evolution
ACE PILOT
WWI history education
Posts: 113
|
Post by evolution on Aug 9, 2007 4:14:33 GMT -5
If we go north of the Albert-Bapaune rd, and starting with the diversonary attack by 3rd Army on the German salient which was called by the British the Kaisers nose, around the town of Gommecourt, 2 Div attacked here, to the NTH the 46th, STH of gommecourt the London 56 Div, the idea was for the 2 Divs to meet up behind the fortified town trapping the german garrison, the londonners attack went well, a sokescreen laid down worked perfecct and they made all there objectives, but behind the town there was no 46th, and trough the day deadly hand to hand fighting took place in the trenches as the 46th attacked on 3 sides were steadly pushed back, a heavy barrage masking no mans land preventing ammunition and reinforcements getting to them, they were glad when night fall fell, and the remnants were able to get back to there own lines. What happend to the 46th, they didnt even get half way across no-mans land, the wind blowing in the wrong direction blew the smoke back at them, and as they stepped out of there trenches they were mowen down, one survivor said " have you ever seen a field of hay after a harvister has cut it, have you noticed that here and there for some reason there is a lone piece of hay which for some reason was not cut, that is what it was like one moment line upon line of men streaching into the distance, and then , here and there a sole man shoulders hunched forward as if against a wind full of rain". It has been estamated that out of the 20,000 tommys killed on the first day on the somme, most were killed in the first 10minutes!
|
|
evolution
ACE PILOT
WWI history education
Posts: 113
|
Post by evolution on Jul 9, 2008 3:17:47 GMT -5
As the 1st of July closed you can divide the battlefield into 2 parts by using the old Roman road Albert to Bapaume, to the north it was a bloody disaster, where British forces had broken into the German lines, ether side of these brakes had failed, so by darkness the survivors were back where they started, what is the shame is that this is where the British high command had anticipated the break through, so all the reserves were behind this front! To the south 34th + 21st Div had broken right into the German trench system, 21st threatening the right flank of Fricourt, the attack on Fricourt it self was another disaster with the attacking infantry mowed down as they try ed to cross no-mans land, south from this point was where the real break through happened, for just a few hours there was nothing to stop the British, they had pierced the German defenses completely, now was the chance, BUT the reserves ready to exploit this break through where to the north, and the moment was gone! Next to 21st div was a regular Div the 7th, out since 14!, they captured the left flank of Fricourt and Mameyz village (here is 1 of those story's that the Somme is famous for. The 9th Devonshire's with the 8th following up, because of a kink in the front line in front of Mametz meant they were attacking in a N/Easterly direction, with Mametz on there right flank, Capt D.L Martin had made a clay model of the ground his men were to attack over and felt uneasy, he was convinced that in Mametz church yard was a hidden machine gun that had been kept silent and had not been spotted, he went to his C.O. and told him his worries, he was told not to worry, all the machine guns had been spotted and would be dealt with by the artillery. Sure enough, as he and his men climbed out of there trench's, this machine gun started to fire into there right flank, they suffered terrible as did the 8th Devon's, Capt Martin was among st those killed. Once the fighting here died down the Devonshire's returned to there jump off trench collecting there dead as the went, they buried then together in this trench and erected this sign " The Devonshire's held this trench, The Devonshire's hold it still" and still they do, go there to day and u pass under a arch with this inscription above you, go to the back wall and you can see the remains of the trench coming into the cemetery,) 18th Div next, here they totally over ran the German defenses capturing 2 German strongholds, Danzig Alley and Pommiers Redoubt. Here is the famous story of Capt WP Nevil, 8th East Surreys, who whilst on home leave brought back 4 footballs for the attack, giving 1 each to the company's saying " the 1st Coy to get there ball into the German lines wins a barrel of beer" he was first onto the parapet calling his men forward and then kicking 1 of the balls high into the air toward the German lines, he was never seen again. You can see one of the balls in the British Army museum London. ( this was not the first occasion, or the last, that British Infantry had kicked footballs whilst attacking, there is a poem called Playing the Game, all about it, I will see if I can find it. There is a good film about it as well, the new James Bond plays a sergeant in it, called The Trench). And the Div that everyone felt would not do good, but who went completely through the German defenses the 30th (new army), they captured the large town of Montauban. here the Infantry reached the top of the ridge looked down into the valley seeing the Germans swarming away in full retreat, artillery units hastily harnessing up there guns and galloping away. Just behind Montaubanwas a German strong point called the triangle, the area today is called the grandstand, stand here and you look down into a valley, with a horse shoe shape of woods going up to the next ridge line, for the next 5 months, what would take you and me a couple of hours, the British would have to fight there way up to the next ridge line and the German 3rd line called the Switch line, here the Tommy's would name the valley Death Valley! The horse shoe of woods echo through British military history, left to right the largest Mametz, which would shatter the new Army Welsh Division the 38th, Bazentin-le-grand, and then -le-petite, (there is also a small corpse by here which the British called flat iron, it was full of machine guns when the Welsh attacked mametz), the prize at the top of the next ridge line High Wood (The Hell they called High Wood) to the right Delville Wood, where the South African Brigade would go in over 4000 strong and come out 500, then closest to you Bernafay the Trones woods. Officers walked down to these woods that afternoon, the trench's in them were empty not a German in site, messages where hurriedly sent out informing HQ the way is open what shall we do, where is the Cavalry, they were told to dig in , no need to tell a Tommy to sit tight more than once and out comes the tea, but just there at that moment, the possibility's!!! when a message late the evening arrived, occupy bernafay wood a Battalion was sent forward, as they entered the wood from the south, masses of German reinforcements began to arrive all along this part of the front, and they were unable to hold it, from now on every square yard would be fought over, using gas, bayonets, clubs, bullets, bombs flame throwers, they would fight under the ground and in the air.
|
|