Day Forty Nine on the Somme

Friday 18th August 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

Today has seen more activity than any other day this month so far. On the left of the British line as it attacks from south to north, 33rd Division attacked High Wood. This novel attack was intended to use a German tactic, first used against British troops in July last year at Hooge near Ypres and used against 1st Division yesterday – flame-throwers, as well as oil drums hurled by Livens Projectors(1). Unfortunately the flamethrowers failed and the Livens Projectors were damaged and buried by the British barrage which fell short of its target. Given these failures it is not surprising that the infantry were unable to get forward in any numbers. Despite the setbacks, however, the imaginative thinking employed can only be applauded. At least Wood Trench between High Wood and Delville Wood (and north-west of Delville Wood) was captured.

In the centre of the attack Delville Wood has, once more, been attacked, along with the trenches immediately bordering it to the west and east. This time the unit drawing the proverbial short straw was 14th (Light) Division. Some prisoners were taken in the centre of the remains of the wood and gains were made, with a number of trenches falling to the attackers in the wood and either side of it.

An old and hated name resurfaced briefly in conversation today - Trônes Wood. 24th Division began an attack east on Guillemont from there this morning, following the line of the remains of the track leading from the remains of wood to the remains of the village. The attack mostly ground to a halt in front of the German wire, stopped by machine-guns. However, the German line was penetrated near the quarry on the west side of Guillemont and the position has been consolidated. In the area between the north-west of Guillemont and south-east of Delville Wood progress was made and around one hundred prisoners taken.

The right flank of the attack was south of Guillemont. 3rd Division attacked a trench called Lonely Trench east of Maltz Horn Farm near the road south from Hardecourt-au-Bois to Guillemont – a place which has become as infamous to Tommy Atkins as Delville Wood or High Wood and is generally known as the Gillymong Road. Trenches south-east of Arrowhead Copse were also attacked. Most of these attacks were unsuccessful. Meanwhile French troops took some more of the village of Maurepas and joined up with 3rd Division south of Guillemont. We have just heard, however, that the French have, again, been pushed back by a German counter-attack.

Meanwhile the Australians on the Pozières Ridge made further attacks towards Mouquet Farm as wel las south-east of the road from Albert to Bapaume. We understand some progress has been made here, too.

(1) Essentially large buried mortars