Wednesday 23rd
August 1916 From our Correspondent in the
Field
The attack by
the Germans on the 48th (South Midland) Division near Pozières last night was,
I am happy to say, seen off. In a day that sees a pause in attacks in this
long-running Battle of the Somme, it seems like a good time to review the
events which have taken place so far and ruminate on what is to come. The
attack was made on a long front on 1st July with the intention of smashing
through the German lines and breaking through towards Bapaume, eleven miles
from Albert to the north-east along a straight Roman road. In the south good
ground was made but everywhere else failure ruled the day. Nevertheless, the
success of 18th and 30th Divisions in the south meant that the attack was not a
complete disaster. The High Command seems to have taken the decision to close
down operations north of the villages of Ovillers and la Boisselle, so places
such as Serre, Beaumont-Hamel and Thiepval, all objectives for that first day,
remain firmly in German hands.
South of
this, however progress, if slow, has been marked. The villages of Montauban,
Longueval, Mametz, Fricourt, Bazentin-le-Grand, Bazentin-le-Petit,
Contalmaison, Ovillers, la-Boisselle and Pozières have all been taken and
Ginchy, Guillemont, Flers, Martinpuich and Courcelette will surely soon come
under attack and, in their turn, will fall. There is also hope that Thiepval,
high on its spur overlooking the River Ancre will also soon come under assault.
Rather than a
drive from west to east the battle has become a drive from south to north. The
ground here is remarkably similar, in parts, to Dunstable Downs and the areas
of south Bedfordshire immediately north of it, as it is chalk downland. In
peace it must have been a pretty country, dotted with woods and pleasant little
villages. The woods seem to have been as much objects of contention as the
villages, in fact, sometimes more so. High Wood, and Delville Wood have
resisted being taken for prodigious periods of time, longer than any of the
villages. They contain abundant undergrowth, which hides enemy trenches and the
trees add confusion to this as, when shattered by shells, the trunks usually
survive to a height of several feet, giving more cover to the defender.
I understand
that those who understand military matters concede that our High Command had
much to learn about making war in the second decade of the 20th century but,
they note, this is as true for our allies and our enemies. And clearly lessons
have been learned, to some extent at least, as there have been days of great
success, as with the attacks in the early morning of 15th July as well as those
in the south on the first day.
Your
correspondent has a feeling that he will be here for many more weeks. But he
does not doubt that he will see victory crown the army’s efforts.
