Thursday 28th
September 1916: From our Correspondent in
the Field
Today has
been a day of light rain but this has not prevented another attack by the
Bedfords. Having seized Thiepval yesterday they were ordered to take part in
another attack, this time on the Schwaben Redbout on a spur of land north of
the village ruins. As Captain Bridcutt told me: “From early morning until 12
Noon every one was going at high pressure, preparing for another attack on the
ground which included a very high ridge and a Redoubt called the Schwaben
Redoubt to the North of Thiepval. At 12 Noon the Battalion was ready for this
attack and disposed as follows: A and B were the assaulting companies, D Company
was in a dug-out and C Company was Battalion Reserve”.
The attack got
underway at 1 pm and much use was made of numbered points on the map to
navigate. I am lucky enough to have a sketch plan of these points which I
reproduce above and which may assist the reader to follow the action. Colonel
Price took a moment from his ongoing exertions was kind enough to tell me what has happened: “In
order to conform with the barrage, bombing stops and the forward line
previously held were all brought back on the line 34, 33, 43, 83. A and B
Companies were the assaulting companies and formed up on the line 34 to 83,
their fourth line being between points 13-60. D Company, detailed as clearing-up
company, formed up with the two assaulting companies. C Company, in support,
were formed up on the roads 67-19, two machine guns were detailed with supporting
Company. A Company, 5th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, was used as a Battalion
Reserve with the remaining three Companies in support of main attack”.
View from the front line to towards the Schwaben Redoubt on the crest of the ridge in the distance
“The forming
up by mid-day was an exceedingly difficult operation as the trenches in question
were in full view of the enemy and the light was very good. It was however
successfully carried out”.
“The
Artillery barrage which opened at 1 pm was very effective, very little enemy fire
was met with until lifts in the barrage occurred. The waves followed the barrage
very closely and went in beautiful formation until points 29 and 49 were
reached”.
Line of attack by the right-hand platoons of the battalion
"A
Company, on the right, made for the Cemetery and from thence to swing on to
Market Trench but, unfortunately, the right platoon got knocked right out by
machine gun fire from the Schwaben Redoubt before ever reaching Market Trench. The
whole line from here on appears to have commenced to lay to the left - partly
forced there by pressure of the Queen’s (West Surrey) Regiment, on their right.
The supports hereabouts joined the assaulting Companies, who were suffering
severely from machine gun fire”.
“From this
point the Boches could be seen streaming away in full flight towards
Saint-Pierre-Divion along trenches 19-63-54 and towards 69. About 2.30 Captain
Keep arranged with an officer of the Queen’s to relieve him of trench 22-45 and
his bomb stop in trench 45-19. About 3 pm the line 22-45 was taken over by
Company Sergeant Major Brand(1) who had with him men of A Coy and West Yorkshires,
the latter on the right. Sergeant Patterson of the West Yorks held Strong Point
45 with a platoon of his men”.
“After
arranging with the Queen’s officer, Captain Keep hurried back to Point 86 and
found that the party at Point 19 had fallen back towards Point 86 making a
bombing stop half way up that trench. There was great confusion reigning at
this time and the troops available had to be retold-off. Men of the West
Yorkshire Regiment under Second Lieutenant Brawn were told off to hold the Line
19-86 with a bombing stop and line 19-63 while Second Lieutenant Cartwright
with two Lewis guns and a Stokes mortar was put in charge of a strong point 50
yards west of Point 86. This point was immediately counter-attacked, but as
quickly driven off(2)”.
“About 4 pm
the shortage of Mills bombs and ammunition was acutely felt. Boche bombs from
dugouts were of immense value. The situation at this point was somewhat
precarious. It appeared as if the Queen’s had failed to reach point 65 and to
clear the dug-outs in second line trench from that point to Point 45. From Point
45 to Point 19 the situation was uncertain except that we held points 45 and 19
but the intervening trench had not been exploited. No bombs were available to
do this work”.
“The attack
on extreme left advanced very quickly. They had flanking bombing parties posted
forward which proved to be invaluable. The Lewis guns advanced on the left
flank through Points 36, 29 and 22. Very few casualties or serious opposition
were experienced until reaching Points 29, 49, 72”.
“At Point 29
the Boche had a machine-gun emplacement covered by a strong bombing party of
some forty men. The flanking bombing party was held up and had to wait until
the dug-out clearing party came to their assistance. It was here the first three
waves suffered losses – Second Lieutenant Adlam(3) orgainsed a strong party,
told the men to cheer and they charged the strong point with him as leader, in
one big rush, overbore all resistance and completely wiped out the enemy. The
Lewis Guns did great execution at this point. Two more strong points between Points
29 and 91 were taken at point of bayonet after a bomb preparation”.
“The
situation hereafter became very difficult, as it was impossible to recognise
any trenches owing to the intensity of the Artillery preparation which had
obliterated everything. The final objective was almost impossible to locate
accurately. This may account for parties of men over-reaching by far the final
objective - some patrols pushing as far as Points 47 and 35. The final
objective was held early on in the day and the whole of the Boche front line by
parties of Lancashire Fusiliers, Bedfords and West Yorkshires”.
Of course the
battle still goes on, particularly on the right hand section of the attack, but
before turning his attention to events here the Colonel was able to give me a
few of his views on the operations so far: “The whole of this operation was
carried out with great dash, personal cases of daring bravery were very
numerous. The taking of strong points with a determined rush came off every
time”.
“The fact
that there were two points numbered 45 led to great confusion and accounted for
the lagging of the line away from what was, after all, the true objective - the
Schwaben Redoubt. The fact that the right of the right attack was blotted out
by machine gun fire may have led to the Queen’s filling-in the gap and causing
them to lose their real line”.
“I am fully
prepared to hold line won by us till day light tomorrow, or even later. The
courage, resolution and endurance displayed by all ranks was quite wonderful.
They were out to kill and the battlefield is a witness that they carried out to
the full their intentions”.
As far as we
can tell the southern and western faces of the Schwaben Redoubt are now in the
hands of 18th Division. No doubt we can expect more fighting over night.
Today the
area around the village of Morval has been handed over to the French 6th Army.
In fact today has seen a number of the divisions which attacked on 25th
relieved by new divisions, their work having been well done.
View from Cartwright's Post over the Ancre Valley
Source: X550/8/1
(1) Company
Sergeant Major Richard Brand MM, DCM would be killed at Chérisy on 3rd May 1917
and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.
(2) Second
Lieutenant Henry Cartwright would be wounded at Chérisy but would survive the
war. In his memoirs he expressed disappointment that he was not recommended for
a Military Cross for his work on this day. He named his strong-point
Cartwright’s Post.
(3) He would receive the Victoria Cross for this
action and for his gallantry and initiative on the previous day’s attack.
