General, Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 19, 7 July - 30 July 1918- Part 3

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Corps against the red objective and the French Corps against the
blue objective should be carried out simultaneously, but from
past experience of the difficulties of fitting in times and dates
suitable to both Armies, I am very averse to this, and would much
prefer the arrangements whereby the Australian Corps attack will
be put in some three or four days previous to the French attack.
(Sgd.) H. RAWLINSON,
General, Commanding Fourth Army.
H.Q. Fourth Army
9th July, 1918.

G.O.C.
G.
Australian Corps,
10th July, 1918.
Following cable received from Defence Melbourne
Begins AAA WS 262 Commonwealth of Australia desire to
congratulate Monash and all ranks in his command on the
splendid success attending the recent operations at HAMEL
and VAIRE WOODS AAA That the casualties sustained were slight
in character is especially pleasing and adds to the gratification
with which the news has been received AAA Ends.D.A.G.A.I.F.
[[?]]
For Brigadier-General,
General Staff,
Australian Corps.
DISTRIBUTION.
To all concerned.

10/7/18
XXII CORPS.
B. E. F.
Lieut.-General Sir A.J.GODLEY, and the OFFICERS
of
XXII CORPS HEADQUARTERS
request the pleasure of
the company of Lieut General J Monash and officers of Australian Corp.
at the XXII Corps Race Meeting to be held on the high
ground ½ mile South of the ST. in ST. PIERRE - a - GOUY
(Reference Map, 1/100,000, AMIENS) on July 10th, 1918.
FIRST RACE - 2.30 P.M.
7th July. 1918 

Page 4.

XXII [[?]] MEETING.
JULY 10th. 1918.
PRESIDENT. Lt. - General Sir A.J.GODLEY G.C.B.
K.C.M.G
STEWARDS. Major General Sir G.F GORRINGE,
K.C.B., K.C.M.G., ,D.S.O.
Major-General W.C.G. HENEKER, C.E., B
D.S.O.
Brig-Gen E.W.M.POWELL, C.M.G.,D S.O..R.A.
Brig-Gen A.E.PANET, C.M.G.,D.S.O.,R.E.
JUDGES. Lt - Col A.M.COLLARD, D.S.O., D.C.L.I.
Lt - Col C.E.STRANACK, D.S.O., R.A.
Reverend J.S.GIBBS.
HON.SEC. Captain J.de PRET, M.C. 21st Lancers.
STARTER. Major P.H.HANSEN, V.C., D.S.O.,M.C.
CLERK of the Course. Capt. W.H.PERKINS, M.C.
----------
All races will be ridden at catch weights
above 11 stone.
Ponies (under 15 hands) will be measured
on the Course.
70% of entrance fees will go to the winner,
20% to the second and 10% to the expenses of
the course.
The "Boot and Saddle" will be sounded 20
minutes before the start of each race, when
all horses will be saddled in the paddock and
riders declared. The "Mount" will sound 10
minutes before the start when riders will
mount in the paddock. Races will be started
by bell, and after the finish, signals will
be as follows:-
Blue Flag & Bell Ring. All correct.
Red Flag. objection.
10 Fr. and 5 Fr. totalisators will be on the
Course. No Bookmakers not licensed by the
Committee will be allowed.
Horses will be referred to by their numbers
on the Programme.

TOTALISATOR RULES.
1. The totalisator tickets cost
10 francs (Officers' Enclosure.)
5 francs (N.C.O's. and Mens' Enclosure.)
2. Dividends will be paid on 1st horse only
if there are less than 8 starters.
3. Dividends will be paid on 1st and 2nd
horses if there are 8 or more starters.
4. No tickets will be changed after leaving
the totalisator.
5. 1st horse takes 60% of the total money on
each race.
2nd horse takes 30%, and 10% goes to Course
and Totalisator expenses.
6. Totalisator receipts are audited by Course
Officials, and the money is in charge of an
Officer.
7. Dividends must be collected immediately
after each race, otherwise they cannot be paid
until after the last race.
8. The Totalisator will close for each race
directly on the fall of the flag.

Plan of the Course
Diagram - see original document

MUSIC
By the kind permission of Major-General Sir
G.F. GORRINGE, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., D.S.C., and
Officers 47th Division, the Band of the 47th
Division will play the following selections
during the Meeting :-

Bandmaster: H.W. BLACKMORE. 

SECRET
PROPOSED OUTLINE OF PLAN OF OPERATIONS.
MONUMENT WOOD OFFENSIVE.
Conference 11/7/18
1.- OBJECTIVE.
The attached map shows in BLACK the present front
line south east of VILLERS BRETONNEUX. The proposed objective
of the operation is shown in BLUE. The total frontage at the
present date (11th July) is 2750 yards. The average depth of
the proposed advance is between 500 and 600 yards.
2.- TROOPS REQUIRED.
Infantry:
The total number of Infantry required for the operation
is estimated at 2 battalions. It is proposed to employ the
5th A.I.Brigade for the operation.
Artillery:
Total artillery required will be 7 Artillery Brigades.
These are available from present Corps resources.
Tanks:
The total number of tanks required will be 2 or 3
Sections (8 to 12 tanks).
3.- NATURE OF THE OPERATION.
The general method of attack will be to place an
artillery smoke barrage covering the whole objective. An
artillery creeping barrage will be employed to move through the
depth of the area of advance rapidly and establish itself on an
S.O.S. line beyond the line of the proposed objective. Under
cover of this the tanks allotted for the operation will move
out along pre-determined routes and clean up MONUMENT WOOD,
ASSYRIA Trench and remaining portion of the enemy's defensive
system.
The total number of infantry actually employed in the
advance will be reduced to what is considered the necessary
minimum.
In the southern portion of the operation each party
of troops detailed to the objective will move with its own tanks.
It remains to be determined whether any tanks will move out
direct against the northern portion of the objective, As this
presents difficulties in finding concealed positions in which
tanks can lie up during the day and which are near enough to
the infantry bades of departure.
It is proposed to carry out the operation in theearly
evening at such an hour as will give the infantry every facility
for determining their position and consolidating the posts which
will be established before dark. It is anticipated by doing
this the infantry will have the whole night to consolidate and
the enemy will be unable to determine where to place his barrage.
This involves the necessity of placing the infantry
in their start positions on the night prior to zero and retaining  
them in these positions throughout the day. It is essential
that there shall be absolutely no movement on this portion of
the front throughout the whole of the day prior to zero hour. 

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4.- ARTILLERY.
Artillery positions will be selected in advance and
careful registration carried out under cover of the normal
harassing fire.
As soon as details of the attack are determined it
is desirable that there shall be a complete cessation of the
present nibbling tactics on this part of the front in order to
give the enemy a feeling of security and luss his suspicions.
A complete counter-battery scheme must be employed
similar to that employed on the 4th July. This counter-battery
scheme must commence at zero hour.
5.- TANKS.
A careful reconnaissance must be made on the
eastern portion of the VILLERS BRETONNEUX and tank places definite
places selected for every tank which is to co-operate in the
operation where it can lie up through the whole of the day prior
to zero hour. These places must be selected in accordance with
the detailed plan of action for each individual tank.
6.- PRECAUTIONS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE FRONT.
It is proposed to use a dense smoke screen on
MORLANCOURT and SAILLY LAURETTE with the idea of inducing the
enemy to believe that an attempt is being made to capture these
places. Smoke mortars will be used for this and details will
be worked out.
A barrage will be placed as far as possible upon the
whole of the remainder of the corps front and the III Corps will
be asked to place a similar barrage on their front. In this
barrage it is proposed to use a large proportion of smoke shell.
The object of the barrage is more to raise the enemy's suspicions
than to inflict casualties or damage material.