The 42nd (East Lancashire) Division 1914-1918Gibbon, Frederick P.
History
The 42nd (East Lancashire) Division 1914-1918
Gibbon, Frederick P.
Great Britain. Army. Division, 42nd; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
At 9.40 a.m., the troops went forward with their usual dash, wearing tin
back-plates that could be seen by the artillery “spotters.” On the right
the Lancashire Fusiliers gained their first objective, but the 5th and
8th found that their portion was merely a very shallow trench raked by
enfilade fire. Parties of the 6th and 7th reached their second objective,
but enfilade fire and superior numbers compelled them to fall back. One
of the few officers to reach this objective was Major W. J. Law, 7th
Lancashire Fusiliers, who took part in all the subsequent fighting in
the Vineyard. Soon after 11 a.m. portions of the first objective were
retaken by a strong Turkish counter-attack, but the Vineyard remained in
our hands. The 5th and 7th L.F. made a gallant effort to recover what
had been lost and were partially successful. At 1.30 p.m. another enemy
counter-attack in close formation was caught by our guns and brought
to a standstill. The Turks suffered severely in counter-attacks upon
the Vineyard, and for some hours gave up the attempt in this quarter,
but resumed it late at night with no more success. The 5th and 8th L.F.
reoccupied a portion of their first objective in the evening. Parties
of the 4th East Lancashires and 10th Manchesters gave great assistance
both in attack and defence. On the left the Manchesters showed similar
dash and determination, but owing to the greater difficulties of the
ground between and about the nullahs and to the intricacy of the Turkish
trench system, which, with the nests of machine-guns, had escaped our
shells, they were unable to hold any of the trenches taken in the initial
assault, and their losses were grievous, the attacking lines being mown
down by the enemy’s machine-guns.
The casualties during the two days were—
Officers. Other Ranks.
Killed 20 203
Wounded 36 770
Missing 24 511
The result was that a tactical point of some importance had been won
and held by the tenacity of the 125th Brigade, and that a large Turkish
force had been pinned down when urgently needed in the north. The Turks
had, indeed, been massing troops in front of the Division as they had
intended to attack our lines in force, on the 6th or 7th of August. Sir
Ian Hamilton telegraphed to the Corps Commander: “Your operations have
been invaluable, and have given the Northern Corps the greatest possible
help by drawing the main Turkish effort on yourselves. I was sure you
were ready for them to-night. Well done, 8th Corps.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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