THE ADVANCE OF HORNE'S FIRST ARMY
From August 26 to September 27
The indefatigable Fifty-first Division--Capture of Greenland
Hill--Fine advance of the Canadians--Breaking of the Drocourt-Quéant
line--Fine work of the Sixty-third Naval Division--Great day for the
Dominion--Demeanour of German prisoners.
On August 8 Rawlinson had attacked on the south with the Fourth Army.
On August 22 Byng followed on his left with the Third Army. Four
days later Horne took it up in turn south of the Scarpe with his
First Army. The general function of that Army was to co-operate with
the attack of the Third Army on its right, and to cover the flank of
that Army from the north. Therefore the First and Eighth Corps stood
fast, while the Canadians, who had been brought up from the southern
sector, advanced. They formed the right unit of the First Army, and
were in touch to the south with Fergusson's newly formed Seventeenth
Corps, which was the left unit of the Third Army. As only the
Canadians were seriously engaged up to the end of September the
narrative of the First Army can be easily summarised. It will be
necessary first to explain some preliminary operations. After its
return from its hard fighting in the French line, where it had
co-operated {139} with the Sixty-second Division in attacking the
great German salient upon the Ardres, the famous Fifty-first Highland
Division had only a few days' rest before it was in action once more.
It was now placed on the north bank of the Scarpe in the Arras
sector, The 170th Brigade of the Fifty-seventh Lancashire Territorial
Division lay to the south of the stream, and this was placed under
the command of Carter-Campbell, General of the Fifty-first, so that
he had four brigades under him, with instructions to advance along
the line of the river, as opportunity served, in order to screen the
left of the attack now about to break out in the south.
Carter-Campbell covered from Feuchy in the south to the east of
Bailleul, about 8000 yards.
It was known that the enemy was withdrawing its advanced positions in
front of the Army, and it was therefore very necessary for
Fergusson's Seventeenth Corps to keep in touch with the Germans in
that region. With this object in view the 170th Brigade in
conjunction with the Fifteenth Division on their right moved along
the south bank of the river to seize the advanced German trenches.
This was done at 1 A.M. of August 19, when a considerable stretch of
ground was occupied with little opposition. An endeavour to increase
their gains on the next night was met by a sharp counter-attack. On
the same night two brigades of the Fifty-first Division pushed
forwards north of the river, but met with very strong resistance. On
August 20 there was another German attack upon Moray Trench, south of
the Scarpe, but the Lancashire men broke it up by artillery and
rifle-fire. By 9 P.M., however, the 170th Brigade were ordered back
from their {140} advanced position, having been badly harried all
day. On August 24 in the early morning the Fifty-seventh Division
advanced with good results, the 153rd Brigade capturing Pippin Trench
and other important points. The 152nd Brigade lay to the immediate
west of Fampoux, and did not move, but the advance was again carried
on upon the left on August 25 with some gain of ground.
[Sidenote: August 26.]
Meanwhile the Canadian Corps had quietly taken the place of
Fergusson's Seventeenth Corps to the south of the Scarpe, pushing
them to the south, and all was ready for the big battle which broke
out on August 26, and was a continuation to the north of the large
movement already going on down the line. In this important attack,
the Third Canadian Division was on the left, and the Second on the
right, the two of them bridging the space between the Scarpe and the
left of the Third Army. It was stated by prisoners that the attack
had been foreseen, and that they had withdrawn 2000 yards the day
before. However that may be, everything went very well, and the men
of the Dominion showed their usual determined valour. The 7th and
8th Canadian Brigades, just south of the river, swept along with
hardly a check, save for a time when the 8th was held up behind
Orange Hill. At 7.35, Monchy, important as a place of observation,
was in British hands once more. At 10.45, the 4th Canadian Brigade
had captured GuGuémappemappe, and in the afternoon, Wancourt Ridge
had also fallen to the Second Canadian Division. Here, as elsewhere,
a single day had given what weeks of effort had once failed to
achieve; 2000 prisoners were taken.
On the north bank, the Fifty-first Division, which {141} was now part
of the Canadian Corps, made a similar advance, both the 152nd and
153rd Brigades sweeping forward, and occupying Rœux, Gavrelle and
the Chemical Works, with little opposition. The Eighth Division was
to the north of the Fifty-first, and it also pushed forward its line,
its patrols occupying Oppy after dusk.
The Eighth Division, reconstituted under its veteran commander,
General Heneker, after its murderous and heroic experience upon the
Aisne, was the right-hand unit of Hunter-Weston's Eighth Corps, which
was the next unit of the First Army. The front of this Corps was
formed by the Twentieth Division in the north and the Eighth in the
south, and its rôle at this period was to stand fast, but by a
succession of well-conducted enterprises the Eighth Division was
continually encroaching upon the German lines. Presently, as will be
seen, when the line was advanced on the south, the Eighth Corps was
unleashed and sprang forward in combination with the general advance
on either flank. On its left, and following its general movements,
was Holland's First Corps, which was allotted, after September 20, to
the Fifth Army, so that instead of being Horne's northern unit it
became the southern Corps of Birdwood.
[Sidenote: August 27, 28.]
On August 27 the Canadians went forward once more, the 9th Brigade on
the left near the river, while the 4th and 5th were on the right.
Again there was a day of steady advance, which was rather a slow
pursuit than a battle. In the evening the line ran east of Cherisy,
but west of Pelves and Haucourt. In the north the Fifty-first
Division attacked Greenland Hill, which was a most important piece of
high {142} ground--so important that it may be said to be the point
on which the whole great advance to the Canal du Nord pivoted. The
attack was delivered with great spirit by the 7th Gordons and 6th
Black Watch of the 153rd Brigade, but they were unable to get the
summit; while the 6th Seaforths to the south of them were also held
up by machine-gun fire. Some advance was made, however, by the 154th
Brigade, which had now come in on the north of the line. That night
the 25th Brigade of the Eighth Division took over this northern
section.
August 28 saw the Canadians still continuing their slow but
inexorable advance. On that morning their 7th Brigade took Pelves
and Boiry. There were two strong counter-attacks upon the Second
Canadian Division in the evening near Artillery Hill, and for a time
the front line was pushed back, but it soon recovered and held firm.
There was quiet now on the Canadian front, but on August 29 the 154th
Brigade of the Highland Division made a fresh attack upon Greenland
Hill, which was captured by the 4th Gordons and 7th Argyll and
Sutherlands with only slight losses. This important success caused
the evacuation by the enemy of several positions commanded by the
hill, especially Delbar Wood. This capture screened the left flank
of the Canadians and drew from their General a generous message of
thanks, in which he said, "That your division after its continuous
fighting for the last year was able to take and keep the strong
position of Greenland Hill, testifies to the fact that the fighting
qualities of the Fifty-first are second to none in the Allied armies."
[Sidenote: August 30.]
There were some changes of troops at this date in {143} preparation
for the big attack upon the Hindenburg switch line which was
impending. The Twenty-second Corps (Godley) now formed on the left
of the Canadians, took over the Fifty-first Division, and also
occupied the south bank of the Scarpe with the Eleventh Division. It
retained the Forty-ninth Division (Cameron) in reserve. On the other
hand, the Fourth British Division was attached to the Canadians, and
came into their centre at Remy and Haucourt. At dawn on August 30
the Canadian First Division attacked Upton Wood and the trenches
near, with the object of straightening the line and maintaining close
touch with the Seventeenth Corps on the right. This movement was
splendidly successful, and 500 prisoners were taken. The Fourth
British Division advanced at the same time and their line in the
evening was just east of Eterpigny. Next day they were held up once
at St. Servin Farm, but took it at the second attempt. Meanwhile,
the Eleventh Division was moving steadily forward on the south bank
of the river. It was relieved on October 1 by the Fifty-sixth London
Division, acting under the Twenty-second Corps.
On September 1 the Canadian Corps was outside the Arras-Cambrai Road,
with the Fourth British Division forming its left flank, the Fourth
Canadian its centre, and the First Canadian on the right. It was a
day of local attacks and bickerings, but great preparations were on
foot for the morrow. The first light of dawn had hardly begun to
glimmer in front of the eager lines of infantry before the signal was
given for the advance upon the Drocourt-Quéant line. This line is
not the main Hindenburg Line, but it is a northern extension of the
Hindenburg system, {144} and it may be said to cover the towns of
Douai and Cambrai. The advance of the First Army was on a front of
five brigades--one belonging to the British Fourth Division on the
left, and two of each first line Canadian Division to their right.
The general idea of the day's operations--among the most important of
the war--was to break through the German line upon a narrow front,
and afterwards to roll up the flanks of the enemy, both north and
south. This having been done, the main attack was to push through,
seize the higher ground overlooking the Canal du Nord, and if
possible cross the Canal and seize the farther bank.
[Sidenote: Sept. 2.]
The attack should be from the Sensée River, southwards, and the
function of the Twenty-second Corps was to form a defensive flank on
the left of the attack, taking up consecutive positions eastwards
along the River Sensée, and working in close collaboration with the
British Fourth Division.
There was a preliminary bombardment, but the guns had been busy
wire-cutting during the last three days, so that the great metal
aprons which extended from the German position were ragged and torn.
Hence they offered small impediment to the infantry who dashed
through at the first rush, and easily captured the outlying trenches
which stretched across a low hill. The village of Gagnicourt lay
imbedded in the German trenches, and this was a centre both of attack
and resistance. By 8 o'clock the Canadian infantry of the First
Division had carried the village, while the Canadian Fourth Division
was in Dury on the left, and had made its way into Dury Wood. The
advance had already covered about 3000 yards. Both the barrage and
the tanks were admirable, and {145} the combination beat down the
German defence which at first was not formidable--indeed many of the
German front-liners escaped the shrapnel by running in front of it
and surrendering the moment the battle began.
As the advance progressed the German resistance grew stiffer,
especially in front of the Fourth Canadian Division at Dury Wood,
where there was some very desperate fighting. All along the line,
pockets of German snipers and machine-gunners did what they could to
redeem the honour of the German Army. Astride the Cambrai Road there
was a particularly strong point of opposition. The defenders were
numerous all along the line--so much so that prisoners from six
different German divisions were captured, including the First and
Second Guards Reserve, and the Third Division which had only arrived
the night before with orders to advance into the Canadian area. Many
of them did so as far as the prisoners' cage.
This splendid advance of the Canadians had been covered and supported
on the right by the Fifty-seventh Lancashire Division of Fergusson's
Seventeenth Corps, which had cleared up the villages of Riencourt and
Hendecourt in a preliminary operation on September 1. The Lancashire
men made good the Canadian flank, and then the Sixty-third Naval
Division of the same Corps skirted the southern edge of Gagnicourt,
passing the Canadian troops, and pushed on to Buissy, nearly two
miles further east. This advance was on a front of a mile, and
brought the victors into contact with six other German divisions,
each of which provided samples for the cages. Not content with this
fine performance, the Naval Division, who were now ahead of their
guns {146} and without tanks, pushed on again in the evening, and
inclining to the south they captured the village of Pronville, thus
getting to the east of Quéant, which was still held by the Germans.
The Drake, Anson, Hood, and Hawke battalions, together with the Royal
Marine units, were all heavily engaged during this long day of
fighting.
Meanwhile the Canadians had carried on along the original line of
advance, the First Canadian Division clearing the woods of Loison and
Bouche. On the extreme left the Fourth British Division added to its
great fighting record another strenuous day of battle. It had in
front of it a very strong position, Prospect Farm, which offered a
desperate resistance, but was eventually taken. It was afternoon,
however, before the place fell, which prevented the attainment of the
full objectives of the day. They were still advancing in the morning
of September 3, and before noon they had taken all their original
objectives, including Etaing and Lecluse, while on the same morning
the Fourth Canadians got as far forward as Rumancourt.
It was a fine victory, which will make September 2, 1918, memorable
to Canadians. Great work was done by the British divisions on either
side of them, but the stress of the attack and the consequent credit
lay with our comrades from across the Atlantic. More than 10,000
prisoners were taken during the day. Their demeanour as described by
Mr. Perry Robinson, the well-known correspondent of _The Times_, is
of interest as reflecting the softening and disintegrating influences
in the German Army. "As the newcomers arrived they were greeted with
shouts of laughter and welcome by their comrades already {147} behind
the wires, and greetings and badinage and names were called back and
forth. Those inside were mostly eating, and held up bully-beef tins
and biscuits for the new arrivals to see, and the latter cheered
responsively.... Many were very tired, but the whole scene suggested
a new train-load of revellers at some annual bean-feast being
welcomed by fellow-holiday-makers."
[Sidenote: Sept. 3.]
The Germans had dammed the river which flows down the Trinquis valley
in front of the Twenty-second Corps, and this had now formed a
considerable lake which hampered operations to the north. The
Fresnes-Rouvroy line when tested by patrols seemed to be still
strongly held. It soon became evident, however, that on the south
the Germans had withdrawn behind the Canal du Nord. The Canadians on
September 3 closed up to the western bank, occupying with little
resistance Recourt and Baralle. During the day the First British
Division relieved the Fourth British Division, while the Second and
Third Canadians relieved respectively the First and Fourth Canadians.
The Canal was found to be full, and all the bridges down, so that
progress was for the time suspended, and a period of inaction
followed, which was accompanied by a bad spell of boisterous weather,
lasting for more than a week. During this time the First British
Division was sent south to form part of the Ninth Corps on the
extreme south of the line next to the French. The Fifty-sixth London
Division took its place on the right of the Twenty-second Corps, and
on September 19 it extended so as to take over the ground held by the
Third Canadians, thus contracting the Canadians' front on that flank,
while it was extended to the south, where it took over from the {148}
Fifty-second Division on the left of the Seventeenth Corps. The
Cambrai Road became the dividing line between the British and the
Canadians. To preserve Horne's uniformity of treatment we shall now
return to Rawlinson's Fourth Army in the south, and we shall carry
each successive Army forward from the end of September to the date of
the German surrender.
{149}