Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 14, 10 February - 30 March 1917, Part 2

[*To be superseded
by final order.*]
SECRET.
COPY NO. . . . . . . 
THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION ORDER NO. 16.
– February, 1917.
Reference 1/10,000 Map, Sheets 36 N.W.2, N.E.1 (parts of),
Edition 7A. Trenches corrected to 5-10-16.
- - - - - - - - - - - 
INFORMATION. 1. (a). The enemy's line from C.29.c.40.90
to C.23. c. 80.70. is said to be held by
23rd. Bavarian Infantry.
[*GOC
Proof copy

I Proof copy to
[[RA]] on 17^{th
[[G?]] *]}
The enemy generally puts his barrage 
down within 2 to 5 minutes of our guns
opening. On a recent occasion he shortened
on to his own front line within 7
minutes. He fired a 5.9" into his front
line in C.29.a on the 11th. February,
showed a green light and thereupon
lengthened.
At present he is believed to be holding
his front line fairly strongly, but he
appears to have two distinct courses of
action when being raided. -
(a). Barrage our front line and a
portion of NO MAN'S LAND, bomb his own
wire vigourously and open with flanking
Machine Guns on night lines.
(b). Withdraw from his front line
and put his artillery on to it.
On the night of the 11th/12th. February
he sent a detachment out into NO MAN'S
LAND  to get on to the flank of one of
our raiding parties.
(b). The enemy's wire is being cut at
the following places:-
C.29.a.40.30., C.29.a.60.50.,
C 29.a.75.80., C.23.c.88.20.
Plans of the enemy's trenches 1/2,500

(2).
compiled from the map and recent 
photographs and diagrams of NO MAN'S
LAND 1/5,000 have been issued to all
concerned. Positions of enemy's searchlights,
machine guns and Trench Mortars,
so far as known, are shown on the above
plans.
INTENTION. 2. A party composed of 600 to 800 all ranks
from the 37th. and 38th. Battalions,
commanded by Lieut-Colonel DAVIS, will
raid the enemy's trenches on the front
C.29.a.40.20., on the South to
C. 23.c.90.30., on the North on Zero day
and at Zero hour.
The second line will be raided from
C.29.a.70.00. to C.23.d.10.25. - the
third line from C.29.c.77.95. to
C.23.d.30.30.
The party will be accompanied by - other ranks R.E.
A party of the 11th. Aus. Inf. Bde.
will raid the enemy's trenches at
I.17.a. at the same time, Zero hours
coinciding.
As the Infantry of the Main Operation
leave the enemy's trenches, a second
Diversion, carried out by Artillery,
will open on the enemy's trenches in
C.17 and opposite HOBBS FARM.
ACTION ON PREVIOUS DAYS. 3. Counting Zero day as "Z" day and the
day previous as "Y" day, there will be
artillery activity on the front of the
Main Operation on "W" and "X" days.
On the latter day the artillery activity
will be combined with a small Infantry
Raid. Details for this will form the

(3).
subject of a separate Operation order to
be issued by the G.O.C., 9th. Aust. Inf.
Bde. The C.R.A. will arrange the
necessary Artillery Programmes.
OBJECTS OF RAID. 4. The objects of the Raid are as follows:-
1. To kill and capture more of the enemy
than we lose ourselves in the undertaking.
2. To lower his morale.
3. To damage his defences.
4. To obtain a large tally of prisoners.
5. To capture or destroy machine guns and
other technical weapons.
6. To capture a Medical Officer or his
equipment, including Serum for Prevention
of Gas Gangrene.
RAID ORDERS. 5. The 10th. Australian Inf. Bde. in consultation
with Lieut-Colonel DAVIS, will
issue orders regarding the detailed
arrangements, such as a plan for each of
the 4 parties entering the enemy's trenches,
organization for movement of personnel
to points of exit in our trenches, equipment,
collection of information and
medical arrangements.
The 11th. Aus. Inf. Bde. will issue orders
regarding the detailed arrangements for
the Southern Diversion. The C.R.A. will
arrange the details of the Artillery Programme
for the Main Operation and both
Diversions. In consultation with the
Heavy Artillery, he will arrange the
counter-battery work and neutralization.
Machine gun emplacements which cannot be
knocked out must be neutralized.

(4).
The C.R.A. will co-ordinate the work of
the Light Trench Mortars on "Z" day. He
will deal direct with the Infantry Brigades
concerned. The action of these Mortars
will be included in the artillery plan.
The timings for the Artillery Programme
are shown below. -
ARTILLERY. 6. The timings for the Artillery Programme
are as follows: -
At 2 hours 20 minutes before Zero a bombardment
of the trenches selected for the
Main Operation will commence, and will be
carried out as follows: -
Zero minus 2 hours 20 minutes to Zero
minus 2 hours 15 minutes first and third
lines and wire will be bombarded.
Zero minus 2 hours 15 minutes to Zero 
minus 2 hours 10 minutes second and third
lines will be bombarded, the first line
and wire being free from bombardment.
From Zero minus 2 hours 10 minutes to
Zero minus 2 hours the first and third
lines and wire will be bombarded.
At Zero minus 2 hours firing will cease.
This will ensure 15 minutes heavy bombardment
on the first line and on the
wire, with a lift of 5 minutes to allow
hostile machine guns, &c., to come into
action and be subsequently blotted out.
The real bombardment at Zero hour will
be as follows: -
Zero to Zero plus 5 minutes first and
third lines will be bombarded.
Zero plus 3 minutes 4.5" Howitzers lift

(5).
to the second line.
Zero plus 5 minutes 18-prs. lift 50
yards and 4.5" Howitzers lift to the
third line. Infantry enter enemy
trenches.
[*? Heavies on 3^rd
line while Inf are
in 1^st B. In.
RH said on
17^th this OK
GY. *]
Zero plus 6 minutes 18-prs. lift to
the second line.
Zero plus 7 minutes 18-prs. lift to
the reserve line and 4.5" Howitzers
and Heavies lift to Box and special
tasks.
Zero plus 12 10 minutes 13-prs. lift to [*GY.*]
Box.
Zero plus 55 minutes Infantry leave
enemy trenches and Northern Diversion
opens.
Zero plus 65 minutes Heavies and Howitzers
cease fire.
Zero plus 75 minutes all Artillery
fire ceases.
SOUTHERN DIVERSION. -
At Zero artillery opens on front line.
At Zero plus 5 minutes artillery lifts
and forms Box. or lifts to 2nd line forming box later.
At Zero plus 15 minutes Infantry leave.
At Zero plus 25 minutes artillery of
Southern Diversion cease fire.
The Artillery Plan in detail is shown
in Appendix "A", and in Diagrams
attached thereto.
MACHINE GUNS. 7. The G.O.C., 10th. Aust. Inf. Bde. will
issue detailed instructions with regard
to the action of Machine guns and Rifle
Grenade Batteries. He will consult

(6).
the G.O.C., 9th. Aus. Inf. Bde.
regarding these.
AIRCRAFT. 8. A 'plane supplied by the 42nd. Squadron
will fly from Zero hour to plus
1 hour, in order to drop parachute
lights with a view to preventing hostile
batteries coming into action. The
exact time that the machine will be up
is subject to variation, and the
possibility of its going up is subject
to weather conditions.
CONTROL POST. 9. Lieut-Colonel DAVIS will control operations
from 2 8 B 8 0 8 5
where there are two dugouts
connected by buried cable.
The C.R.A. will arrange for the necessary
Artillery Liaison Officers to be with
Lieut-Colonel DAVIS.
SIGNALLING. 10. The following Signal will be used in case
it is desired to discontinue artillery
fire during the Main Operation before
scheduled time. -
A Blue Rocket will be sent up by order of 
[* "Q" are asking
for 12 of
these.*] 
Lieut-Colonel DAVIS from the vicinity of      
his dug-out, and will be repeated at short
intervals until it is evident that it has
been observed.
S.O.S. 11. The S.O.S. Signal will be inoperative on
the front from C.29.s.45.00 to
C.23.c.80.67. from minus 2 hours 20
minutes until being again brought into
force by order received from Divisional

(7).
Headquarters.

It will be similarly be inoperative on the 

front I.16.b.75.00 to I.17.a.45.95.

from minus 15 minutes until brought  [? GOC 11th Bde

into operation by order of the G.O.C.,

11th. Aus. Inf. Bde.