Bapaume Falls

Thursday 29th August 1918

Another great leap forward has taken place on the Somme today. 18th (Eastern) Division began its advance this morning at Trones Wood at first light, sweeping through the familiar village of Guillemont an hour later and at Leuze Wood about nine this morning. This evening sees them north, west and south of Combles, though the village itself yet holds out. 

2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, then part of 30th Division lost many men at Guillemont in 1916 so it must have been with great pleasure that this morning they advanced through its few remains without a scratch, following 38th (Welsh) Division. The battalion assisted in the capture of Leuze Wood, and the high ground to the north of it, which gave it little trouble due to the speed and momentum of the advance. Then, as the adjutant informed me a few moments ago: "Our advance was held by strong machine gun fire from the enemy in position along the spur running from Morval southwards towards Combles. the battalion then dug-in as shown on the map above. Altogether four other ranks were killed and thirty-four wounded in today's action.

As already related the Welshmen of 38th Division also advanced today, beginning at Longueval captured the shattered remains of the village of Ginchy and this evening have swept on to take the hamlet of Lesboeufs.

Meanwhile, in the north, the enemy must have evacuated Bapaume as today the New Zealand Division was able to enter the deserted ruins with no finger lifted against it. Similarly 42nd Division took the now empty Thilloy and Ligny-Thilloy. Thus it has taken a mere eight days to advance from Albert to take Bapaume, in 1916 a battle of 144 days brought the army no closer to Bapaume than a few miles to the west. Nothing can so starkly underline the greatly increased efficiency of our own armies and the greatly decreased ability of the enemy to resist.

Source: X550/3/wd

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.

Day Ninety Nine on the Somme

Saturday 7th October 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

Today has seen more activity on the Somme than of late, with attacks in the vicinity of Le Sars, a village which sits astride the main road from Albert to Bapaume, in an arc round to Lesboeufs. 

23rd Division was tasked with the capture of the village of Le Sars. In the face of heavy fire they achieved their objective, so the village joins a growing list of heaps of ruins captured since 1st July. The Division was then ready to advance on an old Romano-Gallic burial mound called the Butte de Warlencourt, which is high enough to dominate the flat ground hereabouts. However, there were insufficient reinforcements for this, so the division dug-in just the other side of Le Sars.

47th Division, whose objective was also the Butte de Warlencourt, attacked Snag Trench but the volume of fire it encountered made any real progress impossible.

41st Division is between Eaucourt-l’Abbaye and Gueudecourt and encountered heavy machine-gun fire as it went forward. Some units managed to pierce Bayonet Trench and, as far as we know, are holding out. Those attacking the east end of Gird Trench were unable to get near it.

12th (Eastern) Division were supposed to attack north-east from Gueudecourt but were late in going forward due to a German barrage on their front lines as they were about to go “over the top”. They struggled forward but were unable to make any headway.

20th (Light) Division are between Gueudecourt and Lesboeufs. They seized a main German defensive line called Rainbow Trench and pressed on to take another trench called Misty Trench. A German counter-attack as the light failed this evening from the direction of Beaulencourt appears to have been defeated.

56th (London) Division, alongside the French on their right flank, attacked north-east from Lesboeufs. Attacks by both the Londoners and the French were able to make little headway and, as evening fell were pushed back to their starting positions.

The last units of 18th (Eastern) Division have been relieved in the unspeakable desolation of mud, bodies and debris known as the Schwaben Redoubt. The dubious honour of continuing the fight here will fall to 39th Division. They were immediately attacked by Germans including two flame-thrower teams but the enemy were repulsed.

Day Eighty Seven on the Somme

Monday 25th September 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

Today has seen another large attack across a broad front extending in an arc from Martinpuich through Eaucourt-l’Abbaye, Gueudecourt, Lesboeufs and Morval to Combles in the south. Our own 1st and 8th Battalions have been caught up in these attacks.

Moving from left to right: 50th (Northumbrian) Division and 1st Division have advanced a small way north towards the hamlet of Eaucourt-l’Abbaye. The New Zealanders formed the defensive left flank for this whole operation. They moved forward against unexpectedly weak opposition and now face north-west towards Eaucourt-l’Abbaye. 55th (West Lancashire) Division took a short stretch of a main German defensive line called Gird Trench just to the north of its original position

21st Division attacked towards the village of Gueudecourt. We had heard rumours that Gueudecourt had fallen, but it has become clear this evening that it has not. The attack could get no further than Gird Trench, part of which was taken but most of which remains in German hands.

The Guards Division attacked an area south of Gueudecourt as far as a road through the middle of Lesboeufs. The Guards met with little in the way of opposition, stormed through the ruins and have now occupied ground just to the east.

6th Division attacked towards Lesboeufs. The adjutant of 8th Bedfords tells me that they were in reserve for the 16th Infantry Brigade attack on the German lines between Lesboeufs and Morval to the south: “The attack commenced at 12.35 pm and the Battalion moved up to the original front line when the second objective had been taken about 2.35. Casualties from the enemy barrage were very slight. The attack proved successful and many prisoners were taken. Tonight the Battalion will furnish carrying parties to the front line battalions with ammunition and water”.

The division attacked an area north of Morval as far as the road through the centre of Lesboeufs. The division succeeded splendidly in taking all its objectives and is now dug-in east of Lesboeufs with the Guards on its right and 5th Division on its left.

The aforementioned 5th Division includes, of course, 1st Bedfords. They were in their assembly trenches by 9.30 last night. The adjutant takes up the story: "At 1.35 pm the Battalion advanced in four waves at 150 yards distance one from another, passing over the trench taken by the 1st Norfolks. The first line reached their objective, the sunken road, by 1.40. Lewis guns were immediately placed in position on the top of the bank and several drums fired at the retiring enemy. The Battalion dug-in along the line of the road and also on the top of the bank. Touch was gained with the 16th Brigade at 1.50 and with the 95th Brigade about 2 pm”.

So far so good, but there have, it seems, been familiar problems: “Considerable casualties were sustained from our own field guns, both during the advance and while holding the sunken road”. This issue, it will be remembered, hampered the 8th Battalion attack on 15th. However, Morval, along with Lesboeufs, has fallen today. 1st Cheshires succeeded in occupying it by 3 pm. The farthest point reached has been the old windmill east of the village.

The right flank of the British armies in France is currently held by 56th (London) Division. This formation attacked Combles in co-operation wih French 2nd Division around midnight. They advanced round the north end of Bouleaux Wood, which still contains German defenders, and the two nations’ troops succeeded in taking Combles and are now dug-in well to the east of it, the British facing east and the French facing north.

So today, whilst not uniformly successful, has seen another series of hammer blows to the German lines. The capture of three villages is a huge success and in places the German defenses have been much weaker than normal. One wonders if there is some sort of crisis in the German army on the Somme which our forces may be able to exploit in the days ahead(1)

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/9/1

(1) The Germans, worried about a breakthrough on the Somme, had just begun a fortified line some miles behind their own front line. This was the Siegfriedstellung, known the British as the Hindenburg Line. During the Spring of 1917 the Germans withdrew

Day Seventy Nine on the Somme

Sunday 17th September 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

20th (Light) Division near Lesboeufs was attacked today but managed to nullify the German advance. As I write it is pouring with rain but we understand the division is pushing forward towards Lesboeufs. 

Day Seventy Eight on the Somme

Saturday 16th September 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

This morning I spent time with the somewhat stoical Lord Henry Scott who commands the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment in the field. The hasty attacks of yesterday on the Quadrilateral were even more costly than I imagined. In all 126 officers and men have been killed out of 850 or so going into action. Many more, of course, have been wounded. This makes yesterday the bloodiest day for any battalion of the Regiment in this war so far.

His Lordship emphasised that the battalion exists to kill Germans and take ground and that that inevitably results in casualties. Nevertheless your correspondent could detect the grief in his eyes. His Lordship, after all, oversaw the training camp at Ampthill where most of the men who now serve under him were trained. What remains of his battalion have moved back to Maltz Horn Farm but have no rest, as they have to carry rations and other material to the front line for their successors in the firing line. Their division has joined with 56th (London) Division in making some small, local attacks.

The 1st Battalion, meanwhile, has moved to nearby Waterlot Farm, south of Delville Wood. They are temporarily part of 20th (Light) Division. The adjutant told me laconically “bad trenches and very little cover”. The Guards Division has moved forward today and attacked the area between Serpentine Trench and the village of Lesboeufs and taken some ground.

14th (Light) Division has also been in action. It advanced from positions east of Delville Wood but was unable to make any progress. I understand it is having another crack as I write these words. 41st Division, fresh from its success at Flers yesterday attacked towards the village of Gueudecourt managed to advance to within one hundred yards of a place called Gird Trench which runs around the south-west side of the village before falling back to Bull’s Road, which runs from the north end of Flers to Lesboeufs(1).

The splendid New Zealanders have managed to hang on to Courcelette, defeating a German counter-attack around nine o’clock this morning and even managed to advance a little way, taking Grove Alley west of Flers.

47th (1st/2nd London) Division attacked towards a point known as the Cough Drop south of Eaucourt-l’Abbaye but only one company managed to reach that place due to intense enemy fire. 50th (Northumbrian) Division’s attacks met with failure. 15th (Scottish) Division was counter-attacked in Martinpuich and, though beating it off, have been subjected to an enemy barrage all day.

The Canadians attacked Zollern Trench east of Thirpval but were unsuccessful. 11th Division on their left made some progress west of Mouquet Farm and 49th Division carried out raids west of Thiepval itself.

So, though not all today’s attacks have met with success a little ground has been gained. Perhaps more importantly the villages of Flers, Martinpuich and Courcelette, or, at least, their ruins, remain firmly in British hands.

Source: X550/9/1

(1) Failure to take it would lead to costly attacks by 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment on 12th October.

Day Seventy Seven on The Somme

A British Mark I Male tank on the Somme - by Ernest Brooks - Imperial War Museum

15th September 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

Today has been one of those spasms which seem to affect life here at the front. It has been a day of determined attacks across a broad front which I will outline below. Today’s attacks, though, have been very different. In the last few days we had heard rumours of a secret weapon. Well, this weapon is secret no longer, the Germans now know all about it and, one imagines, many wish they were still in ignorance of it.

This weapon is, simply, a huge armoured vehicle. It is over thirty feet long and must weigh in excess of twenty five tons, or so educated guesses have it. It is a rhomboid shape, in other words, a lopsided rectangle and has two boxes (called sponsons I am told) on either side of its body. These carry its armament. On some vehicles it has a naval 6 pounder gun in either “sponson” and in other two machine guns. In an element of whimsy usually lacking in the stern affairs of the military, those with machine guns are known as “females” and those with 6 pounders are “males”. Presumably these metal monsters have, to some eyes, a resemblance to living leviathans. We understand the job of the “males” is to destroy buildings and strongpoints whilst the “females” mow down German infantry and machine gunners.

These leviathans, I have heard them called “land-ships”, are propelled by tracks running round the body. One may see tracks of this type on Holt tractors and they are extremely useful in crawling through mud and over brokes ground where wheeled-vehicles or cavalry could not venture. This, together with their length and weight means they can crush barbed wire for infantry to follow them and cross trenches with ease. The name most commonly in use for them seems to be the strange designation of “tank”. I am told that when they were being crated up and sent over to France, the crates were labelled as water tanks to prevent German spies from cottoning on.

Be that as it may, several dozen of these “tanks” have been employed in today’s attacks. It seems they are prone to breaking down (a facet of their design many owners of automobiles will readily understand), are difficult to steer and can go in the wrong direction because the drivers have only a tiny gap in the armour plate to look through. When they lurch into the enemy, however, they seem to sow panic and despondency wherever they go. At last a method may be at hand which may break the stalemate of this war and finally lead to a break-through.

The left flank of the attack was the action begun last night by 11th Division on Thiepval Ridge which, we understand, succeed in capturing a German stronghold known as the Wonderwork (bottom left in the map above) and a portion of a trench called Hohenzollern Trench.

Another first for today’s attack, besides the “tanks” was the introduction of the Canadian Corps into the battle. The Canadians were given the task of seizing the village of Courcelette. This, with the help of “tanks”, they took in very determined fashion. They seized the ground to the south and had to fight off German counter-attacks from the village itself before seizing that too in the last half hour or so. There will undoubtedly be counter-attacks but if the Canadians can hold the village they have taken they will have begun their campaign in a highly creditable manner.

15th (Scottish) Division attacked the village of Martinpuich. They have seized the village and are now dug-in just to the nort, facing the village of Courcelette.

50th (Northumbrian) Division captured parts of the Starfish Line which runs east from Martinpuich. Unfortunately this line could not be held and the Northumbrians were forced to retire by German artillery.

47th (1st/2nd) London Division had the difficult task of attacking High Wood today, the place which has defied capture for so long. And they achieved their task handsomely! Several hundred prisoners were taken in High Wood and around lunchtime the place was in British hands at last. The troops then moved on. Tonight they are well to the north, dug-in east of Martinpuich and just south of the strongly held Starfish Line which, in this sector, resisted attempts to capture it.

The New Zealand Division attacked with great élan from positions between High Wood and Longueval. They captured their objectives and now occupy ground west and north-west of the village of Flers. 41st Division was to attack the village of Flers itself from the south, beginning from positions north of Delville Wood. This attack included ten “tanks”, the most allotted to any attack today. The village, we understand, has fallen, materially assisted by the “tanks”. 14th Division advanced some way north of Delville Wood.

The Guards Division was given the task of attacking north-west from the north of Ginchy towards Lesboeufs. They were able to make some ground and took a number of prisoners but were unable to take their third objective which lay just south-west of Lesboeufs.

6th Division were given the task of taking the Quadrilateral. In this attack the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was to the fore. At 4.30 this morning the Battalion was in position and went into the attack at 6.20, the attackers being A, C and D Companies whilst B Company bombed down a trench parallel to the attack to prevent flanking fire. It is a matter of extreme regret that the barrage by our guns intended to help the Battalion forward fell so short that it landed on top of them in shell holes south-west of the objective, from which they were preparing to attack. This error on the part of the barrage commander(1) resulted in many of our men being killed. Nevertheless, the survivors gamely went forward, supported by 1st Battalion, The Buffs and later reinforced by 2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment. The Quadrilateral is a well-defended strongpoint, however, and proved impossible to take. The artillery had, once again, failed in its task as all the barbed wire in front of the strongpoint was uncut. “Tanks” were allotted to this attack but failed to turn up. Thus a catalogue of errors over which the Battalion had no influence led to the failure of their attack and the loss, it is feared, of a great number of lives. We understand that thirteen officers have become casualties, six of them dead. We do not yet know the death toll amongst the other ranks.

We understand that one of the “tanks” allotted to the parts of the Division attacking elsewhere fired on our own troops as it went forward. The failure of the 8th Bedfords was part of a greater failure by the division, which failed to get any where near its overall objective, the village of Morval.

On the far right of the attack, near the village of Combles, 56th (London) Division made some progress towards that village and towards Morval but were stopped by uncut barbed wire south of Middle Copse.

Today has seen three villages – Flers, Courcelette and Martinpuich taken by an attack on a wide front. This has been the biggest co-ordinated attack since 1st July and has achieved great things. With the help of the “tanks” the army is hoping for more great things in the days to come.

Source: X550/9/1

(1) XIV Corps Commander, Royal Artillery was Brigadier-General Alexander Ernest Wardrop