Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/271/1 - 1917 - 1938 - Part 11

REPORT ON ATTACK BY THE ENEMY.
ON 54th. AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BATTALION ON 15th. MAY 1917.
Ref:- ECOUST-St.MEIN 1/10,000
and
ATTACHED SKETCH.
HEADQUARTERS

16.5.1917.
At 1 a.m. on the morning of the 15th. May the enemy opened up n
an intense bombardment along our left (54th) Battalion front line
trenches from U.29.b.70.95 to U23.d.40.10 and U29.b.60.90 with
heavy minenwerfer and "pineapple" bombs.
Under this bombardment the trenches were very badly knocked
about and our casualties were unfortunately heavy.
At 3 a.m. whilst this bombardment was still in progress a
barrage of 5.9"s and 77mm. was placed along our front line from
U.23.d.40.10 to the road at U.23.c.85.00.
The minenwerfer and "pineapple" bombardment ceased at 3.40 a.m.
when the barrage lifted to the rear of O.G.1. The enemy was then
observed to leave his trenches at U.29.b.60.80, extending to U23.d.,
and our line was attacked from U.29.b.60.80 to U.23.c.85.00
The attack on the left of our position was not made in any
very great strength and the enemy did not succeed in entering our
trenches but was driven off with heavy losses by our rifle fire,
leaving numerous dead and wounded in NO Man'S Land.
The attack on our right flank was made in massed formation and
in two parties (vide attached sketch) from U29.b.60.80 to U.23.d.60.00
After suffering very heavy losses from our rifle and machine
gun fire the enemy succeeded in gaining a foothold in one of our
posts at U.29.b.65.95. He was immediately heavily engaged by our
bombers, but being reinforced from U.29.b.80.80, succeeded in
bombing his way along O.G.1. to U.23.d.55.00, and Southwards along
the C.T. to U.29.b.60.95. Here he was checked by our bombing.
Three of our Stokes Mortars emplaced in the C.T. running from
U.29.b.95.30 to U.29.b.30.65 at once placed a heavy barrage in
front of the SUNKEN ROAD in U.29.b.
A local counterattack was immediately launched. The "S.O.S."
signal had been sent up and our barrage was put down as shewn on
attached sketch. The enemy means of retreat were thus cut off.
This counterattack was made from two directions as under:-

2
The counterattack was made from two directions as under:-
(a) Eastwards along O.G.2.
(b) Northwards along C.T. at U.29.b.60.95.
The result of (a) was to drive the enemy into a corner at the
head of the C.T. and Eastwards to the bombing xxxxxx block.
(b) Party drove the enemy back along the C.T. Northwards into O.G.2
from where the enemy tried to escape by getting out of the trench
and away across U.23.d.
As soon as the enemy were seen in the open and all jammed up
at the head of the C.T., a third counterattacking party left our
trench at U.29.b.60.95, and rushing O.G.2. at U.29.b.70.00, throwing
heavy showers of bombs into the now rather disorganised enemy,
succeeded in cutting off a large party. The party thus cut off,
though possibly willing to surrender were subjected to a terrific
hail of bombs and very concentrated M.G. fire and the whole party
was wiped out. Some of the party attempted to escape over the
open, but all of these were mown ^down by our rifle and machine gun fire
and if any escaped this fire (and it is very doubtful if any did)
they were either killed or wounded by our barrage, which completely
cut off their retreat. The enemy only occupied our trenches for
a period of about half an hour.
One of our Stokes guns was taken away from its position in the
C.T. and placed in NO MAN'S LAND in U.23.d., from where it enfiladed
the enemy trench east of the SUNKEN ROAD in U.29b. During the 

actual attack itself our casualties were comparatively slight but in
the preliminary bombardment our left Battalion lost approximately
54 killed and i80 (including 4 officers) wounded. The enemy
losses were exceptionally severe and over 250 dead (including 3
officers) wounded were left in and around our trenches and many
wounded were left lying in NO MAN'S LAND, whilst our barrage
undoubtedly accounted for many more.
During the night of the 15/16th. May we succeeded in bringing
in 1 officer and 2 other ranks of the enemy who had been wounded
during the attack, and also an enemy A.M.C. man who had been
attending to wounded.
From papers taken from off the dead and from information

3
obtained from prisoners it appears that the attack was made by 2
Battalions of the 91st. Lehr Infantry Regiment, accompanied by
STurm Truppen. Prisoners stated that they were very confident of
the ultimate success of their attack which, according to their
statements, had been carefully rehearsed.
The garrison of O.G.1. and O.G.2., consisting of 3½ companies
of the 54th. Australian Infantry Battalion, three machine guns of the
i4th. Australian Machine Gun Company, and three mortars of the
14th. A.L.T.M.B., though severely shaken by the xxxxx heavy bombardment,
reinforced by 2 Sections of the 56th. Battalion, succeeded in
ejecting the enemy without calling for further assistance.
(sgd) C.J. HOBKIRK,
Brigadier-General
Commanding, 14th. Australian Infantry Brigade.

Diagram - see original document

[*R40

53*]

A.A. & Q.M.G. 7th Division 4382/A. 22nd Infantry Brigade 3746/41.
7th Division.

"A".
Will you be so good as to convey to the 2nd Australian
Division my great appreciation of, and thanks, for, the work done by
their Medical Staff and Field Ambulances in assisting in the evacuation
of wounded of this Brigade, during the recent attack on BULLECOURT.
The whole of this Brigade are most grateful for their
assistance.
(sgd) J. STEELE
Brigadier-General,
Commanding 22nd Infantry Brigade.
6.5.17.

Headquarters,
2nd Australian Division.
In forwarding the attached letter from G.O.C., 22nd Infantry
Brigade, I wish to convey my own appreciation of the valuable assistance
afforded by the Medical Personnel of your Division, both during the
attack on BULLECOURT on May 4th and again during the attack in the
early morning of May 7th.
(sd) H. SHOUBRIDGE,
Major-General,
Commanding 7th Division.

8. 5. 17.

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53*]

D.D.M.S. 1 ANZAC AG/67
A.D.M.S.
1st Aust Div
2nd Aust Div
4th Aust Div
5th Aust Div
The Director Medical Services, Fifth Army
requests me to express to all ranks of the A.A.M.C. 
engaged in the recent operations, his great appreciation
of the manner in which the evacuation was carried out
by the stretcher bearers of Field Ambulances, and of
the excellent condition in which the wounded reached
the Casualty Clearing Stations.
He realizes that the devotion to duty shown
under very heavy shell fire could not have been 
surpassed, and that in spite of the heavy stress of work
all wounded arrived at the Casualty Clearing Stations
in a condition which testified to the thoroughness of
the work at the Dressing Stations.
Adv. Headquarters
1 ANZAC 10th May 1917.
(Sgd) C.C.Manifold Colonel.
D.D.M.S., lst ANZAC Corps.

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53*]
FIRST AUSTRALIAN DIVISION
Divisional Headquarters,
17th May, 1917.
C.0. 1st Aust. Fld Amb.
  "     2nd  "      "        "
"       3rd   "      "        "
The following message has been received by G.O.C. 1st Aust.
Division from G.O.C. 7th Division (British), and is forwarded for your
information and promulgation to the members of your Units :
"As the 7th Division has just come out of the line I wish to
take first opportunity of conveying thanks to stretcher bearers of lst
Aust. Div. on the great assistance they rendered to the wounded of 2nd
Gordons and 9th Devons after the attach on Bullecourt on May 7th.
(sd) R.B. HUXTABLE,
COLONEL, A.D.M.S.
First Australian Division.

Casualties of 5th F.A. Bde

while in NOREUIL VALLEY

(BULECOURT OPERATIONS 1917)

This total does not include

attached personnel as under

AMC 1 OFF W & 3 O.R. K & 1 OR W

R.F.C. 1 O.R. W

My dear Bean

Herewith list

as desired. Died of wounds

are as far as we have them.

Best of luck

Very Sincerely

[W.W.?] Lloyd

24/5/17

German C/a on 6 May at Bullecourt
Lt MacNeill 3rd ALTM Bty (a Scottish ship-repairer

out here for artillery experience (boiler maker at Largs Bay, S.A.)
before the war - after war engineer in Glasgow Yard; then 8 years in Aust.
[*in commercial pursuits owing to the effect of Scotland on his health. Now (1931) going back to Scotland as things are bad here.

"Once a Scotsman," he says "always a Scotsman."*]

Bombing began before dawn- in dark. First
ws from bomby pt. East of trench F in OG 1 to cover
them with TMs as Gs attg. Gun in sap N of

OG 1 ws brt into action (It covered tt part)
McNeill ws w this gun. Two guns in
G & gun in OG1  W. of G. were standing
by. The gun in sap fired 2 - 3 mins &
then things quietened. This was early
perh 3 a.m. The gun seemed to have steadied
them. Later it looked as if a feint ws
to made from OG 2. A pty came down F ↓
& anor pty across top from OG 2 ↓, &
2 guns in F were brt into action.
The attentn of the bombers in OG 2
was attracted by Gs in F, & when
this ws done Gs attd in OG 1 with

2 flwfr & bombing squad. The inf.
were pushed back. Gun in Sap shortened
& some Gs came around N of OG 1 to cover
adv of bombg pty w mgs & bombs. 

Diagram - see original document
Flwfr then got ahead. McN. got his gun

clear, pt of crew bombing Gs while
gun got clear, throwing gun shells as among bombs.
Rear gun ws brt into action to cover OG 1

or grd N of it, The gun & if poss to get onto
pty in crater & in OG 1.