Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/191/1 - August 1918 - Part 2

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Guns may have hung in and [[built?]]
within the barrage.
These go forward and much of it
joins one brigade.
i.e. no divisional artillery & 1 Australian Army
Brigade.
Each brigade has a mg coy
and a field company and a company of Pioneers.
and a bearer and [[shorthand]] and mules.
They have to push forward each with the utmost possible
speed to the ready line irrespective of when the 
empires do.  The barrages are on the maximum
possible speed of the infantry.
H A barrage is calculated on the
maximum speed of the infantry.
& 6 brigades of artillery Each division has a battery
of 60 pounders also 8 horses which comes forward.
They are on the CRA.
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111
Germs shelled Warfusee in /
aftn w a H.V. gun.
Casualties had been
slight - 45 for Bn only
abt 5 being killed.
The Bn expected a
heavy fight at / village but
/ fog & / surprise seem to
have caused / Germans
to give way without fighting.
The tanks did very 
well - went at opposition
wherever they found it.  The
tank commanders were
first rate men.  The Bde
placed an infy observer
inside every tank &
this had excellent results.
This gave a great deal of
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111
in division  These from FA brigades
(two Australian & 1 British) also split within the barrage
and are allotted not to the brigadiers but to the divisional
commanders.  Each divisional commander has 3
fresh brigades of artillery.  These have to be definitely
employed defensively.
These go straight to a forward position to be ready
to gather the infantry wherever they stop (to answer
SOS)  There is thus a defensive [[shorthand]]
from the start.
This leaves these brigades which are the cars
reserve of FA.  These also move forward
but aren't allotted tasks till it is known how the battle
develops.  If the infantry reach the red line
all artillery has orders to move east to
Warf. valley.  This is to leave the valley for
the H.A.
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111
confidence.   They routed out the
opposition in the town.
One tank commander
- in charge of tank No 23
"Buffoon", when the Bn
reached the green line went
out & hitched up one of
the 4.2 guns imd in front of
the Bn.   A 77 gun further
on near B/V fired at him
point blank but he hopped
out o / tank, hitched
one o / guns on & hauled
it away (for fear tt /
Germs. might get it away)
This tank ws hit 2ce in / tank
while doing this - the
2nd hit put him out of
action.
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111
The cavalry went down thro 

after 8 Bde.

Bn dug in - the line

was thinned out - leaving

2 coys on green line &

2 in support in the Gully

in 30 & in the bank in

35B.

Spent night there,

the men getting a good feed

& sleep - & plenty of

souvenirs off the prisoners

who passed back thro 

them.

Aug 9^th, 11 a.m. the Bn

recd orders to move to

a concentratn positn

in 32D. Col. Sadler had to

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111
HA come over with [[programme?]].  Every battery
as it passes at a range commenced to move
forward to W. valley.  All mark 19
6 inch guns are being brought forward
to engage Chaulnes rail
themselves.  Only the 12 inch can reach
it at present but 6 inch will be able to then.
C/B artillery also will move forward.
At first C/B will engage 5 [[shorthand]] group of guns.
2/3 heavy artillery
The prisoner said none had been shifted recently.
Empty gun pits have been engaged lately.
As xx the battle moves on these guns will
shift on to the last group till all [[shorthand]] on
it (is HV guns).
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111
go forward to the X fix _^ N of Harbonnieres, meet
the Bde staff, get verbal
orders, & then move Bn
forwd to jumping off line
between X 1 A O 1 & R 31 c
O.4.
Zero ws to be at 4.30 pm
Bn moved from B/V in
arty formation onto the
J.O. line & arrived at
the J.O. line at 4.23 in
that formation - / exact
formatn in wh they had
to go over - arty formatn
preceded by a line of
skirmishers and the tanks.
Practically no arty - 3
tanks including one commd.
by 2/Lt Craig. (B Coy, 2nd Tank Bn)
(Scotsman)
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111
Tanks.  4 battalions
1 brigade (3 battalions) Mark 5 100 tanks
1 battalion Mark 5 star
1 battalion motor machine guns.
Also about 30 [[carry?]] tanks.  These go
mostly to front phase divisions.  Tank
supply tanks are extra.
Mark 5   1 battalion to each division.  12 tanks
in front of each brigade & 12 tanks in
divisional reserve.
{ 3rd battalion is allotted to 5^th division }
{ 2 spare companies pass to 4^th division }
2nd phase
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111
18 Bn were on left of 17
& 7 Bde on rt (27 Bn
joining). 19 Bn in support
to 17; & 20 to 18.
As the 157 Bn (18 were
already up) moved over
flat ground N of Harbonnieres
the whole 7 Bde ws moving
up too on their rt.
They were attacked by
a fleet of German planes,
diving & shooting but they
hit no one. These planes
in their turn were att^d
by a fleet of ours wh
drove them off (none down).
They moved up to /
line & sat down for 8 mins
in / grass while the tanks
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111
48 companies of tanks in 2nd phase
& all are [[shorthand]] 1st stage.
Battalion commander on spot will give them their
tasks.
Resources in 1st area are 10\ before then Handover
2nd area anything between 48-96 tanks.
Van of tanks advance guard battalion for each
brigade.  2 main body battalions.  Reserve battalion.
Plenty of mgs with front battalion.
Behind them the reserve brigade.
If we reach the red line without employing 1 & 14 brigades,
these will advance to blue line.
But if not, 36 star Mark 5 tanks will be
employed.  Each will cart & it is 2 6 pounders & 4 machine
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111
came through. (Other Bns
also had tanks - Mark 5)
The tanks go there at 4.30
and / attack moved off to
/ minute - the only signal
ws / time. The arty
support ws not
noticeable up there.
The attack ws most
spectacular -
As they moved off they
were met w a light
barrage on the J.O. line, (rly w. trench on either side)
causing a few casualties.
This died away, the
German taking his guns
out evidently.
17 Bn's objve ws village
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111
guns 3 LG or Vickers detachments & infantry and infantry
officer.  
18 to each division.  16 for m.gs
1 for CO  1 for signals.
These follow the battle.  For RDV they are
dragged by 4s to rig zones on blue line.
They have to deliver the mgs there.
If they does this there will be a mg
every 80 yards right along.  This
besides the mgs and the tanks.
These are supplying the kerosine to the blue line
[[shorthand]] enough to allow the reserve brigades
to [[shorthand]] it.
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111
of Framerville & the orchard
NE of it. They got to
it without a hitch tho'
the country ws unknown
to them, & took up /
exact line keeping in
touch w / units on
both flanks. The German
showed little fight - there
were some in / village &
some in rifle pits W of
it. He clearly retired
because when / Bn got
through Framerville they
cd see / Germans
moving up the ridge
1000 yds E in front of
Herleville, & the
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111
There will be also as many tanks
as if [[shorthand]] the battle   possibly over 100
tanks.
Divisions will then hold front line  2 brigades in line
and 1 in reserve.
If they are all right 2 & 3 divisions may go
to sleep.
1 division will come up to the old front line.
Motor m.g. battalion.
2 lines of defence on roads are planned
for each division.  ½ engineer of cars is
on this.  ½ these roads are already trafficable.
8 on track to Warfusee  This is 2 hours after zero.  This
will let the mgs through.
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111
German offrs reorganising
them & making them
dig in. 17 Bn cdnt
chase them because of
our arty wh ws strafing
valley ahead - but
/ guns were turned on
to them. The 17 Bn ws
on its objve by 5.10 p.m.
They tried to exploit
our gains & put posts
in Rainecourt to keep
/ Germs out of it - but
the arty of both sides ws
on it. Lt T.R. Read ws lost
there (probly wd & captd)
& / posts had to be
withdrawn.
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111
engineers have to build when they and their cars
will then go out into the blue b zero
+ 4.
12 cars to Gen Hobbs
4 to [[shorthand]].
6 of 5 division cars to [[shorthand]] answers all
indications to destroy telephone exchanges.  From this
will go to points x such as Cappy
Dump
Chignolles cars Hq.
Proyart divisional HQ.
{ [[Armed?]] cars have an Australian flag to
raise in Harbonnieres.
{ Also mark 5 tanks.
Other 4 cars are for a special long distance reconnaissance
for G.O.C. to reconnoitre.
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111
The 18 Bn had a very
bad time on the left -
Lt. Maxwell MC DCM &
Capt Lowther being / only
two offrs left in / line.
They got to La Flaque -
the same tank officer,
Craig, seeing / left held
up by m.g. fire from
N of / road, & their
tanks (5 knocked out)
out of action by an anti-tank gun headed
straight over & as
made straight for the
Chimney at the road
corner & tore into it
for all he ws worth
with both broad sides
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111
There is a round road for motor transport
special roads for waggons
6 squadrons of LH is traffic control.
Mules must come from west to the
rail of Corbie as fit for use.
1st nights feed for 3rd and 4th
divisions may get to Corbie by rail.
At V/B rail is reestablished as far as rail cutting
HQrs.  At dawn Canadians should be
able to rejoin to V/B by 1st night.
This should bring the big train and [[shorthand]] up.
All H A who [[shorthand]] transport should move forward
before the enemy's guns arrive instead of creeping
up on the fire.
HA have an army troops company of engineers for this purpose.
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111
& smashed up / oppositn
& they got past it.
Craig then came back
went round / objve to
see things were all right
17 Bn way & went home.
There were some signs
of c/attack - dribbling men
forwd (probly to take up
positns ahead of us).
Aug 10.  Next day he
concentrated every bit
of heavy arty to try &
smash up the booty he
had left in Framerville.
He gave the orchard a time
like Pozieres - a good many
casualties there from
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111
This is the first time HA has ever gone
forward like this.
1 brigade of cavalry is under GOCs orders.
(5^th cavalry brigade 1st cavalry division.)
They arrive from W   E to
Marcelcave & follow Hobbs
& go forward with the infantry.  Their role is
to judge xx all the situation in front and if the
situation is satisfactory and they judge that the cavalry can go
over horsed they are to come back to the
brigade and go through.  These patrols will be dismounted
This is to avoid the Cambrai show
where there was a pounding and no cavalry to
go through.  If any particular persons does
there is no harm done.
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