Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/278/1 - Folder - Part 5

9 Aug  5 Div.
One 6" Newton mortar destroyed in action

8 Aug covered by
5 Div Arty report
9 Aug 14 13 F A Bde diary
At 9 am instructions recd that the opern would be
continued by 8 Inf Bde, followed by infy of 2 Divn
Orders were hasily issued. No details of 2 Div units
received, and it was not known where to find them.
CRA 2 Div called at 10.30 am & took
Caddy in his car to find infy brigadier
It was found that 7 Bde was to complete opern.,
and arrgts were made
10 Aug
covering 7 Inf Bde. 13 FA Bde HQ moved to Harbonnieres
near 7 Inf Bde H.Q.  Orders recd from 5 Div Arty that would be relieved
by 2 D.A.  As arrgts had meanwhile been made for an opern
at 9 pm and at request of GOC 7 Inf Bde, it was decided to complete
the opern with the infy before charge took place. Batteries, some of which
had marched out, were recalled to their old posns, ^ or other
posns in vicinity. Meanwhile 4 & 5 FA Bdes pulled
into action and placed themselves at the disposal of the group. 

5 Div Arty
10 Aug
In conjunction with attack by infy of 2 Div
the 13 FA Bde carried out shoots on areas
reported to contain enemy m/guns. Parties of
enemy also engaged. At. 7.15 pm. 51st and 113 Btys silenced a
section of 77's firing from R 28 d 93.
After opern. the btys of 13 FA Bde moved
into squares W6 & W12.
54 Bty silenced m/guns on high ground
in X18, firing over 200 rounds.
About 5 p.m. the 49 Bty and those of 14 FA Bde
were relieved by btys of 4^th and 5^th FA Bdes.
They were on the road to the V/Bret area when
orders recd to return and to have 200 rds per gun
in posn by 8.30 p.m. These btys came into
action alongside the posns vacated.
The opern was to have taken place at 9.30 pm
but was postponed till 4.30 a.m.
13 FA Bde report
Some bty bty FOO's unable to keep touch with infy owing to shortage
of cable. Some accompanied the infy and sent back messages
from the front line

5 Div Arty
11^th Aug
Attack at 4.30 am supported by
creeping barrage carried out by 13 & 14 Bdes.
Between 8 am and midday all btys
withdrew to mobile reserve, between
V/Bret and Hamel.

Lihons 9-11 Aug 1918
1 Div Arty
Orders for attack 9 Aug. 11 a.m.
Phase A (Green Line)
Liaison F.O.O.'s were to be supplied with attacking bns
8th Bn (on right) - one from 1 FA Bde
one from 2 FA Bde
7 Bn (on left) - one from 189 Bde
one from 298 Bde
→
For Phases B & C xx arty bdes will be at disposal of
Infy brigadiers —
1 & 2 AFA Bdes with right Infy Bde (2nd)
189 & 298 RFA Bdes with left .  .  .  - (3rd)
←For Phase A. ^ Arty Bde cdrs will support advance by firing
as oppty offers, either on information of FOO's or at
request of infy
 [*1D*] 

1 Div Arty
Orders for attack on 10 Aug.
zero hour 8 a.m.
From right to left - 1 FA Bde
2 FA Bde
189 Army Bde
298  "  "
At zero minus 15 mins barrage will come down on line
700 yds plus of the Red Line.  At zero it will lift and advance
at rate of 100 yds in 2 mins. until a line 300 yds plus
of the Blue Line is reached, where it will remain as a
protective barrage until stopped by orders of Infy
brigadiers.
Rates of fire

4.5 hows Two thirds of above rates: Hows will unform
to lefts of barrage keeping 200 yds ahead of
18 pdrs and being distributed across Bde lanes.
Each ^ arty Bde to have an F.O.O. with attacking troops 

1st Div Arty orders for 11/8/18 attack
4 a.m.
3 AFA Bde

had now taken place of 189 Army Bde RFA
Starting line - grid line between S 19, S 25 A1
A1 and S20, S26, A2 as far North as S 20 A 08
then 500 yds plus of Blue Line
Protective barrage line will be line parallel to and
700 yds plus of the Blue Line
[*From right to left - 1 FA Bde
2 FA bde
3 AFA (Army) Bde
298 Army Bde RFA*]
From zero to zero plus 2 mins. fire will be kept
on starting line  At zero + 2 min barrage will lift and
advance at rate of 100yds in 3 mins until Protective
barrage line reached.
Rates of fire

4.5" hows two thirds of above rates.
All 4.5" hows will bombard Lihons keeping 200 yds in advance
of 18 pdr barrage until they are E of village, when they will be
distributed across the own Bde lanes and will conform to the
18 pdr barrage keeping 200 yds in advance of it. 

Report
1st Div. Arty.    10/8/18
Report by officer in charge of
forward 18 pdr section in F 3 A 7 3 on 10 Aug
Ran line forward & got in touch with the infy
(6th Bn.) in approx A 1 d 55 which was the front
after the stunt in the morning not having reached
their final objective.
I could not get any information from
infy abt the other side, so had to work on
my own.
Located several m/gun posts, the
majority of which were silenced.
Throughout day some excellent targets
Ammun expended, about 260 rounds 

1st A.F.A. Bde (Lt Col J C Selmes)
9 Aug
7 am 1 FA Bde HQ estab at Guillaucourt W15a
4 pm 1 FA Bde HQ estab W 16 d 50 20
5.45 pm Lt Irwin (FOO 2 Bty) reports asks for arty fire urgently
beyond Red Line
101 How Bty instructed to fire at steady rate onto Central
Grid Line in X 29 extending S for 250 yds & searching back.
2 Bty orderd to fire on same co-ordinates with 40 rds per gun
1 Bty ordered to fire E from Central Grid Line in F 29 d 30 rds per gun.
6.5 pm Message recd from Lt Irwin (2nd Bty, FOO)
"Huns are massing in Crepy Wd X 30 a and are
moving forward to trenches on West side of wood. Trenches in
X 23 b are heavily held. Enemy guns on
true bearing 108^o firing from X 23 b. Six inch
how. requested to fire on Crepy Wd."
6.20 pm Major Sexton (101 How Bty) reports: "Huns
are now returning in disorder and enemy guns
near the front have ceased firing."
6.30 pm btys ordered ^ to move forward
10 pm btys ready for action
1 Bty X 19 c 80 70
2 Bty X 19 d 20 40
3 Bty X 19 c 50 70
101 How Bty X 25 b 55 45.
[*Selmes 1 Bde*] 

2
1 FA Bde (contd)
Aug 10
8 a.m. all btys took part. in ^ 2 AI Bde operation.
12 noon 1 Bty moved to X 27 c 00 50
2 Bty X 27 c 40 50
3 Bty X 28 c 00 00
101 Bty X 27 c 50 00
Aug 11 opened fire again 4 am  Attack renewed on Blue Line
6.45 am. Lt Zehnder F.O.O. (X 26) requests
protective barrage be put down again as
infy have not yet reached Blue Line
7 am opened fire at slow rate
1 rd per gun per minute
Locations
1 Bty X 28 d 42 38
2 Bty X 27 c 50 50
3 Bty F 3 b 50 50
101 Bty F 3 b 80 40 (2 hows)
  "  F 4 b 00 25 (4 hows)
5 pm Protective barrage put down on SOS
lines at slow rate 1 rd per gun per min