The Attack of the 7th Division (Official History of the War,
Military Operations France and Belgium 1915 Vol II)
Saturday 25th
September 1915: As these words are written the latest and largest offensive so
far undertaken by the British Expeditionary Force is under way around the
coal-mining town of Loos in Northern France. We will report on the part taken
in this conflict by our regiments tomorrow as information becomes available. We
know that 7th Division is to make an attack on the village of Hulluch and that
2nd Bedfords are in reserve. The adjutant tells us that just after midnight the
Battalion proceeded to ab position of assembly at the village of Noyelles,
arriving there 3.35 this morning. From there it proceeded at five minutes past
6 a.m. moving by platoons at 200 yards distance to Vermelles, moving up a
trench called Chapel Alley.
The following
document, leaked from I Corps Headquarters shows what is taking place.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR THE ATTACK
1. The enemy
is to be beaten on a certain length of front and driven out of it and must not
be allowed time to reform in rear of the captured trenches.
For this a
violent and continuous action is required.
The keynote
of all the work, both as regards details and the general idea, is offensive
action.
When once the
enemy's front system of trenches is broken, delay is usually the chief cause of
failure and heavy casualties.
Commanders
must, however, bear in mind that, once the enemy's line is broken, it is the
intention to follow up by such action as will cause a general retirement of a
great part of the enemy's line. Thus the operations will be continued during a
considerable period.
Supports and Reserves.
2. Bearing
the above in mind, it is of the highest importance that all commanders should
consider carefully the handling of their reserves to maintain the forward
movement.
Under the
existing conditions, only one definite offensive blow can be expected from one
body of infantry, and, therefore, fresh troops must be pushed through those
making the first attack to develop the success won. Troops heavily engaged during
the day should not ordinarily be expected to continue the offensive on the
following day, but should be either actually be relieved or arrangements made
for fresh troops to pass through them. The Organization of reserves in depth
should be made with this object.
Supporting
and reserve troops must be close up from the commencement of the operations, so
that they can follow close on the heels of the troops in front.
Commanders of
such troops must clearly understand the objective and their role, and use their
initiative.
Ample cover
must be provided for the reserve troops well forward, with good and sufficient
communication trenches. Direction boards must be put up to prevent mistakes in
the existing labyrinth of trenches.
The Infantry Attack.
3. Infantry
Commanders must know the time table of artillery fire, and regulate their
progress and time their assaults in accordance with it.
The attack on
the front trenches will probably not be equally successfully all along the
line. Support must be given at once to the units which have been successful to
enable them to press on. Where unsuccessful a new attack must be organised from
a flank where the line has been broken.
If a certain
body of infantry fails to gain its own particular local objective, there is no
reason why the troops on either flank should be held up. Every body of infantry
must push on and thereby facilitate the task of the troops on the right and
left.
The whole
operation can be regulated with the greatest precision. Parties of infantry
should be detailed beforehand for the capture of the several localities at
definitely stated times in accordance with the artillery time table. The
accuracy of the photographic maps permits of this being done.
We must not
wait to be counter-attacked, but must follow up our attack at once. Infantry
must push on, and field guns, trench mortars, machine guns, etc., must be
pushed forward in close support of the attacking infantry to batter down
houses, etc. The responsibility for supporting the attacking infantry in this
way rests with Infantry Commanders, and special guns will be allotted to them
for this purpose.
Localities
must be seized promptly to act as supporting points to further advance, but
only the necessary number of men will be left to entrench each of these points.
All ground
gained will be secured.
Artillery.
4. The
artillery objective is not only the wire entanglements and front trenches, but
the whole position, with a view to destroying the hostile infantry, actually
and morally; (i.e. second line, communication trenches, shelters, etc., must be
systematically dealt with).
The task of
the artillery is: -
(a) The
support of the infantry during its attack.
(b)To gain
superiority of fire over the hostile artillery.
The artillery
fire must be time-tabled and registered as far behind the enemy's front line
trenches as possible, with due regard to range and accuracy.
The guns must
be registered beforehand on all the objectives and tactical localities as far
forward as possible.
Similarly,
the barrages of shrapnel must be arranged beforehand. These will be gradually
expanded as infantry advances.
The nature of
the artillery support required by the infantry depends on the local conditions
of the fight.
Some field or
horse artillery guns must be ready to push forward rapidly in support of the
infantry as the latter get beyond the support of the remaining guns.
Special Parties.
5. Special
parties must be detailed for work subsidiary to the attack, such as bomb
parties, sandbag parties, bayonet parties, entrenching tool parties.
These parties
must all be conversant with their various duties.
The idea of
the offensive must be inculcated in the grenadier parties, so that their
efforts are directed to bombing so as to assist the movement to front and flank,
rather than to mere defensive work and blocking approaches.
Special
attention must be given to repairing roads, and detachments of Royal Engineers,
with infantry working parties attached, must be organized and in position to
follow up the attack for clearing away obstacles and mending roads, to allow
free passage for troops.
Special
parties for extending and maintaining the telephone wires must also be
organized beforehand (see para.7).
Royal Engineers Stores and Materials.
6. Advanced
depots of RE stores must be established close up behind our own lines at short
intervals along the front of the attack. The depots should contain material for
entanglements, sandbags, trench-bridging materials, tools, etc.
Parties of RE
with infantry must be specially detailed to move forward with these stores to
secure positions gained.
The
experience of Neuve Chapelle gives a good indication of the nature and
quantities of stores required for any given length of line, and estimates
should be framed accordingly with regard to the length of the probable
successive lines likely to be required to be placed in a state of defence.
Communications.
7. In order
that the offensive may be continued without interruption and be suited to the
changing conditions of the fight, the several commanders must be kept in close
touch with the situation; hence communications must be carefully organised
beforehand and adequate means of getting information back from the front
provided. Wherever possible communications should be triplicated and
arrangements made to carry on communications by flags, lamps, etc. when wires
are broken. This is of the first importance, and all commanders will give this
matter their close attention.
The ground
over which the attack is to pass and the localities to be attacked can in most
cases be seen and studied, so far as is possible, therefore, arrangements
should be made beforehand between what points communication by flag or
otherwise is to be established as the attack progresses.
The position
of commanders must be carefully thought out and suitably protected points
organized for commanders near their troops.
Telegraph and
telephone wires must be buried up to our front trenches, and arrangements made
to push wires on as soon as possible after the attack has passed beyond them.
Staff
officers must be pushed well forward with the object of collecting information
and keeping commanders regularly informed of the situation.
With this
object in view, positions of observation and dugouts should be made, and special
communications established beforehand with these places.
Special
attention must be given to instructing signal companies in their duties and
action during an advance, and all preparations must be made with a view to the
forward movement being sustained.
Divisional Cavalry and Cyclists.
8. Divisional
Cavalry and Cyclists must be kept handy to push on rapidly as opportunity
offers, to anticipate the enemy in occupying houses and other tactical points,
and so facilitating the advance after the enemy's main lines of defence have
been broken.
Source: X550/3/wd
