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Файл:The Great War. Part II
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THE GREAT WAR
upon that occasion. The decisive attack was carried out by the other
two brigades of the Twenty-third Division, which advanced upon
the village, whilst the Forty-seventh Division made an attempt upon
the formidable Butte of Warlencourt. The latter venture met with
no success, but the former was brilliantly carried out. The advance
was made by the 68th Brigade upon the right and the 69th upon
the left, the Martinpuich-Warlencourt road being the dividing line
between the two divisions. The attack was at 1:45 P.M., and in broad
daylight the battalions concerned, notably the 12th and 13th Durhams and the 9th Yorks, clambered over their sodden sandbags and
waded through the mud which separated them from the Germans.
The numbers were so reduced that the companies formed only two
weak platoons, but none the less they advanced very steadily. Captain Blake, leading the fi rst company of Durhams, was shot dead; but
another captain took over both companies and led them straight
at the village, both the 12th Durhams and 9th Yorks reaching the
sunken road in front of the houses at about the same moment. They
worked their way down this and bombed many Germans in their
dug-outs. Here, as elsewhere, experience proved that this system of
taking refuge from shell-fi re in deep burrows has very serious military disadvantages, not merely on account of the diffi culty of getting out, but from the more serious objection that the men, being
trained to avoid danger, continued to shrink from it when it was
essential that they should rush out and face it. The yellow faces and
fl accid appearance of our prisoners showed also the physical results
of a troglodytic life.
A single tank which had accompanied the advance was set on
fi re by a shell, but the infantry pressed on undismayed, and well
backed up by the 10th and 11th Northumberland Fusiliers and 8th
Seaforths, they soon seized the whole village and fi rmly consolidated their position. The success was partly due to the fi ne handling of
241
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
machine-guns, which turned the favourite weapon of the Germans
against themselves. Five of these guns, 8 offi cers, and 450 men were
taken during the operation.
The Forty-seventh Division, meanwhile, in attempting to make
similar progress upon the right was held up by very heavy rifl e and
machine-gun fi re. Immediately afterwards, this division, much worn
by its splendid service, was taken out of the line, being replaced by
the Ninth Scottish Division. Their companion Division, the Fifteenth, had come back upon their left. The weather now became
so abominable and the mud so abysmal, that all prospect of farther
progress in this section had to be abandoned.
The old prehistoric mark called the Butte of Warlencourt, which
had long stood up as a goal in front of the British trenches, proved
really to be the fi nal mark of the advance until a new season should
dawn.
Upon October 12 there was an attempt to get forward, but the
conditions were impossible, and the results unsatisfactory. In this
affair the gallant Ninth Division had considerable losses, their advance being conducted with the 26th Brigade upon the right and
the South Africans upon the left. Some small gain was achieved by
the former, but the latter were held up by a deadly machine-gun
fi re. The Thirtieth Division was upon the right of the Ninth at this
period, and twice endeavoured to get forwards – once upon the
12th and once upon the 18th; but neither of these attempts had
good success, partly owing to the very bad weather, and partly to the
excellent resistance of the Sixth Bavarian Reserve Division, which is
described by those who have fought against it as one of the very best
divisions in the German army. On the 20th a fresh attack was made
by the 27th Brigade with no success and heavy losses to the 6th Scottish Borderers. Early in November a renewed attempt was made by
the Fiftieth Division to advance in this quarter, but the country was
242
THE GREAT WAR
a morass and no progress was possible. The Canadians, Forty-eighth
and Fiftieth Divisions, who held the Le Sars front, were condemned
to inactivity. From that time onwards the line of the Third Corps
was undisturbed, save for a strong counter-attack upon November
6, which neutralised a small advance made upon the 5th. Le Sars
and Eaucourt were consolidated and continued to be the British advanced posts in this quarter. The conditions of mud and discomfort
can only be described as appalling.
Having briefl y traced the work of the Third Corps The from
the action of September 15 to the coming of the of the winter, we
shall now turn to the Fifteenth Corps upon the right and follow
their operations from the same date. It will be remembered that the
New Zealanders formed the left-hand division, and that they had
advanced so fi nely that by the evening of September 16 they were
up to, but not in, Goose Alley and Factory Corner, from which the)
were within striking distance of the Gird System.
Before attacking this, however, it was necessary to get a fi rmer
hold of Flers Trench, which in its western reaches was still in the
hands of the Germans. It was a desperate business of bombing from
traverse to traverse and overcoming successive barricades upon
a very narrow front where a few determined men could hold up
a company. This diffi cult business was taken in hand at 8:30 on the
night of September 21 by the 2nd Canterbury Battalion, who advanced down the trench. It was a Homeric confl ict, which lasted for
the whole night, where men stood up to each other at close quarters, clearing away the dead and dying in order to make room for
fresh combatants in the front line. Down Flers Trench and Drop
Alley raged the long struggle, with crash and fl are of bombs, snarl
of machine-guns, shrill whistles from rallying offi cers, and shouts
from the furious men. The New Zealand Black Watch had gained
a portion of the trench, but the German reinforcements streamed
243
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
down a communication trench which opened behind them, and
found themselves between the two bodies of New Zealanders. It was
a great fi ght, but by morning it had been defi nitely decided in favour of the men from oversea. The long section of Flers Trench was
cleared and part of Goose Alley, opening out of it, was held. No less
than 350 German dead were picked up, and a handful of prisoners
were left with the victors. The New Zealand losses were about 150
of all ranks.
On September 25 the New Zealanders tightened their grip
upon Goose Alley, which connects up the Flers and the Gird Systems of trenches. In the meantime the divisions upon their right
were moving to the north-east of Flers towards the village of Guedecourt, which lay upon the farther side of the Gird Trenches. The
actual attack upon the village was committed to the Twenty-fi rst
Division, who advanced on a two-brigade front, the 110th Leicester
Brigade making straight for the village itself, while the 64th Brigade
upon its right, strengthened by the inclusion of the 1st Lincolns,
was ordered to occupy 1000 yards of front to the right. The two brigades were not equally fortunate. The Leicester brigade, by a fi ne
advance, pierced the Gird Trench, and made their way beyond it.
The 64th Brigade was held up by uncut wire, which they could not
penetrate. The result was that the Leicesters, being heavily counterattacked, and having their fl anks open, were forced back as far as the
Gird Trench, to which they clung. The position in the evening was
a curious one, for we held the Gird Trench at two different points,
but between them lay a stretch of 1000 yards still occupied by the
Germans and faced with uncut wire. Orders reached the Divisional General during the night that at all costs the position must be
carried. By a happy inspiration he sent for a tank from Flers, and
ordered the Leicesters to bomb down Gird Trench in co-operation
with the tank, which crawled along parapet. A strong point had
244
THE GREAT WAR
been erected at the far end of the trench, and the Germans as they
rushed away from the danger ran into a deadly machine-gun fi re.
The upshot was that a great number were killed, while 8 offi cers
and 362 men were taken, with a loss to the attackers of 5 wounded.
To add to the quaintness of the operation, an aeroplane fl ew low
over the trench during its progress, helping with its bombs to make
the victory complete. The result was far more than the capture of
the trench, for the 64th Brigade, led by the Durhams, at once swept
forward and captured their objective, while the 110th Brigade upon
the left reached Guedecourt under happier auspices and remained
in possession of the village.
Although the Gird line had been pierced at this point, it was
held in its western length, and this was attacked upon September
27 by the New Zealanders and the Fifty-fi fth Lancashire Territorial
Division, both of which gained their objectives, so that the whole
end of this great trench system from a point north of Flers passed
defi nitely into the British possession.
On October 1 there was a fresh general advance which led to no
great change in this part of the line, save that both the New Zealanders and the Twenty-fi rst Division improved their position, the
latter getting as far as Bayonet Trench. Shortly afterwards the New
Zealanders were drawn out, having been 23 consecutive days in the
line, and earned themselves a great reputation. “The division has
won universal confi dence and admiration,” said Sir Douglas Haig.
“No praise can be too high for such troops.”
We now turn to the Fourteenth Corps, which fi lled the remainder of the British line up to the point of its junction with the French.
During the battle the division of Guards had, as will be remembered, held the left of this line, but on the day after it was replaced
for a short time by the Twentieth Division, whose 61st Brigade, especially the 7th Cornwalls and 12th King’s, were heavily engaged.
245
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
The 60th Brigade had pushed up into the fi ghting line, and received
a strong German counter-attack in the morning of the 17th, which
broke down before the rifl es of the 6th Shropshire Light Infantry.
In the afternoon the 59th Brigade advanced upon the left and the
60th upon the right, closing in upon the Morval position. The 12th
King’s Royal Rifl es of the latter brigade was held up by a strong
point and lost heavily, but the general effect was to bring the British
line nearer to the doomed village. Twice upon the 18th, German
counter-attacks swarmed down upon the exposed right fl ank of the
60th Brigade, but each time they were blown back by the fi re of the
12th Rifl e Brigade and the 12th Rifl es. The 59th Brigade had made
no progress, the two Rifl e Brigade battalions (10th and 11th) having particularly heavy losses upon the 17th, but they were holding
their line strongly. It was impossible to do more for the moment,
for the Sixth Division upon their right was still hung up, as already
described, by the Quadrilateral. Shortly after that obstacle had been
overcome, the Guards took over once more from the Twentieth, and
were ready in conjunction with the Sixth and Fifth Divisions for
a serious advance upon Morval and Lesboeufs.
On September 22 the 3rd Guards Brigade was in touch with the
Twenty-fi rst Division upon the left, which was now holding Gird
Trench and Gird Support as far north as Watling Street. On this day
the 4th Grenadiers, reverting after centuries to the weapon which
their name implies, were bombing their way up Gas Alley, which
leads towards Lesboeufs. On the 23rd the Twenty-fi rst on the left,
the Guards in the centre, and the Sixth Division were advancing
and steadily gaining ground to the north-east, capturing Needle
Trench, which is an off-shoot from the Gird System. On the 24th
the Germans counter-attacked upon the 16th Brigade, the blow falling upon the 1st Buffs, who lost four bays of their trench for a short
period, but speedily drove the intruders out once more. The 14th
246
THE GREAT WAR
Durham Light Infantry also drove off an attack. The Fifth Division
was now coming up on the right of the Sixth, and played a considerable part in the decisive attack upon September 25.
On this date an advance of the four divisions on this section of
the line carried all before it, the Twenty-fi rst being north of Delville Wood, the 3rd Brigade of the Guards operating on the German trenches between Guedecourt and Lesboeufs, the 1st Brigade
of Guards upon the left of the village of Lesboeufs, the Sixth Division upon the right of Lesboeufs, and the Fifth Division on Morval.
In this attack the 4th Grenadiers upon the extreme left of the
Guards were badly punished, for the Twenty-fi rst upon their left
had been held up, but the rest came along well, the 1st Welsh
forming a defensive fl ank upon the left while the other battalions
reached their full objective and dug in, unmolested save by our own
barrage. The 1st Irish and 3rd Coldstream, who were on the left of
the 1st Brigade, also got through without heavy loss and occupied
the trenches to the immediate north and north-east of Lesboeufs.
The 2nd Grenadiers, who led the right of the Brigade, with their
supporting battalion the 2nd Coldstream, headed straight for the
village, and were held up for a time by uncut wire, but the general
attack upon the right was progressing at a rate which soon took the
pressure off them.
The British infantry were swarming round Lesboeufs in the early afternoon, and about 3:15 the 1st West Yorks of the 18th Brigade
penetrated into it, establishing touch with the Guards upon their
left. They were closely followed by their old battle companions, the
2nd Durham Light Infantry. The German resistance was weaker
than usual, and the casualties were not severe. On the Morval front
the 15th Brigade of the Fifth Division, with the 95th Brigade upon
their right, were making a steady and irresistible advance upon
Morval. The 1st Norfolks and 1st Cheshires were in the front, and
247
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
the latter battalion was the fi rst to break into the village with the
1st Bedfords, 2nd Scots Borderers, and 16th Royal Welsh Fusiliers
in close support. The 1st Cheshires particularly distinguished itself;
and it was in this action that Private Jones performed his almost
incredible feat of capturing single-handed and bringing in four offi cers and 102 men of the 146th Würtemberg Regiment, including
four wearers of the famous Iron Cross. The details of this extraordinary affair, where one determined and heavily-armed man terrorised a large company taken at a disadvantage, read more like the romantic exploit of some Western desperado who cries “Hands up!” to
a drove of tourists, than any operation of war. Jones was awarded the
V.C, and it can have been seldom won in such sensational fashion.
Whilst the 15th Brigade of the Fifth Division attacked the village of Morval the 95th Brigade of the same division carried the
German trenches to the west of it. This dashing piece of work was
accomplished by the 1st Devons and the 1st East Surreys. When they
had reached their objective, the 12th Gloucesters were sent through
them to occupy and consolidate the south side of the village. This
they carried out with a loss of 80 men. In the evening a company of
the 6th Argylls, together with the 2nd Home Company Royal Engineers, pushed on past the village and made a strong point against
the expected counter-attack; while the 15th Brigade extended and
got into touch with the 2nd York and Lancasters of the Sixth Division upon their left. It was a great day of complete victory with no
regrets to cloud it, for the prisoners were many, the casualties were
comparatively few, and two more village sites were included by one
forward spring within the British area. The Town Major of Morval
stood by his charge to the last and formed one of the trophies. On the
26th the Germans came back upon the Guards at about one o’clock,
but their effort was a fi asco, for the advancing lines came under the
concentrated fi re of six batteries of the 7th Divisional Artillery. Sel-
248
THE GREAT WAR
dom have Germans stampeded more thoroughly. “Hundreds of the
enemy can be seen retiring in disorder over the whole front. They
are rushing towards Beaulencourt in the wildest disorder.” Such was
the report from a forward observer. At the same time a tank cleared
the obstacles in front of the Twenty-fi rst Division and the whole
line was straight again. The British consolidated their positions
fi rmly, for it was already evident that they were likely to be permanent ones. The Guards and Fifth Division were taken out of the line
shortly afterwards, the Twentieth Division coming in once more
upon September 26, while upon September 27 the French took over
part of the line, pushing the Twentieth Division to the left, where
they took over the ground formerly held by the Twenty-fi rst. Upon
October 1 the 61st Brigade was ordered to push forward advanced
posts and occupy a line preparatory to future operations. This was
well carried out and proved of great importance when a week later
attacks were made upon Cloudy and Rainbow Trenches.
Leaving this victorious section of the line for the moment, we
must turn our attention to the hardworked and splendid Fifty-sixth
Division upon their right, whose operations were really more connected with those of the French on their right than with their comrades of the Fourteenth Corps upon the left. By a happy chance it
was the French division of the same number with which they were
associated during much of the time. It will be remembered that at
the close of the Flers action (September 15 and on), the Fifty-sixth
Division was holding a defensive fl ank to the south, in the region of
Bouleaux Wood, part of which was still held by the Germans. They
were also closing in to the southwards, so as to co-operate with the
French, who were approaching Combles from the other side. On
September 25, while the Fifth were advancing upon Morval, the Fifty-sixth played an important part, for the 168th, their left brigade,
carried the remainder of Bouleaux Wood, and so screened the fl ank
249
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
of the Fifth Division. One hundred men and four machine-guns
were captured in this movement. On the 26th, as the woods were
at last clear, the division turned all its attention to Combles, and at
3:15 in the afternoon of that day fi ghting patrols of the 169th Brigade met patrols of the French in the central square of the town. The
Germans had cleverly evacuated it, and the booty was far less than
had been hoped for, but none the less its capture was of great importance, for it was the largest place that had yet been wrenched out of
the iron grasp of Germany. After the fall of Combles the French, as
already stated, threw out their left wing upon that side so as to take
over the ground which had been covered by the Fifty-sixth Division,
and afterwards by the Fifth Division.
On September 30 the Fifty-sixth Division took over from the
Guards, and again found itself upon the right of the British line,
and in touch w4th the new dispositions of the French. On its left
was the Twentieth Division, and on their left the Sixth. These three
divisions now found themselves opposite to a long line of trenches, to which various meteorological names had been given, though
the actual meteorological conditions at the time formed a greater
obstacle than the defences in front of them. A simple diagram will
show more clearly than any words how these formidable trenches
lay with regard to the British advance.
It may well seem to the reader that the defenders are bound to
have the best of the argument when they can thus exchange one
line for another, and as quickly as they are beaten out of one set of
strongholds confront their enemy with another one. No doubt so
long as the lines are stoutly held this is true as regards the rate of advance. But as far as it concerns the losses which mark that vital attrition which was wearing Germany to the bone it was very different,
These trenches were not like the old permanent fortifi cations where
German offi cers in a 30-foot dug-out could smile over the carica-
250
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