Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 15, 10 May - 9 June 1917, Part 11

59
June 1917
Altho' I hope that these few lines will reach you through a channel which
makes it improbable that there will be trouble with censorship, yet it will be
only prudent to be vague & obscure as to details. - In case I have no time
to send you a further letter about this time, let me say briefly that I am in
the best of health & have received all your letters to & including that of 23 with
cable from G-n. - That I am very busy you will gather from the following
notes. - We are in the middle of a concentration of guns, troops and resources
of all kinds which, as the C-in-C told me a day or two ago (when he came to go
over my plans in detail) exceed by 30% anything that has ever been previously known
in the history of war. - My own jurisdiction has been very considerably extended, particularly
in guns. - I have over 200 of all natures, up to 15". - For weeks we have been
making methodical preparations, 1½ metre gauge, 1 metre gauge & Decauville Railways, - miles
& miles of them, - roads - alternative roads - tracks - sidings - gun emplacements, - dumps

for gun ammunition, S.A.A., bombs, flares, - installation of mortars of all natures -
construction of dugouts for troops, for headquarters, observation posts, collections of all
natures of engineering material & road making material, bridges for tanks, hutments &
shelters for troops, dressing stations, evacuation routes, hospitals, clearance stations,
prisoners cages, assembly trenches, approach routes, overland routes etc etc: - Everything
is being done with the perfection of civil engineering construction, so far as regards
planning & execution, with due regard to its temporary utilization. - This is going on
over a front of 17000 yards. - The operation is by a whole Army with 3 corps in line &
one in Reserve; each corps with 4 Divs., 3 in line & 1 in reserve, each Division with 2
Brigades in line & one in Reserve. - My role is on a flank, which imposes special difficulties
as to counter attacks. - If you look at the map, north of the town I was until
recently responsible for, you will see a well defined ridge running N.E. - The Bosch is
looking down on us from the top & holds the western slopes. - We intend to push him
off. - I hope that, on an early date, 20 days before my Birthday, about midday
we shall be doing so. - However the battle has already started, & altho' there is as yet no
infantry action, beyond raids, I have to control & coordinate the daily & hourly action of some 10
artillery groups in barraging communications, destructive bombardments, concrete battery work, with
aeroplane & balloon observation, light, medium & heavy mortar bombardments, cloud gas, mortar gas,
projector gas, infantry reconnaissance & intelligence, preparing the infantry for the assault, perfecting
all administrative arrangements of supply, feeding & health of men & animals & a thousand other
minor details. -

June 1917
WATER.

June 1917
 HQ
Reserve Stand Pipe fed
from Jesus Farm Pumping
Station at BRUNE GAYE
WATER
 

HF

June 1917
(3).
(1). HOSTILE GAS BOMBARDMENT.
In the event of a heavy hostile concentration of fire on
'Y'/'Z' night, especially gas shelling, on any particular part of
the Army area, every effort will be made, by concentrating the
fire of as many guns as possible, to silence the offending groups
of hostile artillery.
At the same time, Counter-battery Staff Officers will
indicate as accurately as possible to the 5th Brigade R.A.F.
direct the positions of the active German artillery. This will
be done with the object of enabling the R.A.F. to bomb the groups
concerned.
C.B.S.Os. will likewise inform the 5thy Balloon Wing, who
have arranged to have a balloon standing by ready to take the air
 within 30 minutes if weather conditions permit. It is hoped that
this balloon will be able to give useful information as to the
positions of the batteries concerned.
Each Corps will prepare a plan on the above lines. The
decision to put the plan into execution rests
with Corps.
If the hostile batteries responsible are located in the
counter-battery area of another Corps, arrangements for counter
action will be made direct between Corps concerned.
(m). ISSUE OF INSTRUCTIONS.
Attention is called to the importance of all Artillery
Instructions being issued in sufficient time to permit of
subordinate formations being afforded ample time to study them and
to work them out in detail. No changes in the Artillery programme
at a late hour should be permitted without very urgent reasons.
(n). DUMPING OF AMMUNITION.

The following amounts of ammunition are authorised to be 
held in front of railheads.
Not less than 25% of these amounts are to be held in Corps
Reserve.
In addition, all echelons are to be kept full.

(o).  Corps will issue order enjoining the necessity for special
measures being taken to ensure accuracy of fire.
A list of trigonometrical points fixed by the Field Survey
is being circulated down to Brigades of Artillery. This list is
intended to facilitate the fixing of positions in the advance.
(p). The pace and timings of the barrage and the nature of
ammunition to be used on 'Z' day will be decided by Corps.
(q). In all orders "Rates of Fire" will be described as laid
down in G.H.Q., R.A. Circular No. 10.
(r). Each Corps will work out a time table for lifting the fire
of long range artillery on 'Z' day from localities in accordance
with the rate of advance laid down for our troops.
(s). Special attention will be paid to arrangements for adequate
Counter-battery work in the latter stages of the battle, especially
on the flanks.
(t). ARTILLERY ORGANIZATION & ALLOTMENT SUBSEQUENT TO 'Z' DAY.
(see Table "B").
 

1/6/17
My dear Monash
Will
you please let 
me have this
morning your
opinion as to
the exact hour
(about dawn)