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
On the night of April 11 the Thirty-seventh {49} Division, which had
suffered considerably in the capture of Monchy, and the Fifteenth
which had lived up to its reputation during fifty-six hours of
incessant fighting under most inclement conditions, were withdrawn
for a short rest, while the Twelfth Division returned into the line,
and the Seventeenth took the place of the Thirty-seventh. April 12
was spent in consolidation and in bringing up heavy howitzer
batteries along the Cambrai road, and placing them in positions
between Feuchy and Tilloy where they could support the coming
operations.
[Sidenote: April 12]
From the time that the British had captured the village, both it and
the whole front line in that area had been subjected to a most severe
German bombardment, which tried the troops extremely, but did not
prevent them from repulsing several attempts at counter-attack, none
of which reached the front trenches. On the night of April 12 the
Twelfth Division, which was considerably worn from its exertions, was
drawn out and was replaced by the famous Twenty-ninth Regular
Division, which had gained such honour and suffered such losses at
Gallipoli and on the Somme. There was no forward movement upon April
13 in the region of Monchy, but farther south the 9th Brigade, which
had taken the place of the 76th in front of Guémappe, endeavoured to
reach that village, but were met and checked by the same murderous
machine-gun fire which had held up their comrades, a fire which came
both from the hamlet itself and from the high ground to the south
which lay within the area of the Seventh Corps. The 1st
Northumberland Fusiliers and 12th West Yorks, which led the attack,
both suffered severely.
[Sidenote: April 14]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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