Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/222/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 6

whizzbang fire ws brought
to bear on them from
Chipilly Ridge.
Diagram - see original document.
B Coy were to be in support
owing to plan. But as
commn had not bn
estab betw rt of 16 &
left of 48 Bn, B Coy
ws swung around on /
rt to fill in / gap.
The left ws much easier
than rt. The moment
they got into / valley they
had no frontal fire - &
guns were now keeping the
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Chipilly fire down. The Coys
on the rt being on /
high ground got not only
/ frontal fire but most o /
fire from Chipilly. There ws
a lot of fire from Cateau wd
also.
Capt Linus w / tanks had
gone out ½ hr before / infy
started - he ws told tt
Bn ws ready to move, &
he went, & Bn ws not
ready to move. Linus got
right in Mericourt, &
in the Sunken Rd from
Morcourt to the willow tree
in 24 B he got 70 Germans
& marched them _∧ back up / rd
at / head o / tank in wh he
was himself.
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He then went back in his
tank & found an Anti Tank
gun rifle firing from a tree just
S.W. of 18 Central. The
Gunner ws up / tree. He
knocked him out w / 
Hotckiss from / tank.
Soon after this Linus'
tank ws hit for the 5^th time
& everyone in it exc. himself
& one other were k. or wd.
(It ws Mark 5 star). this
ws near / tree (a little w of it).
by a bank.
Three tanks had bn w /
Bn so far - & all were
now blown out - one at
17C.6.6 knocked on / way
back from Mericourt. Also a
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52
※ From Cateau Wood & Chipilly
Ridge. While 16 Bn ws getting
into the Bray system there
ws very heavy m.g. fire -
& also from / trenches they were 
after.
At the junctn w 48 Bn there
ws trouble w a m.g. at some low
scrub. 48 Bn got round this.

tank just N.E. of 12 Central.
[when the 16 Bn got to its
line & Aarons ws working
N along / trenches towds / left

# 16 Bn linked up with
48 Bn & worked around
/ old Bray line to N. to a 
point in R 7 c. where
Just abt then ∧ abt 12.30pm - 1pm / Germs
developed a c/attack down
/ valley from Le Cateau wood
& Mericourt - with abt 200
men spread over 1000 sq.
yds of country in 2s & 3s
all over / place - & they
came out just with rifles
but without kit.
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while we held this small
post we got 60 or 70
prisoners by bluff more
than anything. There were
only 8 or 9 men in / post
- directing fire agst /
c/attack. There were Germans
in trenches as far close as 10
yds to the post. The 16th
wd fire a rifle at any
German tt bobbed up &
tell him to Kamerad &
the Germs wd come
hopping over / top.
They were simply booted
off over / country to /
rear & possibly without
any escort. (much like
the April 1 fighting at Hebuterne.)
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Chipilly Ridge ws not
cleared.
The line ws therefore
eventually withdrawn to
R 13 A thence almost
W across / slope to the
Morcourt Mericourt Rd.
The left of this (across /
slope) ws held by very few
troops indeed - little
more than sentries.
The post in R 7 c
ws withdrawn, & /
line decided on abt 3
pm. & then they consolidated
the piece across to the left.
All tt ws done tt night
ws ordinary patrol & garrison
work.
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The Germs were holding
Mericourt simply w
m.gs. Very strongly indeed
they held / ridge taking in
Cateaux Wd, & St Germaine wd
- they cd be seen moving &
organising lines - & our
m.gs. were firing on them
at 2000 yds.
On Aug 9, when / yankees
attacked Chipilly Ridge
our people cd see it going
on.
In aftn of Aug 8, when /
line had bn decided on,
13 Bn came forward &
relieved _∧right half of front line.
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16 Bn held left half &
support line.
On Aug 9, after both
Bns sent patrols. 16 Bn
sent 3, each under an
offr - one down Morcourt
Mericourt rd, one up
road thro' 18 B & 12 D
& another up / rd from
13 centl to 12 centl. That
on / Mericourt Rd came
back & reported tt / rd
ws held by m.gs. The other
2 drew fire, confirmed /
fact tt Mericourt & Le Cateau
were held. they stayed at
/ positns they reached. this
ws practically the Blue
Line.
At 10 pm 13 & 16 Bns
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moved out & without
oppostn occupied & consold.
the original Blue Line.
When morning came & /
Germs cd see this (he didn't
patrol it -) when he cd
see our trenches it came
as a complete surprise
to him. He made it very
hard to show a hat above
/ trenches.
In / small bank at 12 A &
C ws Aaron's Control
Hqrs of the front line (advd
for Bn HQ.)
Across between Q 12 D &
R 7 C ws quite flat. 16 Bn
ws in the Sunken Rd running
SE. 13 Bn ws in / old
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German trenches in 17 7c
& had his post at / Junctn
of all / roads in 7c.
From Aarons HQ. you cd
see Mericourt, Cateau wood,
& / tin hats o / Germs in
the post, & the 13 Bn beyond.
There ws little arty
fire on 10^th - constant mg.
fire across our trenches from Cateau
Wood.
On night of 10^th they
were reld by 4x xx 43 Bn.
Up to time when 16 Bn got
to forming up positn No 3 (the
Green Red line) it had not one
casualty. exc. The one (first) casualty
wh ws one boy who ws shot in
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