Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/280B/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 14

5 Div Arty  4 pm 2/10/18.
Right Group (under command Lt Col HE Cohen)
(HQ G8d36)
6 Army Bde AFA
HQ      G 8 d 36
16 Bty G 14 b 97
17  "     G 14 b 19
18  "     G 14 b 55
106  "   G 14 a 94
13 AFA Bde
HQ       G 11 b 50 50
49 Bty G 11 b 15 00 
50         H 7 d 30 40
51          G 12 d 60 85
113         G 11 b 91 85
14 AFA Bde
HQ      G 2 c 54
53 Bty 4 guns G 9 a 39     2 guns G 10 b 75 40
54        4 guns G 9 d 70 15 2 guns G 10 d 95 88
55        4 guns G 9 d 47 28 2 guns G 11 b 80 40
114       G 9 b 05 90
Left Group (under command of Lt Col T.I.C. Williams)
(HQ G 4 a 50 00)
10 AFA Bde
HQ      G 4 a 50 00
37 Bty G 4 c 80 35
38        G 4 c 70 45
39        G 4 d 05 85
110       G 4 a 80 00
11 AFA Bde
HQ      G 4 c central
41 Bty G 4 a 88
42       G 27 d (00?) 60

43       G 28 c 88 30
111        G 4 a 65 90
86 Army Bde RFA
HQ A 28 c 58
A Bty } 
B        } A 28 c & d
C        } G 4 a
D       } areas
 

1
Extracts from Report of CRA 5 Div  
29 Sept / 2 Oct 1918.
Arty to support infy of 5 Div in its
exploitation was 13 & 14 AFA Bdes & 6th ^(Army) AFA Bde. These
bdes placed under direct orders of the brigadiers of
8th (Right), 15th (Left), & 14th (Support) Infy Bdes
respectively. They did not take part in the
two days prelimy bombdt nor in the creeping
barrge covering American attack.
The Bdes which did this remd in posn as defensive Bdes
and were avail to reinforce the exploitg bdes if necy.
On night of 25 Sept the 5 Div Arty, which was in action
in the Le Verguier sector under 46 Div. moved to
waggon lines on follg day to reserve just S of Brusle.          
The two days spell gave horses and gunners a rest,
much needed owing to heavy physical
strain imposed by advancing from posn to posn
and the heavy night firing during the preceding
week.
28 Sept. Conference of Officers down to bty cdrs
was held. CRA explained scope of operns
& refd to lessons learned from previous
Attacks.
Night 28 Sept HQ of 13 & 14 AFA Bdes
estab with HQ of 8 & 15 Inf Bdes in quarry
just E of Templeux
Btys moved out of waggon lines at 3 a.m. 29 Sept
and by 6 am assembled in respective group
 

 2
CRA 5 Div
report
areas - 13 FA Bde in vicinity of Hesbecourt,
14 FA Bde 1000 yds W of Templeux.
Zero hour. 5.50 am 29 Sept. Barrage was placed
down to time and the Bdes waited for news of progress of
Americans. By 10 a.m. returning wounded
said that Americans had reached objective.
Thick haze caused by the smoke and spume
obscured view at distance greater than
few hundred yds but it was apparent from the heavy
shellfire that Green Line cd not have been taken and
consolidated .
8 & 15 Inf Bdes assembled on American
J.O. line 9 a.m. as soon as it was learned that
Americans had not gained their objectives
8 & 15 Inf Bdes moved fwd so as to occupy Green
Line if poss.
Action of 13 AFA Bde in support of 8 Inf Bde
Reconnaissance
Party
9.45 am. the Bde reconnaissance party went fwd with a
view to selecting posns in in Riqueval Ravine.
Considble shelling from guns at close range was
experienced by the party on the road to and in Bellicourt.
Altho reports had come through that Green Line taken,
officers of 8 Inf Bde reported that fighting taking
place on SE outskirts of Bellicourt.
Message sent back to Bde not to advance
any further till situation cleared. Horses left in
 

 3        X
the village and reconnaissance completed on foot.
The two forward sections were met - the section
of 50 Bty in Bellicourt and the section of 49 Bty
in action SE of Bellicourt. It was ascertained from the CO's
of 29 & 32 Bns that Green Line had not been reached
and that they did not propose to advance at 11 a.m.
Forward
Sections 
The forward Sections - one from 49 Bty under
Lt W. Sinclair, M.M., and one from 50 Bty under
Lt SS Creed - were pushed forward
under command of 32 Bn (on right) and 29 Bn [on
left] respectively.
Section of 49 Bty came into action in G11a,
SE of Bellicourt. Just as this posn was occupied
the mist cleared and it was found that there was no infy in front.
Immed. an antitank fort situated in G11b
opened fire with 77's, minenwerfers, antitank
rifles & M/gs on the Section and three tanks which had
moved ahead when the sectn came into action.
Two of the tanks recd direct hits a were put out of action.
Several horses belonging to the section killed or
wounded & 2 men belonging to section wounded.
Efforts were made to locate ^the hostile guns, but
without success. Under heavy shellfire
section withdrew to the W of Bellicourt.
This was successfully done with exception of two
waggons which recd direct hits ^while on the road
the ammun in the waggons exploding.
 

4
Section then occupied posn in G9a.
Meanwhile guns in tank fort had been located and
Fire opened on them & they were silenced.
This enabled number of our tanks to advance
on Nauroy.
The section of the 50 Bty came into action
W of Bellicourt.
Remaining
Btys 
Remaining Btys moved off from the assembly
area 8 a.m. via Villeret (Black Road)
Lifting of mist revealed column to enemy
while it was on the spur to W of Bellicourt, and it came
under heavy shell & m/gun fire. The
49 Bty which was leadng was in a sunken road. It was
necy for it to unlimber and reverse under
heavy fire. (Vehicles couldnt be turned)
With loss of a few men & horses
btys came into actn -
49 Bty G13b209.5
51 Bty  G13d9090
113 Bty L18a0550
50 Bty moved to posn in readiness
at Villeret
These posns occupied by 1 p.m. Bde HQ G7d4020
By 5.10 pm 50 Bty moved to G8d8020
51 & 113 Bty also moved fwd to -
G8c8020 & G9c9010 respectively.
 

 5.
Action of 14 FA Bde in support of 15 Inf Bde
Organisation
One section from each of 53, 54, 55 Btys
placed under orders 58, 57, 59 Bns respectively.
58 Bn was in support but the section of arty was required to
assist it in proposed assault on Estrees.
Remainder of 18 pdr btys were to advance in
support of the same bns. as the fwd sections. (keeping
farther in rear] so as to be immed avail if a
greater volume of fire required.
Each bty had a liaison officer with the bn which was
supported by its advanced section.
Action of forward sections
Lt LR Kerr in charge advanced section of 54 Bty
supporting 57 Bn on right. While advancing along the
Red Road into Bellicourt Lt Kerr badly wounded.
Another officer sent to take charge but by the time the
section was found the situation was known and the guns
were brought back to the bty in action W of
Bellicourt.
The section of 55 Bty was under Lt H H Dean,
supporting 59 Bn, was rendered immobile
while advancing through Bellicourt owing to losses in
horses and gunners. Later in morning fresh
teams sent up and guns withdrawn to bty.

6

The section of 53 Bty under Lt LR Turner, working
under orders 58th (Support) Bn. attempted to
cross overland by a track N of the main Hargicourt-
Bellicourt Road. It was hung up by the trenches and wire as well as by
direct M/gun fire and shellfire from the direction of
Bony. Lt Turner, having ascertained
that Green Line not captured, withdrew to    
Hargicourt and then joined bty in action W of
Bellicourt.
Remaining Btys
8 am the btys moved fwd from W of Templeux
so as to be close behind infy when they crossed
American start line at 9 am. It was soon seen
that something had gone wrong on the left. The
Hargicourt Vy was heavily shelled by close
range guns from the left front. All roads
also under heavy fire. Despite this
btys moved into action -
53 Bty G9a39
54  "     G9a24
55  "     G2d81
114  "    L6a85
Before midday fire was opened on the
Le Catelet-Nauroy trench in G5 as the infy
reported that this was strongly held by enemy.
Reconnoitring parties at Mt Olympus (G3a)

7
came under heavy shellfire
At 3 pm infy made an attempt to
Capture the Nauroy Line. Barrage put
down by all four btys from 3 pm to 3.30 pm
the fort covered by the Nauroy Line in A28 and
A29. Owing to the large frontage the barrage
was very thin. While firing this barrage the 18 pdr
btys were m/gunned by two enemy 'planes.
The infy pushed to within 150 yds of
Nauroy Line but did not succeed in taking it.
Heavy M/gun fire from Cabaret Wd Fm
encountered, so abt 4 p.m. 200 rds were
fired into it. During night bursts of fire
of abt 20 rds were put down on it about
every 20 mins.
Situation at dusk
Line held roughly from NE connect
Nauroy to G5a70 [?G5d70], then to
A28 central to A27 central. Btys covered this
at ranges of approx 2500 yds.
 

8
Difficulties & Deductions
It was exceedingly difficult for btys to move
forward over the heavily shelled roads. Enemy
was able to concentrate his fire on this these as it was imposs for 
horses to more overland owing to wire and trenches.
Before the enemy guns silenced btys run a
great risk of being rendered immobile in
attempting to advance along xxx the roads in such
country.
It was found that Bde cdrs cd not keep touch
with both the infy and the btys unless Inf Bde HQ
moved fwd.
Both xxxxxxx Bdes able to keep practically
constant commun. with the Btys by telephone and
runners. Lines were short so breaks were
soon mended.
8 Inf Bde HQ did not move forward.
It was therefore necy for HQ 13 FA Bde to go forward to
Keep touch with btys. Touch consequently lost
with 8 Inf Bde as the line was too long to
maintain. Many attempts were made
made to use visual signalling, but
without success.
 

9.

15 Inf Bde HQ & 14 FA Bde HQ moved forward
together, and as the latter was in continual touch with the btys
arty support as reqd by the Infy Bde HQ, as well as by
the bns, was readily available.
Horses badly knocked up by end of
day. especially the 4 horse first line
teams.
While advancing to the posn of assembly
several btys were held up by for
1½ hour by a supply train which remained
stationary at a level crossing.
This might have led to serious consequences.
The results obtd justified the placing of the
exploiting arty bdes directly under
Inf Brigadiers they supported.
Operations on 30/9/18
Attack at 6 a.m. During night 29/30 Sept a
conference at which follg were present was held at
8 Inf Bde HQ in quarry E of Templeux:-
GO.C.
CRA
Brigadiers 8, 14, 15 Inf Bdes
It was decided to attack at 6 a.m. in a N. direction
from the line approx A28d central to
A27 central & take Railway Ridge
The 14 FA Bde recd orders abt 1 a.m.