The British Campaign in France and Flanders—January to July, 1918Doyle, Arthur Conan
History
The British Campaign in France and Flanders—January to July, 1918
Doyle, Arthur Conan
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Western Front
These events had their reaction upon the Thirty-first Division to the
north. When the enemy were seen in Mory at 9 A.M. they were upon the
flank of the 4th Guards Brigade, which at the same time could see
heavy columns massing to the east of St. Leger. The Guards at once
dug in a new support switch line towards Ervillers and so kept touch
with the Fortieth in its new position. The 93rd upon the left was in
the meanwhile heavily attacked in front, the enemy coming on again
and again with a powerful support from trench mortars. These attacks
were all beaten back by the stout Yorkshire infantry, but nothing
could prevent the enemy from working round in the south and occupying
Behagnies and Sapignies. The British artillery was particularly
masterful in this section, and no direct progress could be made by
the Germans.
[Sidenote: Sixth Corps. March 25.]
In the late afternoon of the 24th the Germans made a new and violent
attack upon the exhausted Fortieth Division and upon the 4th Guards
Brigade on the right of the Thirty-first. In this attack the enemy
succeeded in forcing their way into Ervillers, while the Fortieth
reformed upon the west of it, so {30} as to cover Hamelincourt and
Moyenneville. The situation in the morning of March 25 was
exceedingly critical for the two advanced brigades of the
Thirty-first, the Guards and the 93rd, who had not budged from their
position. The enemy were now to the right rear, and if they advanced
farther northwards there was imminent danger that the defenders would
be cut off. As usual the best defence of a dashing commander is an
attack, so the reserve brigade, the 92nd, was ordered to advance upon
Ervillers, which had already been consolidated by the 91st German
Infantry Regiment. The 10th East Yorkshires led the attack and
seized the village once again, but the situation was still critical,
for the enemy were round the south-west, so that they enveloped the
whole right wing of the division, which was stretched to cracking
point with every man in the line. Touch had for the moment been lost
with the troops on the right. As the Germans poured past the right
wing of the Thirty-first they presented a menace for the future, but
a most tempting mark for the present, and ten machine-guns were kept
in continuous action for three hours upon ideal targets ranging from
300 to 1500 yards. The enemy losses upon this occasion were
undoubtedly very heavy, but with fine persistency they kept upon
their way, as one-idea'd and undeviating as a swarm of ants in a
tropical forest. A thick trail of their dead marked their westward
road.
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