Day One Hundred and Ten on the Somme

Wednesday 18th October 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

Today, in wet conditions and from flooded trenches more British attacks have taken place, most of them well before dawn. The attacks, in an arc from Le Sars eastward to Lesboeufs have seen little success. Uncut wire and stiff resistence as well as the appalling conditions underfoot have prevented much success. As the year fails it is likely that optimum conditions for any attack will now be quite rare events, but we are sure Tommy Atkins will deal with the conditions with his usual cheery humour and attack with his usual dogged determination.

Many of these attacks have been designed to push the British line northwards to the Butte de Warlencourt. This mound oversees all the flat land hereabouts and serves as a perfect observation post for German artillery. Capture of this will assist any further move towards the still distant target of the town on Bapaume. The villages of Warlencourt and Ligny-Thilloy also lie in the path of attack towards Bapaume. 

4th and 6th Divisions made attacks east of Lesboeufs, 12th Division was successful in advancing the line on the right flank of the 30th Division, which was unable to make any headway towards the now infamous Gird Trench. These attacks were undertaken by 89th and 21st Brigades but the 2nd Bedfords were not involved, much to their relief we are sure. To the left of 30th Division 9th (Scottish) managed to get a little way forward near a small elevation known as The Pimple.