Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/280A/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 8

3
2 Div Arty
Oct 4 6am 6 Aust Inf Bde & 7 British Bde attacked.
2 Div Arty orders (issued by wire at 1 a.m. 4 Oct)
Attack will be supported with creeping barrage by Right &
Left groups, Right Group with 2 Bdes, Left Group
with all available. South of the road N E from B 23a 0 4
advance of 6 ^Inf Bde will be supported by remg arty of Right
group under arrgts with GOC 6 AIBde. Barraget to be carried out with
lifts - Start Line will be
B 23a 40 75 along 118 to 122 line to B 16 b 11
thence to B1655 B 16 55.55 and along 102 to 106 line to B 15 b 74
thence to B 16 a 18 & along 114 to 118 line to B 9 d 35 60
thence to B 9 d 00 35 and along 106 to 110 line to B 9 a 00 35
thence to B 9 a 69 & along 122 to 126 line to B 2 d 85 60
thence to N 3 a 35 30 & along 138 to 142 line to T 26 d 35 55.
Barrage will open on above start line. Where start line is
on the 102 to 106 line it will rest there for 10 mins and then
advance at rate of 100 yds for 4 mins, the whole
barrage then conforming to this rate until arrival on
Green Line when all fire ceases.
4.5 hows will move 200 yds in advance of 18 pdrs
Left Group from zero to plus 120 to place barrages
with one 4.5 bty on each of lines B 10 c 41 to B 10 d 15 70,
abd B 9 d 69 to B 10 a 60 65. Right flank
barrage will be road NE from B 23 a 04. Inter group
boundary B 16 q 00 to B 11 b 05. Rates of fire: zero
to plus 10 mins, 18 pdrs 3 rds pgpm, 4.5 hows 2 rds pgpm.
Plus 10 mins onwards, 18 pdrs xxxx & 4.5 hows, 1 rd pgpm
 

2 Div Arty
4
Oct. 4.  6.40 a.m. Left Group stated barrage opened to time.
8.30 a.m. 25 Div Arty requested was to cease our barrage in
B 9 d. Left group informed.
Noon Liaison officer with Right Inf Bde reported
hostile bty in action in B 12 c central
12.30 pm. Left group reports having recd message
from forward stating that Devons attacked two
hours late and made little progress.
Occupation of Bellevue Fm' and Beaurevoir doubtful.
Left flank of Devons in air at B 2 b 35.
3.25  25 Div Arty requested ^arty assistance as
parties of enemy observed entering Beaurevoir
from N and NE. 9 Bde RGA instructed
to engage exits of village of this side.
6 pm. 104 & 118 Army Bdes passed to
command of CRA 25 Div., remaining in their
present posns.
84,65. & 150 Army Bdes withdrew to
Waggon lines, coming under CRA 18 Div
10,11,13,14 AFA Bdes & 6tj Army Bde AFA
reported in action. Regrouped —
Right Group (under C O 13 FA Bde)
10,11,13,14 AFA Bdes
Left Group (under C O 12 Army Bde)
4 & 5 AFA Bdes
6 & 12 Army Bdes AFA
 

2 Div Arty
5
4 Oct
Arty Orders for 5 Oct attack -
18 pdrs Open at Zero on start line, remain there
till zero + 4 mins, then left and move fwd at
a uniform rate  of 100yards per 4 mins. On
arriving on the Protective Line fire will be kept on this
line till zero + 120
4.5 hows  Will conform to 18 pdr barrage,
moving 200 yds E of it. How. Fire will be confined to
bombs of Montbrehain.
18 pdrs will fire one round of smoke on each of the
first 6 lifts. On the Protective Line 10%
smoke will be used as available.
Two bdes will be used by the Left Group for the creeping
barrage; remainder xxx bombarding selected area
outside area of creeping barrage
Rates of fire xxxxxxxxxx
From Zero to arrival at objective line
18 pdrs. 2 rds pgpm
4.5 hows 1 rd pgpm
Then to Zero + 90
18 pdrs 1 rd pgpm
4,5 hows ½ rd pgpm
Then to + 120
½ rd pgpm both 18 pdrs and 4.5 hows.
 

2 Div Arty
(6)
Oct 5.
1.15 pm  Left group reported enemy seen at I 9a 13,
I 10 c, I 7 d 85 25, I 13 d 58. 1st Gloucesters
are in road I 19 b 28 and I 19 c 24 and and out of
touch with units on their right flank. Informn passed to
46 Div.
5.25 .  25 Div Arty 2 asked to offer assistance in attack on
Beaurevoir at 6.15. Line to Left Group
down and communication not possible
6 pm  13 & 14 FA Bdes passed to reserve but
remained "silent" in present posns.
6 AFA passed to Right group. which
now consisted of
6 Army Bde AFA
10 & 11 AFA Bdes
Lef Group -  5 & 4 AFA Bdes and 12 Army Bde AFA
Oct 5/6  2nd Aust Div relieved by 30 Amer Div.
but 2 Div Arty remains in line
Oct 6  1.10 pm. 7 & 8 FA Bdes allotted to Left Group
                            13 & 14   "     "        "           "   Right Group.
 

2 Div Arty Report 3-8 Oct 1918
3 Oct  xxxx Arty Bdes instructed on aftn of  Oct 1 to
reconnoitre fwd posns, enabling barrage to be placed
3500 yds beyond Beaurevoir system. Two bdes per
group [Right and Left] occupied these fwd posns at
dusk on Oct 2. 200 rds xxx ^dumped at each gun.
The advance to the objective held up by stiff resistance.
4 & 5 AFA Bdes did not move forward but each
advance sections in close support of infy.
After firing into  barrage the 1 & 2 FA Bdes (1 Div)
withdrew to corps reserve.
On night Oct 3/4 Div front shortened.
Attack contd on 4th. Notification not recd till
late hour on 3rd necessitating transmission
orders by wire. Nevertheless creeping barrage
successfully placed at zero hour.
During aftn of 3rd CRA confirmed that Div front
was extending S wards at night 4/5th and that attack would be made on
Montbrehain on 5th. Also that British army Bdes
would be eplaced by 4 & 5 Div Artys. and 6 AFA Bde -
all under CRA 2 Div. All bdes in action
by 6 pm 4th Oct. Dumping of ammun. contd
throughout night
5 Oct  Operation covered by creeping barrage. More
guns per yard than previously were able to be employed
on a/c of the comparatively small frontage attack.
 

2 Div Arty Report
(2)
During the operns on these three days (Oct 3-5] the barrages
employed had moved at the rate of 100 yds per 4 mins
after leaving Start line. This rate apparently
satisfactory. There were no Halt Lines.
In the opern of Oct 3 the latter portion of barrage was
resolved into the bombdt of selected localities.
A small percentage of smoke shell was used
throughout.
Considble diffy in the supply of ammun, but at no time was any
shortage felt at the guns. Supply was difficult owing to necessity
to use the few good roads from the very broken Bellicourt
country. Congestion of traffic' and blocks occd.
To obviate this larger quantities of ammun carted to
gun posns during daylight.
Another diffy was communication. The route to
groups was long, cable waggons being restricted to a
few good roads. Lines restricted accordngly
and frequently cut by traffic . Tanks moving at
night were also source of trouble.
The activity of the enemy arty xx in our bty areas
was rather in the nature of c/preparation from abt one hour
before dawn until opening and our barrage.It then
usually ceased, due no doubt to a certain
extent of our c/batteries. Enemy harassing fire
considble during hours of darkness.
 

4 FA Bde
Oct 2  Report pf Lt K. Ekensteen F.O.O. 11 Bty 
?Oct 3
The first objective xx won by 25 Bn was taken
to time xxx and the 26 Bn pushed through 25th and met with little
opposn; but at 0011 the infy retired from
positions on Prospect Hill, Guizeaucourt Farm,
& Bellevue Farm to posns at B 8 central
B 9 c.00 75 & S slope of Prospect Hill.
At this partic time arty support was Nil.
Up to 0011 I had no commun. whatsoever.
Visual [[heving?]] failed and wire was not to be had.
I sent a report by runner that arty was
urgently reqd and sections of btys cd do
splendid work. As the enemy was pulling out a few
large guns and also bringing up 77 mm guns.
Boche were observed in numbers of 50 strong
entering Guizeaucourt and Bellevue Fms in morning
at different periods.
Shooting of 18 pdrs in a few cases was very
bad. Reported from 12 AFA Bde "18 pdr fired
20 rounds on S/Point in B 14 a 9040 at 1200 hrs."
xx A barrage was laid down, at request of infy,
but was falling 300 to 400 yds short. This was soon
lifted but a few 18 pdrs were still dropping
very short indeed.
Situation at 1230 normal.
 

xx
Ekensteen's report
(2)
5 pm  Communication effected with 11 Bty
13 Bty did some splendid shooting on movement and
repulsed party of 50 Germans preparing to c/attack.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
This bty commenced shooting at 3 pm with a section of
forward guns.
6.30 pm heavy concentration of enemy was seen bu Lt
Marriott and men about B 22 a 70 80 (bank and
hedge) and along valley to NE. Reported to
5 FA Bde. 11th Bty did some
splendid shooting and caused enemy take
shelter. At 7.30 a bombdt of this valley
commenced.
The shrapnel bursts during the barrage were
very high.
 

4 FA Bde
Oct 5.
attack   Lt Col Callaghan to act as Liaison Officer
Oct. 5  Lt Marriott F O O
11.30 a.m.  F.O.O. reports heavy M/G fire from Doon
Hill Mill engaged by 11 & 104 Btys - 100 rds
18 pdr, 200 rds 4.5.how. Major Steele & Capt
Copley at OP observing fire. They also
reported enemy in sunken road which they are shelling
1.30 pm  Had talk with Marriott on phone, who
reported enemy still attacking. We still held
Montbrehain but had given way on N side.
2.9. p.m.  Major Steele reported that 12 Bty had line to OP
and was assisting him in shooting up movement in
I 2a and I 8b.
2.40.  Sunken roads in B 30 a and c reported to be
full of infy. 10 & 104 Btys ordered. fire
150 rds each on these roads.
4 pm. Rang up ^Adjutant of Group and told him the posn which btys
were in, in respect of observation by enemy
from Beaurevoir and asked him for permission to move.
Consented. Ordered 104 Bty move back a
section at a time.
[*10 Bty had
previously reported
that it was out of observn
from Beaurevoir*]
5.15. Capt Dimond reported enemy attacking
from Doon Mill and he had opened fire.
5.16 All communication cut by shell fire
[re-established at 6 pm]
 

4 FA Bde
2
5.20  Inform recd that Beaurevoir in now in our hands.
6 pm. Btys reported enemy retired to sunken road
and that they had been firing on him when he commenced the attack.
This was a day of constant fighting. Exceedingly good
work done by O.P. officers.