The history of the Twentieth (Light) DivisionInglefield, Valentine Erskine
History
The history of the Twentieth (Light) Division
Inglefield, Valentine Erskine
Great Britain. Army. Division, 20th (Light); World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
The Divisional Artillery was required to support an attack by the
19th Division on the 4th, and spent the 3rd getting up the necessary
ammunition, with the help of the Divisional Ammunitional Column.
The enemy retired on this front during the 3rd, as a result of the
capture of Valenciennes, and the infantry reached Jenlain, three miles
north-east of Maresches and two and a half miles east of Preseau, by
4 P.M. that day. Further progress was made by the infantry
during the night of the 3rd/4th, so that when the barrage opened at 6
A.M. on the 4th the guns had to fire at very long range, and
B/92 Battery was unable to fire at all. Half an hour after zero the
batteries began to move forward to positions west of Jenlain. At this
time Major Gwyn, commanding D/91 Battery, and two men were wounded
while carrying out a reconnaissance. The infantry of the 19th Division
had gained the high ground east of Jenlain by 10 A.M. At 4.30
P.M. both artillery brigades supported another attack in which
the 19th Division surprised and defeated the enemy, who again retired
during the night. The infantry passed Bry on the 5th and occupied
La Flamengrie, a mile and a half further east, and the 92nd Field
Artillery Brigade moved to Wargnies le Grand. It poured all that day,
and the supply of ammunition became a very difficult matter. These
operations formed part of a decisive attack which was launched by
the Fourth, Third, and First Armies on a front of thirty miles from
the Sambre to Valenciennes, and which definitely broke the enemy’s
resistance.
By the morning of the 6th both brigades had gone forward and come into
action south-east of Roisin. This advance presented some difficulty,
as the ground was too waterlogged to allow guns or wagons to take
cross-country cuts. The roads were being heavily shelled, and all
bridges and culverts over the numerous streams which crossed the route
had been destroyed.
On approaching the allotted position the 92nd Brigade found the eastern
exits of Roisin under a heavy barrage. The bridge south-east of the
town had been blown up and the Rivière de Roisin, with its marshy banks
sodden from the heavy rain, barred the way. A double avenue of trees
running parallel with the stream, although it formed no obstacle to the
howitzers, masked the fire of the 18-pdrs. and made it essential to get
them across. The brigade and battery staffs, under a harassing fire,
built a bridge with German ammunition baskets, materials from some
gun-pits near by, straw mattresses and earth, completing their work in
time to allow the leading battery to cross after only a few minutes’
delay.
D/92 Battery, coming into action west of the stream, was unfortunately
spotted by a low-flying aeroplane, and soon afterwards came under
accurate fire from the German guns. The first shot knocked out a
howitzer, and the searching and sweeping of the area caused a good many
casualties. In spite of these difficulties all batteries were in action
at the time ordered.
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