Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/278/1 - Folder - Part 7

5 FA Bde

Aug 8
The work of the arty was not very difficult on xxx 2 Div.
front. After the barrage we moved forward as defensive
arty & after capture of final objective took up posns S
of Bayonvillers to defend Blue Line.
The horses stood the test well.
D A C kept up supply of ammun splendidly

Aug 9 Moved out of line into Corps reserve

Aug 10 Moved into line to take over from 13 F A Bde
but as opern was taking place did not take over
from them until follg. morning. Our btys assisted
with harassing fire.
Aug 11 Took over from 13 FA Bde at 11 a.m. & became
right group (4 FA Bde being subgroup) 

14th Bde

21st Bde
B G H A  Aust Corps
War diary
8 Aug
Btys began to advance at 8 am. & by 5 pm. 22 heavy
and siege btys were in action in Warfusee - Cerisy Valley
Harassing fire carried out, first on left portion of Corps front N. of Proyart,
& after dusk, when the cavalry had returned, over the whole front.
Advance of btys on left hampered by hold up of III Corps, Several
m/guns & other targets across river engaged by 6" hows over
open sights.
9 Aug Lihons attack 11 a.m. HA action consisted of intense
harassing fire on tactical points outside final objective.
This continued for one hour & was folld by bursts of fire.
During afternoon assisted III Corps, six batteries
engaging Chipilly Spur.  Guns had to be pulled out of
pits to obtain the necy switch.
14^th, 21st, & 69^th H A Bdes ordered to positions on line
Harbonnieres-Bayonvillers-Morcourt.

10 Aug Heavy harassing fire maintained. Arty & m/gs at Chaulnes
& concentrations of enemy in Etinehem & Bray engaged.
At 5.50 pm. three brigades "were opened" to meet enemy c/attack
in S.19.  Fire subsequently continued on valleys in R34 -28-39
on enemy barraging our front line.
Supported our attack at 9.30 - six bdes employed.
Moves -
69 & 21 Bdes. - All 6" hows & 60 pdrs from Warfusee to W3-4, Q34-35.
68 Bde - Rear 6" hows & one section 8" hows, to ^ Cerisy. Q13-19-21 and
Morcourt
9 Bde- Rear 60 pdrs & all 6" hows, to Q 13-19-21 and Morcourt
5 Bde - 3 sections 6" hows to Q 23-29
51 Bde -2 sections 6" hows & 3 sections 60pdrs to Chipilly
Tactical situation admitted of moves being proceeded with in daylight
where necessary 

2

B G H A
Aug 11
From 4 am to 6 a.m, three bdes supported operns of
1 & 2 Aust Divs. by concentrating on Chaulnes and harassing
special targets outside objective.
Attack by 3 Div. in evening supported by 3 brigades
Moves -
14 Bde - All 6" hows to X 20

5 Bde - Remaining 6" hows, joined forward
93 Bde - Two 6" Hows & 35 Heavy Bty to Vauvillers
68 Bde - 1 section 8" hows joined forward section at Cerisy
51 Bde - Remg. hows of 283 Siege Bty & guns of 137 Heavy Bty to
Chipilly  255 Siege Bty & 138 Heavy Bty to
K29 and K35
73 Bde. 6" gun btys to Q 9 a, W11 a, W11 c 

9 Bde. 1 section of 128 H Bty to Q 21
8 & 77 Btys left corps arty this day.

Aug 12 Supported 3 Div attack at Mericourt 8.30 pm by fire
of 9^th, 68, & 5 Bdes.
Moves
93 Bde - 2/1st Lowland H Bty to Vauvillers
68 Bde - One section 8" hows to Q 17
9 Bde. - 128 HBty to Q 17-18c
21 Bde - 24 S.Bty & 71 & H Bty to Q 35 -W5- W6
73 Bde - 504 S Bty completed move to Cerisy  

Aug 8
Aust Corps Heavy Arty.
"Z" Group (Lt Col  H Rowan Robinson)
14th Bde RGA. (Lt Col H Rowan Robinson)
21st Bde  RGA (Lt Col E L Hardcastle)
68th Bde RGA (Lt Col. C. W. Swinton)
8th Bde RGA (Lt Col. G F.S Tuke)

93 Bde RGA  (Lt Col H. C. Moultrie)
"Y" Group (Lt Col. W F T Corrie)
5th Bde RGA (Lt Col. A L B . Jacob)
69 Bde RGA (Lt Col W.F T Corrie)
9 Bde RGA (Lt Col C H W. Owen)
77 Bde RGA (Lt Col de Walters)
Long Range Brigade
73 Army Bde RGA (Lt Col H R Adams) 

Extrats from BGHA messages
Aug 8 II am to all Bdes. All guns to cease firing -
Cavalry out. (not to apply to rly guns)
1.20 pm. from GOCRA. Movemt on left flank to be cut to minimum
until situation clearer.  Btys advised.
2.30 from lll CHA.  Stop firing on Chipilly, abb to attack.
4.50 3.55 pm from lll CHA Chipilly not yet taken
6 pm from lll CHA Are bombdg Chipilly 7-7.30 pm & then

lifting. Don't want help.

6.5 pm from lll CHA Can we bombard Chipilly more

7-7.30 pm (Yes)
6.20 pm To all Bdes except 14, 73, 21. All guns that can
bear to concentrate on Chipilly village S  of the church from 7 to 7.30.
Intense fire.

6.45 pm from lll Corps H A. Don't shoot on Chipilly. (Bdes
notified at 6.49)
9.20pm from lll CHA Now got Chipilly.
11 pm from lll CHA Chipilly Lost.
Aug 9 12.35 p.m. to 9 Siege Bde Put two 60 pdr btys and two 6." ^ how btys
on roads S and inclus. of road running N E from Chipilly to
K 35 a 40 and on Cliff K29 e and be prepared to lift from E to
W. at 2.30 pm.  Rate normal
12.45 to 68 Bde Put all avail hows on to Chipilly

village and banks to E on N side of village. No fire N of Q
squares

l pm to 9 Bde ^ & 68 Bde Put one 60 pdr bty on valley K12 and 18
at normal rate
l.30 pm to 9 & 68 Bdes.  Cease all fire on Chipilly Spur. Continue

on K12 & 18. 

8pm To 9 & 68 Bdes lll Corps H A now wish us to cease
firing on K12 & 18 for good. Harassing of
ridge in K36 should be included in tonights propamme
for 9 Bde.
8.5  pm from SORA. Anzac HA to take over 51 Bde and small
area N. of Somme.

Aug 10  9 a.m. from GOCRA We can get into touch with 51 Bde. We take this
over from 8 am today and Bray-Corbie road and to S of it. 

From Report of Counter Battery Staff Officer
Aust Corps Heavy Arty
Between July 29 ^ and date of attack the sound ranging sections,
working day & night, located almost every German
[*37 40
33 Div
2 vols*]
gun which fired, "thus revealing the new
disposns of the enemy arty at the moment when
information was most wanted".   Locations.
confirmed by ^ aeroplane & Balloon observer, and observation groups.
After advance on 8 Aug it was immed clear that not only had
nearly all enemys arty on the front been captured, but also that his avail
reserve was very small. Scarcely any shelling occd for nearly 72
hours apart from a few rounds from 15 cm guns sited a long
way back, and from one or two 7.7 cm guns which were operating
with the enemy infy.
On 12 Aug it was noticed that forces of hostile arty were
collecting, first in the form of 15cm and 10c.m. guns, and later
the activity of these gradually declined and a 10.5cm, 15c.m.
and 21 c.m. howitzers were identified.
The increase of activity contd until our attack of 23 Aug.
From that date indications that the enemy was abt to retire to a line
of resistance behind Somme began to appear. Shelling was
continued in considble volume until night of 25/26^th when
heavy concentrations were placed upon the valley running S from
Proyart to Rainecourt
Subsequent shelling until enemy finally withdrew across
Somme was cd out by guns well back, which gradually came into action

as our infy advanced into range, supplemented by a no. of
field guns which fought retirement actions with the infy.
Throughout whole period from Aug to Oct work of locating
hostile posns necessarily devolved almost entirely of aeroplanes and balloons
Owing to favble weather ^ much valuable informn obtd.  On 23 Aug however a
Sound Ranging Section which had succeeded in getting into action, was able to work  

2
under suitable conditns and up to 25 Aug obtd
considble no. of good locations. Flash observation
sections were less fortunate, chiefly owing to
indifferent ground visibility
On morning of 30 Aug one of immed results of
Mt St Quentin attack was the beginning of a second
withdrawal of enemy arty.  Up to this date sufficient
locations had been obtd to show that the bulk of the guns had been grouped in the
area E of Somme between rivers Cologne and  Omignon.
with a subsidiary group N E of Doingt. The latter
retired as soon as our infy advanced upon the line Moisland-Peronne,
and the troops defending Peronne were supported almost
entirely from the btys S of the Cologne R. It soon became
evident however that a rearward movemt of these btys was taking place.
As before 15cm, 10 cm, and even 7.7 cm guns sited far back
covered the withdrawal, stiffened by a few field guns
which remained with Germ. infy for sniping purposes.
Next stand was on the line Epehy - Vendelles - Vermand - Savy.
This line held till 18 Sept when driven back by our infy.
Prior to this attack enemy ^ considerably thickened as arty and a large 

no of
locations indicated groups of btys around Bellecourt,
Bellenglise, and the more forward ones in the ravines and valleys
on the  line G 8-L 31.
Shortly before the attack signs of a rearward movement
by enemy arty was indicated by the locations recd. That this
retiring movement was not fully effected was demonstrated
by the capture in the attack of abt 50 guns inclg a number of heavy
hows.

Aug-Oct 1918
Counter Battery Methods, Aust Corps.
Except during the three or four pauses in the
advance, the heavier hows [8"and upwds]
were not as a rule brought into action, and most of the work had
to be done by 6" hows and 60 pdr guns, the field arty coopertg
when their btys cd reach the hostile guns.
Except on certain specific occasions there was no special
allotmt of Bdes for c/Bty or bombdt work.  All Bdes
took their share.
The front of advance was divided by B G H A into bde
lanes, which were altered from time to time as situation changed.
These lanes were used as the c/bty areas of bdes, subject to
such alterations as were necessitated by limits of range of different
weapons, local concentrns of enemy arty, etc. Thus bdes
with 60 pdr btys covered the bad areas of those which had none,
until such time as long range 8" and 9.2" hows came
up into action.
Throughout the whole period of the advance the wind was westerly
and so unfavble for SoundRangers.  S.R. Sections only
brought into action at times when enemy appd likely to make a
stand for some days. They came into action on the line
Chuignes and Lihons, on the line of the Sommne, and on the
Hindenburg Line.  Observation of fire by S/R sections only brought
off in very few instances; one largely to diffs of commun. but

Aeroplane & balloon work generally good
also to need of exceptionally favble weather conditns for
observns of sound.

Aeroplane & balloon work generally good.