The British Campaign in France and Flanders, 1917Doyle, Arthur Conan
History
The British Campaign in France and Flanders, 1917
Doyle, Arthur Conan
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Western Front
This fine advance had been matched by Reed's Fifteenth Scots Division
on the right. Of their conduct that day it can only be said that it
was worthy of the reputation which they had gained at Loos and at the
Somme. The Scottish bands who fought under Gustavus Adolphus in the
Thirty Years' War left a renown in Germany which lingers yet, and it
is certain that some memory of the terrible "Hell-hags," as they were
called by the German soldiers, will preserve the record of Scotch
military prowess so long as any of their adversaries are alive to
speak of it. Two brigades led the advance, the 44th upon the right
and the 46th upon the left. As in the case of the Lancashire men
upon their left the first stages of the attack were easy. On getting
past the German line, however, the full blast of fire struck the
infantry from Douglas Villa, Frezenberg Redoubt, Pommern Castle, Low
Farm, Frost House, and Hill 37. By ten o'clock, however, the second
objectives had been taken. The 45th Brigade now pushed through, and
though held up on the right by Bremen Redoubt, they attained the full
objective upon the left, and kept in close touch with the 164th
Brigade. The position, however, was perilous and, as it proved,
impossible, for Watts' Corps was now well ahead of either of its
neighbours. About two o'clock a violent German drive struck up
against the exposed flank of the Fifty-fifth Division, causing great
losses, especially to the 4th Royal Lancasters, some of whom were cut
off. Another counter-attack beat against the left of the enfeebled
{150} 45th Brigade. As a result the remains of the four front line
battalions were pushed back some hundreds of yards, but at 5 P.M. the
edge was taken off the attack and the German infantry were seen to be
retiring. About 1 P.M. next day this attack was renewed down the
line of the Ypres-Roulers Railway, and again the Fifteenth Division
bore a heavy strain which forced it back once to the Frezenberg
Ridge, but again it flooded forward and reoccupied its line. So
severe had been the exertions and the losses of these two divisions
that they were drawn out of the line as soon as possible, their
places being taken by the 36th Ulsters upon the left and the 16th
Irish upon the right.
We now come to Jacob's Second Corps lying to the south of the
Nineteenth with its left resting upon the Ypres-Roulers Railway. It
contained no less than five divisions, three of which were in the
line and two in support. Those in the line, counting from the north,
were the Eighth Regular Division with its left on the railway and its
right at Sanctuary Wood, the Thirtieth Lancashire Division in the
centre, and the Twenty-fourth Division opposite Shrewsbury Forest
with its right resting upon the Zillebeke-Zandvoorde Road. In
support was the Twenty-fifth Division upon the left, and the
Eighteenth Division upon the right.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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