Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/280A/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 4

26 Sept - 3 Oct
1^st Div Arty

26 Sept  During night extensive gas bombdt on selected points
of much recent enemy activity.  A certain proportion of
HE mixed with B.B gas shell in order to disguise
the smaller burst of the gas shell.  As BB affords little
indication of its presence, other types of gas shell not included in
bomddt.  This was the first time B.B. gas shell used by
1 Div Arty.  Bombdt  carried out in intermittent bursts of
intense fire. (9.30p.m. to 4.30 am)
27 Sept  Soon after daylight preliminary bombt commenced
for forth coming opern. Confined to cutting lanes in wire
and intense harassing fire.  Wire cutting cd out with 4.5" hows,
6" hows, and 6" T/M's.  M.P.I's selected at intervals
through the belts of wire and a series of 100 rounds or 75 rds
per how. fired on each MPI in accordance with the
strength of the wire.
29 Sept.  Allotment of F.A. on 30 Amercian Div front (under
CRA 1 Aust Div)
1 Div Arty
2  "     "
12 Army Bde AFA   }
65   "         "      RFA  }    Right Div. creeping
84   "         "         "     }    Barrage bdes
150   "        "         "     }
6 Army Bde AFA          Right flank barrage bde.
For exploitation to Red Line by 5 Aust Div.
(under CRA. 5  Div)
5 Div Arty
6 Army Bde  AFA
For exploitation Southwards to Red Line (under CRA 1 Div)
1 Div Arty + one army bde. 

2
1  Div Arty
29 Sept   At 5.50 a.m. FA barrage opened up on a line 200 yds
E of the "Infy forming up line" and at 5.54 began move fwd
at rate of 100yds every 4mins.  When arty halt
line reached barrage halted for 15 mins (7.22 to 7.37)
and then advanced at same rate till Protective Barrage
Line to the first objective, was reached 400 yds E of Green
line.  [6th AFA Bde formed smoke screens on right
flank of divn.  This consisted of three separate
smoke screens - one by the how. bty. from 5.50 am
to 5.53 put down in five salvoes from W to E
each on a frontage of 150 yds, and from 5.53 to 6.20
bty fire 5 seconds along the whole frontage G21b 90
- G22A2575 - G16d20 00.  Second smoke
screen formed by three 18 pdr btys from 5.50
a.m to 6.20. when the how bty having completed the
first screen joined in.  The third smoke screen
was cd out by the whole bde, from 7.46 to 8.30.
[*A thick mist 
prevented
observation 

of more than abt
50 yds ahead, 
until about 9 a.m.
Remainder of day
brilliantly fine*]
Enemy reply to barrage feeble at first.  By 6a.m.
G8b, G14d, G10central being heavily bombarded.
By 7am all hostile fire had eased off considbly.
" Information was recd that our troops had crossed the
canal well up to time and at 7.55 a.m.  All was
reported going well until at 8.4 a.m. tanks and infy
were reported on the line A27central and G3central.
From this time until the evening reports were very
conflicting. as to the situation.  The only full and reliable
informn. which came through at all being that furnished by
officers patrols seat out of Arty bdes, especially
Lieuts Lewis and Murray of 1st AFA Bde. ....."

3
1 Div Arty
29 Sept  The failure to "mop up" rendered advance of 5 Div.
btys extremely difficult. "In fact they were unable
to do so until after some considble time numerous
isolated enemy detachments had been cleared out of Bellicourt
at 12.55.
1.40 p.m.  At 1.40 the C.O. of 13 AFA Bde [advanced Bde of
5 Div Arty] after a reconnaissance decided to
retire on to posn at G9A, B, &D and eventually
ocupied posns as folls.-
53Bty     G9a 0090
54  "        G 8 d 8075
55  "        G2c 8080
114  "       L 6a 5030    [4 hows]
4.35pm   At Lt Col Dixon (150 Army Bde) reported his
btys in action behind crest at G7d 40 20
An excellent report was recd from Lt Murray, 1 FABde,
Right Group.
" 4.15 pm Lt. Murray was on G 11a 1010. Our
infy are still where I left them at 12.30 pm.  The 29^th
and 30^th  Aust Bns are here.  The 30th are in front
of 29th by 300yds.  Enemy are still holding the
Le Catelet-Nauroy line and is either observing
from Cabaret Wd Fm or G6d..  The infy on our left
are just coming up in line with us now.  Tanks are
supportg them and tried to get up on to ridge at G6c
but were fired at by M/G's.  Enemy arty are firing
at and hitting every tank that tries to advance.  Also
saw Boche get out of trench G6d and run eastwards.
Enemy are putting down constant barrage with all 

4
1 Div Arty
29 Sept  Calibres round G10 C and d  G11 a and c
G17 and also good percentage of sneezing gas.
I have managed to get to the  Catelet-Naurory which is being
held by the 29Bn S of G 5d.  They are not in touch
with anybody on the left and seem absolutely lost as to the posn in 
general.  Enemy is still holding post on high
ground G6d Lamp Signal Station.  Co. Cdr also
forward.  BHQ 1 are at G10d 80 80 in a shellhole
and trying to find out abt people on left.  Infy in front 

line say enemy hold same line left of them but
cannot be certain.  I am certain enemy are holding
ridge in G6d along twds Cabaret Farm
Wood.  One coy of 29Bn have withdrawn to
supports into bank running G10 d 00 50 to
50 90.  Timed 5 p.m."
On the left 119 Amer. Regt held Cabaret Wd Fm
but had not been able to link up with the 27 Div on their left and this
flank was being hard pressed by the enemy at 7.55p.m.
The outstanding features of the whole opern was the
splendid results recd from officers patrols
sent out from Arty Bdes.  Owing to the design of all
other communications than arty these officers had to
obtain all their informn by personal reconnaissances
throughout the whole opern.  Then reports were the
only details of the situation recd by the CRA and the GOC
30 American Divn. 

1 Div Arty    6. 5
Report ^by Lt HG Strong (1Div Arty) of Reconnaissance of lanes cut by
Artillery fire in H.Line wire on
"A" Division sector, Aust Corps
Reconnaissance on 1/10/18 of the extensive belts of
wire extending from E &W. Gridline from A27 central down
to G16 B.
"In nearly all instances I found that MPI was established
well in the centre of the belts of wire and the rectangle of the series fired
on these MPI's had cut considble lanes varying from 6 to 10
feet in width.
" In some lanes strands of wire were still intact
but others were so well cut that I was able to ride a horse right through,
which I did at G3c 30 25, G3a 20 30, G 9d 32
"At A 27 C 00 the MPI had  had not been estab.
on the wire and the series fired was short of the main belt.
" I do not think any of the other lanes cd have presented the
slightest diffy to the advancing  infy
"During a conversation with the GOC 30 Amer Div. on my
return, he stated that he had not recd a single a/c of any
diffy his bdes had had in crossing the wire and as far as he cd
ascertain (had done ) without a hitch".
map ^showing lanes attached to 
report 

6.
1Div Arty
Report of Lt AN Lewis 3Bty
Liaison officer with 3Bn, 120 Regt (30 Amer Div)
29/30 Sept 1918.
On morning 29 Sept all troops of 3Bn were reported in posn on the tapes by 4.30.
A tank officer reported 4 heavy tanks in posn behind ridge in G20 a 55 abt the
same time.  No sound of the approach of the tanks cd be heard even in the support line
Enemy quiet, no shelling on 3Bn sector until our barrage started.
The whole barrage line was clear of our men. The German SOS feeble,
chiefly 4.2 hows mixed with few 77's.  No gas was used on 3Bn sector.
Our barrage remd. for 4mins on the start line, thus enabling German SOS
to fall before our men got off the tapes.  A few casualties in first 100yds.
The smoke was very dense and when the infy had gone a few 100 yds
they were right out of sight.  Very little inform was obtainable.  No messages
were sent back but by questioning wounded I ascertained that
the Canal had been passed, that consid opposn had been encountered, that the infy were
keeping well up to the barrage, that Bellicourt had been taken.
Then persistent rumours came back that m/gs were firing from the
Canal.  I cd get no def. informn abt that so I went down to
Bruyere Ravine nearly to the Canal and was satisfied that no M/Gs
were firing from within 1000 yds of the canal, altho a few
spent bullets were falling, and there was considble noise coming from
direction of Nauroy.  Considble number of dead in front of
were in G9c and d.  Examined several and saw that most caused by M/G
or rifle bullets.  The casualties were heavy up to this stage
but most cases were slight.  The number of dead in proportion to the
wounded was very small.  One coy cdr killed and another wdd at
this position -  this appears to have] disorganised matters considably.
The 117 Regt which was in support to the 120th also got "confused" with
120th very early.  Almost every wounded man stated
that the majority of the casualties were caused by getting into
our own barrage.
It appears that the tanks did not catch up to the infy until the
infy had reached the head of the Canal, but they did good 

1 Div Arty     7
work in Bellicourt and later in Nauroy
When the 120 Regt got to about the N & S grid line
between G10 and G11, the 5 Aust Div passed them.  Accdg. to
all the inform available the Americans had by that time stopped.
Considble opposnwas encountered from the Nauroy line.  There were
numerous heavy M/Gs captured here.
Abt 6 pm. there were so many conflicting reports that I went
to see where the 3 Bn were and found them in C/T'S in G10b and d
and G11 a & C.  These troops stated they were the front
line and] asked for an SOS barrage.  I did not think that
probable and went up twds Nauroy.  In the outskirts of which I found
some men of the 8 Aust Bde, who stated they were holding the Green
line and the whole of Nauroy.  The American's persistently
maintained that they were being fired on by M/Gs from Nauroy
but I made sure that the trouble was only spent bullets
coming over Nauroy from the vicinity of Estrees.
Hostile arty fire was very light throughout.  Bellicourt and
later Nauroy; heavily shelled also area between, chiefly
77's with a few 4.2's
During night and early morning of 30th  the bns
reorganised and occupied defensive posns. on both sides of the
canal.  At 8 am I went to see exactly what posn was.
I walked through Bellicourt and then S.  On the E bank of the canal to abt
La Baraque, then E up the ridge to where some RFA
18 pdr btys were in action.  They stated they were firing
due E on range of abt 2000 yds.   I then walked across
country to X-road  in G 18a 22 & along the road to abt
G18 a78 where I met men of 8 Aust Bde. They
stated they had been in that posn all night.  They were then
pushing fwd on the right to keep in touch with divn on the right and they
expected to advance all along line as soon as the left flank came up.
They were under considble M/G fire. 

1 Div Arty     8
I then walked to abt G12 central but seeing no one in front
turned back and went round the rear of Nauroy to G6 c
central where I found some more 5 Div infy who stated they
were only waiting for the left to come up to advance.  Heavy M/G fire
coming from left.  I cd see that the ridge between G6 central and
Cabaret Wood Fm was held by our troops & I then retd to
Bellicourt.   In that piece of country I saw only an occasional
dead American and no dead Austs, and very few dead Germans.
There were numbers of captured M/Gs, rifles, and SAA
dumps W of Nauroy, also numerous newly dug trenches and
posts.  There was a complete 77 gun captured at
Gl8a 18, and a 5.9 how, with one wheel shot off, at
G16b 05 30, and large quantities of 77, 4.2, 5.9, and 8"
ammun. in Bellicourt and along the Canal.
The wire throughout was very well cut.  Complete gaps
existed every 50 yds or so up to the Nauroy line.  This is
exclusive of tank routes.
The Americans said that the smoke barrage
greatly interfered with them. 

1 Div Arty      5   9
30 Sept.      12 Army Bde AFA   }
                      84    "      "       RFA   }       Came under
                      65    "      "       RFA   }       CRA 5 Aust Div
                       4 & 5 AFA Bdes      }       in morning
                       6 Army Bde  AFA   }
1 & 2 AFA Bdes and 150 Army Bde RFA
withdrawn during morning to waggon lines
Oct 1   1 & 2 AFA Bdes and 150 Army Bde
moved into line, under CRA 2 Aust Div 

1 FA Bde    (Lt Col E T Dean)
25 Sept  4.40a.m.  ^3 Bty reports S.O.S on our front (3 erd rockets).  Has opened fire.
4.42  Left Group say SOS on right Corps front
4.45  Liaison officer (Lt Broome), right infy bn reports SOS
on  left div  front, and that our people do not want any fire.
5.4  3 Bty report SOS on our front and they are firing
5.5  Right Sub Group ordered to open on SOS.   1 FABde firing on SOS
5.7  2 FA Bde ordered to open fire
5.14  150 Army Bde ordered to open fire
5.57  ^3 Bty reports SOS again up on our right and left L17c 35 00
61^o and  101^o
6.2  Lt Broom reports enemy broken through and are using
tanks.
6.7  All Bdes and btys ordered to reopen on SOS
6.15  LT Broome reports enemy tanks coming through
G 14 B & D.  Major Rigg ordered to send one
gun on to the ridge in front to engage tanks.
3rd Bty gun teams ordered to bty posn.
6.25  Lt Broome reports no enemy tanks in action.
6.35  All Bdes ordered cease fire.
6.45am  Lt Broome reports outposts of centre coy attacked;
result unknown.
8.15 pm.  SOS on our front.  All quiet by 8.30.
28 Sept.   1Bty L 17d 9315
                   2Bty L 17d 8853
                   3Bty L 17c 7020
                   101Bty  L 24A 3728
Lt Col Dean commands Right Group Arty, consisting of
1 & 2 AFA Bdes
84 Army Bde RFA
150    "        "       "