THE GERMAN RETREAT
_17th March to 1st July 1917_
The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line--Arrival of the
Divisional Machine Gun Company--Actions at Neuville and
Ruyaulcourt, at Metz-en-Couture, at Trescault and at Bilhem--The
Division in the line facing Quéant under IVth Corps of Fifth
Army.
(_Vide_ Maps II and III.)
At dawn on the 17th of March the German retreat on the 20th Divisional
front began. The enemy withdrew from his positions very rapidly and
with great secrecy. On the 14th the Guards on the right had occupied
the western edge of St Pierre Vaast Wood and the south-east end of
Saillisel; on the 15th they had advanced to the east side of the wood;
patrols of the 20th Division, however, found the enemy still holding
his front line up to 5 A.M. on the 17th. The Australians on
the left then reported that they had advanced; immediately patrols were
sent out again, in broad daylight, up to the German line. This time
they found it unoccupied.
The enemy was at once followed up. Along the whole British line
from Monchy au Bois, ten miles south-west of Arras, to the right an
important advance was made. The French took Roye, meeting with little
opposition. British troops on the right of our line entered Chaulnes;
XIVth Corps occupied the Le Transloy trench system, and troops of the
Fifth Army were in Bapaume. The 20th Division established a line of
outposts 600 yards east of the Peronne-Bapaume road and parallel to it,
including the town of Le Transloy; on the right the Guards were east of
St Pierre Vaast Wood; on the left the Australians were in Beaulencourt
and Villers au Flos.
Throughout the ensuing operations advanced guards followed up the
enemy and drove in his rearguards. When halted they formed an outpost
line, keeping touch with the enemy by patrols. As soon as sufficient
ground had been gained in this way the main bodies moved forward to
form a new main line of resistance, co-ordinated with those of the
flank divisions. The advanced guards then made good a further tract of
country to the front.
In order that the rapid retirement of the enemy might be closely
followed up, it was necessary to push signal communications through
the shelled area with all possible speed. This was most successfully
performed by the Divisional Signal Company, which, as soon as Rocquigny
was occupied, laid a 12-wire open route across “No man’s land.”
When the forward movement began the 96th Field Company, the 11th
D.L.I., the 10th R.B., and the 7th K.O.Y.L.I. were detached for work on
roads and railways under the orders of the Corps. They returned to the
Division between the 24th and 29th of March.
By the evening of the 18th, Nesle, Péronne, Moislains, Rocquigny,
Bapaume and Ervillers were in our hands, and the French were advancing
with their left directed on Ham. The outpost line of the Division ran
from 500 yards west of Le Mesnil, past the east of Rocquigny to Lubda
Copse, 500 yards south of Villers au Flos, with cavalry in touch with
the enemy rearguards further east. Divisional Headquarters moved up on
this day to Guillemont, and the 61st Brigade relieved the 59th on the
left of the line.
On the 19th the 5th Australian Division entered Haplincourt. The
outposts of the 20th Division were established on the line Le
Mesnil-Rocquigny-Barastre, which was occupied on the 21st as the main
line of resistance. The Corps Cavalry Regiment held Lechelle and Bus,
and the following day occupied Bertincourt.
Once they had crossed a line running south-east from Le Transloy the
troops had left the shelled area behind them; movement then became
easier, as the roads were as a rule good and the ground had been little
damaged. The enemy however had burned the villages, blown craters at
cross-roads, set booby traps, and generally done everything he could
to hinder the advance. One of these traps with a charge of about 50
bombs and a slab of ammonal was discovered by the headquarters of the
61st Brigade in some cellars at Le Transloy, and several others were
found both there and at Rocquigny, but they were all destroyed. Troops
entered all buildings with great care, and suffered no casualties
from devices of this kind. Many of the dug-outs had been blown in or
gassed, but enough were left to give shelter for most of the troops.
At Rocquigny it was found that the village crucifix, which had been
plainly visible from our original line, had been used by the Germans as
an observation post.
On the 19th Major-General Douglas Smith left the Division for a time
and returned to England. He was succeeded by Major-General T. G.
Matheson, C.B.
[Illustration:
Vandyk, London
MAJOR-GENERAL T. G. MATHESON, C.B., C.M.G.]
The difficulty of getting the guns across the shelled area was great.
At first it took as long as five and six hours to move the guns a mile.
The roads were as bad as the open country, and had to be repaired
before they could be used. On the 20th a section of C/91 Battery was
ordered to support the cavalry at Rocquigny; not only was this section
unable to get through, but one gun disappeared into a shell-hole full
of water, where it was left with only the end of the trail to be seen.
Next day the remaining gun did good work in support of the cavalry,
firing 120 rounds on Ytres. On the 22nd C/92 went forward to Rocquigny
by a track which had been made between Lesbœufs and Le Transloy, and
was attached to the Corps cavalry. This battery and the gun of C/91
came into action on the 23rd, C/92 north-east of Rocquigny and at Bus,
the gun of C/91 at Le Mesnil. On the 24th these guns were withdrawn to
take up the defence of the main line of resistance.
Between the 22nd and the 25th this part of the front was reorganised.
XIVth Corps, reduced to two divisions (the Guards and the 1st), was
withdrawn into reserve. The 20th Division was transferred to XVth Corps
(Lieut.-General Sir John Du Cane), and extended its right as far as
the west angle of the Bois St Martin, where it was in touch with the
VIIIth; this line was covered by the 91st and 92nd Field Artillery
Brigades and a brigade of the 4th Divisional Artillery. The XIVth Corps
Cavalry Regiment (two squadrons of King Edward’s Horse and one of the
21st Lancers), came under the orders of Major-General Matheson and was
directed to act as liaison between the infantry and the 5th Cavalry
Division.
On the 26th the 60th Brigade on the right of the line was relieved by
the 59th.
The next phase of the operations consisted in advancing the main
line of resistance to Equancourt, Ytres and Bertincourt. Equancourt
and Vallulart Wood were occupied by cavalry on the evening of
the 26th; the former was then taken over by infantry of the 8th
Division and the latter by a company of the 10th K.R.R.C. On the
29th the 59th Brigade obtained a footing in the enemy’s position
east of Vallulart Wood and the 61st occupied Ytres and trenches
to the east of it. The 59th Brigade entered the north end of
Equancourt on the night of the 27th/28th, and on the following
day the line Equancourt--Ytres--Bertincourt was occupied as the
main line of resistance. The headquarters of the 59th Brigade at
this time was south of Le Mesnil and that of the 61st Brigade was
at Bus. The 60th Brigade had moved forward to the area east of Le
Transloy, with headquarters in the village. The enemy held the line
Fins--Neuville-Bourjonval--Ruyaulcourt. Owing to the long distance
between Divisional Headquarters at Guillemont and the forward troops,
it was found necessary to establish between Division and brigades an
advanced headquarters with which all brigades were in direct signal
communication. For the first time since the Division came to France
units used their cable carts.
Meanwhile on the 24th the 217th Machine Gun Company under Capt. C. G.
Stephens arrived from England and joined the Division as Divisional
Machine Gun Company.
The enemy’s resistance at this time began to stiffen. On the 28th the
following troops under Brig.-General Banbury were detached as advanced
guard: One squadron XIVth Corps Cavalry Regiment, the 91st Field
Artillery Brigade, the 84th Field Company R.E., and the 61st Infantry
Brigade. This advanced guard was ordered to capture Neuville and
Ruyaulcourt.
The plan of attack provided that the 12th King’s should take Neuville
and that the 7th D.C.L.I. should attack Ruyaulcourt from the south and
south-east, while the 7th K.O.L.Y.I. made a demonstration on the north
and the north-west. Four guns of the 61st Machine Gun Company were
attached to the King’s, four to the D.C.L.I., and two to the K.O.Y.L.I.
The operations began at 8.15 P.M. on the 28th, shortly after dusk. The
12th King’s on the right advanced from Ytres against Neuville, “B” and
“D” Companies and two sections of battalion bombers carrying out the
assault, with “C” Company in support and “D” in reserve in front of
Ytres. The leading companies soon came under heavy fire from machine
guns, and on approaching the position had difficulty with the enemy’s
wire, but by 1.55 A.M. on the 29th they were reported to be holding
the south-west half of the village. The place was then systematically
cleared by bombing parties, and by 2.30 A.M. the whole village had been
taken and posts established 100 yards east of it. A support line was
then dug to consolidate the defences.
The D.C.L.I. on the left moved out from a position 500 yards north of
Ytres, “C” and “D” Companies assaulting, “A” Company in support and “B”
in reserve. They advanced steadily until they were stopped by strong
barbed wire about 3½ feet high, which had not been previously located.
At this moment they came under rifle and machine-gun fire, in the face
of which they made several attempts to cut through the wire, which was
found to encircle the village.
As they could make no progress, the assaulting companies retired under
shell fire for 200 yards and from this point made further attempts to
get through. The wire, however, proved too strong and the enemy too
alert, while the intense darkness of the night and the drifting snow
made the task more difficult still. They therefore withdrew to a line
500 yards south-west of the village.
The K.O.Y.L.I. carried out their demonstration on the extreme left,
and a patrol sent out by this battalion reported Ruyaulcourt strongly
held.
The next night the Somerset L.I., who had relieved the D.C.L.I., found
the village empty and occupied it. At the same time the 59th Brigade
established an outpost line along 2500 yards of the road between
Neuville and Fins, while Fins and Sorel le Grand were captured by the
8th Division.
The 61st Brigade received the following message on the 29th of March:
“The Divisional Commander congratulates the 61st Brigade on its
excellent work last night, especially the King’s Regiment. Whilst all
concerned did well this battalion especially distinguished itself and
showed great dash.”
On the 30th an advanced guard, under Brig.-General Browne-Clayton,
composed of the 59th Brigade, the 83rd Field Company R.E., one
squadron of the XIVth Corps Cavalry Regiment, and three batteries
of artillery, occupied the high ground which extends for some 3000
yards south-east of Neuville. An advanced guard of the 8th Division
moved at the same time on Revelon (east of Hendecourt) and Dessart
Wood. At 4 P.M. the two Rifle Brigade battalions attacked,
the 10th on the right and the 11th on the left, each in two lines on
a two company front. The men advanced admirably over 1500 yards of
open ground, although they incurred a certain number of casualties,
including Capt. G. White and Lieut. Ramsey of the 10th R.B., who had
both just previously carried out a most valuable reconnaissance. At
5.40 P.M. both companies of the 10th R.B. were reported to
be digging in on their objective with the 11th Battalion on their
left. Touch was gained with the 8th Division at 9 P.M. Little
opposition was met during the attack, most of the casualties--5
officers and about 90 men--being caused by shell fire while the new
line was being dug and consolidated.
By the evening of the 30th the outpost line ran from the north of
Dessart Wood (where it was in touch with the 8th Division) through
Neuville and Ruyaulcourt; the main line of resistance remained
unchanged. On the 1st of April the 60th Brigade relieved the 61st on
the left of the line, and on the 2nd, Divisional Headquarters moved
from Guillemont to Rocquigny.
By the 1st of April reconnaissances had found the enemy rearguards
holding a line covering Metz-en-Couture and the south-west corner of
Havrincourt Wood. The object of the following operations was to capture
this line. As a preparatory measure a small party of the 11th R.B.
advancing over ground covered with snow tried to occupy Metz-en-Couture
on the night 2nd/3rd, but found the village strongly held. A similar
attempt made by the 10th R.B. on the following night met with the same
result. The main line of resistance on the right was advanced during
the night of the 2nd/3rd to a monument 1000 yards north of Fins,
running thence west for 1000 yards and joining the Ytres--Bertincourt
line half a mile north of Equancourt. On the 4th Brig.-General
Browne-Clayton’s advanced guard attacked the enemy in front of it,
while the 8th Division on the right advanced against Gouzeaucourt Wood
and a line running thence to the south-east. A heavy snowstorm on the
night before the attack added to the difficulties of the operation, but
by 2.30 P.M. on the 4th, although the slush underfoot made the
going very bad, the weather had to some extent improved.
The advanced guard as constituted for this operation consisted of the
59th Brigade, the 59th Machine Gun Company, one section of the 217th
Machine Gun Company, the whole of the Divisional Artillery, and two
sections of the 83rd Field Company R.E.
The operation was divided into two phases:
1. At zero (2 P.M.) an advance on the right of two battalions
(the 10th K.R.R.C. on the right and the 11th K.R.R.C. on the left) to
capture and hold the first objective, Metz-en-Couture.
2. At 3.25 P.M. an advance on the left of one battalion (the
11th R.B., with one company of the 10th R.B.) to capture the second
objective, the enemy’s trench from the north-west corner of Metz to the
south-west corner of Havrincourt Wood.
The 60th Brigade and one section of the 217th Machine Gun Company were
to assist by bringing machine-gun fire to bear on the south-west corner
and the west side of the wood from all available guns which could be
assembled in Neuville.
The 12th King’s moved up into the line on the 3rd to enable the whole
of the 59th Brigade to attack. By the morning of the 4th, battalions
were disposed as follows:
10th K.R.R.C. (Lieut.-Colonel Ley) in Dessart Wood.
11th K.R.R.C. (Lieut.-Colonel Priaulx) at Fins.
10th R.B. (Lieut.-Colonel Troughton) holding a line about 1500 yards
south-west of Metz, facing the village.
11th R.B. (Lieut.-Colonel Cotton) prolonging this line to a point 400
yards south-east of Neuville.
At 2 P.M. the barrage opened and the 10th and 11th K.R.R.C.
deployed from their positions and advanced in extended order. They
met with little opposition for the first fifteen minutes, but when
they came within 700 yards of Metz the enemy’s rifle and machine-gun
fire increased. At 2.30 the two companies of the 10th K.R.R.C. on the
right flank suffered a good many casualties from the enemy’s posts to
the south-east of the village; the two left companies and the 11th
Battalion had at this time reached the outskirts of Metz, where they
paused for a few moments till the barrage lifted. They entered the
village at 2.40 and found it more strongly fortified than had been
expected. The left company of the 11th K.R.R.C. was at first held up
by a succession of trenches on the north-west of the village, but
after a good deal of fighting cleared them all and established a line
beyond them. In spite of considerable fire from the houses and from
Havrincourt Wood, the centre companies of the attack soon cleared most
of Metz, leaving in the enemy’s possession only the northern part of
it, where wire and covering fire from the wood held them up for a time.
Meanwhile the two right companies of the 10th K.R.R.C. had advanced in
line with the rest of the battalion and were just south-east of the
village. Here no troops of the 8th Division could be seen, and the
enemy counter attacked from the south-east. A company of the 10th R.B.
in reserve was at once sent forward, but arriving after the counter
attack had been driven off, established a defensive flank facing
Gouzeaucourt Wood, and eventually got into touch with the 8th Division.
By 3.25 P.M. the whole of Metz was in our hands except a few
houses on the north; cellars and dug-outs had been cleared and a number
of prisoners taken.
The 11th R.B. then advanced on a two company front, with a company of
the 10th R.B. on their right. On the left flank the attacking troops
immediately came under heavy fire from machine guns in the south-west
corner of Havrincourt Wood, and suffered many casualties; they were
reinforced by half a company from the supporting line, but could
not make much progress. Capt. the Hon. A. M. Bertie, 11th R.B., was
awarded the D.S.O. for a gallant effort to silence these machine
guns. The troops on the right were under cover of rising ground for
the first hundred yards or so, and were able to advance to within a
short distance of the first line of trenches, which they captured when
the barrage lifted at 3.55 P.M. A fire fight then developed
with the enemy, who had retired to the line of the wood, towards which
the right companies continued to work forward. By 5 P.M. they
had taken Mill Farm on the south edge and were in touch with the 11th
K.R.R.C., though the left company was still held up by the machine guns
in the south-west corner. These were eventually dislodged by a patrol
from the right which worked round their flank, and by 7 P.M.
the whole of the objective had been gained.
The 10th and 11th K.R.R.C. meanwhile had pushed through Metz and at
4 P.M. began to dig in on the further side. The village was
heavily shelled by the enemy from 6.30 P.M. onwards, but as
the battalions were on the far side consolidating the new line, little
loss was caused. The advance, however, had cost heavy casualties--more
than a quarter of all the troops engaged. The two remaining companies
of the 10th R.B. and four guns from the 59th Machine Gun Company were
therefore sent forward to reinforce the front line. The 10th K.R.R.C.
in particular had suffered severely; of the nine officers hit some had
served with this unit since 1914, among them Capt. Egerton Leigh, one
of the most gallant officers the battalion had known, who was killed.
Lieut.-Colonel Ley, commanding the 10th K.R.R.C., received the D.S.O.
The ridge captured on this day was afterwards known as “Greenjacket
Ridge.”
The operations were very well carried out by troops who had already
held the front line for eight days and of whom half had been engaged
in the advance on the 30th of March. Twenty-five per cent. of the
infantry consisted of newly arrived drafts, whose behaviour was very
highly praised by their commanding officers.
It appears from prisoners’ statements that the Germans did not expect
to be attacked until the 7th; they certainly left behind many signs of
a hurried retreat, including the remains of a meal in the middle of
which some of their officers had evidently been disturbed, and which
consisted of hot coffee and English potted meat.
Little mention of the artillery and machine gun companies has been
made in the account of this fighting, but that they, as well as the
infantry, did excellent work, is shown in the following message which
was received two days later from the Fourth Army Commander: “Please
convey to the 20th Division my hearty congratulations on their
well-deserved success. The co-operation of artillery, machine guns and
infantry in the hard fighting of the last few days is most creditable
to all ranks, and I offer them my warmest thanks.”
On the night of the 5th/6th the 61st Brigade relieved
the 59th, and next day the new main line of resistance,
Metz--Neuville--Ruyaulcourt--Bertincourt, was occupied. That night the
40th Division came into the line between the 8th and the 20th, taking
over 500 yards of front from the latter, whose right flank then rested
just in front of the south-east corner of Metz. On the 9th the 60th
Machine Gun Company co-operated with the 1st Australian Division, which
made a successful attack on Hermies.
On the 10th of April (Easter Monday) the 61st Brigade was holding the
near edge of Havrincourt Wood. At 4 P.M. the 7th Somerset L.I.
and 7th D.C.L.I. made an attack which took the Germans by surprise
while having their evening meal. The outpost line was advanced some
300 to 400 yards into the wood with very slight casualties, and the
troops enjoyed an excellent meal which Fritz had kindly prepared for
them.
The 83rd Field Company R.E. did excellent work during the first
fortnight of April under the 60th Brigade, and was congratulated by
the Brigade Commander. Sgt. W. Bee, Lance-Cpl. E. Reed and Cpl. J.
Hamilton of this company were awarded the Military Medal at the end of
the month, the two former for capturing a machine gun in the attack on
Metz-en-Couture.
On the 13th the main line of resistance was again advanced, pivoting on
Metz, to pass through the south-west part of Havrincourt Wood and along
the west edge of it. Patrols penetrated as far as the north-east arm of
the wood in daylight without seeing any of the enemy.
Further north, British troops got into the Hindenburg Line opposite
Riencourt and Hendecourt on the 11th, and on the 15th repulsed a German
counter attack on a six-mile front from Hermies to Noreuil.
On the 14th the 59th Brigade relieved the 60th in the left sub-sector,
and on the 20th the 60th relieved the 61st on the right. Meanwhile the
outpost line had been established well inside Havrincourt Wood.
On the 21st the 40th Division, assisted by the fire of the 91st Field
Artillery Brigade, advanced its line to within 1000 yards of Villers
Plouich and Beaucamp, while on its left the 60th Brigade advanced its
right flank so as to keep touch. This operation was completed in the
early morning, and shortly afterwards the enemy was reported to be
shelling the south end of Trescault on the front of the 60th Brigade.
Operations were at once begun for the occupation of this place. It
was a somewhat awkward position to attack, as the village, standing
on the north-west slope of a ridge, was under full observation from
the enemy’s position in Havrincourt, and machine guns guarded the
low ground in front of it. It was important, therefore, to hold both
the high ground south-east of the village and the spur which faced
it on the north-west. The 12th K.R.R.C. were ordered to reconnoitre.
2nd Lieut. A. D. Thornton Smith, the intelligence officer of this
battalion, crawled forward with three scouts in broad daylight into the
village of Trescault and found the enemy holding the north and west
outskirts of the village, and also working on a trench about Bilhem, a
group of buildings 800 yards further east. North of Trescault he found
enemy machine guns. By nightfall the 12th K.R.R.C. had established
a line of posts on the ridge from a point 600 yards south-east of
Trescault through the village to a bridge at its north-west corner. The
right of this line was in touch with the 40th Division.
On the 22nd, 2nd Lieut. Thornton Smith continued to patrol. In the
words of the official report, “his control of these operations was so
decisive that by 9.30 A.M. ... the village was cleared of the
enemy.” For his work on these two days he was awarded the D.S.O.
It then remained to occupy the high ground facing Trescault from the
north-west.
This was carried out on the night of the 22nd. The 91st Field Artillery
Brigade had done good work during the day in shelling the enemy’s
positions, and at 8 P.M. the barrage began. Half an hour later
the 12th R.B. and the 6th K.S.L.I. advanced and occupied the objective
against slight resistance and with little loss. The line was then held,
from right to left, by the 12th K.R.R.C., the 12th R.B., and the 6th
K.S.L.I.
The outpost line of the 59th Brigade was again pushed forward on the
22nd, when it included the greater part of Havrincourt Wood.
The enemy remained in possession of Bilhem and was thus able to prevent
the 40th Division from holding Beaucamp, which it had entered on the
24th. That night, therefore, at 11 P.M., the 60th Brigade
attacked Bilhem with three companies of the 12th K.R.R.C., supported by
the 91st Field Artillery Brigade, three 18-pr. batteries of the 92nd
Brigade, and a heavy battery. Two guns of the 60th T.M.B. in the first
five minutes after zero fired 120 rounds on the enemy’s position. As
a preliminary measure a patrol of the Oxfords cleared a cemetery on
the north-east of Trescault; the left company of the 12th K.R.R.C.,
“D” Company, then deployed just south of this cemetery. “A” Company
formed up just south-east of Trescault in front of the road, with “C”
Company in support on the road behind. “B” Company was in reserve in
Havrincourt Wood. When, in the course of the advance, “A” Company
went too far to the right, 2nd Lieut. J. M. M’Donald, commanding “C”
Company, on his own initiative took his company forward and filled the
gap. “D” Company entered the Bilhem grounds on the north-west, turning
the flank of the Germans who were holding the south-west wall, just
at the time when “A” and “C” Companies attacked in front. All three
companies then moved on to the far side of the buildings, having taken
their objective and 14 prisoners at a cost of 9 men wounded.
The next day the 40th Division entered and held Beaucamp, and the 20th
Divisional Headquarters moved forward from Rocquigny to Little Wood,
south of Ytres. On the 26th the 59th Brigade was relieved by the 61st
in the left sub-sector of the line.
[Illustration: THE MILL HOUSE, HAVRINCOURT WOOD]
With the capture of Bilhem the Division had finally driven the enemy
on its front into the Hindenburg defences. It then became necessary
to organise the line as a defensive position in order to safeguard
the ground which had been gained. The front line, after a certain
amount of readjustment, ran from the south-east of Bilhem in a general
north-westerly direction as far as the right flank of the 11th Division
on the canal, and included the whole of Havrincourt Wood except a part
of the north-eastern area just south of the village of Havrincourt. The
guns were placed just west of the wood.
The three weeks spent here were quiet and very pleasant. After all
the discomfort and hardships of fighting through a wet and very cold
winter, the warm spring weather of May came as an intense relief.
It was a time, however, of hard work; completely new lines of trenches
had to be dug. In the right sub-sector, where the line resulting from
the capture of Trescault and Bilhem had to be re-sited, the battalions
of the 60th Brigade, with the help of the 83rd Field Company R.E., dug
and wired in twelve days a good trench 5 feet deep and 6 feet wide
throughout the whole brigade front--a distance of about 3000 yards.
Similar work was done by the 61st Brigade on the left, and behind the
front line support and communication trenches were made.
During this month a considerable addition to the direct responsibility
of the Divisional Signal Company occurred. The signal personnel of the
field artillery brigades was transferred to the R.E. and formed into
sub-sections of the Divisional Signal Company, from which additional
N.C.O.’s and men were posted to complete the establishment.
A few weeks later the Wireless section, previously attached, as
occasion demanded, from the Corps Signal Company, was also included in
the establishment of the Divisional Signal Company.
Between the 12th and 14th of May the XVth Corps front was reorganised,
the 8th Division being withdrawn from the line, which was then held by
the 40th on the right and the 20th on the left. The 60th Brigade, which
had been relieved by the 59th on the 4th of May, came up and extended
the 20th Division line to the right, taking in Beaucamp and Villers
Pluich.
The only break in the fine weather happened at this time. There was
a very bad thunderstorm for about half an hour on the 14th. Dug-outs
were flooded--those of the 12th K.R.R.C. to a depth of 6 feet--trenches
began to fall in, and sunken roads became torrents. Water poured into
a deep dug-out which formed the headquarters of the 60th Brigade and
soaked the documents. By means of pumps and drains the dug-outs were
cleared and kits and papers rescued, and as the weather became dry and
warm again little damage was done.
On the 19th units began moving out of the line as the Division was
leaving the Fourth Army to go further north, and on the 23rd General
Matheson handed over the sector to the G.O.C. 42nd Division.
On the 20th the Corps Commander, Lieut.-General Sir John Du Cane,
addressed the 12th King’s and the 7th D.C.L.I. as representatives of
the Division. He said that the 20th Division had driven back the enemy
from the trenches in front of Morval and Lesbœufs to the Hindenburg
Line, a greater distance than that achieved by any other division
on that front. The 20th had seen much hard fighting and had never
failed to gain its objectives. It had distinguished itself not only in
fighting but also in the fine amount of hard work it had done during
the advance and digging in before the Hindenburg Line.
Sir Henry Rawlinson, commanding the Fourth Army, wrote as follows:
“It is now nine months since the Division joined the Fourth Army, and I
cannot allow them to leave without expressing to all ranks my gratitude
for the excellent services they have rendered. Throughout the heavy
fighting in October and November last at Guillemont, Lesbœufs, the
Quadrilateral, and east of Gueudecourt, they displayed a gallantry and
fighting spirit which was beyond praise.
“Throughout an exceptionally trying winter they had to hold one of the
wettest and muddiest parts of the line, yet when it came to the advance
in March and April they carried out the successful attacks on Neuville,
Metz-en-Couture, Trescault, and Bilhem with a gallantry and dash which
was wholly admirable, and for which I offer them my warmest thanks.
“I much regret that the Division is now leaving the Fourth Army, but
I trust that at some future date I may again have the good fortune of
finding them under my command.”
On the 23rd, Divisional Headquarters moved to the monument north of
Bapaume, and brigades went into the line facing Quéant during the
following three days. The Division was now in the Fifth Army (General
Sir Hubert Gough) and in the IVth Corps, which took over from the
1st Anzac Corps just at this time. The front of the IVth Corps
(Lieut.-General Sir C. L. Woollcombe) was held by the 48th Division on
the right and the 20th on the left; on the left of the 20th was the
58th Division of the Vth Corps. The Divisional line was held by the
61st Brigade on the right and the 60th on the left, with the 59th in
reserve. In the right sub-sector a line of outposts was held some 500
yards in advance of the main line of resistance, which ran from just
east of Lagnicourt to a point 1000 yards east of Bullecourt, the left
flank being actually in the Hindenburg Line. In the severe fighting
that had taken place in this sector the front line trenches had been
blown to bits, and could be held only in a series of isolated posts.
Most of the battery positions were very exposed. The only places
for them lay in the Noreuil, Lagnicourt and Morchies valleys, which
throughout their whole length ran towards the enemy. They could thus
easily be observed not only from kite balloons, but also from the high
ground in the enemy’s lines.
The Divisional Machine Gun Company was disposed so as to cover the
front with half the guns and the flanks and certain special points with
others, keeping one gun for anti-aircraft work. The company established
observation posts which gave a view over a considerable part of the
Hindenburg Line.
Three weeks of active trench warfare followed. The enemy shelled this
sector heavily almost every day. On the night of the 1st of June the
trenches of the 12th R.B. were badly blown in, but fortunately the
casualties were few. A/92 Battery during a severe shelling on the 3rd
had three guns damaged, and by the 8th seven 18-prs. and six howitzers
in the Divisional Artillery were out of action, most of them knocked
out by the enemy’s fire. The 59th Brigade, coming into the line on the
6th of June, was heavily bombarded both that day and the next, and
Noreuil and Lagnicourt were persistently shelled. At the same time the
line had to be strengthened as much as possible, active patrolling
maintained, and raids on the enemy’s trenches carried out.
A very successful raid was carried out on the night of the 12th/13th
of June by a platoon of the 7th Somerset L.I. under 2nd Lieut. C. J.
Lewin. The barrage on the enemy’s trench was so good that the raiding
party was able to advance close up to it; as soon as it lifted the
Somersets attacked, fought their way through the wire, and charged
with the bayonet. Then the enemy bolted. Nine men were seen to fall,
nine others were left dead in the trench, and the rest ran into the
barrage, leaving in our hands a prisoner belonging to a unit which had
not been identified before on the Divisional front. Our casualties were
three men slightly wounded. 2nd Lieut. Lewin was awarded the M.C. and
Lance-Sgt. A. Harley and Pte. A. J. Gibbs the M.M. for this raid.
The 12th King’s sent three patrols up to the enemy’s line on the night
of the 23rd/24th. They met with a good deal of opposition and all three
had fights with parties of the enemy, but they obtained very useful
information. The next night “B” Company of this battalion raided a
sunken road south-west of Riencourt, eight guns of the 61st Machine Gun
Company assisting with indirect fire. The wire was found to be very
strong--thick and treble fenced--but some of the party got through,
securing a useful identification from a few of the enemy dead who were
left in the trench and who had evidently been killed by the barrage.
During this period there were two changes at Divisional Headquarters.
Lieut.-Colonel E. M. Newell succeeded Lieut.-Colonel Rolland as C.R.E.,
and Major Stratton, who had commanded the Divisional Signal Company
since it had been formed in England, was transferred to the IXth Corps.
The latter was succeeded by Capt. A. G. Brace, M.C., who commanded the
company until the end of the war.
Between the 20th and 22nd the Divisional Artillery was relieved and on
the 23rd marched to the neighbourhood of Fricourt, with headquarters at
Meaulte, to refit. The rest of the Division moved out in the following
days, and on the 29th this sector was taken over by the G.O.C. 62nd
Division.
In a special order issued at this time Major-General Matheson commended
all units for their work in the last seven months, and for the way in
which, after withstanding the hardships of a most inclement winter
in perhaps the worst part of the old Somme battlefield, they pursued
the enemy relentlessly, adapting themselves to the conditions of open
warfare. He also praised the work done in digging the elements of an
excellent trench system in the line near Havrincourt Wood, and in
greatly improving the defences in front of Noreuil and Lagnicourt.
On the 29th, Divisional Headquarters moved to Bernaville, and on July
the 1st to Domart. In this area the Division, less the artillery,
concentrated for training and rest.