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
On March 28 there was again a very heavy attack upon the 186th
Brigade. The stormers surged right {72} up to the muzzles of the
rifles, but never beyond them. Over 200 dead were found lying in
front of one company. One isolated platoon of the 5th West Ridings
was cut off and was killed to the last man. Farther to the right
there were several determined attacks upon the 187th Brigade and the
4th Australian Brigade, the latter being under the orders of the
Sixty-second Division. These also were repulsed in the open, but the
bombing, in which the Germans had the advantage of a superiority of
bombs, was more difficult to meet, and the 5th Yorkshire Light
Infantry were driven from Rossignol Wood and the ground which they
had so splendidly captured the night before.
About 11 A.M. on this day the Forty-first Division had been ordered
up to man the east of Gommecourt. A brigade of this division, the
124th, co-operated with the 8th West Yorkshires and some of the
Australians in a fresh attack upon Rossignol Wood, which failed at
first, but eventually, after dark, secured the north end of the wood,
and greatly eased the local pressure. On March 29 and 30 the
positions were safely held, and the attacks less dangerous. On the
evening of the latter date the Sixty-second Division was relieved by
the Thirty-seventh.
Whilst these events had occurred upon the front of the Sixty-second
Division, Russell's New Zealanders were holding the line to the south
in their usual workmanlike fashion. From March 26 they held up the
Germans, whose main attacks, however, were north and south of them,
though March 27 saw several local advances against the Canterburys
and the Rifles. On March 30 the New Zealanders hit {73} back again
at La Signy Farm, with good results, taking 295 prisoners. It was a
smart little victory at a time when the smallest victory was indeed
precious.
[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 21.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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