Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/280B/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 16

5 Div Arty

Extracts from Report of operations E of Le Cateau

& Support of attack by the 6 British Div. on 23/10/18

6pm. 20/10/18 orders recd by CRA 5 Aust Div that

5 Div Arty would come under orders of CRA 6 Brit Div

forthwith and form Left Group.

Three Bdes were placed under order of CRA 5

Aust Div. and organised as follows ——

Left Sub Group. [Lt Col FP Derham]
14 AFA Bde

Right Sub Group [Lt Col HO Caddy]

13 AFA Bde

8 AFA Bde

For SOS purposes the 8 AFA Bde was to be superimposed

over the whole Corps front.

Bdes ordered to reconnoitre posns in R 20. and R 26.

Reconn made but orders subsequently, reed issued to

Bdes to occupy posn in area Q 12 - Q 18.

Posns were occupied by 12 noon 21 Oct. when CRA

5 Aust Div became responsible for the defence of

the front of 71 Brit Div Inf Bde which ran from

R 9 C 04 to R 2 d 10 approx.

Both on Oct 20 & 21 dull & rainy.  All btys

occupied posns in open, the only cover available

being tarpaulins

At noon on Oct 22 CRA held a conference

with Sub group Cdrs at Right Sub Group HQ.

Sub groups received copies of 6 Brit Div Arty orders for the

2

attack and copies of the barrage maps at the conference.

During aftn start line for attack altered & the

second protective barrage cut out. Amended start

line ran from R 9 C 45 65 to R 2 d 6 3. Barrage was

5500 yds in depth, consequently it was necy for btys to move

fwd during the protective barrage.

Orders issued by 6 Brit Div Arty that btys

of the Left Group would move fwd to the area L 32 & R 2.

On 22nd when it was learned that Zero hour would be 1.20 a.m.

CRA pointed out that it would be imposs to plant lines of fire

in the dark [btys would have to continue fire barrage from the new

posns at 4.20 a.m.] ; lines cd not be planted before

the attack as the area L 32, R 2 was occupied by the

enemy.  CRA asked that the question of

emplacing the btys should be left in his entirely hands, and this was

agreed to.   At the conference it was decided that any

air recuperator btys would move but that the remainder

would move to the valley SW of Basuel.  During aftn

the forward posns were selected and aiming posts

planted.   Two officers of 14 AFA Bde,

Lt JJR Punch and Lt LR Turner, were

severely wounded during this reconnaissance.

Night 22/23 Oct

During night btys recd considerable harassing

shellfire and all were harassed by M/g bullets.

Forward areas subjected to severe counter preparation.

Night starlight but there was heavy ground mist.

Attack

Zero hour 1.20am   23 Oct.
For the barrage  50, 54, 55 Btys fired on the Left

3

Group front, and 29, 30, 31 Btys fired on the Right Group

front.  49, 51, 53 Btys superimposed.

At 2.16 a.m. protective barrage was reached and accdg to plan all

btys except those with air recuperators moved fwd to posns

W. of the stream in R7 & R14; During the approach to

these posns btys came under very heavy shellfire

inclg gas.  All ranks had to wear respirators x

continuously.  50 Bty came for particularly severe

xx fire, Lt HW Marsh and a sergeant went ahead to

reconnoitre and subsequently, after passing through several

barrages, led the guns forward into position.

Two guns were struck by shells.  All btys were

able to take up the barrage at 4.20 am., the time

laid down.  Soon after coming into action

113 Bty had a premature at the muzzle of one of the

howitzers. One man Killed, 3 wounded.
It was realized that the infy had not advanced to

programme.  When the btys came under M/G fire.

The first definite report was that at 7.30 a.m. the Bde on the

left were in touch with the 71 Inf Bde at L 34 e 20 .

8th AFA Bde, which was detailed to cover the exploitation,

did not advance, as the infy cd not be effectively

covered from the posns btys were in. M/guns in

R 3 b and R 4 central put up strong resistance. These

were engaged. One F00 per bty went forward,

working in pairs and able to engage a number of targets.

The line reached by 7 pm ran approx from R 5

central to L 29 c 00 to L 24 a 50. The Bde on the

right reached final objective and the Bde on the left went

well beyond its objective.

4

During night 23/24 Oct, 24 Bde RFA

relieved 14 AFA Bde, and the 2 Bde RFA relieved the

13 AFA Bde. Command of Left Group passed to CO

24 Bde RFA at 3.10 am 24 Oct.

13 & 14 AFA Bdes moved to Waggon lines

8 AFA Bde remained in left group.

Casualties.  5 Div Arty  21/23 Oct 1918

13 AFA Bde    1   O/R Killed    6 O/R Wounded

14   ''        ''       2 officers Wounded

2 O/R Killed

11 O/R Wounded

10 horses K & W.

5 DAC   1 horse K & W.

Ammun. Expended

13 AFA Bde    18 pdr   7294 rounds

4.5 hows                       1034     "

14 AFA Bde    18 pdr   6061     "

4.5 hows.                      2300    "

About 30-40 pp. of telephone messages

but have not extracted any of these

since do not expect you will cover

this period in great detail.

3 Div Arty

CRA War diary

29/9/18
3 Div Arty allotted as follows —

7 AFA Bde   10th AI Bde

8 AFA Bde   11th   "   "   "

On completion of capture of Green Line the 3 Army Bde AFA was to

come under orders of CRA 3 Aust Div & to be attached to 9 AI Bde

in reserve.

Owing to general situation Arty did not advance forward with

infy, as had been intended, but took up posns as follows —

7 AFA Bde    HQ   F 17 d 76

Batteries  F 20 and F 23

8 AFA Bde    HQ   F 27 d 05

Batteries  F 20

3 Army Bde AFA   HQ F 17 a 31

Batteries, In positions of readiness

Later 7 AFA Bde reported their batteries in action & covering

10 AI Bde from Square F22.  Otherwise the posns of FA

under command of CRA 3 Div remained as above throughout the

day.  Practically no shooting was done today owing to

obscurity of the situation on our front

3 Div T/Ms sent parties forward with a view

to manning any enemy guns that might be captured.

Owing to heavy casualties these parties were compelled

to withdraw to their HQ at E 22 d 12 at 11 a.m.

At 12 noon Lt Col G.H.M. King CO 7 AFA Bde evacuated

sick. Maj HJH Glover OC 26 Bty took over command of this bde.

30/9/18
At 1 a.m.  in accordance with orders recd from GoCRA Aust Corps,

CRA 3 Div took over control of follg bdes which until that

hour had been administered by CRA 4 Div :−

Right Group : 104 Bde RFA, 86 Bde RFA

Centre Group :  290B 290, 291, 110 Bdes RFA

Left Group : 112 Bde, R.F.A.

2
3 Div Arty

CRA. War diary
30/9/18 (contd)
At 1.15 am orders recd that the 11 AI Bde, under cover

of a barrage to be put down by this arty, would attack the main

Hindenburg defence Line from an E and W line between A 27

and A 21 to an E and W line through A 9 central. This barrage

was put down by the Right Group under Lt Col. H.Ward.

Owing to intricate system of trenches recovered by this opern

progress of infy was slow.  Throughout day our arty

engaged enemy movement , M/guns, and in some cases forward

enemy batteries with good results.

Orders recd at 3.20 pm that 112 Bde RFA would withdraw

to Div reserve during night, the 110 Bde RFA taking

over the front of 112 Bde RFA and coming into left group.

During night 30th/1st Groups were instructed to carry out

harassing fire on all communs and approaches to the Hind Line

and Le Catelet, at rate of 100 rds per bty.

1/10/18
It was decided that no effort would be made to advance under barrage fire

as indicatns pointed to a withdrawal of the enemy on the Div front.

Infy instructed to move forward using peaceful penetration

tactics & to take make all possible use of their attached

Arty.

During morning many enemy btys were reported active

and were engaged by our arty or by HA. The 18 pdrs kept up

constant harassing fire on enemy movement and targets recd from

Infy.

2pm. Enemy reported massing in Beaurevoir system

from Mushroom Quarry [B 20 a] to Lormisset Farm

[B 13 b], and that the road near Bellevue Farm was filled with MT.

These targets engaged by our Heavies and such field

btys as were within range.
8 AFA Bde reported at 3.15pm that they were moving forward

to HQ at F 23 d 91 with 11 AI Bde and that their btys were in F 30

and A 25 in positions of assembly.

3 Div Arty
3

CRA War diary

6.30pm order issued detailing regrouping of Arty.

Consequent on changes in Div boundary.

Right Group (under Lt Col WG Allsop)

290 & 291 Bdes RFA.

8 AFA Bde

Left Group (under Lt Col KE Milford)

110 Bde RFA.

3 Army Bde AFA

7 AFA Bde .

2/10/18
9 a.m.  104th, & 86 Army Bdes RFA. passed from

this command & came under command of 2 &5 Aust Div

Artilleries respectively.

During day 290 & 291 Bdes RFA, 3 Army Bde AFA,

8 AFA Bde moved forward.

LtCol. G+Stevenson

3 Div Intell Summary  29/30 Sept   3pm to 3pm

Enemy arty moderately active during period but in comparison

with the previous 24 hours a decided decrease has taken place,

partic in the use of 15cm hows.

In reply to our operations at 6 am a barrage in which a

large proportion of Blue Cross Gas was employed, was placed on our

forward trenches.

30 Sept/1 Oct.

In comparison with the prev. 24hrs marked diminution in enemy arty

activity noticeable. His fire for the greater part has been of a light

harassing nature and with the exceptn of a shoot of our bty areas in F 17,

which caused no damage, no destructive series were carried out.

1/2 Oct
Enemy arty moderately active, systematically harassing [[B?]] and that part of the

Hind Line occupied by this Divn.

3 Div Arty

CRA War diary

3/10/18.
5 a.m.  3 Div Arty HQ came under orders of

25th Div Arty HQ  and the 5 bdes became known as

General Grimwade's Group

Barrage at 6.5am opened well to time and good

progress made. Le Catelet & Gouy taken.

11 am. orders recd to extend. Protective Barrage

Line as infy were in process of exploiting gains.

At 12.30 however the Protective Barrage withdrawn

to original line owing to enemy c/attack.

One battery of 3 Army Bde AFA completely

knocked out an enemy bty in action, and one section of

29th Bty [8 FA Bde] knocked out 2 enemy guns.

4/10/18
Owing to difficulties experienced in advancing beyond

Le Catelet and Gouy decided to barrage area again

and to capture high ground N of these villages

Zero hour 6.10am.  Barrage put down by

Right Group and 3 Army Bde AFA.

Substantial advance made but owing to enemy

pressure . 50 Div infy retired to immed N of these

villages.

3 Div Arty  Locations

6pm. 30/9/18

3 Div Arty HQ.  F 26 c 88

290 Bde RFA.
HQ  F 21a 95 65

A Bty  F 23 b 25 55

B  "     F 23 b 25 30

C   "    F 23 b 10

D   "   F 23 b 12 18

291 Bde RFA
HQ   F 21 d 44

A Bty   F 22 b 3 1

B   "      F 22 c 42 52

C    "     F 22 c 87

D   "     F 22 c 32

110 Army Bde RFA
HQ   F 29 a 99

A Bty F 23 c 70 45

B        F 23 c 30 45

C        F 23 d 48

D       F 23 c 17

104 Army Bde RFA
HQ  x A 28 a 38

A Bty F 29 c 65

B "      F 29 c 61

C  "     F 29 c 63

D  "    F 23 c 34

86th Army Bde RFA
HQ   F 28 a 38

A Bty  F  23 d

B   "    F  23 c 70 65

C   "    F 23 c 72 28

D  "    F 23 d 10 15

112th Army Bde RFA.
In Divisional Mobile Reserve

7th AFA Bde
HQ.   F 17 c 74

25 Bty  F 22 b 66 15

26    "    F 22 d 70 85

27    "    F 23 c 06

107   "   F 22 a 28

8 AFA Bde
HQ   F 27                                     

29 Bty }

30        }  F 20

31         }

108      } 

2
30/9/18

3 Div Arty 
Locations (contd)
3rd Army Bde AFA
HQ     F 17 a 31

7 Bty  F 17 a 85

8         F 23 a 25

9         F 23 a 80 32

103     F 17 a 23 60