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  • Thursday 12th October 1916. Day 104


    Le Sars

    2nd and 4th Bns (2 South African Bde, 9th Div) attacked Snag Trench but were halted half way to the objective, where they dug in. Also in 9th Div, 7th Seaforth Highlanders and 10th Argyll Highlanders were halted in No Man’s Land as they attacked Little Wood and the Butte.

    Gueudecourt

    30th Div attacked between Le Sars and Gueudecourt. 2nd Bn, Royal Scots Fusiliers were driven back after a 150 yard advance while 17th Bn, Manchester Regt managed to get small groups into Bayonet Trench, but only temporarily. 17th Bn, The King’s Regt also failed in their advance due to MG fire. 2nd Bedfords wass supposed to bomb up Gird Trench but only managed to take a small part of Bite Trench.

    Nearer to Gueudecourt, 12th Div attacked Hilt Trench with the Newfoundland Regt. The Newfies were attached from 29th Div. They continued the advance to Grease Trench but were forced to withdraw at 5.30pm. They held onto the captured section of Hilt Trench and bombed some way along it before erecting a barricade. Meanwhile 7th Suffolks and 7th Norfolks (35 Bde, 12th Div) were halted by uncut wire in front of Bayonet Trench.

    Le Transloy

    4th and 6th Divisions attacked here with mixed results.

    In 6th Div, 2nd Yorks and Lancs attacked Zenith Trench unsuccessfully. 9th Suffolks failed to leave it’s trenches at all. 1st West Yorks also failed in it’s attack on Cloudy Trench. Only the 14th Durham Light Infantry succeeded in capturing Rainbow Trench and cleared the treet>Beaulencourt Roadtreet>.

    In 4th Div, 1st Royal Warwickshire Regt advanced 500 yards and dug in south of Hazy Trench. The new trench was named Antelope Trench and a German attack on it in the evening was repelled. Meanwhile 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers failed in it’s attack on Rainy and Dewdrop Trenches north east of Lesboeufs. Some of 2nd Duke of Wellington’s Regt entered Spectrum Trench where they linked with 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers. A joint attack by the two battalions on Zenith Trench failed.
    Last edited by Groundhog; 20 October 2006, 18:57.
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    • Friday 13th October 1916. Day 105

      The Official History of the Great War records no movement today.
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      • Saturday 14th October 1916. Day 106

        Thiepval

        39th Div attacked in Schwaben Redoubt with 4/5th Black Watch, 1/1st Cambridge and 17th King’s Royal Rifle Corps. The fighting lasted from 3pm until 11pm when the Germans were finally cleared from the Redoubt. To the left of the redoubt the 1/6th Cheshires also pushed the line forward. North east of Schwaben Redoubt 8th Bn Loyal North Lancs (7 Bde, 25th Div) attacked and secured The Mound affording observation over Grandcourt.

        Le Sars

        In the evening 3rd South African Bn attacked and seized 80 yards of Snag Trench and a position called The Pimple.

        At 6.30pm 2nd Seaforth Highlanders (10 Bde, 4th Div) entered Rainy Trench and the gun pits south of Dew Drop Trench but were forced out. At the same time 2nd Bn, Royal Dublin Fusiliers failed to take Hazy Trench. Meanwhile in 12 Bde, 1st King’s Own tried a bombing attack down Spectrum Trench with no success.

        In 6th Div, 11th Essex tried to bomb up treet>Beaulencourt Roadtreet> but failed.
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        • Sunday 15th October 1916. Day 107

          Thiepval

          118 Bde in Schwaben Redoubt fought off three German attacks during the day.

          Le Sars

          In 6th Div, 2nd Sherwood Foresters (71 Bde) captured the gun pits in front of Cloudy Trench in a dawn attack.
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          • Monday 16th October 1916. Day 108

            Thiepval

            39th Div handedover the line north of the River Ancre to 63rd Div. 116 Bde relieved 118 Bde in Schwaben Redoubt.
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            • Tuesday 17th October 1916. Day 109

              Thiepval

              The troops in Schwaben Redoubt were shelled heavily all day.
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              • Wednesday 18th October 1916. Day 110

                Le Sars

                5th Bn, Cameron Highlanders (26 Bde, 9th Div) captured part of Snag Trench at 3.40am. They were covered by smoke and tear gas shells from 15th Div onto the Butte and the Warlencourt Line. The Germans recaptured some of the trench before being driven out again after dark. Also in 9th Div, two companies of 1st South African Regt entered Snag Trench and pushed beyond it before being driven back by MG fire. At daybreak they began to bomb along the trench towards The Pimple. At dusk the Germans were confined to 100 yards of Snag Trench on either side of The Nose.

                Further south 30th Div attacked Bayonet Trench with little success. 2nd Green Howards were halted short of the trench although their bombers entered Bite Trench before being pushed back. 18th King’s and 2nd Wiltshires were halted by wire. This attack was supposed to be supported by two tanks, one of which was stopped by mud. The other made it to Gird Trench by 8am where it straddled the trench firing into it. The infantry were so disorganised at that stage that they were unable to take advantage of the tank’s presence.

                Gueudecourt

                Units from three divisions took part in attacks in this area.

                9th Bn, Norfolk Regt (6th Div) captured the north western part of Mild Trench and held it against a German attack at nightfall.

                In 12th Div, 2nd Hampshires and 4th Worcesters (88 Bde) attacked Grease Trench while 9th Essex (35 Bde) attacked the south eastern end of Bayonet Trench. The Essex had no success while 88 Bde captured Grease Trench and blocked Hilt Trench to protect their flank.

                4th Div attacked Frosty, Hazy, Rainy and Dewdrop Trenches with no success. 1st Bn, King’s Own Regt managed to bomb down 70 yards of Spectrum Trench towards Dewdrop.
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                • Thursday 19th October 1916. Day 111

                  Le Sars

                  The Germans attacked Snag Trench at dawn with flamethrowers and bombers, driving the South Africans east towards the 8th Black Watch who had relieved the Camerons overnight. The Scots held their part of the line.


                  Gueudecourt

                  A patrol of 1st Somerset Light Infantry found Frosty Trench empty and occupied it. They later fought off a German attack.
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                  • Friday 20th October 1916. Day 112

                    Le Sars

                    6th King’s Own Scottish Borderers (27 Bde, 9th Div) took The Nose, lostit and retook it again. By nightfall, they were in Snag Trench and 11th Royal Scots occupied 250 yards of The Tail.
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                    • Saturday 21st October 1916. Day 113



                      Thiepval

                      Zero Hour was set for 12.06pm but the Germans set the ball rolling at 5am with an attack on Schwaben Redoubt, still occupied by 39th Div. 17th King’s Royal Rifle Cops and 14th Hampshires drove the Germans back with grenades.

                      The division attacked at Zero with 116 Bde assaulting Stuff Trench with a company of 14th Hampshires on the left, 11th Royal Sussex in the centre and 13th Royal Sussex on the right. 117 Bde attacked the Pope’s Nose with 17th Sherwood Foresters and 16th Rifle Brigade with little success.

                      25th Div attacked with elements of two brigades. On the left 75 Bde committed 2nd and 8th Bns The South Lancashire Regt and 8th Border Regt with a company of 11th Cheshires attached. On the right 74 Bde attacked with 11th Lancashire Fusiliers, 9th Loyal North Lancashire Regt and 13th Cheshires. Both brigades reached treet>Stump Roadtreet> where they were halted by their own barrage. The Border Regt lost some men to their own shelling whilst bombing a large dugout on the road. The 8th South Lancs cleared many dugouts in the area but further advance was impossible.

                      18th Div attacked with two battalions of 53 Bde- 10th Essex and 8th Norfolks advancing in line with the Canadians on their right flank. The Norfolks were caught up in a bombing fight near the Grandcourt-Courcelette road which they won with the aid of the Lancashire Fusiliers of 25th Div.

                      4th Canadian Division attacked with battalions of it’s 11 Bde. 87th (Canadian Grenadier Guards) Bn and 102nd Bn took Regina Trench east of the treet>Pys Roadtreet> with little opposition under cover of an overhead MG barrage. Touch was kept with 18th Div on the left and three counterattacks fought off in the afternoon.
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                      • Sunday 22nd October 1916. Day 114

                        Thiepval

                        19th Div relieved 25th Div and also took over the right sector of 39th Div. 18th Div extended it’s left flank to the Pozieres-Miraumont Road (left flank of 74 Bde in yesterday’s map).
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                        • Monday 23rd October 1916. Day 115


                          Gueudecourt

                          8th Div attacked with three brigades, 24 Bde on the left, 25 Bde in the centre and 23 Bde on the right. Zero Hour was 2.30pm.

                          24 Bde took most of Mild Trench with 2nd Bn, East Lancashire Regt.

                          25 Bde’s objective was the northern part of Zenith Trench. 2nd Bn The Lincolnshire Regt was stopped by MG fire and failed to take the objective.

                          23 Bde was also tasked with attacking Zenith Trench in it’s sector. 2nd Scottish Rifles and 2nd Middlesex Regt took the objective with the Scots advancing 200 yards to Orion Trench before being pushed back.

                          Lesboeufs

                          4th Div attacked here with two brigades, 12 Bde on the left and 11 Bde on the right. 11 Bde had 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers and 1st Bn, Royal Warwicks attached from 10 Bde.

                          12 Bde attacked with 2nd Bn, Essex Regt and 1st Bn, King’s Own Regt. The Essex were largely halted by MG fire as they attacked Dewdrop Trench. Some men got into the objective but were driven back. The Kink’s Own captured part of Spectrum Trench north of Dewdrop with the help of bombers from 2nd Duke of Wellington’s Regt.

                          In 11 Bde, 1st Hampshires were halted by fire from Boritska Trench, as were the French on their right flank. 1st Rifle Brigade came up in support but were only able to establish posts short of the objective. The Dublin Fusiliers supported by the Warwicks captured the gun pits north west of Boritska Trench.

                          33rd Div relieved 4th Div after dark.
                          Last edited by Groundhog; 26 October 2006, 01:26.
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                          • Tuesday 24th October 1916. Day 116

                            Le Sars

                            The Canadians took over the left of Fourth Army’s sector as far as the chalk pits on the Le Sars- Pys Road.

                            Gueudecourt

                            At 4am 1st Royal Irish Rifles and 2nd Royal Berkshire Regt made another unsuccessful attempt on Zenith Trench. In heavy rain they fell too far behind the creeping barrage and were halted by MG fire.
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                            • Wednesday 25th October 1916. Day 117

                              Le Sars

                              The Canadian 44th Bn (10 Bde, 4th Canadian Div) tried to push along Regina Trench with the intention of occupying it as far as treet>Farmer Roadtreet>. The attempt was foiled by German shelling and MG fire.
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                              • Thursday 26th October 1916. Day 118

                                Thiepval

                                7th East Lancs had to fight off a German attack on Stuff Redoubt at 5 am.
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