -It is said that a single Prussian artillery officer, who stood by his -gun to the death and is chivalrously immortalised in the British -bulletin, destroyed no less than sixteen tanks by direct hits. At -the same time the long and solid wall of the Château formed an -obstacle to the infantry, as did the tangle of wire which surrounded -the village. The fighting was very severe and the losses -considerable, but before evening the Highlanders had secured the -ground round the village and were close up to the village itself. -The delay had, however, a sinister effect upon the British plans, as -the defiant village, spitting out flames and lead from every cranny -and window, swept the ground around and created a broad zone on -either side, across which progress was difficult and dangerous. It -was the resistance of this village, and the subsequent breaking of -the bridges upon the canal, which prevented the cavalry from -fulfilling their full rôle upon this first day of battle. {246} None -the less as dismounted units they did sterling work, and one small -mounted body of Canadian Cavalry, the Fort Garry Horse from Winnipeg, -particularly distinguished itself, getting over every obstacle, -taking a German battery, dispersing a considerable body of infantry, -and returning after a day of desperate adventure without their -horses, but with a sample of the forces which they had encountered. -It was a splendid deed of arms, for which Lieutenant Henry Strachan, -who led the charge after the early fall of the squadron leader, -received the coveted Cross. - -Upon the right of the Fifty-first Division was the Sixth, which was -faced by the village of Ribecourt. Into this it stormed, and after -some heavy street and house fighting it cleared it of its German -garrison. The advance was carried out with the 71st Brigade upon the -right and the 18th upon the left. The village was carried by storm -by the 9th Norfolks of the 71st Brigade passing through the 1st -Leicesters, who, together with the 2nd Sherwood Foresters, had -stormed the Hindenburg Line, following close upon the tanks, upon -whose iron flanks they could hear the rifle bullets patter like -hailstones. The losses of the division were light, as their -instructions were to dig in upon the further side of the village and -act as a connecting link. The Foresters, however, had at least one -sharp tussle before they gained their full objective. A shock -battalion charged them, and there was a period of desperate fighting -during which the Germans displayed a valour which sometimes was -almost that of fanatics. "One of their companies was cut off. We -offered them quarter, but they would not hear of {247} it. The last -to go was a young sub. When he saw that all was up he drew his -revolver and shot himself. As he fell I ran forward in the hope to -save him, for he was a brave lad. When I got to his side he looked -at me with a look of intense hate and tried to take aim with his -pistol. It fell from his hand and he fell dead with that look of -hate still on his face." - -In connection with this advance of the Sixth Division it should be -stated that the 2nd Durham Light Infantry upon the left charged a -battery and captured the guns, a fine feat of arms. - -Upon the right of the Sixth Division was the Twenty-ninth Regular -Division which was held back from the advance until its flank was -secured upon the right. When this had been accomplished by the -Twelfth Division it dashed swiftly forward upon a three-brigade -front; the 87th and 86th Brigades seizing respectively Marcoing and -Neuf Wood which is immediately beyond it. Here they found themselves -in very close collaboration with the Sixth Division, through whom -they passed in their advance. On the right the 88th Brigade, after -hard fighting in the Hindenburg support line, captured Les Rues -Vertes and part of Mesnières. The taking of these two villages was -really of great importance in the general scheme of operations, and -the advances of the divisions upon either flank may be looked upon as -simply a screen to cover the Twenty-ninth while it sped forward upon -its venture. The reason of this was that the Canal de l'Escaut, a -very formidable obstacle, covered the whole German front south of -Cambrai, and that unless it were taken all advance in this direction -was impossible. There were bridges at Mesnières and Marcoing, and -these were the nearest {248} points to the British line. Hence it -was that the flanks of the Twenty-ninth were carefully covered and a -clear opening made for it, that with one tiger-spring it might seize -this vital position. The bridge at Marcoing was captured intact, the -leading tank shooting down the party who were engaged in its -demolition. At Mesnières, which is the more important point, the -advancing troops were less fortunate, as the bridge had already been -injured and an attempt by a tank to cross it led to both bridge and -tank crashing down into the canal. This proved to be a serious -misfortune, and coupled with the hold-up at Flesquières, was the one -untoward event in a grand day's work. Both the tanks and the cavalry -were stopped by the broken bridge, and though the infantry still -pushed on their advance was slower, as it was necessary to clear that -part of the village which lay north of the canal and then to go -forward without support over open country. Thus the Germans had time -to organise resistance upon the low hills from Rumilly to Crevecoeur -and to prevent the advance reaching its full limits. A footbridge -was secured by the Newfoundlanders at Mesnières, and it may be -mentioned as a curious example of the wide sweep of the British -Empire that the first man to get across it, and to lose his life in -the gallant deed, was an Esquimaux from Labrador. The centre brigade -got about 1500 yards beyond Marcoing, but there the Germans from -Cambrai had formed a new line which could not be forced. The enemy -recognised this advance as being for the moment the most menacing -part of the British line, and at once adopted the very strongest -measures to push it back and secure the bridgeheads of the {249} -canal. Several times upon November 21 they raged against this point -of the line and made desperate attempts to gain the two villages. -Noyelle, which was held by the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers, was also -strongly attacked upon that day, but with the aid of the 2nd Royal -Fusiliers and 16th Middlesex the village was held against a series of -onslaughts, one position changing hands seven times. Some of these -counter-attacks were delivered by Prussian Guards, hastily brought -from Lens, and the fighting was as severe as it usually is when the -Kaiser's own men put in an appearance. These events, however, were -on the 21st, and we must return to the first day of the battle. - -On the right of the Twenty-ninth was the Twentieth Division. In -front of them, upon the farther side of the line, had lain the -powerfully fortified farm of La Vacquerie, and this they had taken -with their first rush. Beyond lay a long slope, strongly held by the -Germans, called the Welsh Ridge. This also was stormed by the -Twentieth, who kept pace with the right flank of the Twenty-ninth, -and pushed their advance forward as far as the canal. At the same -time the 59th Brigade was thrown out upon the right to make a -prolongation of the defensive flank built up by the Twelfth Division -and so screen the main attack. All went well with the right of this -advance, but the left, consisting of the 10th K.R.R., was held for a -time by a strong point which eventually surrendered and yielded 200 -prisoners. Some of this battalion saw the enemy running towards -Mesnières and pursued them to the main bridge. The troops received a -most affectionate welcome from the inhabitants of the houses along -{250} the Cambrai Road. The attack upon the left was carried out by -the 12th K.R.R. and 6th Oxfords of the 60th Brigade, which swept with -little resistance over the Hindenburg Line, but had some trouble with -strong points beyond. One of these points of resistance which was -carried by the 12th K.R.R. accounted for all the officers of the -party and 62 out of 96 men, before it was put out of action by the -survivors. Captain Hoare, a veteran Rifleman who had risen from the -ranks, was killed at this point, and his orderly, a lad of twenty -named Shepherd, took over the direction of the party and carried the -operation through with such dash and valour that he was awarded the -Victoria Cross. - -We now come to the Twelfth Division upon the flank, the first English -division of the New Army, a unit which had greatly distinguished -itself at Ovillers and elsewhere. Its task was in some ways the most -difficult of any, as it had not only to advance upon important -objectives but to build up a flank line of resistance as it went, -since the whole attack might have been checked and brought to ruin by -an enemy assault from the south. The 36th Brigade upon the left -advanced with the 9th Royal Fusiliers and 7th Sussex in their front -line, while two companies of the 8th Fusiliers were thrown out upon -the left to aid in the attack upon La Vacquerie. On the right by the -Banteaux Spur was the 35th Brigade with the 9th Essex and 5th -Berkshires in the front. The latter battalion lost heavily from the -fire of guns on their right. When on the line of Bleak House the -supporting battalions, two companies of Fusiliers and the 11th -Middlesex upon the left, the 7th Suffolks and part of the 7th -Norfolks upon the right, passed {251} on to the objective. The 37th -Brigade then passed through upon the right and settled in an echelon -of battalions along the flank, the 7th East Surreys and 6th Buffs -starting the line, while the 6th West Kent and 6th West Surrey -prolonged it. While executing this delicate and complicated movement -the battalions were under heavy fire and had to clear Lateau Wood of -the enemy, so that it was a fine bit of work on the part both of the -leaders and of the men. The two chief points of German resistance -outside the wood were the forts of Pam-Pam and Bonavis, both of which -were attacked by tanks and then carried by storm by the Kentish -infantry. By 11 o'clock the whole advance, covering a front of 2000 -with a depth of 5500 yards, had reached its full objectives at every -point. The total losses of the division were about 1300 men. Major -Alderman, commanding the West Kents, was among those who fell. It -may be added that from this day until the fateful 30th the division -was out of the battle and made no move, save that on November 24 the -35th and 36th Brigades pushed a short way down the slope eastwards to -the St. Quentin Canal. - -Some allusion has already been made to the dispositions of the -cavalry. The original plan was that the First and Fifth Cavalry -Divisions, closely supported by the Second, should, the instant that -the way was clear, push forward to surround and isolate Cambrai, and -also to isolate and threaten Bourlon Wood from the north and east. -The situation was never such, however, as to allow any large body of -cavalry to get through. At dawn on the morning of the 21st a patrol -of 5th Lancers ascertained that the Germans still held the -Marcoing-Beaurevoir line in {252} force. On the left, however, the -success of the fifty-first Division had made more open space, and on -this side the Bays and the 4th Dragoon Guards penetrated upon the -21st as far as Fontaine and did some useful work. - -The Twelfth Division formed the flank of Pulteney's Third Corps. -Upon its right was Snow's Seventh Corps, the left-hand unit of which -was the Fifty-fifth Division of Lancashire Territorials, which had -not been involved in the advance, and indeed was nominally resting -after its supreme exertions at Ypres where it had taken a notable -part in battle after battle. It had been planned, however, that some -demonstration should be made upon this front in order to divert the -enemy's forces and to correspond with the attack at Bullecourt upon -the north. This was carried out by the 164th Brigade and may have -had the desired effect although it gave no permanent gain. A point -called the Knoll, with an adjacent farm, was carried by the stormers -and was held for most of the day, but they were forced back to their -own old lines in the evening, after a long day of battle in which -they incurred such heavy losses that the brigade was seriously -crippled at a later date when the full strength of the division was -urgently needed. - -This ended the first day of the battle, which represented a -considerable victory, and one which vindicated the enterprise and -brain-power of the British inventor and engineer as much as the -valour of the soldier. The German line was deeply indented over a -front of 6 miles and to a depth of 4½ miles. More than 5000 -prisoners with many guns had been taken. The famous Hindenburg Line -had been severed. The villages of Havrincourt, Graincourt, {253} -Ribecourt, Marcoing, Noyelle, and Mesnières were all in British -hands. It was a good beginning, so good that it was determined not -to suspend the operations, but to try the results of a second day and -see what could be attained before the arrival of the full German -supports. Even with their excellent rear organisation and their -great junction at Cambrai, it was hoped that a clear forty-eight -hours must pass from the opening of the battle before they could -build up a really formidable line. - -There were no operations of any importance during the night of the -20th, but early upon November 21 the British line began to move -forward once more, the same divisions being engaged in the advance. -In the north the Ulstermen, who had attained the line of the -Cambrai-Bapaume Road, crossed that boundary and pushed onwards up the -slope for about a mile until they reached the outskirts of the -village of Mœuvres which they were unable to retain. It was soon -apparent, both here and at other points along the line, that the -Germans with their usual military efficiency had brought up their -reserves even more rapidly than had been expected, and the resistance -at Mœuvres was so determined that the tired division was unable to -overcome it. The 169th Brigade of the Fifty-sixth Division pushed up -on the left of the Ulstermen and occupied the German outpost line, -from which they were able later to attack the main Hindenburg Line. - -The Sixty-second Division upon the right of the Ulstermen had got to -the edge of Anneux upon the night before, and now the 2/4th West -Ridings were able to complete their conquest. The 186th Brigade then -drove across the Cambrai Road and reached the {254} edge of the -considerable plantation called Bourlon Wood which rises upon a -swelling hill, the summit being so marked in that gently undulating -country that it becomes a landmark in the distance. Here there was -very strong opposition, with so murderous a machine-gun fire that all -progress was arrested, though a number of tanks drove their way in -among the trees in an effort to break down the resistance. In the -meantime the flank of the Yorkshiremen had been protected by the -capture of the village of Cantaing with several hundred more -prisoners. - -Early in the day the Fifty-first had got round the northern edge of -Flesquières, the village which had held up the centre of the advance -upon the first day. As a consequence it fell and the front was -cleared for a further advance. The Scotch infantry was then able to -make a rapid advance of nearly three miles, taking Cantaing with 500 -prisoners upon the way, and winding up in front of the village of -Fontaine-Notre-Dame, which they stormed in a very brilliant fashion -with the aid of tanks and of some squadrons of the First Cavalry -Division as already noted. - -Farther south the Sixth and Twenty-ninth Divisions acting in close -co-operation had pushed their way through Mesnières, where they met -and defeated a counter-attack from the direction of Rumilly. It was -clear that every hour the German line was thickening in this quarter. -Whilst the Sixth cleared the ground upon the left, the Twenty-ninth -pushed forward and reached Noyelle, where with the aid of those -useful allies, the dismounted troopers of the First and Fifth Cavalry -Divisions, including the Umballa Brigade of Indians, they made good -the village as already described. - -{255} - -In the meantime the 10th Rifle Brigade of the Twentieth Division upon -the right had first taken and then lost Les Rues des Vignes, an -important position upon the British side of the canal. In the -afternoon the 11th Rifle Brigade managed to cross the canal and -endeavoured to push up towards Crevecoeur, but at this point the -river Scheldt ran on the farther side and offered an impediment which -could not be crossed. Orders were issued by General Byng that a -fresh attempt should be made next morning, but the troops were weary -and the losses heavy so the instructions were cancelled and the line -remained unaltered at this point. - -The end of the second day of battle found the British Command faced -with a difficult problem, and we have the Field-Marshal's own lucid -analysis of the alternative courses open, and as to the reasons which -prompted his decision. The capture of Cambrai had never been the -goal of the operations, though a cavalry raid which would have -disorganised the communications through that town had at one time -seemed possible. A turning of the line to the south with the -co-operation of some French divisions which were ready upon the spot, -was part of the original conception, and was baulked by the -insufficient hold established upon the farther side of the Canal de -l'Escaut. But the central idea had been the capture of the high -ground of Bourlon Hill and Wood for with this in British possession a -considerable stretch of the defensive German line would lie open to -observed artillery fire, and its retention would probably mean a -fresh withdrawal to the east. It had been hoped that the goal would -have been attained within forty-eight hours, but this time had -elapsed and the {256} assailants were at the bottom instead of the -summit of the hill, with a resistance in front which was continually -growing more obstinate. What was to be done? The troops could not -remain where they were, for the Bourlon Hill overlooked their -position. They must carry it or retire. There was something to be -said for the latter policy, as the Flesquières Ridge could be held -and the capture of 10,000 prisoners and over 100 guns had already -made the victory a notable one, while the casualties in two days were -only 9000. On the other hand, while there is a chance of achieving a -full decision it is hard to abandon an effort; reinforcements were -coming up, and the situation in Italy demanded a supreme effort upon -the Western front. With all these considerations in his mind the -Field-Marshal determined to carry on. - -November 22 was spent in consolidating the ground gained, in bringing -up reinforcements, and in resting the battle-weary divisions. There -was no advance upon the part of the British during the day, but about -one o'clock in the afternoon the Germans, by a sudden impetuous -attack, regained the village of Fontaine and pushed back the -Fifty-first Division in this quarter. No immediate effort was made -to regain it, as this would be part of the general operations when -the new line of attack was ready to advance. Earlier in the day the -Germans had thrown themselves upon the front of the Sixty-second, -driving back its front line, the 2/6th and 2/8th West Yorkshires, to -the Bapaume-Cambrai Road, but the Yorkshiremen shook themselves -together, advanced once more, and regained the lost ground with the -help of the 2/4th York and Lancasters. The Germans spent this day in -building up their line, and with their better railway facilities -{257} had probably the best of the bargain, although the British air -service worked with their usual utter self-abnegation to make the -operation difficult. - -The new advance began upon the night November 22, when the 56th -Londoners reinforced the Ulsters upon the left of the line on the -out-skirts of the village of Mœuvres. To the west of the village, -between it and the Hindenburg Line, was an important position, -Tadpole Copse, which formed a flank for any further advance. This -was carried by a surprise attack in splendid style by the 1st -Westminsters of the 169th Brigade. During the day both the Londoners -and the Ulstermen tried hard, though with limited success, to enlarge -the gains in this part of the field. - -The attack was now pointing more and more to the north, where the -wooded height of Bourlon marked the objective. In the southern part -the movements of the troops were rather holding demonstrations than -serious attacks. The real front of battle was marked by the reverse -side of the Hindenburg Line upon the left, the hill, wood, and -village of Bourlon in the centre, and the flanking village of -Fontaine upon the right. All of these were more or less -interdependent, for if one did not take Bourlon it was impossible to -hold Fontaine which lay beneath it, while on the other hand any -attack upon Bourlon was difficult while the flanking fire of Fontaine -was unquenched. From Mœuvres to Fontaine was a good six miles of -most difficult ground, so that it was no easy task which a thin line -of divisions was asked. to undertake--indeed only four divisions -were really engaged, the Thirty-sixth and Fifty-sixth on the left, -the Fortieth in the centre, and the Fifty-first on the right. - -{258} - -The operations of November 23 began by an attack by the enduring -Fifty-first Division, who had now been four days in the fighting line -against Fontaine Village--an attempt in which they were aided by a -squadron of tanks. Defeated in the first effort, they none the less -renewed their attack in the afternoon with twelve more tanks, and -established themselves close to the village but had not sufficient -momentum to break their way through it. There they hung on in most -desperate and difficult fighting, screening their comrades in the -main Bourlon attack, but at most grievous cost to themselves. - -Meanwhile the Thirty-sixth Division had again attacked Mœuvres, -and at one time had captured it all, save the north-west corner, but -heavy pressure from the enemy prevented them retaining their grasp of -it. The two brigades of this division upon the east of the canal -were unable, unfortunately, to make progress, and this fact greatly -isolated and exposed the Fortieth Division during and after its -attack. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{259} - -[Illustration: BATTLE LINE OF THE THIRD ARMY, November 20, 1917] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -This main attack was entrusted to the Fortieth Division, a unit which -had never yet found itself in the full lurid light of this great -stage, but which played its first part very admirably none the less. -It was a terrible obstacle which lay in front of it, for the sloping -wood was no less than 600 acres in extent, a thick forest with autumn -foliage, hardly touched by shell-fire, while the village upon its -north-western flank came also within the area of their attack. The -men, however, had been specially exercised in wood fighting, a -precaution which all agree to have been of the greatest possible -value in the day of battle. When at 10.30 A.M. the signal was given -to advance the 121st Brigade went {260} forward with alacrity upon -the left, while on the right the 119th Brigade plunged into the wood, -the brigadier, a dare-devil little warrior, setting an example to his -men which none who followed him will forget. About thirty tanks -lumbered forward in front of the advancing lines. The west edge of -the wood formed the dividing line between the right and left attack. - -It was arranged that the tanks should, so far as possible, go down -those rides which are so conspicuous a feature of every French -forest, while the infantry should move up between them. The 119th -Brigade moved forward with the 19th Welsh Fusiliers upon the right, -the 12th South Wales Borderers on the left, while the 17th Welsh were -in close reserve. It was the second occasion in the war when a -splendid piece of woodland fighting was carried through by the men of -the Principality, and even Mametz was not a finer performance than -Bourlon. They rapidly broke through the German front line, capturing -numerous prisoners and machine-guns. The Colonel of the Fusiliers -pushed his way forward to the north edge where he established posts, -while the flank of the Welsh Borderers brushed the village of Bourlon -and got north of that point. The 17th Welsh meanwhile formed -defensive flanks upon either side, while the 18th Welsh came up to -reinforce, and pushed ahead of their comrades with the result that -they were driven in by a violent counter-attack. The line was -re-established, however, and before one o'clock the 119th Brigade -were dug in along the whole northern edge of the forest. It was a -fine attack and was not marred by excessive losses, though Colonel -Kennedy of the 17th Welsh was killed. Among {261} many notable deeds -of valour was that of Sergeant-Major Davies of the 18th Welsh, who -knelt down in the open and allowed his shoulder to be used as the -rest for a Lewis gun, until a bullet struck him down. - -It was clear that the Germans would make every effort to regain the -wood, and immediate steps were taken to strengthen the defence, which -was already firmly established. The 14th Argyll and Sutherlands were -sent up to thicken the line, as were the 15th Hussars, who were doing -great service as a mobile foot battalion. More machine-guns were -also pushed to the front. The result of these measures, all taken -before nightfall, was that the inevitable counter-attacks, which -materialised before dawn, were shot back by a blaze of fire from the -fringe of brushwood. Early in the morning of November 24, a resolute -endeavour of the German stormers gained a lodgment for them to the -right of the British line, where they captured some of the -machine-guns. During the whole of this day the enemy pressed hardly -upon the weakening line, and at three in the afternoon had pushed -them back from the whole of the right half of the wood, but Welshmen, -Highlanders, and Hussars gathered themselves for a supreme effort, -and dashing at the Germans swept them back once more to their old -position. We shall leave the 119th Brigade still holding fast upon -the evening of the 24th to their advanced position, while we follow -the fortunes of the 121st Brigade from the time of the original -attack upon November 23. - -This Brigade had, as already stated, advanced upon the village of -Bourlon with the 20th Middlesex upon the right and the 13th -Yorkshires upon the left, the latter in close touch with the 107th -Brigade {262} of Ulstermen upon the west of their front, the whole -line to swing round and attack the western edge of the village. The -21st Middlesex were in close support to give weight to the left of -the line, while the 12th Suffolks were in reserve. The Ulstermen had -been held up by heavy machine-gun fire which exposed the left flank -of the Yorkshires, who in turn could not get forward. This in turn -brought the two Middlesex battalions to a halt, who were already well -up to the village. Three out of six tanks upon this flank were put -out of action by armour-piercing bullets. After a pause both the -Yorkshires and some of the Middlesex got into the village, but their -flank was always bare, and the best they could do was to hold on to -the southern edge. None the less the line was firm and formidable, -as was found by a German attack carried out by the 9th Grenadier -Regiment in the late afternoon, which was swept back by the British -fire. All day the enemy strove hard to clear the village, and all -day the 121st Brigade held splendidly to its gains. Where all were -fine the non-commissioned officers were particularly splendid. -Sergeant-Major Hall of the 21st Middlesex, three times wounded and -still rallying his company, was but one of many. Some critic has -finely said that if the Day of Judgment were to come a British -non-commissioned officer would still be found imploring his -neighbours not to get the wind up. It is an interesting fact that -the attack by the 121st Brigade had been countermanded, but the wires -were broken and the message miscarried, so that the whole fine -episode was strictly unofficial. - -During the night the hard-pressed line was thickened by the arrival -of the 19th Hussars and {263} Bedford Yeomanry, who took over the -left of the position. The 14th H.L.I, were also brought up from the -reserve brigade, and twelve more tanks came into line. The 12th -Suffolks had formed upon the left of the Highlanders, and these two -battalions with the cavalry and tanks made a united attack upon the -remaining portion of the village of Bourlon on the morning of the -24th, which was countered by the Germans in the afternoon. In the -confusion of house-to-house combat the two battalions were separated, -the Suffolks getting penned in at the south corner of the village, -while the Highlanders, who had made a splendid advance, were isolated -in the north-east. The situation was serious, and two reserve -battalions, the 13th Surreys and 12th Royal Lancasters, were brought -up after dusk. A body of dismounted cavalry drawn from the 2nd and -5th Dragoon Guards and the 11th Hussars were also pushed into the -fight. With these troops the Brigadier made a strong attempt upon -the morning of November 25 to force his way through the village, -which was now mostly in German hands, but the tanks which he had -expected did not arrive, and his infantry were not strong enough for -the task. Colonel Battye of the Highlanders had been killed, and -Colonel Warden of the East Surreys, who had assumed local command, -did all that a man could do, but the losses were too heavy, and the -Highlanders were seen no more. Up to the 26th Colonel Warden, with -his headquarters in the firing line, was able to send up rations to -the survivors of the three isolated companies who had made a -wonderful resistance for nearly two days. In the end it was only by -great skill that his own battalion, the East Surreys, were rescued -from {264} their dangerous position, for the forces of the Germans -were in overwhelming strength, and overlapped the village upon both -sides. Some of the East Surreys were cut off for two days in the -south-eastern part of the village before the survivors could be got -clear. Colonel Warden received the D.S.O. for his splendid work. - -In the meantime, from the morning of the 25th, the 119th Brigade had -made a splendid fight in the wood against fierce attacks which beat -up against their right flank. The Guards had come up to relieve the -51st Highlanders, and on this date three battalions of the 3rd Guards -Brigade, the 2nd Scots Guards, 1st and 4th Grenadier Guards, were -thrown in to help the Fortieth Division in its heavy task. Two -companies of the 11th Royal Lancasters were also brought forward, and -succeeded in doing some very brilliant work. The flank was held -during the day. Upon that night the weary division was drawn out, -being relieved by the Sixty-second Yorkshire Division, which by some -miracle after only two days of rest was judged to be battle worthy -once more. It was indeed a case of the tired relieving those who -were only a little less tired than themselves, but the line had to be -held and not another man was available. The artillery of the -Fortieth Division, which had shown remarkable efficiency and -co-operated very closely with the infantry, remained in action. -During its brilliant spell of service the Fortieth Division had taken -750 prisoners, but its casualties were very heavy, amounting to 172 -officers and more than 3000 men. - -The British position was now a difficult one, for the enemy held the -ridge above Fontaine and also the {265} high ground between Bourlon -and the Hindenburg Line, so that they had commanding observation upon -both sides. With great persistence, however, in spite of the -continual thickening of the German line the British commanders -determined, after a pause for breath, to make one more effort to -capture both Fontaine, which had relapsed into enemy hands, and the -village of Bourlon with the whole of the Ridge. The Guards, the -Forty-seventh London Territorials, and the Second Division had all -appeared upon the scene, so that the striking force was stronger than -before. Upon November 27 the Guards made a strong effort upon -Fontaine, having relieved the Fifty-first Division in that sector. -The 3rd Guards Brigade had already become involved, as described in -the defence by the Fortieth Division of Bourlon Wood. It was the 2nd -Brigade which was now marshalled to attack upon a very wide front -from Fontaine village on the right to Bourlon village on the left, -this latter advance being in support of the attack by the -Sixty-second Division upon the position which had been lost. This -attack made at 6.20 in the morning of November 27, after a night of -snow and tempest, was carried out by the 186th and 187th Brigades, -the object being to get back Bourlon wood and village. The latter -brigade got half-way through the village at one time, but could not -make good the ground. The 186th, working through the woods to the -north-west of Fontaine, gained their objectives, but had both flanks -in the air, and were eventually in the evening compelled to fall -back, all the West Riding battalions having lost heavily. Meanwhile -the 2nd Brigade of Guards had been fighting hard in support of the -Sixty-second. This {266} attack was carried out by the 2nd Irish, -while the 3rd Grenadiers, 1st Coldstream, and 1st Scots were -respectively upon the left, centre, and right of the advance upon the -village, which came down the line of the Cambrai Road. - -The attack started at 6.20 in the morning after a night of snow and -tempest. The flank battalion of Scots Guards by the use of a sunken -road got well up to the village without heavy loss, but a blast of -machine-gun fire from a small house about 200 yards away played havoc -with the 3rd Grenadiers, who none the less rushed forward, stormed -the house, and secured their first objective. The Coldstreams also -suffered heavily from machine-gun fire from a post north of the -railway, and half their numbers were on the ground before they also -reached their objective. The remains of these two gallant battalions -cleared the whole village and captured about a thousand prisoners, -but were unable to get more than six hundred to the rear. By ten -o'clock the whole position had been taken, but the victors had -suffered so severely that they were unable to cover so large a -perimeter, and about eleven o'clock the Germans, passing through the -numerous gaps in the defence, bade fair to cut off the whole British -force. The 4th Grenadiers of the 3rd Brigade was sent up under Lord -Gort to reinforce, and the remains of the 2nd Brigade was drawn clear -of the village and settled into trenches in front of it. The attack -was in many ways a very difficult one, for the village was strongly -fortified, there was much wire intact south of the Cambrai road, and -the machine-gun fire from La Folie Wood swept all the approaches. -Eventually the force of the enemy was so strong, and it had {267} -penetrated so far round the flanks of the battalions that Lord -Fielding, who commanded the Guards division, gave orders that they -retire to their original line. The brigade lost heavily in the -venture. - -Meanwhile the gallant Yorkshiremen of the Sixty-second, together with -the 2nd Irish Guards, drove their way through Bourlon Wood in spite -of a desperate resistance from a German line which included several -battalions of the Guards. Many prisoners were taken, but many others -escaped in the confused fighting among the brushwood and tree-trunks. -Once again the counter-attacks were too strong for the thin ranks who -had reached their goal, and the British, after reaching both the -village and the north end of the wood, were pushed out once more. At -the same time the British held a strong position on the hill and in -the wood, so that there were still hopes of a successful issue if the -German resistance could be outworn. It should be remarked that -through all the fighting the battle line was greatly strengthened by -the fact that a dismounted battalion was formed from each brigade of -cavalry, or nine in all, who relieved and supported the very weary -infantry. The trophies of the battle up to date had been over 100 -German guns, 10,500 prisoners, 350 machine-guns, and, above all, the -valuable stretch of Hindenburg's Line. - -It was in this last phase of the advance, and indeed after the -fighting had ended, that General Bradford was killed by a chance -shell. This young soldier, who at the age of twenty-five commanded -one of the brigades of the Sixty-second Division, was one of the -great natural leaders disclosed by the war. It was indeed a cruel -fate which took him away between full {268} promise and full -performance. "He had the dash and enthusiasm of youth tempered by -the knowledge and experience which comes to most men only with later -years." So wrote his immediate commander. England could ill spare -such a man at such a time. - -All was quiet for the next few days, during which the Fifty-ninth -Division relieved the Guards, while the Forty-seventh Division -relieved the Sixty-second Yorkshiremen. - -[Illustration: FIGHTING LINE NOV. 30th 1917] - - - - -{269} - -CHAPTER XI - -THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI (_continued_) - -Second phase of battle on November 30--Great German attack--Disaster -to three divisions--Desperate fight of Twenty-ninth Division--Fine -advance by the Guards--Capture and recapture of Gouzeaucourt--Hard -battle in the Bourlon Sector--Heavy losses of the Germans--Retraction -of the British line. - - -It was clear to the British Commanders before the end of November -that the enemy had grown so strong that the initiative had passed to -him, and that instead of following up attacks it was a question now -of defending positions against a determined endeavour to shove back -the intruders and splice the broken line. The multifarious signs of -activity behind the German lines, the massing of troops, the planting -of batteries, and the registration of ranges, all warned the -experienced observers that a great counter-offensive was about to -begin. There was no question of a surprise at any point of the line, -but Bourlon was naturally the place where the enemy might be expected -to be at his full strength, since it was vital that he should regain -that position. At the same time it was clearly seen that the storm -would break also at the south end of the line, and General Snow had -given every instruction to General Jeudwine of the Fifty-fifth -Division which held the position next to the scene {270} of action. -This experienced leader took every step which could be thought of, -but he was sadly handicapped by the state of his division which had -been so severely hammered at Ypres, and had in the last few days had -one brigade knocked to pieces at Knoll. With only two brigades, full -of young troops who had taken the place of the casualties incurred in -the north, he had to cover at least 10,000 yards of ground. His line -was stretched until it was little more than a string of sentries with -an occasional strong point dotted up and down. We will begin by -endeavouring to follow what occurred in this southern sector, and -then turn to the equally important, though less dramatic, doings in -the north. - -The attack in the south was delivered upon a front of ten miles from -Vendhuille in the south to Mesnières in the north. To take a single -comprehensive view of it, it hardly affected the Twenty-fourth -Division upon the right of Snow's Seventh Corps, it crashed with full -force upon the Fifty-fifth Division, especially the left brigade, it -swept impetuously upon the Twelfth and Twentieth Divisions, driving -in part of the line of each of these units, and finally it raged with -equal fury but less success against the Twenty-ninth Division, in the -region of Mesnières. The weight and swiftness of the blow, coming -with the shortest possible artillery preparation, and strongly -supported by low-flying aeroplanes, must add to the reputation of -General von Marwitz who planned it. It was a success, and it is -difficult to see how it could have been prevented from being a -success by any means which the defenders had it in their power to -adopt. The undulating country in which troops could assemble, and -the morning mist which screened them from {271} observation were two -factors which contributed to the result. - -Shortly after seven in the morning the tempest suddenly broke loose. -The surprise was so well carried out that though the British General -was expecting an attack, and though he had his wire patrols pushed up -to the German trenches only a hundred yards off, still their reports -at dawn gave no warning of any sound to herald the coming rush. It -came like a clap of thunder. An experienced officer in the front -British trench said: "My first impression was that of an earthquake. -Then it seemed to me that an endless procession of aeroplanes were -grazing my head with their wheels. On recovering from the first -shock of my surprise the Germans were far behind me." There was no -question of protective barrage, for the quickest answer to the most -urgent S.O.S. would have been too late to help. - -This account refers particularly to the 166th Brigade, upon the left -of the Fifty-fifth Division, which got the full blast of the storm. -It and the guns behind it were overrun in an instant by the weight -and speed of the advance. The General in command did all that could -be done in such an emergency, but it was impossible to form a fixed -line. The alternative was to swing back hingeing upon the right of -the division, and this was done so that there was always a flank -formed upon the left of the stormers. There was a ravine, called -Ravine 22 upon the maps, which ran down between the Fifty-fifth and -Twelfth Divisions. With the terrific force of a flood the Germans -poured down this natural runway, destroying the British formations -upon each side of it. The Fifty-fifth Division was shattered to -pieces at this point by {272} so terrific an impact upon their feeble -line, but the small groups into which they were broken put up as good -a fight as they could, while the line formed anew between the village -of Villers-Guislain and the farm Vaucelette which was a strong pivot -of resistance. In this part of the field units of the 165th Brigade -of Liverpool battalions, together with the 5th Royal Lancasters and -the 10th Liverpool Scottish of the 166th Brigade, stood stoutly to -their work, and though the enemy after penetrating the lines were -able to get the village of Villers-Guislain, which they had turned -and surrounded, they were never able to extend their advance to the -south on account of this new line of defence through Vaucelette, -though it was composed entirely of infantry with no artillery -support. However, even with this limitation the situation was bad -enough, since the 166th Brigade was almost cut to pieces, and so -complete was the destruction upon the extreme left that one -battalion, the 5th South Lancashires, was entirely destroyed, and -nothing heard of it until its leader, Colonel James, was reported as -a badly wounded prisoner in Germany. Of the division generally it -was said by a higher General that "they fought like tigers," as might -be expected of men who had left a great name on the battle of Ypres, -and who were destined for even greater fame when four months later -they held Givenchy at the critical moment of the terrible battle of -Armentières. Here, as always, it is constancy in moments of -adversity and dour refusal to accept defeat which distinguish both -the British soldier and his leaders. - -We shall now see what happened to the Twelfth Division upon the left -of the Fifty-fifth. When the German stormers poured down Ravine 22 -their left-handed {273} blow knocked out the 166th Brigade, while -their right-handed crushed in the side of the Twelfth Division. From -the ravine in the south to Quarry Farm in the north, the German -infantry surged round the position like a mountain spate round some -rock-hearted islet, where the edges might crumble and be washed out -by the torrent, but the solid core would always beat back the waters. -The line of the division was a curved one, with the 35th Brigade upon -the right, the 36th in the centre, and the 37th upon the left. It -was upon the right-hand brigade that the storm burst with its full -shattering force. The 7th Suffolks next to the fatal ravine shared -the fate of the 5th South Lancashires upon the southern edge of it. -By a coincidence the Colonel had been invalided for appendicitis the -day before, but Major Henty who was in command was killed. The 5th -Berks and 9th Essex, broken up into small parties and enveloped in a -smoke cloud through which they could only catch dim glimpses of -rushing Germans, were pushed back to the north and west, still -keeping some sort of cohesion, until they reached the neighbourhood -of Bleak House where they rallied once more and gathered for a -counter-attack. Everywhere over this area small parties were holding -on, each unconscious of all that was passing outside its own little -smoke-girt circle. Close to Villers-Guislain upon the south side of -the ravine Sapper Company 70, together with the 5th Northampton -Pioneers, held on bravely for many hours, shooting into the flank of -the German advance who poured over the British gun positions which -were well forward at this point in order to support the troops in -Mesnières and Marcoing. Some of the incidents round the guns were -epic in character, {274} for the British gunner does not lightly take -leave of his piece. Many were fought to the last instant with their -crews hacking at them with pickaxes and trenching tools to disable -them even while the Germans swarmed in. Lieut. Wallace, of the 363rd -Battery, with five men served three guns point-blank, their trails -crossing as they covered three separate fields of fire. Each of this -band of heroes received a decoration, their leader getting the V.C. -The 92nd R.F.A. near La Vacquerie also repulsed four separate -attacks, firing with open sights at a range of 200 yards, before they -were forced to dismantle their guns and retire. - -The 7th Norfolks on the left edge of the 35th Brigade were farthest -from the storm-centre, and stoutly beat off all attacks. Only one -lieutenant was left upon his feet at the end of the day. Separated -from their comrades the Norfolks were rather part of the 36th Brigade -upon their left, who were also fiercely attacked, but were more -happily situated as regarded their flank. The 9th Royal Fusiliers -were pushed back to the Cambrai Road on the north, but with some of -the Norfolks built up a solid line of resistance there. Next to them -upon the left the two companies of the 8th Royal Fusiliers which were -in the line, were practically annihilated in spite of a splendid -attempt to rescue them made by the other two companies led by their -heroic Colonel Elliott Cooper. In this brave effort the leader -gained his Victoria Cross, but also unhappily a wound from which he -eventually died. This counter-attack drove the Germans back for the -first time in this terrible morning, but their lines were reinforced -and they came on once more. - -The 37th Brigade upon the left had their own set of troubles to -contend with. The Germans had {275} beaten hard upon the -neighbouring Twentieth Division, breaking into their line upon the -right of their flank 59th Brigade. In this way they got into Lateau -Wood and on to the Bonavis Ridge, which placed them upon the left -rear of the 37th Brigade. The unit was in imminent danger of being -cut off, but held strongly to its line, the pressure falling -particularly heavily upon the 7th East Surreys and upon the 6th -Buffs. Pam-Pam Farm was the centre of some very desperate fighting -on the part of these two units. The Brigade was sorely tried and -forced backwards but still held its own, facing upon two and even -three different fronts, as the enemy drifted in from the north and -east. - -In the meantime a train of independent circumstances had built up a -reserve line which was destined to be of great importance in limiting -the German advance until reinforcements could arrive. Their stormers -had within an hour or two reached not only Villers-Guislain and -Gonnelieu, but had even entered Gouzeaucourt, three miles deep in the -British line. This village, or rather a quarry upon its eastern -edge, was the Headquarters of the Twenty-ninth Division, and the -Germans were within an ace of capturing General de Lisle, its famous -commander. The amazed Commandant of the local hospital found a -German sentry at his door instead of a British one, and with the -usual British good-humour sent him out a cup of tea. No doubt he did -the same to the Irish Guardsman who in turn relieved the German in -the afternoon. The C.R.A. of the Twenty-ninth Division was wounded -and taken, and Captain Crow of the Staff was killed. General de -Lisle with quick decision organised a temporary defence for the south -end of the {276} village, and then hurried up to join his -hard-pressed men at Marcoing. The General of the Twelfth Division -had energetically hurried up the two battalions which he held in -reserve. They were the 6th West Surreys and the 11th Middlesex. -Some hundred of odds and ends near Headquarters were also formed into -a unit and pushed to the front. These went forward towards the -firing with the vaguest notion of the situation, meeting broken -groups of men and catching occasional glimpses of advancing Germans. -The Brigadier of the 35th Brigade had been nearly caught in -Gonnelieu, and found the enemy between him and his men. As he came -back with his staff, still very lightly clad, pausing occasionally to -fire at the advancing Germans, he passed Ganche Wood and there met -the advancing battalions, which he helped to marshal along a low -ridge, the Revelon Ridge. The Northumberland Hussars lined up on the -right of these troops and two brigades of cavalry coming up from the -south formed on the left of them at a later hour. The whole held -firm against all enemy attacks and made a bulwark until the time when -the Guards advanced in the afternoon. As will afterwards be -described, when that event occurred this Revelon line formed roughly -a prolongation of the new line established by the Guards and Cavalry, -so that a long dam was formed. Commanding officers in this critical -part of the field gave a sigh of relief in the early afternoon as -they realised that the worst was over. - -The Twentieth Light Division was on the left of the Twelfth, and its -experience was equally trying. It was upon the Riflemen of the 59th -Brigade that the main shock fell, and it came with such sudden -violence that the Germans were through the right unit and in {277} -the rear of the rest before the situation was fully realised. The -61st Brigade upon the left had also a most desperate time, their -flank being penetrated and turned so that for a time they were cut -off from their comrades of the Twenty-ninth Division at Mesnières. -By this determined German attack the south bank of the canal was -partially cleared for their advance, which put them in the position -that they could possibly push along that bank and get hold of Les -Rues Vertes and the southern ends of the bridges so as to cut off -those British troops who were across the canal. In this dangerous -movement they nearly had success, and it was only the desperate -fighting of some of the 86th Brigade which saved the situation. The -prospects were even worse upon the right of the Division for the -Germans broke through Lateau Wood, and so got completely behind the -10th K.R.R., who were the flank battalion. From the desperate -struggle which ensued only 4 officers and 16 Riflemen ever emerged, -for the battalion was attacked on three sides and was overwhelmed -after a long and splendid defence, which twice repulsed heavy frontal -attacks before the flank advance rolled up the line. The battalion -got separated from its own headquarters in Lateau Wood, and Colonel -Sheepshanks with the twenty odd men who composed the Staff fought a -little battle of its own against the stormers coming down towards the -Bonavis-Mesnières Road. The survivors of the brigade rallied upon -the reserve battalion, the 11th R.B. on the Hindenburg Line. The -11th K.R.R. on the left of the brigade front had endured a similar -experience but their losses were not so terribly severe. The -aeroplane attack worried the troops almost as much as the infantry, -so that it is no {278} exaggeration to say that there were times when -they were assailed from four sides, the front, each flank and above -at the same instant. These aeroplanes gave the impression of being -armour-clad and invulnerable to rifle-fire. - -Upon the left of the Twentieth Division, with its centre at the -village of Mesnières, was the Twenty-ninth Division, a good unit to -have in the heart of such a crisis. The Twenty-ninth and Sixth -Divisions held the centre of the British line that day, and were the -solid nucleus upon which the whole battle hinged both to left and -right of them. Both divisions were seriously compromised by the -push-back to the south of them, and their battery positions were -taken in reverse, but they held the whole of their ground without -giving an inch and completely beat off every German attack. A -Guernsey battalion made its mark in the fighting that day and -rendered most excellent service, as did the Newfoundlanders; but the -main strength of the divisions lay of course in their disciplined -British veterans, men whose war-hardened faces, whether in Gallipoli -or Flanders, had never been turned from an enemy. It is no light -matter to drive such a force, and the four German divisions who drove -in from Mesnières to Bauteaux were unable to make even a dint in that -formidable line. For two days the villages, both Marcoing and -Mesnières, were firmly held, and when at last a readjustment of the -line was ordered it was carried out voluntarily and deliberately in -accordance with the new plans made necessary by the events in north -and south. - -In this great fight the 86th Brigade was on the right at Mesnières -with the 16th Middlesex upon the {279} right, the 1st Lancashire -Fusiliers upon the left, and the 2nd Royal Fusiliers by the sugar -factory east of the village--details which have been rescued by the -industry of Mr. Percival Phillips. The 87th Brigade extended to the -left, covering a wide front as far as the Cambrai Road. The 1st -Inniskillings were on their right, the 1st Borders on their left, and -the 2nd South Wales Borderers in support. The 88th Brigade was in -reserve at the time of the attack, but quickly moved up and was in -the heart of the subsequent fighting. - -Masses of German infantry were reported at Crevecoeur, and within a -very short time a rush of grey infantry was swirling down past the -flank of the Middlesex men, and breaking the connection with the -Twentieth Division on the right. Some of the assailants got along -the south bank, and actually seized Les Rues Vertes at the same -moment that a counter-attack by the Guernsey men swept into the -village and drove them out again. This was a really vital point, as -the capture and retention of the village would have been most -serious. Many soldierly actions were performed in this clash of -arms, showing that the mechanical side of modern warfare can never -quite eliminate the brave pushing heart and the strong arm. Captain -Gee of the Staff, among others, rescued an ammunition dump armed with -a revolver and a heavy stick, with which he beat down all opposition -at the cost of a serious wound to himself--a fair price to pay for a -subsequent V.C. The Germans were foiled for the moment, but they had -found the weak spot in the line, and all day they hammered at it with -characteristic tenacity, while all day the men of the Twenty-ninth -stood up to one {280} attack after another, their dwindling line -fraying to the last degree, but never breaking before the enemy. Les -Rues Vertes became a Golgotha of Germans, but it was still in the -evening safe in the hands of the British defenders. One of the -classical examples of British courage and discipline during the war, -fit to rank with Colonel Pears and his cancer at Ovillers, was -furnished by Colonel Forbes Robertson of the 16th Middlesex, now a -V.C., who, stricken in both eyes and temporarily blind, was still led -by his orderly up and down the line in order to steady it. Let such -a story help our descendants to realise the kind of men who stood -between Germany and the conquest of the world. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{281} - -[Illustration: BATTLE ORDER OF THIRD ARMY November 30, 1917] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Next morning saw no surcease of the fighting in this quarter of the -field. If anything, the ranks of the assailants were thicker and -their rushes more insistent upon the morning of the 21st. But the -Twenty-ninth had called up its reserves, and stood with every bristle -on end across the German path. The trouble behind the line had -greatly weakened the artillery support, but the trench-mortars gave -all the help possible to the hard-worked infantry. The villages were -knocked to pieces by the enemy guns, but the British stuck like -leeches to the ruins. The General of the 86th Brigade was among his -men in the front of the battle, encouraging them to dwell upon their -aim and steadying their weary ranks. The 87th Brigade in the north, -though itself attacked, spared some reinforcements for the -hard-pressed men in the south. Once Les Rues Vertes was lost, but a -counter-attack led by the Brigade-Major won it back again. This was -still the position when on the night of December 1 the orders were -given for the {282} general readjustment of the line by the -evacuation of the Mesnières salient. Well might Sir Douglas Haig -send a special order to General de Lisle thanking him for the -magnificent services rendered during two days and a night by the -Twenty-ninth Division. - -It has been stated that the Mesnières salient was evacuated, but two -battalions of the Twenty-ninth Division, the Newfoundlanders and the -South Wales Borderers, had been left upon the north bank of the -canal--with them was the 16th Brigade of the Sixth Division who had -been sent up to aid and relieve the Twenty-ninth. These troops had a -cruel experience, as the enemy upon December 3 concentrated so heavy -a fire upon them that they were driven back across the canal, the -16th Brigade being partly broken by the severity of the attack. This -incident led to a retraction of the line in this quarter. - -For the sake of continuity of narrative we shall now, before turning -to the very important episodes in the north, show how the Guards came -up in the south and how the new line was firmly established in this -critical quarter of the field. The reader will therefore carry back -his mind to that fateful hour when the left of the Fifty-fifth had -been swept away, the Twelfth and Twentieth shattered, and the -Twenty-ninth was holding on with all its strength in the first spate -of the German flood. - -The Guards, who had been drawn out after their hard spell of service -in the Bourlon attack, were moving into a rest camp behind the lines -when they were stopped by the amazing tidings that the British line -was broken and that the Germans were scattered anywhere over the -undulating country in front of them. It was 11.15 and they were -marching from {283} the hamlet of Metz when the first news of -disaster reached them--news which was very quickly followed by signs -as gunners were met coming back with the sights and sometimes the -broken breech-blocks of their abandoned guns in their hands. Over -the ridge between Metz and the Gouzeaucourt Wood a number of gunners, -sappers, and infantry came in driblets, none of them hurrying, but -all with a bewildered air as though uncertain what to do. To these -worried and broken people the sight of the taut lines of the Guards -must indeed have been a great stay in their trouble. "There were a -good many men," says one officer, "coming towards us without arms or -equipment, but these I presumed to belong to some unit resting in the -vicinity." It is only fair to state that several labour companies -had been caught in the sudden storm and that many of the broken -formations seem to have been from their ranks, though others behaved -with extraordinary valour, and exchanged their spades for rifles with -the greatest alacrity. The Guards moved forward in the direction of -the turmoil, but their progress was slow, as there were gun-teams -upon the narrow road. The 1st Brigade under General de Crespigny was -leading, being the unit which had suffered least in the Bourlon -fighting. The young Brigadier, a famous sportsman as well as a -dashing but cool-headed soldier, galloped ahead in an effort to clear -up the situation, and after doing a mile or so across country he -suddenly saw the grey coats of German infantry among the trees around -him. Riding back he halted his brigade in a hollow by Gouzeaucourt -Wood, fixed bayonets, and then, deploying them into the line, -advanced them in extended order across the fields. There was no -artillery support at {284} all, but from the front there came an -occasional shell, with the constant cracking of machine-guns, which -increased as they topped the low ridge before them. "We advanced -into the blue in perfect lines," says one who was present. Once -under fire the brigade went forward in short rushes of alternate -companies. "Our fellows were not shouting," says the same witness, -"but chatting among themselves, and smiling in a manner that boded -ill for the Huns." The 2nd Coldstreams were on the right, the 2nd in -the centre, and the 1st Irish upon the left, with the 2nd Grenadiers -in close support. As de Crespigny's brigade came upon the fringes of -the German advance they swept them up before them, keeping the -Metz-Gouzeaucourt Road as their right boundary, while a force of -dismounted cavalry moved up upon the farther side. The Irish upon -the left passed through the wood and broke with a yell about 2 P.M. -into Gouzeaucourt village, which was not strongly held. The Germans -bolted from the eastern exits and the Guardsmen passing through made -a line beyond, getting in touch upon the left with the 4th Grenadier -Guards of the 3rd Brigade, which formed up and advanced upon that -side. They were aided in this advance by a small detached body -representing the Headquarters' Guard of the Twenty-ninth Division and -by a company of North Midland R.E. who held their post inviolate all -day, and were now very glad to join in an offensive. As the line -advanced beyond the village they came into a very heavy fire, for the -St. Quentin Ridge faced them, and it bristled with machine-guns. -Field-guns and 5.9's were also playing upon them, but nothing could -check that fine advance, which was in time to save a number of heavy -guns {285} which could by no possibility be removed. It was itself -aided in the later stages by the 20th Hussars upon the right and by a -brigade of guns of the Forty-seventh London Division which swung into -action straight from the line of march and did good service in -supporting the attack. By nightfall the total ground gained was over -two miles in depth, and a definite line of Guardsmen and cavalry of -the Second and Fifth Divisions covered all this section of the field, -limiting and defining the German advance. General Byng must surely -have breathed more freely when the good news reached his Headquarters -for, but for this energetic operation, there was nothing to prevent -the Germans flooding into the country behind and getting to the rear -of the whole northern portion of the Third Army. - -The real work of the Guards had been done when once they had dammed -the stream, and their strength after their recent labours was hardly -sufficient to carry them through a long battle, but in spite of this -they were advancing once more upon the morning of December 1. The -same two brigades were in front, but the 2nd Grenadiers and 3rd -Coldstreams formed the fighting line of the 1st Brigade, joining up -on the left with the Welsh Guards of the 3rd Brigade. Cavalry was -moving on the right of them, while on the left they were in touch -with the Rifle battalions of the 60th Brigade covering the village of -La Vacquerie. The two brigades had different objectives, the left -brigade being directed upon Gonnelieu, while the right moved upon -Ganche Wood, the divisional tanks supporting the advance. The first -brigade advanced with the battalions already named, and they swept in -magnificent order up to the {286} fringe of the wood where they were -met by two successive counter-attacks which they repelled. The wood -was cleared but there were many snipers in the trees, and the losses -of officers and N.C.O.'s were proportionately high. The tanks were -held up by the denseness of the forest. Cavalry came up upon the -right, and with their assistance the wood was finally secured, -together with some guns and several hundred prisoners. It was a fine -feat of arms. - -The 2nd Brigade had a difficult task at Gonnelieu and the Quentin -Ridge. The 1st Welsh on the right and the 4th Grenadiers on the left -headed the advance, but they were held up at once by machine-guns on -the right until a tank lumbered up and saved the situation. Isolated -parties of the 2nd Grenadiers forced their way into the village, but -it bristled with machine-guns and could not be held. Finally the -line was formed 200 yards from the western edge. - -That night the Guards were drawn out after their onerous and splendid -service, being relieved by the Ninth Division. In the week they had -lost 125 officers and 3000 men, but they had turned the tide of -battle upon the critical instant of a critical day, when, amid -commencing disorganisation, the presence of the most highly -disciplined and steadiest force in the British Army was particularly -needed. Few of our units can be fairly said to have added to their -laurels in this sector of the second phase of Cambrai, but at least -the Twenty-ninth Division and the Guards can look back to it with -every satisfaction. - -At La Vacquerie village and its environs, to the left of the Guards' -advance, some very fierce fighting had broken out upon the morning of -December 1. {287} The enemy began by endeavouring to out-flank the -village upon the right, pressing down from Gonnelieu and attacking -the sunken road known as Forster Lane which is north of Gonnelieu. A -company of the 9th Essex, somewhat shaken by its previous experience, -and the 12th Rifles held this position. The Colonel and the -Headquarters Staff of the Rifle battalion found itself engaged in a -very lively free fight with the heavy masses of enemy infantry who -were pouring down Fusilier Ridge. By trickling forward small parties -they managed to capture Forster Lane, but all their attempts to get -beyond it were beaten back. Captain Lloyd of the Rifles, who was -prominent in the defence, fell mortally wounded, but the line, though -heavily shelled and hard pressed, still held its ground. All this -occurred to the south of the village which had itself been heavily -attacked after a very heavy shell-fall. The German bombers, who came -on very bravely, drove their way into the village but were ejected -once more, the Riflemen leaving their trenches to pelt them with -bombs. A second attack was even more fiercely pressed. "The Germans -who attacked La Vacquerie," says one who was present, "were brave and -determined men and their bombers were well trained, but our men had -been told to hold the village at all costs, and gallantly led by -their officers and N.C. officers they carried out their orders." In -the evening the Riflemen still held the shattered ruins of the -village, but they were utterly exhausted by their splendid exertions, -and never was a relief more welcome than when the 183rd Brigade of -the Sixty-first South Midland Division came up after nightfall and -took over the hazardous charge. In the final readjustment {288} of -the British line the village of La Vacquerie remained with the -Germans. - -The enemy had suffered heavily, and as will be shown gained -absolutely nothing in the north, but in the south it must be admitted -that he had substantial trophies, including a strip of British line, -some thousands of prisoners, and about 100 guns. - -It was the first truly successful offensive on a large scale which he -had made since the gas attack upon April 22, 1915, nearly two and a -half years before, and it would be a sign of a poor spirit if we did -not admit it, and applaud the deftness and courage of the attack. - -After several days of quiet the Germans tried one other taste of the -quality of the Guards by a sudden assault upon their new line on -December 5. They advanced bravely in two lines from Gonnelieu, but -were beaten off by close rifle-fire. As they turned their flight was -greeted with a volley of bombs from their own people behind them. It -was observed that the stormers upon this occasion carried their packs -as though they meant to stay. A good many of them did so. Next day -the Guards were relieved by the Ninth Division. - -We shall now turn to Woolcombe's Fourth Corps in the northern sector -which extends from Tadpole Copse upon the left to that solid centre -of resistance furnished by the two veteran divisions at Marcoing and -at Mesnières. It was upon the left of this curve that the German -attack broke upon November 30 from the Hindenburg Line to the village -of Fontaine, a front of about six miles, the object being to cut off -the whole Bourlon salient. The attack, which began about nine -o'clock, differed from that on the south, {289} because the element -of surprise was wanting and because the ground was such that the -attacking troops could be plainly seen. The final result was to push -back the British line, but this was mainly as a readjustment to -correspond to the change in the south. To effect this small result -all accounts are agreed in stating that the Germans incurred such -murderous losses that it is improbable that any have been more severe -since the early days of the war. If, on the balance, the British -lost the day in the south, they gained it in the north, for with -limited loss to themselves they inflicted most severe punishment upon -the enemy. - -The arrangement of the troops upon the northern curve of the battle -line was as follows. Forming a defensive flank between the old -British line and Tadpole Copse was the 168th Brigade, and to its -right, facing Mœuvres, the 169th Brigade, both of them of the -Fifty-sixth London Territorial Division, which had been a week in the -fighting line and was very worn. Next to them upon the right was the -Second Regular Division under General Pereira, from Mœuvres to -Bourlon, with elements of the 5th, 6th, and 99th Brigades in front. -Upon their right was the Forty-seventh London Territorial Division -occupying the line drawn through Bourlon Wood. Upon their right -again was the Fifty-ninth South Midland Territorials near Fontaine, -who in turn linked up with the left of the Sixth Division, thus -completing the semicircle of battle. - -After a short but very severe bombardment the German infantry -advanced upon the line from Tadpole Copse to Bourlon Wood, a front of -about four miles. There were four fresh German divisions, with three -{290} others in reserve, and the attack was driven on with the utmost -resolution, falling upon the outlying British outposts with a force -which often destroyed them, although the furious resistance of these -scattered bodies of men took all the edge off the onslaught. It was -also beaten into the earth by the British artillery, which had -wonderfully fine targets as the stormers in successive lines came -pouring over the open ground between Mœuvres and Bourlon. The -artillery of the Fortieth Division had been left in the line, and a -gunner officer of this unit described how his guns swung round and -enfiladed the German attack upon the right as it stormed up to the -line of the Forty-seventh Division. "It was one howitzer battery, D -178, that first tumbled to the fact that the Booties were attacking -and had driven in some of the Second Division posts. This battery -swung its guns round at right angles, getting on to the advancing -enemy in enfilade and over open sights. Every other battery in the -country opened within five minutes." Every observer agrees that the -targets were wonderful, and that it was only in places where the -ground gave him protection that the German storm troops could reach -the expectant British infantry, who received him with such a -murderous fire of rifles and Lewis-guns that his dead were heaped -thickly along the whole front. Seven brigades of British artillery -were enjoying themselves. Taking the action from the left the -outposts of the 169th Brigade were driven in, but put up a series of -desperate fights. From Mœuvres to Tadpole Copse the action raged, -and then the enemy poured out from the back of that portion of the -Hindenburg Line which ran upon the flank of the 168th Brigade so that -both units were involved in heavy fighting with a limited {291} field -of fire which gave fewer advantages to the defence than were found on -the rest of the line. The Westminsters, the London Scottish, the -Post Office Rifles, and the 2nd Londons all bore themselves with -special bravery in a long day of desperate fighting during which -Commanding Officers were in at least one instance compelled to stand, -bomb in hand, defending their own headquarters. It was a grim -battle, and the losses were heavy, coming upon troops which had -already lost enough to shake the morale of any ordinary infantry, but -the thin ranks held firm and the positions were retained. At one -time the Germans were round the right flank of the 169th Brigade, and -so cut off a company of the 13th Essex. There is a wonderfully dour -military spirit amongst these East Saxons. It was an anxious -situation, and it was saved by the utter self-abnegation of the -company in question, who held a hurried council of war in which they -swore to fight to the death. This grim gathering, which might -furnish a theme for a great artist, consisted of Captain Robinson, -Lieut. Corps, Sergeant-Major Edwards, Platoon-Sergeants Phillips, -Parsons, Fairbrass, Lodge, and Legg. With a hand-clasp they returned -to their work, and during the whole night their rifle-fire could be -heard, though no help could reach them. In the morning they lay with -their faces to the sky and their men around them, all true to their -vow to death. It is a story to remember. - -The left flank of the Second Division was held by this same 13th -Essex, the 2nd South Stafford, and 17th Middlesex battalions of the -6th Brigade. This brigade was cut into two parts by the Canal du -Nord, a huge trough of brick-work without any water, eighty feet -across, with steep sloping sides. The {292} bridges across were -swept by German fire, and the only transit was by ropes to help the -climber. All day the fight raged furiously here, the Germans within -bombing distance of the defence, which was never penetrated for an -instant. Save for one small isolated trench with about seventy men -this whole line held firm against every form of attack. Snipers and -bombers fired across from bank to bank, while down in the dried bed -of the canal there was constant close-range fighting. All night the -difficult post was held, as was the line on the extreme left where -the 17th Middlesex were blowing back every attack with their -well-sustained fire. There was no more wonderful individual record -in the battle than that of Captain MacReady-Diarmid of the 17th -Middlesex, who fought like a d'Artagnan of romance, and is said to -have killed some eighty of the enemy in two days of fighting before -he at last himself met that fate from which he had never shrunk. A -V.C. was assigned to his family. - -On the right of the 6th Brigade was the 99th Brigade, the victors of -Delville Wood, who were also furiously engaged, meeting such waves of -German infantry as were able to get past the zone of the British -barrage. German field-guns unlimbered suddenly on the crest looking -down on the British lines only a few hundred yards off. The crews -were shot down so swiftly that only one gun got in three rounds. -Then there came a rush of two battalions in full marching order, -debouching in fours from Bourlon village, and deploying in the open. -These also were shot to bits. The whole front of the brigade was -dotted with broken guns and huddled grey figures, while many, -despairing of getting back, threw up their {293} hands and sought -refuge in the British lines. Battalion after battalion was thrown in -at this point, until the best part of a division was spread bleeding -over some twenty acres of ground. The three battalions chiefly -engaged, the 1st Berkshires, 17th Royal Fusiliers, and 1st Rifles -from right to left, had such a day as trench warfare could never -afford. - -At the outset the force of the attack pressed back the 1st Berkshires -upon the right, together with the left wing of the Forty-seventh -Division. For a few moments the situation was alarming. However, -after three hours of ding-dong fighting the volume of fire was too -much for the stormers and they fell back. At the same time the 17th -Royal Fusiliers, who had rallied under cover of their outposts, shot -down everything in front of them. The 1st K.R. Rifles had a day of -wonderful fighting--snipers, rifle grenadiers, Lewis gunners, and -machine-gunners were all equally glutted with slaughter. "The -Germans in mass formation came on in waves offering a splendid target -at a range from 1500 to point-blank. In addition they were enfiladed -by the machine-gunners and subjected to very heavy fire from our guns -for two and a half hours. The second attempt never looked like -succeeding and was smothered in a very short time." - -The 17th Royal Fusiliers have been mentioned as being in the line at -this point though they really belonged to the 5th Brigade. The fact -was that in a previous operation they had won a long trench advancing -at right angles to the British position and leading up to the -Germans. This was called the "Rat's Tail" on account of its shape, -and it was still occupied by the Royals when the attack broke out, so -that they {294} were placed in a most difficult position and were -pressed back down this long trench, fighting a desperate rearguard as -will be told later. Their presence in the "Rat's Tail" was the more -unfortunate as it helped to screen the Germans, and to contract the -fire-field of the main line behind them. After clearing the "Rat's -Tail" the remains of the battalion found themselves upon the right of -the 1st K.R.R. - -The remaining brigade of the division, the 5th, had some of its men -also in the front line and as busy as its comrades. It is stated in -the account already quoted that even the wounded men of the 2nd -H.L.I. were propped up, so that they might continue to fire upon the -Germans. It was a brigade which had suffered many an evil quarter of -an hour in the past, and it is no wonder that the men took a fierce -joy in such a fight when at last they could meet their hated enemy -face to face. Side by side with the Highlanders were those veterans -of 1914, the 2nd Oxford and Bucks, the battalion that broke the -Prussian Guard. They also had many an arrear to wipe off, nor were -their less experienced comrades of the Royal Fusiliers less intent -upon the work in hand. It was a costly experience for the War-lord -and his legions. - -In the evening, save for the one loss at the Canal lock which has -been already recorded, the whole 3500-yard front of the Second -Division stood inviolate, and was clearly defined when the British -force withdrew by the thick pile of German dead which marked it. -Indeed it is claimed that at the end of the day the posts which were -thrown forward by the defenders were more advanced than before the -attack had broken. Those posts which had been overwhelmed in the -morning were found to have perished most {295} gloriously, for in -almost every case the British dead were ringed round with the bodies -of their assailants. Among the many epics of these isolated posts -none is more glorious than that of a platoon of the 17th Fusiliers -under the two Company Officers, Captain Stone and Lieut. Benzeery, -both mentioned in despatches, who fought absolutely to the last man -in order to give time for the main body behind them to get ready for -the assault. The official report of the officer commanding says: -"The rearguard was seen fighting with bayonet, bullet, and bomb to -the last. There was no survivor." The annals of war can give few -finer examples of military virtue. - -Another splendid epic had been furnished by the posts of the 1st -Berkshire battalion upon the right of the Second Division. They were -all drawn from one Company under the command of Lieut. Valentin, also -mentioned for his gallantry. The Germans surged in upon them in the -afternoon, and there was a most grim and terrible fight. Three of -the posts were destroyed, but when the ground was regained it was -difficult to find the British bodies on account of the piles of -German dead which were heaped round and over them. Six other posts -remained intact after six hours of close fighting, in which they were -continually attacked by superior numbers who fell in heaps before the -steady fire of these experienced soldiers. Rapid fire had been -brought to perfection by the training system of the Second Division, -and General Pereira was justified of his wisdom. The six weary posts -which remained intact after the storm had passed are said to have -killed not less than five hundred of their assailants. - -Gorringe's Forty-seventh London Territorial {296} Division upon the -right had endured a similar experience to that of their comrades of -the Second Division, and Kennedy's 140th Brigade upon the left had -been particularly strongly engaged. The 6th London Rifles and the -10th Civil Service Rifles held post of honour, and the conditions -were much the same as those already described, save that the field of -fire was more restricted. In the afternoon attack, a gap was formed -between these two battalions, but was quickly closed by one of those -heterogeneous musters of signallers, orderlies, and general utility -men who have so often done good and unobtrusive service--silent -supers who suddenly spring into the limelight, play the part of the -hero, and then fade away to the wings once more. This attack of the -afternoon fell with great force upon the right unit of the division, -the 141st Brigade who lay in their gas-masks half poisoned with -mephitic vapours among the brushwood of Bourlon Forest. These fine -troops, the London Irish, Poplar, St. Pancras, and Blackheath -battalions, endured all that gun or gas could do, and held their -whole line intact until the evening. - -In the early morning Woolcombe's Fourth Corps, exhausted in body but -triumphant in the knowledge of the terrible losses which they had -inflicted upon the enemy, withdrew unmolested and in absolute order -to the smaller perimeter which had been marked out for them by -General Byng when he had time to realise the exact effect of the -German gains upon the south end of his line. Everything portable was -carried off by the retiring troops, who made it a point of honour to -leave nothing at all to the enemy. Three days later, in conformity -with the general plans, the lines were laid down afresh along the -Flesquières {297} Ridge, so that the whole salient was smoothed out, -and yet Byng's troops held all the solid advantages gained upon -November 20 in the shape of a long stretch of the Hindenburg Line. -This continued to be the permanent position of the Third Army during -the winter, and up to the fateful 21st of March 1918, when the great -German thunderbolt was hurled. In the movements entailed by this -withdrawal there was no molestation from the enemy save that the -rearguards of the Forty-seventh Division were strongly engaged. Two -companies of the 15th Civil Service Rifles were for a time cut off, -but broke their way through all resistance and rejoined the main body. - -On the north of that new portion of the line which had been -established by the Guards and taken over by the Ninth Division there -was a long ridge called Welsh Ridge, running up from La Vacquerie -Farm. The enemy was still strong in this quarter where the British -artillery was particularly weak--a defect which was partly -compensated for by the loyalty of the neighbouring French Commander. -The Sixty-first South Midland Territorial Division had taken over -from the Twelfth in this area and found themselves involved in -several days of hard fighting, in the course of which La Vacquerie -Farm was lost to the Badeners, but the general line of the ridge was -maintained, consolidated, and turned into the permanent front of the -Army. - -So ended the swaying fortunes of this hard-fought and dramatic -battle, beginning with a surprise attack of the British upon the -Germans, and ending by an attack of the Germans upon the British -which, if not a surprise to the commanders, at least produced some -surprising and untoward results. The balance of these {298} varied -actions was greatly in favour of the British, and yet it could not be -denied that something of the glory and satisfaction of Byng's -splendid original victory were dimmed by this unsatisfactory epilogue -which was only made less disastrous to the British cause by the very -heavy losses which their enemy incurred upon the northern sector. On -the balance in ground gained the British had a solid grip of 11,000 -yards of the famous Hindenburg Line, as against an unimportant -British section between Vendhuille and Gonnelieu. In prisoners the -British had 11,000 as against 6000 claimed by the Germans. In guns -the British took or destroyed 145 against 100 taken or destroyed by -their enemies. In the larger field of strategy the whole episode was -fruitful as it stopped all reinforcement of the Germans in Italy -during the critical weeks while the Italians were settling down upon -the line of the Piave. One result of the action was a reorganisation -of the British machine-gun system which was found to have acted in an -unequal fashion during the operations, some formations giving -excellent results while others were less satisfactory. - -The Battle of Cambrai virtually brought the fighting of 1917 to an -end, although there were several sharp local actions at different -points along the line--actions which would have filled special -editions in former wars, and now can hardly be afforded a paragraph -if any just proportion be observed. Chief among them was a spirited -German attack upon the Sixty-third Naval Division upon December 29 in -the sector of the Canal du Nord, which began by the loss of some -trench elements, but ended with little change. There was a sharp -fight also early in December at that blood-stained country-house, -Polderhoek Château, {299} where the New Zealanders attacking upon a -narrow front made an attempt upon one of the most difficult points in -the Flanders line. The men of Otago and of Canterbury proved once -more what extraordinarily good military material is bred in the great -Pacific island, but after a sharp tussle in which both sides lost -heavily, there was no substantial change in the position. - -Another local fight which was sufficiently serious to demand mention -here was upon December 2, when the 26th Brigade of the Eighth -Division with part of the Thirty-second Division stirred up the -German line in the Flanders area. After two days of fighting matters -remained here much as they started. - -The year 1917 had been a very glorious one both to the French and to -the British Armies, which, pursuing their system of the limited -objective, had hardly met with a single repulse in a long campaign. -The victories of Arras, Messines, Langemarck, Paschendaale, and -Cambrai were added to the great record of Sir Douglas Haig and his -men, while the French, save for the losses incurred in their great -April attack, had an unbroken record of success. And yet in spite of -these results in the West the year was a disappointing one for the -Allies, since the Russian defection which involved Rumania in ruin, -greatly weakened their position and clearly showed that the year 1918 -would find them confronted with the whole force of Germany aided by -contingents of her Allies. Storm clouds piled high in the East. -Only from over the far Western rim of the Atlantic came a slowly -waxing light. - -[Illustration: Map to illustration the British Campaign in France and -Flanders] - - - - -{301} - -INDEX - - -Abadie, Colonel, 124, 126, 127 - -Aisne, French attack upon the, 64; victory, 234 - -Alderman, Major, 251 - -Allenby, General Sir Edmund, 2, 16, 20 - -America breaks off diplomatic relations with Germany, 18 - -Ancre, British advance on the, 5-8 - -Antoine, General, 134, 156, 179 - -Archibald, Lieutenant, 67 - -Arras, 9, 10, 11, 22, 30 - -Arras, battle of: preparations preceding the battle, 20-24; attack of -the Seventh Corps, 25-30; capture of Neuville Vitasse, 27; and of the -Ibex Trench, 28; general advance of the Sixth Corps, 30-36; attack of -the Seventeenth Corps, 36-41; Canadian success at Vimy Ridge, 41-43; -review of first day's fighting, 43-44; capture of Monchy, 46-48; -practical results of battle, 56; work of the airmen, 57; fight of the -Australians at Bullecourt and Lagnicourt, 58-61; object of battle -attained, 62; stand by the Middlesex and Argylls, 66-67; Fifteenth -Division capture Guémappe, 68-69; storming of Gavrelle, 69-70; H.A.C. -at Gavrelle, 74-76; loss of Fresnoy, 83-84; capture of Rœux, -84-85; capture of Bullecourt, 90-92 - -Arras-Soissons front, German retreat on, 8-16 - -Avion, 117, 121 - - - -Babington, General Sir J., 108, 188 - -Bagdad, British enter, 17 - -Baillescourt Farm, action at, 6 - -Bainbridge, General Sir E., 99 - -Ball, Captain Albert, 57 - -Bapaume occupied, 10 - -Basset, M. Serge, 117 - -Battye, Colonel, 263 - -Bavaria, Prince Rupprecht of, 98 - -Bean, Mr., Australian chronicler, quoted, 91, 175, 220 - -Beaumont Hamel, 3, 5, 37 - -Bellewarde Ridge, 151 - -Belsham, Captain, 67 - -Benzeery, Lieutenant, 295 - -Berners, Brigadier-General, 85 - -Bird wood, General Sir William, 4 - -Bixschoote, 137, 156 - -Bols, General Sir L., 109 - -Bourlon, 238, 257, 258, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 269, 282, 283, 289, -290, 292 - -Bourlon Wood, 251, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 264, 267, 289, -296 - -Bowell, Lieutenant, D.S.O., 119 - -Bradford, General, 267 - -Braithwaite, General, 243, 245 - -British extend their front in France, 1 - -British Armies, general disposition of, in beginning of 1917, 2 - -Broodseinde, 195, 206, 211, 212, 222 - -Brown, Brigadier-General, 99 - -Brusiloff, General, 132 - -Bullecourt, 11, 58, 87, 90-92, 237, 239, 252 - -Burstall, General, 41 - -Byng, General Sir Julian, 21, 115, 238, 255, 285, 296, 297, 298 - - - -Cambrai, 192, 237, 238, 247, 248, 251, 253, 255 - -Cambrai, battle of: Tanks _en masse_, 238, 242; attack on Tunnel -Trench, 239-242; great advance, 242-243; work of Sixty-second -Division, 243-244; advance of Fifty-first Division, 245-246; Fort -Garry Horse, 246; attack of the Twenty-ninth Division on Marcoing and -Mesnières, 247-249; advance of Twentieth and Twelfth Divisions, -249-251; German rally, 253-256; attack on and capture of Bourlon -Wood, 257-260; fight for Bourlon village, 261-264: attack on La -Fontaine, 265-267; great German attack, 269; the Fifty-fifth, -Twelfth, and Twentieth Divisions, 270-275, 276-278; great fight of -the Twenty-ninth Division, 275-276, 278-282; advance of the Guards, -282-286; capture of Gouzeaucourt, 284; battle in Bourlon sector, -288-297; retraction of British line, 297; observations on Cambrai -battle, 297-298 - -Campbell, General, 25 - -Campbell, Major, 101 - -Canal de l'Escaut, 247, 255 - -Canal du Nord, 243, 291, 298 - -Caporetto, Italian disaster at, 234, 236 - -Cator, General, 92 - -Cavan, General Lord, 137, 138, 145, 162, 163, 167, 181, 202, 214, -224, 237 - -Charlton, General, 103 - -Chemin des Dames, 64 - -Cherisy, 76, 77 - -Chidlow-Roberts, Captain, 120 - -Cojeul River, 25, 45, 50, 52, 66, 80, 85 - -Cooper, Colonel Elliott, V.C., 274 - -Cooper, Sergeant, V.C., 166 - -Corfe, Colonel, 190 - -Corps, Lieutenant, 291 - -Cousens, Captain, 28 - -Crevecourt, 248, 255, 279 - -Crow, Captain, 275 - -Currie, General Sir A., 41 - - - -Davies, Sergeant-Major, 261 - -De Crespigny, General, 283, 284 - -De Lisle, General, 275, 282 - -Deverell, General, 79 - -Dove, Captain, 166 - -Du Cane, General, 61 - - - -Edwards, Sergeant-Major, 291 - -Elles, General, 238, 242 - -Evans, Private Ellis H., 144 - - - -Fairbrass, Sergeant, 291 - -Fanshawe, General Sir E. A., 4, 5, 183, 196 - -Fayet, capture of, 15, 62 - -Fergusson, General Sir Charles, 21, 36, 48, 72 - -Fielding, General Lord, 267 - -Flesquières, 244, 245, 248, 254, 256, 296 - -Fontaine, Colonel de la, 154 - -Fontaine, 256, 257, 258, 265, 266, 288, 289 - -France: co-operation with British at third battle of Ypres, 134, 137, -156; attack and victory on the Aisne, 64, 234; victory at Verdun, -178; sends troops to help Italy, 236, 237 - -Freeman, Lieutenant, 190 - -Fresnoy, 76, 82, 83-84 - - - -Gavrelle, 54, 65, 69, 70, 73, 81, 82 - -Geddes, Sir Eric, 3 - -Geddes, Captain, 159 - -Gee, Captain, V.C., 279 - -General survey of early months of 1917, 16-19 - -Germany's declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare, 18 - -Gheluvelt, 228, 229 - -Glencorse Wood, 151, 153, 154, 159, 161, 173, 175, 176, 187, 198 - -Godley, General Sir A., 97, 205 - -Gonnelieu, 242, 275, 276, 285, 286, 287, 298 - -Gordon, General Sir Alex. Hamilton, 97 - -Gorringe, General, 174, 295 - -Gort, Colonel Lord, 140, 226 - -Gott, Lieutenant, 125 - -Gough, General Sir Hubert, 2, 4, 7, 16, 25, 58, 61, 96, 114, 133, -138, 155, 179, 181 - -Gouzeaucourt, 275, 283, 284 - -Graham, Major, 119 - -Graincourt, 244, 252 - -Greer, Colonel, 140 - -Guémappe, 47, 49, 52, 68, 70 - -Gwynn, Mr. Stephen, M.P., 103 - - - -Haig, Field-Marshal Sir Douglas, 4, 16, 20, 56, 62, 64, 92, 133, 134, -135, 155, 162, 179, 194, 212, 213, 222, 225, 233, 237, 244, 255, 256, -282, 299 - -Haine, Lieutenant, V.C., 74, 75, 76 - -Haking, General Sir R., 237 - -Haldane, General Sir J., 21, 30, 36, 40, 238, 239, 241 - -Hall, Sergeant-Major, 262 - -Harper, General, 145 - -Harrison, Lieutenant, V.C., 82 - -Harston, Captain, 204 - -Havrincourt, 244, 252 - -Henderson, Lieutenant, V.C., 67 - -Henty, Major, 273 - -Hermies, 242 - -Hermon, Colonel, 39 - -Hickie, General Sir W., 102 - -Higgins, Brigadier-General, 183 - -Hindenburg, Marshal von, 15 - -Hindenburg Line, the, 45, 56, 59, 66, 87, 90, 91, 92, 237, 239, 242, -243, 245, 246, 247, 250, 253, 257, 265, 267, 277, 288, 290, 297, 298 - -Hindenburg Line, the, defined, 11 - -Hitchings, Lieutenant, 82 - -Hoare, Captain, 250 - -Holland, General, 41, 55, 115 - -Holmes, General, 101 - -Horne, General Sir H., 2, 20, 115 - -Houthulst Forest, 134, 137, 202, 214, 226 - -Hull, General, 27 - - - -Inverness Wood, 154, 159, 160, 162, 173, 175, 176, 189 - -Isonzo front, successful attack on, by the Italians, 178 - -Italy: successful attack on the Isonzo front, 178; disaster at -Caporetto, 234, 236; effect of collapse on Western offensive, 236; -French and British send help, 236, 237 - - - -Jacob, General Sir C., 4, 8, 137, 150, 151, 162, 172, 231 - -James, Colonel, 272 - -Jarvis, Colonel, 190 - -Jenkinson, Sergeant, 221 - -Jeudwine, General Sir Hugh, 269 - -Johnson, General Bulkeley, 48 - - - -Kennedy, Brigadier-General, 296 - -Kennedy, Colonel, 260 - -Kettle, Professor, 103 - -Kincaid-Smith, General, 99 - -Knapp, Father, 140 - -Korniloff, General, 132 - -Kut, recapture of, 17 - - - -La Basseville, 131, 132, 155 - -Laffert, General von, 98 - -Lagnicourt, 58, 60, 90 - -Lambton, General, 37 - -Langemarck, 164, 166, 167, 181, 203 - -La Vacquerie, 249, 250, 274, 285, 283, 287, 288 - -Leadbeater, Sergeant, 118 - -Lees, Captain David, 140 - -Legg, Sergeant, 291 - -Lens, 20, 54, 56, 89, 226, 232 - -Lens, operations round, 115-123 - -Les Rues Vertes, 247, 277, 279, 280 - -Leveson-Gower, Brigadier-General, 168 - -Lipsett, General, 41 - -Lloyd, Captain, 287 - -Lodge, Sergeant, 291 - -Lomax, Lieutenant, 13, 14 - -Lukin, General, 36 - -Lumsden, Major, V.C., 13, 14 - - - -McCracken, General Sir F., 21, 54 - -Macdowell, Major, V.C., 42 - -McGowan, Captain, 90 - -McGrady, Private, 128 - -MacNamara, Major, 90 - -MacReady-Diarmid, Captain, V.C., 292 - -Marcoing, 247, 248, 253, 273, 276, 278, 288 - -Martin, Captain, 129 - -Marwitz, General von, 270 - -Matheson, General, 203 - -Maude, General Sir F. S., 17 - -Maxse, General Sir Ivor, 21, 137, 145, 162, 167, 183, 195, 216, 217, -223, 226, 227 - -Menin Road, 153, 179, 190, 193, 194, 195, 198, 199, 202, 209, 210, -211, 222, 228 - -Mesnières, 247, 248, 249, 253, 254, 270, 273, 277, 278, 282, 288 - -Mesopotamia, operations in: recapture of Kut, 17; capture of Bagdad, -17 - -Messines, 44, 57, 95, 97, 98, 115, 134, 135, 179 - -Messines, battle of: preparations for the battle, 96; composition of -British line, 96-97; advance of Australians and New Zealanders, -97-99; capture of Messines village, 98; Wytschaete captured by the -Irish Divisions, 102-104; general advance and capture of Messines -Ridge, 106-110; results of battle, 110-112 - -Monash, General Sir John, 97 - -Monchy, 35, 44, 46-48, 49, 50, 51, 52 - -Morland, General Sir T., 96, 107, 138, 155, 190, 208, 210 - -Mœuvres, 257, 258, 289, 290 - - - -Nicholson, General, 37 - -Nieuport, 123, 130 - -Norman, Colonel, 144 - -Nugent, General, 102 - - - -O'Brien, Lieutenant, 74 - -Oppy, 54, 65, 73, 76, 81, 117 - -Osmond, Major, 74, 76 - - - -Page, Colonel, 146 - -Parsons, Sergeant, 291 - -Paschendaale, 200, 211, 213, 217, 220, 222, 225, 230, 231, 238 - -Pears, Colonel, 280 - -Peddie, Major, 223 - -Pereira, General, 53, 289, 295 - -Peronne, capture of, 10 - -Phillips, Mr. Percival, quoted, 279 - -Phillips, Sergeant, 291 - -Pilkem, 142, 143, 144, 156 - -Pinney, General, 46, 66, 193 - -Ploegstrate, 94 - -Plumer, General Sir Herbert, 2, 95, 96, 110, 115, 134, 138, 154, 155, -162, 179, 181, 187, 212, 237 - -Poelcapelle, 203, 204, 213, 216, 224 - -Polderhoek, 209, 210, 222, 228, 232, 298 - -Pollard, Lieutenant, V.C., 74, 75, 76 - -Polygon Wood, 188, 193, 196, 200, 208, 209 - -Pope, Lieutenant, 60 - -Prioleau, Colonel, 166 - -Pulteney, General Sir W., 238, 252 - - - -Radice, Colonel, 144 - -Rawlinson, General Sir Henry, 1, 2, 4, 8, 61, 114 - -Redmond, Major W., M.P., 103 - -Reed, General, 149 - -Regiments: - -_Artillery--_ - -R.F.A., 13, 104, 274 - -Honourable Artillery Company, 74, 221 - -_Cavalry--_ - -Royal Horse Guards, 47 - -2nd Dragoon Guards, 252 - -4th Dragoon Guards, 252 - -2nd Dragoons, 263 - -5th Dragoons, 263 - -5th Lancers, 251 - -10th Hussars, 47 - -11th Hussars, 244, 263 - -15th Hussars, 261 - -19th Hussars, 262 - -20th Hussars, 285 - -Bedford Yeomanry, 263 - -Essex Yeomanry, 47 - -Fort Garry Horse, 246 - -King Edward's Horse, 244 - -Lucknow Cavalry Brigade, 10 - -Northumberland Hussars, 276 - -Umballa Brigade, 254 - -_Guards--_ - -Coldstream, 138, 139, 140, 215, 266, 284, 285 - -Grenadier, 139, 140, 141, 264, 266, 284, 285, 286 - -Irish, 138, 139, 140, 141, 215, 260, 267, 284 - -Scots, 139, 140, 264, 266 - -Welsh, 139, 285, 286 - -_Infantry--_ - -Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 31, 66, 67, 193, 198, 261 - -Bedford, 26, 74, 75, 160, 161 - -Berkshire, 12, 146, 147, 174, 250, 273, 293, 295 - -Black Watch, 31, 92, 146, 147, 199 - -Border, 15, 92, 100, 104, 113, 131, 208, 228, 279 - -Buffs (East Kent), 79, 251, 275 - -Cambridge, 146, 147, 199 - -Cameron Highlanders, 159, 185 - -Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 35 - -Cheshire, 14, 100, 106, 146, 147, 160, 161, 191, 225 - -Connaught Rangers, 103, 170, 240 - -Devon, 84, 92, 208, 209 - -Dublin Fusiliers, 85, 168, 169, 240 - -Duke of Cornwall's, 70, 83, 175, 209 - -Durham Light Infantry, 82, 164, 175, 189, 247 - -East Lancashire, 40, 85, 88, 203, 219 - -East Surrey, 31, 83, 154, 251, 263, 264, 275 - -East Yorkshire, 82, 209 - -Essex, 34, 40, 50, 51, 77, 216, 224, 250, 273, 287, 291 - -Gloucester, 12, 83, 174, 191, 204, 225 - -Gordon Highlanders, 31, 32, 33, 88, 159, 208, 228 - -Hampshire, 40, 50, 51, 85, 104, 189, 199, 203, 216, 241 - -Highland Light Infantry, 12, 13, 15, 35, 131, 186, 194, 198, 263, 294 - -Inniskilling Fusiliers, 102, 103, 168, 169, 170, 279 - -King's Liverpool, 148, 164, 166, 185 - -King's Own Royal Lancaster, 33, 40, 47, 148, 149, 184, 263, 264, 272 - -King's Own Scottish Borderers, 35, 209 - -King's Royal Rifles, 14, 29, 48, 77, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, -166, 181, 189, 190, 194, 210, 249, 250, 277, 285, 287, 293, 294 - -Lancashire Fusiliers, 40, 81, 100, 131, 148, 160, 161, 177, 184, 219, -225, 249, 279 - -Leicester, 116, 118, 154, 246 - -Leinster, 55, 102, 103, 170 - -Lincoln, 104, 105, 116, 118, 210, 223 - -Liverpool, 26, 27, 32, 152, 183, 194, 198, 272 - -Liverpool Scottish, 272 - -London Rifle Brigade, 80 - -London Scottish, 28, 291 - -London Irish, 296 - -1st London, 27, 28, 78 - -2nd London, 80, 183, 184, 291 - -3rd London, 27 - -4th London, 184 - -6th London, 183, 296 - -8th London, 183 - -9th London (Queen Victoria Rifles), 27, 28, 80 - -15th London (Civil Service), 296, 297 - -15th London (Queen's Westminsters), 80, 257, 291 - -15th London (Blackheath), 296 - -15th London (Poplar), 296 - -15th London (Post Office Rifles), 291 - -15th London (St. Pancras), 296 - -Manchester, 12, 13, 27, 152, 153, 219, 228 - -Middlesex, 27, 28, 31, 55, 66, 67, 78, 86, 88, 169, 193, 194, 204, -210, 249, 250, 261, 262, 276, 278, 279, 280, 291, 292 - -Munster Fusiliers, 103, 104, 231, 240 - -Norfolk, 77, 224, 246, 250, 274 - -Northampton, 55, 124, 127, 129, 152, 154, 159, 273 - -North Lancashire, 100, 125, 148, 160, 184 - -North Staffordshire, 8, 118, 119, 154, 191 - -Northumberland Fusiliers, 39, 49, 53, 89, 131, 189, 209, 224 - -Oxford and Bucks, 29, 77, 166, 174, 250, 294 - -Queen's (West Surrey), 31, 154, 161, 194, 198, 208, 228, 251, 276 - -Rifle Brigade, 40, 48, 55, 77, 85, 109, 154, 166, 181, 189, 210, 216, -255, 277 - -Royal Fusiliers, 29, 32, 46, 66, 74, 75, 109, 176, 189, 210, 249, -250, 274, 279, 293, 294, 295 - -Royal Irish, 102, 241 - -Royal Irish Fusiliers, 102, 103, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 241 - -Royal Irish Rifles, 99, 100, 102, 104, 160, 161, 168, 169, 172 - -Royal Scots, 33, 78, 186 - -Royal Scots Fusiliers, 31, 152, 186 - -Royal West Kent, 190, 209, 228, 251 - -Seaforth Highlanders, 38, 39, 80, 81, 186, 203 - -Sherwood Foresters, 14, 70, 104, 105, 118, 119, 152, 159, 190, 225, -246 - -Shropshire, 33, 166, 175, 176 - -Somerset Light Infantry, 40, 80, 175, 203, 210 - -South Lancashire, 100, 113, 184, 185, 272, 273 - -South Staffordshire, 8, 104, 117, 208, 228, 291 - -South Wales Borderers, 106, 113, 143, 161, 231, 260, 279, 282 - -Suffolk, 32, 88, 198, 224, 250, 262, 263, 273 - -Sussex, 31, 55, 79, 125, 164, 193, 199, 250 - -Tyneside Scottish, 53 - -Warwick, 204, 221, 228 - -Welsh, 106, 142, 143, 191, 260, 261 - -Welsh Fusiliers, 31, 32, 66, 106, 141, 142, 143, 144, 197, 260 - -West Riding, 40, 81, 189, 244, 253, 254, 265 - -West Yorkshire, 32, 49, 82, 172, 189, 217, 256 - -Wiltshire, 100, 191 - -Worcester, 50, 51, 100, 161, 191, 194, 204, 214, 216 - -York and Lancaster, 82, 217, 244, 256 - -Yorkshire, 189, 261, 262 - -Yorkshire Light Infantry, 15, 166, 209, 217, 244 - ------- - -Royal Engineers, 47, 101, 104, 105, 141, 161, 216, 241, 284 - -Tunnelling Companies, 22, 241 - -Royal Naval Division, 53, 54, 70, 74, 226, 227, 298 - -1st Marines, 55, 74, 75 - -_Overseas Forces--_ - -Australians, 5, 10, 11, 14, 58, 59, 60, 61, 76, 90, 91, 92, 97, 98, -101, 127, 128, 156, 187, 188, 193, 194, 196, 197, 198, 205, 206, 220, -223, 227, 229 - -New Zealanders, 97, 98, 99, 101, 114, 131, 132, 155, 156, 205, 211, -223, 224, 299 - -Canadians, 21, 38, 41, 42, 43, 54, 55, 73, 82, 83, 84, 116, 117, 121, -122, 123, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232 - -Newfoundland Regiment, 50, 215, 216, 248, 278, 282 - -South Africans, 37, 52, 53, 185, 186, 187 - -Reutel, 208, 209, 210, 221 - -Ritchie, General, 195 - -Ritchie, Captain, 141 - -Robertson, Colonel Forbes, V.C., 51, 280 - -Robinson, Captain, 291 - -Rœux, 48, 52, 65, 68, 72, 73, 80, 84, 85 - -Romilly, Colonel, 140 - -Russell, General Sir A., 98 - -Russia: revolution in, 17, 65; collapse of, before Central Powers, -132; effect of revolution in, on Allied offensive in the West, 235 - -Rutter, Lieutenant, 67 - - - -St. Eloi, 97 - -St. Julien, 145, 146, 147, 156, 158, 174, 182, 192, 195 - -St. Rohart, 76, 78, 79 - -Sanctuary Wood, 150, 152 - -Scarpe River, 31, 36, 37, 40, 50, 52, 68, 69, 72, 76, 78, 79, 84, 86 - -Selency, capture of guns at, 12-14 - -Sensée River, 66, 87 - -Serre, 6, 7 - -Sheepshanks, Colonel, 277 - -Shepherd, Private, V.C., 250 - -Shute, General, 106, 124, 131 - -Sinai Peninsula, progress in, 17 - -Slade, Captain, 164 - -Smith, Colonel, 27 - -Snow, General Sir T., 21, 25, 45, 65, 76, 238, 252, 269, 270 - -Soissons, 9, 10 - -Souchez River, 115, 121 - -Steenbeek, the, 143, 146, 147, 163, 166, 184, 189 - -Stone, Captain, 295 - -Stonebanks, Lieutenant, 176 - -Strachan, Lieutenant Henry, V.C., 246 - -Strickland, General, 123, 124 - -Symon, Captain, 159 - - - -Taylor, Colonel, 144 - -Tollemache, Colonel, 129 - - - -Valentin, Lieutenant, 295 - -Vendhuille, 270, 298 - -Verdun, French victory at, 178 - -Villers-Guislain, 237, 272, 273, 275 - -Vimy Ridge, 21, 41-43, 54, 94, 134 - - - -Wallace, Lieutenant, V.C., 274 - -Wambach, Private, 129 - -Ward, Captain, 129 - -Ward, Lieutenant, 13, 14 - -Warden, Colonel, D.S.O., 263, 264 - -Watson, General, 41 - -Watts, General Sir H., 137, 145, 147, 149, 162, 167 - -Westhoek, 151, 159, 160, 161, 162 - -Wiart, Colonel Carton de, 85 - -Williams, General, 109 - -Wilson, President, 18 - -Woolcombe, General, 238, 288, 296 - -Woolley, Lieutenant, 190 - -Wytschaete, 94, 97, 103 - - - -Ypres, 57, 94, 95, 133, 134, 154, 162 - -Ypres, third battle of: British and German preparation before the -battle detailed, 133-136; French co-operation, 134, 137, 156; advance -of the Guards, 138-141; advance of the Welsh Division and capture of -Pilkem village, 141-145; capture of St. Julien, 146, 147; advance of -Fifty-fifth and Fifteenth Divisions, 147-150; of Second Army Corps, -150-155; first day's operations reviewed, 156-157; German -counter-attacks, 158-159, 160-161; attack of Fourteenth Corps, -163-167; capture of Langemarck, 164; losses of the Irish Divisions, -168-172; work of the Field Artillery, 175; engagement of the Second -Army, 179; September 20, 180-192; advance of the Fifty-fifth -Division, 183-185; advance of the Ninth Division, 185-187; of the -Australians, 187-188; German counter-attack, 192-195; advance renewed -on September 26, 195-200; attack of October 4, 202-212; further -British advance, 213-222; advance of Territorials, 218-220; H.A.C. at -Reutel, 221; action of October 12, 222-224; action of October 26, -225; fine fighting by the Canadians, 226-231; capture of -Paschendaale, 230; general results of the third battle of Ypres, -232-233 - -Yser River, fight of the King's Royal Rifles and the Northamptons at, -123-130 - - - -Zonnebeke, 169, 170, 172, 181, 202, 214 - - - -THE END - - - -_Printed in Great Britain by_ R. & R. 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