Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/280A/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 9

5 FA Bde

Oct. 2.  Bde came again under CRA 2 Div. Moved

forward to -

13 Bty  HIC67

14 Bty  H7do7

15 Bty   G12 b85 85

105 Bty  H1c50

Bde signal sections had great diffy in locating
the batteries. By 10p.m. 13 & 105 Bdes connected to

5 FA Bde HQ. but altho twelve searches were

made throughout the night the 14 & 15 Btys cd not

be found.

Oct 3.   At 1 a.m orders recd for Bde to operate in a creeping
barrage in order capture Estres and Joncourt.

Situation was extremely difficult as the locations of

14 & 15 Btys were unknown altho we estimated

their posns within 1000 yds. However our two

gallant and determined runners set out and succeeded 

in locating all btys in time to take part in the opern.

[*Gunner F. Banner

“ R.T. Williams*]

Performance of runners commendable as night was pitch

black and whole area was under continuous gas

shelling.

Oct 4     Opern developed successfully. Capt LR

Blake mortally wounded.
Btys moved to new posns.

13 Bty H10d42

14 Bty H 10d55

15 Bty H10d75

105 Bty H10a48

5 FA Bde    2        

Oct 4. Infy attacked at 5.15 am Arty barrage was

straight out creeping barrage with harassing fire on m/g

emplacements aftwds.

The enemys arty fire has became very slack

compared to trench war days, but at night his
bombing planes very active.

3rd Div. Arty - Notes

8/22 Aug 1918

22 Aug/5 Sept 1918

6 Sept - 24 Sept 1918

3rd Div. Arty.

Extracts from reports on 8/8/18 operns. "D" Divn.

Allotment of Arty as follows:-

3 Div Arty                       

4   "      "                    }     144 18 pdrs     }                                                   

3 & 12 A FA Bd        }      18   13    "         } 210 guns   

16 Bde RHA            }     48 4.5 hows   }

23 Army Bde RFA }
189  . .  . .  . .  . .          }

Divided into three ^sub-groups :-

"A" Sub Group: (under Lt Col L.T. Raikes)

23 Army Bde

189   "         "

12 A FA Bde

"B" Sub Group (under Lt Col GHM King):

7 A FA Bde

8.  .  . .  .  . .
3 .  .  .  .  .  .

"C" Sub Group (under Lt Col. T.M. Archdale) :-

16 Bde RHA.

10 A FA Bde

11 .  .  .  .  . .

Guns had to be so emplaced that advance of infy up to Green Line

cd be covered by an advancing barrage. Emplacement of this amt of

Arty presented consid. difficulty owing to fact that country was

intersected by deep ravines. and that Vavie Wd masked fire of the

guns over considerable area. For these reasons it was necessary to emplace

the guns farther back than would o/wise have been done, as at short ranges the

trajectory would not have cleared our tanks going over the ridge in front,

nor would the guns have been enabled to shoot to the bottom of the rather deep

ravines to be traversed shortly after the commencement of the barrage.

Posts were nearly all in open under direct observatn from the

spur running from Malard Wd to Sailly Laurette, at an average

range of over 5000 to 6000 yds. Posns chosen as much among the

crops as poss, others being near existing trench lines.

Before the arrival of the guns into action, slits only were dug over the

Wheels to enable the guns to be sunk as low as poss in the crops.

600 rds per∧18pdr gun, 500 rds per 4.5 how, and in addition 40 rds

2                                                                

3 Div Arty contd.

Report
on 8/8/18

smoke shell per 18 pdr and how, & 250 rds gas shell per 4.5 how

were dumped by night among crops and small copses, and in existing trench

systems in close proximity to guns & well camouflaged. Guns

were covered by natural camouflage as much as poss - wheat,
grass & chalk.

In some cases gun platforms were made at the waggonlines

& dumped alongside guns posns prior to their occupatn. Platforms

consisted of 18 pdr to ammun boxes with the lead removed,

filled with loose bricks or other material. These were placed

together under the gun wheels, and made excellent platforms.

Had advantage of ^enabling preparation being made at waggonlines instead of at the

guns posns.

Movement of guns into action carried out on three nights. -

First move consisted of 2 sectns per bty of those bdes not

normally used for the defence of the line

Second move consisted of remaining guns of the bdes mentioned

above, and two sectns of the bdes covering the line.

Move on last night consisted of the remg sections of the Bdes
normally holding line. These moved at last poss. moment

carrying out harassing fire their old posns as long as possible.

Ordinary harassing fire up to Zero hour, in addition to

that done by those sectns which moved late as poss, was done by those btys
sited farther back, and in as close proximity as poss to the old posns

lately vacated.

The guns put in on the first and second nights were not put in

their gun posns until "Z" night, but kept hidden in the crops

and in any folds in the ground in close proximity to the bty posns they
eventually occupied.

6" T/Ms sited as close as poss. to our front line, to deal with

all known hostile M/G & T/M. emplacements. These mortars

(12) fixed 400 rds of barrage, and are reported to have knocked

out several of the known emplacements.

Synchronisation of watches was good, and the barrage opened as one 

gun at 4.20 a.m. and continued until Zero plus 4 hours when

fire ceased.

During the actual barrage, not a casualty was suffered by the whole arty.

At Zero + 2 hrs 20 mins, "C" Subgoup limbered up and advanced

(3)

3rd Div Arty (contd)

in close support of the infy. At Zero + 4 hours "B" Subgroup advanced as

defensive arty for the Blue Line. "C" subgroup became Corps reserve.

Bdes manned captured guns in addition to their own, and fixed

many hundreds of rounds at the enemy.

The T/M. personnel was ordered forward as soon as poss after Zero to

man captured Germ. guns and over 300 to 400 rds were fired

from these guns on the enemy.

Because of dust and spume covering battlefield Arty officers

had great diffy during the advance in observing fire.

Hostile Arty throughout was weak & after capture of

Green Line practically non-existent, with the exception that the

advancing btys were subjected to light shellfire from the high

ground N of the Somme

Narrative of Events. 8 FA Bde

At 8.20 on 8 Aug. bty were due to move fwd and a few minutes before that

time gun teams apprd, hooked in, the btys were off. Advanced along

river road S of Somme & subjected to heavy shellfire from vicinity of Malard
Wood.
The Bty Cdrs, being well in advance of their btys, considble diffy
experienced by Bty leaders in keeping touch, owing to very bad
visibility and great congestion of traffic. Btys, having arrived in good
time in area in which they were to occupy posns, in vicinity of Hamilton
Wd. The 108 Bty came in for bad shelling from a bty in enfilade
near Malard Wd - 3 killed and 6 wounded.  29th Bty eventually
silenced this gun, but owing to commun. breaking down between O.P. &
the bty at critical moment, enemy able to withdraw.
By this time Infy had advanced again for the capture of second objective, and as the
hostile battery area had been captured, there was no shelling except of
an erratic and scattered nature.
By putting OPs well forward, bty were able to get good
shooting, and it is the opinion of all bty cdrs that too close a touch cannot
be maintained with infy ....
Relieved at 1 oclock (1 p.m.) on Aug 9 by 12 A FA Bde.
& withdrew to vicinity of Hamel. (P14). 

4.
3 Div Arty (contd)
10/8/18.  3.10 pm Aug 10 ordered to relieve 11 FA Bde in Suzanne Wd
area. Relief completed by 6.10 p.m. Communication to rear
very bad.
Enemy appeared to be using only one gun on the front. Evidently placed in
R 18 b and confined its activity to main Amiens - St Q. road and
Suzanne Wd. It is practically the only form of shelling btys subjected to
while in this area, but enemy aircraft exceedingly active during the night,
dropping bombs and M/gunning the roads. At Waggonlines he was
partic. active, 108 Bty losing 21 horses killed & wounded.
In this area great number of captured guns. 655 rounds of
5.9" and 400 rds  77m. being fired by us against Germans on
Aug 11. & 12. This firing gave everyone keenest satisfaction
Aug 11 & 12 passed uneventfully with exception of small
barrage to cover infy for capture of Cateaux Wd.
12/8/18   Relieved by 17 Div. Arty. Very slow relief, x not
btys of 8 FA Bde not being clear of posns till 8.30 p.m. 

CRA 3 Div
War diary
13/8/18  7 & 8 FA Bdes. ^& 3 DAC moved to Rosieres area & came under CRA 5 Div.
Returned to 3 D.A. 16/8/18.
18/8/18  Warning order re relief of 58 Div Arty.
19/8/18  Verbal orders from RA Aust Corps that 3 Div would take over front
immed N of Somme. (subsequently cancelled)
Conference at Corps H.Q. Bertangles in afternoon. Div Cdr, GSO 1,
& CRA attended. Main preliminary arrgts when renewal of offensive
N of Somme were made.
On evening 19th verbal orders recd that 3 Div would take over line
from Liaison Force.
F.Arty allotted to 3 Div. front ("D" Divl front):-
(under Brig Gen Grimwade CRA 3 Div)
7 FA Bde ]
8 . . . . .       } 3 Div Arty
290 Bde RFA  }
291    "       "       } 58 Div Arty
5 Army Bde RHA.
(51 Bde RGA is affiliated to D Divl front for
bombdt purposes)
20/8/18  3 Div Arty HQ relieved 58 Div Arty HQ at 12 noon in
Stink Gully (J22d24). Arty covering front 290 & 291 Bdes RFA
5 Army Bde RHA.
Night 20/21 Aug.  5 Army Bde R.H.A. left area & joined 5 Div Arty on left.
21/8/18  At dusk btys of 7 & 8 FA Bdes moved into action from
Wagonlines. Moves completed between 10 & 11 p.m.
Strength 21/8/18 (excluding "attached")

	Actually with unit.		On Command
	Off.	OR	Off.	OR
3rd Div. Arty. HQ	4	28	-	6
7 FA Bde	28	760	5	60
8  "       "	29	790	4	58
3 DAC	16	586	5	41
3 Div T.M's	9	86	-	10
	86	2250	14	175

  

3 Div Arty
Locations 12 midnight 21/22 Aug 1918
3 Div Arty HQ  J22d 24
Barrage Group.  HQ  K28d 75 (Lt Col GHM King)
7AFA Bde  HQ  K28d 75  (Lt Col GHM King)
25 Bty  K22b 40
26 Bty  K22b 08 50
27 Bty  K22b 12 52
290 Bde RFA.  H.Q.  K27c 79 (Lt Col W.A.F. Jones)
A Bty  K23a 10 75
B Bty  K29c 24 (4 guns)
 "   "     K29c 25 65 (2 guns)
C Bty  K28b 52 86 (4 guns)
 "   "     K28b 73 80 (2 guns)
291 Bde RFA.  HQ.  K29b 88 (Lt Col R. Longstaff)
A Bty  K23d 12
B Bty  K30a 73 (4 guns)
 "    "     K35d 45 95 (2 guns)
C Bty  K30a 58 (4 guns)
            K29d 10 85 (2 guns)
Bombardment Group  H.Q.  Q6c 98 (Lt Col W.G. Allsop)
8 A FA Bde. HQ  Q6c 98 (Lt Col W.G. Allsop)
29 Bty  L3 c 14
30 Bty  Q6a 15 55
31 Bty   xx K36d 90 55
| 108 How Bty  K36c 53
| 107     "       "    K24a 30 65
| D Bty/290 Bde  K29a 14
| D   "    / 291   "     K29b 55 (4 guns)
|  "    "    "    "     "    K35a 75 70 (2 guns)
[*4.5
Hows*]
51 Bde RGA.  HQ J35b 29
255 Siege Bty  K34b 95 50.
283    "        "      K33d 95 25
161     "        "       K32d 99
137 Heavy Bty  K34c 44
138     "        "      Q4c 77
3rd Aust Div Amm. Col.  Q J 28 93 (Major A B Sandford)
No 1 Sectn J 36a27  No. 2 Sectn J 35d13. 

3rdDiv. Arty.
Orders
21/8/18.  7 FA Bde to advance in close support of the infy. (9 Bde), sections of guns
with each bn. carrying out exploitation. Remaining guns ^to be kept in hands of
FA Bde cdr who will be in close touch with Infy Brigadier.
At zero + 52 min. until zero + 110, 50% of the guns will search
fwd. 1000 yds, the balance of the guns remaining on the first objective protective
barrage.

Orders 20/8/18
For operation the arty is grouped as follows:-
Barrage Group (under Lt Col G H M King):-
7 A FA Bde
290 Bde RFA
291    "       "  (superimposed in the barrage over the whole front)
Bombardment Group (under Lt Col WG Allsop):-
8 FA Bde plus 4.5" how btys of 7 FA Bde, 290 & 291
Bdes RFA.
This grouping comes into force at 12 noon 21/8/18
All how. Btys will revert to command of their respective bdes at zero
& 170 mins.
Damage Group (18 pdrs only) will take part in the barrage
Bombardment Group detailed for special tasks.
No movement of Btys forward will take place without special orders from
3 Div Arty HQ
Rates of fire
Barrage Group.
Zero to zero +4 mins   4 r.p.g.p.m.
Zero +4 to +52                3 . .  .  . .  . .
Zero +52 to +114              1 . .  .  . .  . . 
Zero +114 to + 166           3 . .  .  . .  . .
Zero +166 to + 176           1 . .  .  . .  . .
Cease fire Zero +176.
Barrage will open on start line.
1 rd smoke shell per gun in every 15 rds will be fired
throughout barrage.
On arrival at 1st Objective Protective Damage Line & Final Protective
barrage line, 2 rds smoke shell per gun will be fired in rapid
succession.