The British Campaign in France and Flanders—July to November, 1918Doyle, Arthur Conan
History
The British Campaign in France and Flanders—July to November, 1918
Doyle, Arthur Conan
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Western Front
Orders were now received from the French Corps that the Scots
Fifteenth Division should change place with its neighbour, the
Eighty-seventh French Division, a difficult operation which was
successfully accomplished, the artillery in each case being left in
position. The new operation was to consist of an attack upon
Hartennes Forest, the Twelfth French Division working round the south
and the Fifteenth Scots Division round the north end of it, both
meeting to the east, with Droisy as an ultimate objective. The
attacking troops were concealed so far as possible in the cornfields
on July 31, and went forward about eight o'clock in the morning of
August 1, after the completion of a successful French advance further
down the line. The brunt of this new advance was borne by the 6th
Camerons and 13th Royal Scots of the 45th Brigade (Orr-Ewing),
together with the 10th Scots Rifles and 7/8th Scottish Borderers of
the 46th Brigade (Fortune). The left of the line made fine progress
and reached the east side of the Soissons Road, but the 45th Brigade
on the right was held up by terrible machine-gun fire, part of which
came from several derelict French tanks. These were dealt with and
blown to pieces by trench mortars. The advance was then resumed, the
French Twelfth Division coming forward also in the south. About
midday the Camerons had reached their mark, but were out of touch
with the Borderers on their right, so that they were compelled to
form a defensive flank from the cemetery to the road. The Germans
lay in a series of wooded hills upon the right, and though these were
smothered with shells the brave machine-gunners {17} still clung to
their position. So heavy was their fire that the right flank could
get no farther, and it was determined to hold on to the ground
gained. During the night the 44th Brigade, in spite of its heavy
losses three days before, took the place of the 46th.
[Sidenote: Fifteenth Division at Buzancy. July 28-August 2.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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