Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/108/1 - April - May 1918 - Part 2

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5.52 8 division "no news"
6.5 enemy artillery livened up.
6.8 Too much smoke _^ before BA to see SOS from right brigade front.
6.35 No att. on left Bn rt brigade.
6.42 8 division report left Bde all quiet,
rt Bde believed OK but
wires down
7.22. O.C. Vill/Bret reported at 6.40 that
Germans advancing up rail in V.1 & 2.  Pl using tanks
driven in left battalion road brigade.  Situation believed to be well in hand.
7.32 F.OO told by wounded man tt / Germans were pushing up
main road.
7.36 GOC 14 Bde reports Rifle Bde say their
rt coy gn ground. Sent platoon to 
c/attack. 

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7.45-a.m. 8^th Divn say situation of right Bde not
known. No news of infantry attack having developed
8.  Liaison offr w reserve Bde 8^th Divn
15th Bde reports at (at 7.40 am.) tt man
from front line before V/B came over & reported enemy attacked with
Flammencor & tanks.  Enemy infantry in open order.
Enemy advancing towards V/B.  Some troops reported still making stand
in front of the village.
A man from front line 8 Divn before V/B came
thro' & reported tt enemy attacked w minenwerfers
8 & tanks - Enemy infantry in open order.
Enemy advancing towds V/B. Some troops reported
to be making a stand still in front o / village.
8.30 8 Bde report tt xx Germs att^d. 300 - 400 strong
agst rt coy of left Bn; Reorganised & attacked again.
Twice repulsed. (5^th Div incline to doubt extent of this)
8.35 Rumoured S & SE advance to V/B being attacked (from 8 division)
8.37 SOS our rt front.
57 Battalion told by arty offr passing thro' w gun teams
tt / 8 Divn had bn pushed back ½ way from V/B. Elliott wanted
to know if it ws left to his discretion to c/attack.
Told only to act in his own area unless an urgent
request for people
on his rt - then use discretion & inform divn.
Massed Gs massed xxxx twice in front of 54? Bn by midday x
How many 2ce in front of 54 battalion by midday 

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8.45 Defve flank formed from O23. Infy falling back on right.
8.47 Enemy advancing along V/B Fouilloy Rd.
56 Bn astride rd & along ridge in O.17c
O 16 d.
15 Bde ordered to continue this flank until got touch
with / troops of 8 division. Bty of RHA to report to 10-13D.
8.57.  14 Bde - Rt Bn flank in air - front swinging round from
O19a & b. Bn on rt falling back. Definite tt
Germans have V/B.
8th Div comprises
8 Division = 23.24.25 1 Bdes. at 10.25 it had been directed that the
25 Bde ws to c/attk
to objve E of V/B
Previously 23 Bde ws to counterattack to rd in middle of [[town?]].
Reserve Bn (of 24 inf Bde less one Bn) to protect
right flank
At 10 am. some troops of rt Bde were _^ sd to be holding in
town 

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24 Inf Bde (less 1st Sherwoods will hold
reserve line.)
(At 4.22 Germs attd a post N of Somme at J35 c 8.3
near Sailly le Sec.
Abt 2500 yellow X shell were fired into V/B durg
night
By midday Gs had massed 2ce in front of 59 Bn.  ?54.
By midday Germans had massed 2ce in front of 26 59 Bn.
8 Divn sent up & were to send up tanks
to meet German tanks.
8 Divn at 1.30 were reptd on line thro U3c
& 13 to Bois d'aquenne - Few Germs
in E  B d'aquenne.
12.30 Sher. Foresters moving thro O3.3
Counter attg in directn of V/B 

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Gen. Elliott says tt our guns got
very heavily onto / Germs concentrating on
our front - abt midday - twice.
At 3 pm. Gen White rang up to tell 5^th
Divn tt they wd come under 3^rd
Corps for / forthcoming operation. At
2.50 the 3^rd Corps, (wh previously had
stopped Elliotts preparation by saying tt
8^th Divn. wd undertake / attack on both
sides o / town itself,) rang up to
say tt the help of the 5^th Aust. Divn
wd be requested in an operation
to be undertaken by the 8^th Divn.
Hobbs immediately ordered Elliott
to move his battalions up &
concentrate in the valley in
24 square, N. of V/B. preparator so as to have
them there when / order arrived on
wh they were to act.
At 3.10 Hobbs rings up Gen Butler (3rd Corps) & says
tt he proposes in conjunction w 8^th Divn to make an
flanking attack w 3 Bns of 15 I Bde thro' 24 Centl.
to 25 centl. The troops are now well on / way; Can
I give definite orders to / Brigadier? With the 8^th
Divn attack along / rly from West to East? Anyway
I will get our people ready assembled at
24 Central. (The 8^th Divn has apptly not
yet made up its mind as to / c-attack).
3.15. Someone ? 3rd Corps wires to say tt all field & heavy
guns can be turned onto V/B., including
O29 A.B & O.30 central.

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Waiting for word of 8 Divn. As
soon as one entered / room & Peck
told one tt we were to attack w
15 Bde while 8^th Divn made an
attack from the S W w their reserve
troops, one ws sure tt the 8^th Divn
as a matter of fact wd never
attack. They have been talking
of c.attack ever since 8.30 this
morning. I nodded to Peck, as
Hobbs ws talking on / phone, &
whispered: this is what it will
be :  Hand drawn diagram - see original document
pointing w my finger on his
map to the two routes. 

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3.30. Finally rang up 8 Divn to ask
how they proposed to attack.
They answered tt the attack wd
be done all right. They proposed to
get to P 31 D 1.5 - U 6 c 5.5. They
were going to use the 13^th Aust. Inf
Bde for / attack!
It wd take place at 9 p.m!
Gen. Hobbs at once rang
up Genl. Butler commdg 3^rd Corps.
The 13 Bde had already marched
13000 yds & it wd be dark at
9!
Genl. Elliott being already
well on his way to O24 centl where 

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he is to assemble for /
attack it became necessary
to stop Gen. Elliott as 13^th Bde
cdnt get into positn before 7.30
p.m. & Elliott will be shelled to
blazes in / gully at 24 centl.
The 13 Bde Butler sd ws
to move w its left directed
on / monument _^ N of Cachy, & the
15^th Bde wd have its right
on the hangars.
Butler thinks / attack
will be at 8 p.m.
The attack will be under
Gen Henniker of 8^th Divn who
is a damned failure - So GSO 1
says.
It is a question if
Elliott can do it by moonlight. 

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[4 p.m. F. Arty Observer reports tt
enemy are massing
in Bois de Vaux & on
Warfusee Aban ct Rd.
All heavies turned on.]
by Peck who doesnt worry
genl. w it.
Elliott says tt he is glad
13 Bde will be on his right;
tt he ws ready to attack by moonlight
& tt he wd prefer an
attack without arty
preparation. 

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20
On / way back we passed first a few H Q.

details of xx 12^th A.I.F. Bde on cycles. Then 48 Bn,
looking magnificent, on the march from thro Montigny.
As we passed tt grand battalion I cd not
help feeling very sour & disinclined to talk.
They are being sent down there to be ready
for the failure o / British army _^ on wh Rawlinson
*staked his precious reputation.
On reaching home I saw at HQ todays
4th Army summary _^ wh says that /
bombt ws at 3.45 am from
south of army front to just 
N. of the Somme.
Infy adv^d at 6.45 on a 2 or
3 Divl front - 4^th Guard & 77 Res. Div.
(from Russia) involved. 3 German 
tanks are being employed.
Two Alsatian deserters of
77 Res. Divn who came in yesty
evg say tt their object is Cachy.
4^th Army assumes tt / objve
V/B 

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therefore is V/Bret, Rd
& west of it to Fouilloy
Cachy Rd running thro Bois l'abbe,
also Cachy & high grd W.
of it in U 2 & 8.
The deserters sd tt /
attack had bn twice postponed
for 24 hrs each time - There
wd be a heavy gas bombt
from 3 to 7 German time.
There ws a practice attack
at Villers Carbonnel.
(Batteries had bn brought up
to / wood in U 18 B)
15 new German tanks
were in positn near / front line
- much like a British tank
but faster. ("Seen by prisoners when being unloaded at
Charleroi" by prisoners) They
have mgs & Q.F.s & were to be
employed agst m.g. emplacements.