Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/50/1 - July 1916 - Part 4

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German shell were bursting
just behind Mametz wood -
quite uselessly.
Again & again one has
bn impressed w the fact that
we have got their observation
down & they dont know
where to shoot.

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Yestys summary says that Germans
say that their trenches in
their main 2nd line near
Bazentin le Petit have suffered
badly from artillery but that
the dugouts have suffered little.
(we found today just S. of the
road at Fricourt an opening
in the German wire to wh
tunnels led from their
trenches.

Enemys aircraft are still
inactive. Their balloons have

*From our Intelligence 
Summary
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gone further back & are
hauled down when our
aeroplanes come near
them.
[^xA large no. of the officers
in the german guards are now
offizier-stellvertratre, Feldwebel
(coy sergt major) or Vizefeldwebel.
Only two platoon commanders
are officers.].

Germans are still doing
some attacking at Verdun -
e.g. they have got into Damloup.
On July 12 we got back most
of the lost ground in Bois des 
Trones & the whole of Mametz
Wood. Two heavy german attacks
on Contalmaison broke down.
Prisoners say:
The german reinfts.
come largely by road from 

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Achiet-le-grand. Their
2nd line, in front of
Bazentin wood had good
deep dug outs & plenty of
wire. Commn trench
up to front line (in Mametz
wood) ws badly knocked
about & had lots of dead
in it. In Mametz wood
there ws no proper front
line trench.
Summary 14 July. Prisoners
to gate date 111 offrs. 7,438 o.r.
Prisoners of 3rd guard Divn were
taken yesty. They reached line
on July 3.
(9^th Grenadier Regt - a line Regt -
has bn put into the 3^rd Guards Divn
& the rest v. much look down on it.
The 19 yr old men are not yet 
fighting.

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Germans seem in plenty of 
cases to be having abt 30 p.c.
losses in fighting in counterattacks
& holding on in disputed woods
& villages.
By a Corps order Trones
wood is to be held "at any
Price".
July 13. Germans still attacking
at Verdun & making a
little ground between Fleury & Vaux.
French steady in Somme area.
British advanced a little
yesty (13^th) & got some German
hows. & ammunition.
July 14.
Telegram at 9.45am.
The two right Corps
attacked at 3.25 this morning &

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after apparently slight opposition
occupied Enemys second position.
Present position appears to be
that we hold Bazentin le Petit,
B. le grand, Longueval.
At 7.40 the 2nd Indian Cavalry
Divn was ordered to go thro'.
Reports from them not yet 
received."
Press Communique. This
morning at Dawn I attacked
the enemys second system of
defence. Our troops have
broken into the hostile positions
on a front of 4 miles - and
have captured several
strongly defended
localities. Heavy Fighting
continues.

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July 14.
Tonights telegram: Since
the assault this morning
work has continued
in consolidating the line
won. Trones Wood, Longueval
village, Bazentin Le Grand,
village & wood, except small
northern position are in 
our hands. Le Petit wood
was counterattacked from
the N.W. this morning &
the village from the N.
during the afternoon. Enemy
got a footing in village
but ws promptly
driven out. Progress has
been made on the left
in accordance with
expectations. 
2.15pm.
4^th Army.

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Watched the 4^th Aust.
Battery marching out tonight,
looking splendid - all the
spare men walking by the 
limbers, not riding them;
their harness good, horses
well kept, men smart.
Even old Leys said : "That's
a good Battery, Bean".
As I write this - at 
11 p.m. a crowd of some
sort has marched in
a little further up the
village street & is shouting
& roaring & singing like
a set of Woolloomooloo
pub-loafers on a Sat. night
at closing time.
Now the difference between 
those two is just a difference

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※ No - Artillary
is passing so
it is possibly another
battery, but I dont
think so.

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of officers. I fancy these
men are of the 13^th L.H. ※
(or 1^st Anzac L.H.) which|
had a bad commander 
at first & has always been
a bad regiment. It has
a better commander now
& he may do something w
it. Birdwood & White both
look on it as the worst
Light H. Regt. we have.
The 1st & 2nd Divns
have bn ordered to move at
6 hrs. notice - but not the
Corps staff. The Bantams (it
is sd -) were partly responsible
for last night's success. They
have big hearts in little bodies.
Our 4^th Bde is filling
Domart today. I hope

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we are put in as a 
Corps - But it may well 
be we shall have to be
put in divn by divn as
we are wanted.
July 15^th. A day at Vignacourt.
Sent a short cable giving the
stage the battle has now reached.
I meant to write an 
article but was much upset
by an answer from the War
Office saying that Own as
there ws no alternative
to 4-seater cars except
small singer cars they were
afraid it wd have to be
a 4-seater at £11 a week.
I asked them for the small
singer. I spent most of the