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  • #61
    Monday 21st August 1916. Day 52

    Authuille Wood

    Action again east of the wood. At 6pm 1/4th Bn Gloucestershire Regt attacked the Leipzig Salient, joining 1/6th Bn in Hindenberg Trench. On the left flank, 1st Bn Wiltshires in 7 Bde, 25th Div occupied Lemburg Trench, increasing their hold on the Salient.

    Mouquet Farm

    At 6pm 10th (tate>South Australiatate>) Bn and 12th (South-West Australia and tate>Tasmaniatate>) Bn attacked from the line of the Courcelette track. The 10th Bn reached the Fabeck Graben trench and the 12th Mouquet Farm itself. Both battalions were driven back to the start line however.Astrongpoint on the Courcelette track was destroyed by bombers.

    Delville Wood

    8th Bn, King’s Royal Rifle Corps attempted to establish posts near the German line in the wood but was driven back by MG fire.

    A midnight attack by 1/9th Highland Light Infantry on a trench running from treet>Wood Lanetreet> to the treet>Flers Roadtreet> was unsuccessful.
    Guillemont

    35th Div relieved 3rd Div overnight and at 5am made an unsuccessful attack on a strongpoint near Arrowhead Copse. Meanwhile the French occupied Angle Wood. 3rd Bn Rifle Brigade and 8th Bn The Bufs occupied most of ZZ Trench.

    At 4.30pm a 35th Div smoke bombardment covered 8th Bn, The Queen’s Regt of 24th Div attacking the Quarry. The Queen’s were forced back by German grenades. Meanwhile a company each from 1st Bn, Royal Fusiliers and 3rd Bn Rifle Brigade failed to hold the ground they captured advancing from Guillemont Station towards the village.
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    • #62
      Tuesday 22nd August 1916. Day 53

      Authuille Wood

      In the early morning the Germans attacked the forward posts of 1/6th Glosters in front of Hindenberg Trench. They were driven back by mortar fire and again in the evening.

      At 10pm 1/4th Glosters fought off the first of three attacks with MG fire.

      Mouquet Farm

      6 Bde of the Australian 2nd Div took over the line along the Courcelette Track from OG1 to the south east corner of the farm.


      Guillemont

      24th Div relieved by 20th Div.

      35th Div took over Angle Wood from the French.
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      • #63
        Wednesday 23rd August 1916. Day 54

        Authuille Wood

        Two companies of the Buckinghamshire Regt lost heavily advancing along the east side of NabValley.

        Mouquet Farm

        Australian 2nd Div relieved Australian 1st Div.

        Guillemont

        9.15pm the Germans commence a bombardment lasting until 10.30pm then attacked 11th Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corpssouth of the railway track. The Germans were driven off by MG fire.
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        • #64
          Thursday 24th August 1916. Day 55

          Authuille Wood

          At 4pm Hindenberg Trench was captured by 1st Bn, Wiltshire Regt and 3rd Bn Worcestershire Regt of 7 Bde, 25th Div.

          Bazentin Le Petit

          1st Div made another attempt to complete the capture of Intermediate Trench north of Bazentin. Two companies of 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers attacked both ends of the trench with no success.

          In conjunction with this attack 6th Bn Cameron Highlanders made an unsuccessful bombing attack along the Martinpuich road. The Switch Line trench was in British hands west of the road.

          Delville Wood

          North of the wood, 33rd Div tasked 100 Bde with capturing the German line from treet>Wood Lanetreet> to the Flers road. 2nd Bn, Worcestershire Regt,
          16th Bn, King’s Royal Rifle Corps and 1st Bn, Queen’s Regt attacked from left to right. The Queen’s bombers captured the junction of Tea Trench and treet>Wood Lanetreet>.

          14th Div attempted to clear the wood with 8th and 9th Bns, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 5th Bn King’s Somerset Light Infantry and 5th Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Assisted by a creeping barrage, three battalions made good progress with the Ox & Bucks establishing contact with 33rd Div on the Flers road. 8th KRRC however was halted in front of Ale Alley.

          Guillemont

          At 12.30am the Germans commenced bombarding 20th Div positions.
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          • #65
            Friday 25th August 1916. Day 56

            Authuille Wood

            25th Div was consolidating in Hindenberg Trench under a bombardment when a sentry spotted a counter-attack forming up in the crowded German trenches. A barrage was brought down which cancelled the Hun assault.

            Delville Wood

            A dawn attack by 9th Bn Rifle Brigade of 42 Bde cleared Edge Trench almost as far as the junction with Ale Alley.
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            • #66
              Saturday 26th August 1916. Day 57

              Authuille Wood

              8th Bn, Loyal North Lancashire Regt unsuccessfully tried to clear the western end of Hindenberg Trench.

              Mouquet Farm

              2nd Australian Div attacked towards Mouquet Farm at 4.45am with two brigades. 6 Bde attacked on the left facing the farm itself and 5 Bde was on the right. 24th Bn (5 Bde) was held up by fire from Fabeck Graben but 21st Bn reinforced by a company of 22nd quickly gained Zig Zag Trench by way of Constance Trench and the Courcelette Track. However the battalion now got disoriented and took a trench leading to the farm, where the survivors were surrounded by the Germans and captured.

              6 Bde captured a strongpoint on the Thiepval Road-Farm Track junction but were driven out of it again. They managed to mianain a post in Zig Zag Trench which drove off a German attack at 7.30am. 4 Bde, 4th Australian Div relieved them that night.

              Bazentin Le Petit

              1st Div continued action in Intermediate Trench with 1st Bn, South Wales Borderers bombing west along the trench as far as the Martinpuich road.

              Delville Wood

              7th Div began taking over from 14th Div.
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              • #67
                Sunday 27th August 1916. Day 58

                Nab Valley

                Nab Valley runs north west from Authuille Wood towards Mouquet Farm. The action here has moved on from the wood so I’ve changed location name.

                1/8th Royal Warwickshire Regt (143 Bde, 48th Div) attacked parts of Constance Trench on either side of Pole Trench. Running into their own barrage, they swerved to the flanks and were driven back by counter-attacks from Constance and Pole Trenches.

                South west of Pole Trench, 1/4th Royal Berkshire Regt and 1/5th Gloucestershire Regt (145 Bde) took a trench network.

                Mouquet Farm

                14th (tate>Victoriatate>) Bn made unsuccessful attacks on two strongpoints, the one at the Thiepval Road/Mouquet Farm Track junction and another in Zig Zag Trench near the farm itself.

                High Wood

                1st Div relieved 33rd Div in the wood and in treet>Wood Lanetreet>.

                Delville Wood

                10th Bn, Durham Light Infantry drove the Germans from Edge Trench.They then barricaded Ale Alley, leaving Delville Wood free of Germans.
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                • #68
                  Monday 28th August 1916. Day 59

                  Nab Valley

                  8th Bn, South Lancashire Regt made another unsuccessful attempt to clear the enemy from the western end of Hindenberg Trench.

                  Delville Wood

                  10th Bn, Durham Light Infantry and 1st Bn, Royal Welsh Fusiliers attempted to clear Ale Alley eastwards to Beer Trench without success.
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                  • #69
                    Tuesday 29th August 1916. Day 60

                    Mouquet Farm

                    4 Bde of the 4th Australian Div launched an unsuccessful attack on Fabeck Graben, Mouquet Farm and Zig Zag Trench with the 13th (New South Wales) and 16th (Southern and Western Australia) Bns. The 16th did manage to gain a foothold in Fabeck Graben but were driven out.

                    High Wood

                    1st Div made a small advance up treet>Wood Lanetreet>.
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                    • #70
                      Wednesday 30th August 1916. Day 61

                      Bazentin Le Petit

                      The Germans holding out in Intermediate Trench surrendered having been surrounded by troops of the 15th Div.
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                      • #71
                        Thursday 31st August 1916. Day 62

                        Mouquet Farm

                        1 Canadian Bde took over the right flank of the Australian front.

                        Delville Wood

                        The 24th Div relieved the 14th and 33rd Divs in Delville Wood overnight.

                        At 1pm the Germans launched a series of heavy attacks on the wood. The attack fell on the 1st Bn, South Staffordshire Regt of 72 Bde. German bombers attacked along Ale Alley towards Hop Alley. The first assault was repulsed as was the next at 2pm. A heavy bombardment ensued before a third assault at 7pm drove the Staffords back to the edge of the wood, where they held Edge Trench, maintaining contact with the 1st North Staffords on the right and being reinforced by a platoon from 2nd Queen’s after dark.

                        The North Staffords lost part of Edge Trench to a flank attack and 8th Royal West Kents pulled back to Inner Trench.

                        To the west the Germans entered Tea Trench from the barricade in treet>Wood Lanetreet> and pushed 13th Middlesex back as far as treet>North Streettreet>. An enemy attack on Orchard Trench was held by 2nd Bn, The Leinster Regt of 73 Bde.
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                        • #72
                          Friday 1st September 1916. Day 63

                          Delville Wood

                          A dawn attack by 2nd Leinsters bombing along Orchard Trench was unsuccessful.

                          At 10am the Leinsters made another unsuccessful assault along treet>Pear Streettreet>.

                          In the afternoon 3rd Bn, Rifle Brigade drove the Germans from Orchard Trench and secured treet>Wood Lanetreet> by 6.30pm.

                          At 3pm 1st North Staffords bombed forward along 20 yards of Edge Trench.

                          East of the wood 7th Div sent bombers of 2nd Queen’s Regt to bomb the Germans at the edge of the wood as far as Hop Alley. The Queen’s was driven back by MG fire.
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                          • #73
                            Saturday 2nd September 1916. Day 64

                            Delville Wood

                            2nd Queen’s tried another bombing attack down Edge Trench with some success.

                            Guillemont

                            Along the XIV and XV front, the preliminary bombardment began on Guillemont in preparation for an all out assault on the village.
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                            • #74
                              Sunday 3rd September 1916.Day 65

                              The four day long Battle of Guillemont began. In fact this day was probably the busiest since 1st July with the first attacks in the north of the Somme Sector since that day.

                              Hamel

                              North of Thiepval and scene of the Newfoundland Regiment’s disastrous advance on July 1st, 39th Div attacked in this area.

                              117 Bde with 16th Rifle Brigade and 17th Sherwood Foresters attacked on the left flank and 166 Bde with 11th Sussex and 14th Hampshires on the right north of the River Ancre. 4/5th Black Watch 188 Bde were in the AncreValley. The Ancre is a tributary stream of the River Somme and is only about 20 feet wide here. The advance began at 5.10 am after a short barrage. 116 Bde quickly secured the German line but elsewhere the attack failed and all units withdrew.

                              Thiepval



                              Aerial photograph of the area of Schwaben Redoubt.

                              The Ulster Tower is bottom centre standing on the site of the Pope's Nose position. Schwaben Redoubt was on the site of Mill Road Cemetery at 11 o'clock to the Ulster Tower. Top of the photo is the village of Thiepval. The wood across the road from the tower is Thiepval Wood with Connaught Cemetery between trees and road. The British line in September ran roughly along the road as far as the cemetery and then ran right across the fields to the top right corner of the photo. The pale lines running through the fields show where trenches were located in 1916.


                              49th Div was in action here, attacking at 5.15am from the line of the Thiepval-Hamel road, roughly the same advance made by 36th (Ulster)Div on July 1st. The advance followed a barrage on Schwaben Redoubt and a gas and ammonal barrage on Thiepval village.


                              147 Bde attacked on the right with 1/4th and 1/5th Bns, Duke of Wellington’s Regt taking the German front and support line trenches. The 1/5th Bn failed to take a salient in the German line called The Pope’s Nose, which was located where the Ulster Tower stands today.

                              146 Bde attacked on the left flank but failed to make any progress due to enfilading fire from The Pope’s Nose. 1/8th Bn, West Yorkshire Regt managed to enter the German support trench but, finding themselves unsupported, withdrew at 7.30am.

                              147 Bde, under fire from Schwaben Redoubt, was attacked by the Germans from Strasburg Trench (running northwest from Schwaben Redoubt)and they withdrew by 10am.

                              Nab Valley

                              25th Div attacked from Hindenberg Trench at 5.10am south of the Wonder Work. 1st Wiltshires and a composite battalion of two companies each from 3rd Worcesters and 2nd South Lancs entered the German line but were forced back.

                              Mouquet Farm

                              13 Bde of the Australian 4th Div attacked the Fabeck Graben west from the farm and Courcelette track at 5.10am

                              The 49th (tate>Queenslandtate>) Bn captured part of Fabeck Graben. 51st (tate>Western Australiatate>) Bn captured Mouquet Farm, while in the centre 52nd (South West Australia & Tasmania) Bn was driven back by a counter-attack. This same attack surrounded a company of the 51st and the farm was recaptured. 50th Bn was then brought up from Bde Reserve to provide flank protection to the 49th holding 300 yards of Fabeck Graben. In the afternoon, the Canadian 13th Bn also reinforced and the Germans were driven back, a barricade built and a communication trench to the OG line dug.
                              Last edited by Groundhog; 11 September 2006, 00:43.
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                              • #75
                                Sunday 3rd September 1916 continued






                                The area between High Wood and Delville Wood.
                                Wood Lane trench ran from the upper corner of High Wood in the photograph and followed the road more or less to Delville Wood. Roughly half way across the brown field Tea Trench entered Wood Lane from the east while Sap A led west out of it. Where the road meets the green field Wood Lane ended and Orchard Trench led off to Delville Wood. The Switch Line ran through the green fields between High Wood and Flers while Tea Lane ran from the area of the green fields towards Delville Wood until it entered Tea Trench.

                                High Wood

                                30 seconds before Zero Hour, a 3000lb mine was detonated under the German Strongpoint in the east corner of High Wood (the top corner in the photograph). The crater was captured by a company of the 1st Black Watch. Meanwhile the remainder of the battalion attacked the German line with blazing oil drums and flamethrowers. Bombers worked west from the crater but the attacks were halted by MG fire. At 3pm a counterattack from the Switch Line drove all the Scots back to the start line.

                                At 6.pm the British renewed the attack in the wood. 2nd Bn, The Welsh Regt advanced to the centre of the wood with one company achieving it’s objective, the remainder being stopped by MG fire. The 9th Black watch entered the western corner of the wood but were attacked. They drove off two German assaults before retreating. The Welsh company hung on in the wood until 4am.

                                East of the wood 1st Camerons Highlanders attacked treet>Wood Lanetreet> at noon. On the left the attack was successful with a 10 yard advance being made before consolidation.


                                Delville Wood
                                Again at
                                noon, a company of the 8th Buffs (17 Bde, 24th Div) attacked south from Worcester Trench towards Delville Wood and the German part of Tea Trench while a bombing party attacked from Sap A. The attack was halted by a strongpoint at the junction of treet>Wood Lanetreet> and Tea Trench. A renewed assault at 4pm met with similar success. After dark 7th Bn, Northamptonshire Regt occupied the southern portion of treet>Tea Lanetreet> (joining Tea Tench to the Switch Line).


                                Ginchy

                                The action described here starts at the south eastern edge of Delville Wood but Ginchy was the objective. For the sake of simplicity we will call this sector after the village.

                                The village was attacked by 7th Div whom we have not met since Fricourt on July 1st I think. 2nd Bn Royal Irish Regt is in 22 Bde of the Division. Also in the division, for those of a literary bent, is 1st Bn, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the unit in which both Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves served.

                                During the night 22 Bde took over 91 Bde positions south of the Longueval-Ginchy road. After a one hour bombardment 91 Bde bombers attacked along the south eastern edge of Delville Wood towards Hop Alley at 12 noon. In conjunction with this attack 9th East Surreys attacked from north of Ale Alley. Both attacks failed.

                                Meanwhile 22 Bde attacked Ginchy with 20th Bn, the Manchester Regt and 1st Bn, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. The Fusiliers were halted by enfilading fire from Ale Alley and they then attempted an attack on Hop Alley and Beer Trench, establishing posts 40 yards south of Hop Alley and taking the southern part of Beer Trench. One company entered the northern part of Ginchy where it disappeared into the fog of war never to be heard of again.

                                The Mancs entered the southern part of Ginchy, reached the far side of the village and tried to consolidate. A counter attack from north of the village drove them back to Porter Trench.

                                At 5pm, 2nd Royal Irish was ordered to re-occupy the village. Following two unsuccessful attempts on Hop Alley the Irish joined the Mancs in Stout and Porter Trenches.

                                In the evening 20 Bde relieved 22 Bde and 21st Bn the Manchester Regt took over in Delville Wood.
                                Last edited by Groundhog; 5 September 2006, 18:55.
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