The Somme
Page 43
16. Robertson Paper for the War Committee 1/8/16, CAB 42/17/1. In a letter to Haig written at the same time, Robertson said that he had presented German casualties to the War Committee at 750,000. But he repeats the figure of ‘dead loss’ (the crucial figure) as being 600,000. See Woodward, Correspondence of Sir William Robertson, p. 76.
17. War Committee Minutes 5/8/16, CAB 42/17/3.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Robertson to Haig 8/8/16, ibid., pp. 79–80.
22. For Lloyd George's comments see the War Committee Minutes 10/8/16, CAB 42/17/5.
23. Ibid.
24. War Committee Minutes 18/8/16, CAB 42/17/11.
25. This and previous quotations are ibid.
26. Ibid.
27. War Committee Minutes 30/8/16, CAB 42/18/16.
19 One Division's Somme
1. Statement showing number of days each division has been in the front line in the Somme Battle from 1 July to 31 October 1916, WO 153/1265.
2. ‘Casualties by divisions’, an untitled document in the Australian War Memorial, listing casualties suffered by all divisions during the Somme, AWM 252/206.
3. This figure has been arrived at by adding most of those listed as missing to the ‘killed' category.
4. These figures have been calculated from the war diaries of the division and its constituent parts. These are: 1 Division, WO 95/1231; 1 Brigade, WO 95/1266; 2 Brigade WO 95/1273; 3 Brigade, WO 95/1276; 10 Gloucester, 8 Royal Berkshire, WO 95/1265; 1 Cameron, WO 95/1264; 1 Black Watch, WO 95/1263; 2 Royal Sussex, WO 95/1269; 1 Loyal North Lancashire, WO 95/1270; 1 KRRC, WO 95/1270; 1 Northamptonshire, WO 95/1271; 1 South Wales Borderers, WO 95/1280; 2 Welch, WO 95/1281; 2 Royal Munster Fusiliers, WO 95/1279; 1 Gloucester, WO 95/1278.
5. 2 South Wales Borderers War Diary, WO 95/1280.
6. Ibid., 25/7/16.
7. Ibid., 28/7/16.
8. Ibid., 1–4/8/16.
9. Ibid., 13/8/16.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid., 5/8/16.
12. Ibid., 6/8/16.
13. Ibid., 9/8/16.
14. Ibid., 10/8/16.
15. Ibid., 8/8/16.
16. Ibid., 12/8/16.
17. Ibid., 1/8/16.
18. 1 Black Watch War Diary July 1916, WO 95/1263.
19. Brigadier-General A. W. Pagan, Infantry: An Account of the 1st Gloucester Regiment during the War 1914–1918 (Aldershot: Gale & Polden, 1951), p. 95.
20. Ibid.
21. 2 Welch War Diary 12/7/16.
22. 1 Gloucester War Diary 19, 20, 21/7/16.
23. 1 Northamptonshire War Diary 12/7/16.
24. Ibid.
25. 1 South Wales Borderers War Diary 14/7/16.
26. Ibid.
27. Ibid., 15/7/16.
28. Ibid., 17/7/16.
29. Ibid., 18/7/16.
30. 10 Gloucesters War Diary 10–14/7/16.
31. 2 Royal Sussex War Diary 14–17/8/16.
32. Ibid., 19–21/8/16.
33. All the above details can be found in the 2 Welch War Diary.
34. See their respective war diaries for these details.
35. 2 Royal Munster Fusiliers Report on operations 24/8/16 in their War Diary.
36. 8 Royal Berkshire War Diary 18/8/16.
37. See their respective war diaries for these details.
38. 1 Gloucester War Diary 16–17/7/16.
39. 3 Brigade War Diary July 1916.
20 ‘An Operation Planned on Bolder Lines’
1. Haig Diary 16/8/16, National Library of Scotland.
2. Haig to Rawlinson 16/8/16 (OAD 111), AWM 26/6/41/41.
3. Ibid.
4. Haig to Rawlinson 19/8/16 (OAD 116), AWM 26/6/41/41.
5. Haig Diary 26/8/16.
6. Rawlinson Diary 26/8/16, Churchill College, Cambridge.
7. Ibid., 28/8/16.
8. Ibid.
9. Rawlinson to GHQ 28/8/16, Fourth Army Papers V5, IWM.
10. Ibid.
11. Haig Diary 29/8/16.
12. Haig to Rawlinson 31/8/16 (OAD 132), Fourth Army Papers V3, IWM.
13. Ibid.
14. All quotations are from Haig to Rawlinson and Gough 1/9/16 (but written 31/8/16) (OAD 131), in AWM 26/6/41/43.
15. See Das K.B. 14 Infanterie Regiment Hartmann (Munich, 1931), pp. 174–8; Major Hetzer, Das K.B. 9 Infanterie Regiment Wrede (Munich: Schlick, 1928), p. 92; Major A. Ritter, Das K.B. 18 Infanterie Regiment Prinz Ludwig-Ferdinand (Munich: Bayerisches Kriegsarchiv, 1926), pp. 154–9.
16. K.B. 18, p. 151.
17. See for example the account in Das K.B. 10 Infanterie Regiment König (Munich: Bayerisches Kriegsarchiv, 1925), pp. 245–52.
18. GHQ-, ‘Notes on Tank Organisation and Equipment’ in Miles 1916 V2 Appendices, Appendix 15, pp. 39–45; Trevor Pidgeon, The Tanks at Flers V1, 2 vols (Cobham, Surrey: Fairmile, 1995), pp. 34–5.
19. David J. Childs, A Peripheral Weapon? The Production and Employment of British Tanks in the First World War (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1999), p. 127.
20. These and other quotations are all taken from the minutes of a conference at Fourth Army Headquarters, 31/8/16, Rawlinson Papers, Churchill College, Cambridge, 1/6.
21. All quotations taken from Rawlinson to Haig 31/8/16, Fourth Army Papers V2, IWM.
22. Rawlinson Diary 2/9/16.
23. Ibid., 6/9/16.
24. Haig to Rawlinson 7/9/16, Fourth Army Papers V5.
25. Haig to Rawlinson 4/9/16, AWM 252/A102.
26. Haig to Bacon 10/9/16, ibid.
27. Haig to Gough 13/9/16, ibid.
28. Ibid.
29. ‘Note of a Conference held at Fourth Army Headquarters, 5th September, 1916’, Fourth Army Papers V6, IWM. Subsequent quotations about the plan come from this document.
30. Ibid., emphasis added.
31. ‘Battle of the Somme: Artillery Notes and Statistics’.
32. The length of trench to be attacked has been calculated by the same methods employed for the other battles.
33. Haig to Rawlinson and Gough 13/9/16 (OAD 146), WO 158/246.
34. Ibid.
35. Rawlinson Diary 14/9/16.
36. See OAD 146 quoted earlier and GHQ/Fourth Army Conference 14/9/16 (OAD 148), WO 158/246.
37. Haig Diary 10/9/16.
21 Lumbering Tanks
1. For weather conditions see Haig's Diary 12, 13, 14 Sept. 1916, National Library of Scotland.
2. Cecil Lewis, Sagittarius Rising (London: Corgi, 1969), pp. 102–3. (reprint of 1936 edn).
3. ‘Operations of 169th Brigade on Somme Front’, AWM 26/6/44/43; 1/1 Londons War Diary 15/9/16, WO 95/2949.
4. ‘Operations of 169th Brigade'; See also an untitled account in 56 Division War Diary 15/9/16, WO 95/2932.
5. ‘Centre Divisional Artillery, XIV Corps, Operation Order No.3’, in 6 Divison War Diary 12/9/15, WO 95/1582.
6. A convincing argument for this interpretation is made by Trevor Pidgeon in The Tanks at Flers, pp. 77–8. This chapter owes much to the meticulous research in Pidgeon's book.
7. Note by GOC 6 Division to XIV Corps, 6 Division War Diary Sept. 1916.
8. Ibid.
9. 16 Brigade War Diary 15/9/16, WO95/1605; ‘Operations of the 6th Division Between the 12th-18th September, 1916, at the Quadrilateral’, 6 Division War Diary.
10. Ibid.
11. Pidgeon, The Tanks at Flers, pp. 96–8.
12. See the 1 Coldstream and 3 Grenadiers War Diaries, both in WO 95/1217, for a sense of the confusion which accompanied the attack.
13. This is the rather quaint name given to the tanks by the war diarist of 1 Scots Guards. See their War Diary for 15/9/16 in WO 95/1219. The name helps remind us of the novelty of the weapon.
14. Untitled account by GOC Guards Division in 2 Grenadiers War Diary 15/9/16, WO 95/1215.
15. 2 Grenadiers War Diary 15/9/16.
16. 3 Grenadiers War Diary 15/9/16, WO 95/1217.
17. 1 Irish Guards War D
iary 15/9/16, WO 95/1216.
18. Ibid.
19. 3 Grenadiers War Diary 15/9/16.
20. See GOC 6 Division account quoted on p. 232.
21. 3 Canadian Division was attacking with the 2nd but its task was merely to keep pace with any progress made by that division.
22. Pidgeon, The Tanks at Flers, p. 127.
23. Untitled report of operations by 4 Canadian Brigade in their War Diary, WO 95/3811.
24. Ibid.
25. Account by Lt-Col. Coutlie (42 Canadian Battalion) quoted in Paul Reed, Courcelette (London: Leo Cooper, 1998) p. 56.
26. Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-one Divisions of the German Army which participated in the War, 1914–1918 (Washington, 1920), p. 465.
27. 5 Canadian Brigade War Diary 15/9/16, WO 95/3820.
28. 46 Brigade, ‘Narrative of Events from 12th September, 1916 to 17th September, 1916’, 46 Brigade War Diary 15/9/16, WO 95/1913.
29. See 10/11 Highland Light Infantry, ‘Report on Operations 13th to 17th September, 1916’, WO 95/1952; 10 Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) War Diary 15/9/16, WO 95/1954.
30. Ibid.
31. Lt-Col. J. Stewart and John Buchan, The Fifteenth (Scottish) Division 1914–1919 (Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1926), p. 93.
32. ‘50th Division, September 1916’, 50 Division War Diary, WO 95/2809.
33. Ibid.
34. Edward Wyrall, The History of the 50th Division 1914–1919 (London: Lund Humphries, 1939), pp. 149–50.
35. W. Muirhead-Murray to Edmonds 16/5/35, CAB 45/136.
36. 47th (London) Division Operation Order No.99, 47 Division War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/2701.
37. Ibid.
38. Pidgeon, The Tanks at Flers, p. 108.
39. 47 Division, ‘Report on Operations 15th–19th September 1916’, 47 Division War Diary, Sept. 1916.
40. Pidgeon, The Tanks at Flers, p. 105.
41. 1/6 London War Diary 15/9/16, WO 95/2729.
42. Pidgeon, The Tanks at Flers, p. 106.
43. G. de Caux to Colonel Gore-Browne 30/9/19, Gore-Browne Papers, IWM, 88/52/1.
44. Alan H. Maude, The 47th (London) Division 1914–1919 (London: Amalgamated Press, 1922), p. 65.
45. See, for example, the War Diary of 8 Somerset Light Infantry 15/9/16, WO 95/1902, which was operating on this flank.
46. 8 King's Royal Rifle Corps War Diary 15/9/16, WO 95/1895.
47. 7 Rifle Brigade War Diary 15/9/16, WO 95/1896.
48. ‘Report of Action at Flers By 122 Infantry Brigade’ (41 Division), 122 Brigade War Diary, WO 95/2632.
49. Account by 2 New Zealand Brigade in their War Diary, WO 95/3693.
50. ‘Operations of the New Zealand Division 15/9/16’, Fourth Army Papers, V3, IWM.
51. Ibid.; Report by 122 Brigade.
52. ‘Operations of the 41st Division’, Fourth Army Papers, V3.
53. ‘Operations of the New Zealand Division’.
54. ‘Operations of the 41st Division’.
55. ‘Operations of the New Zealand Division’.
22 25 September
1. Fourth Army Operation Order 15/9/16, Fourth Army Papers, V8, IWM.
2. Haig Diary 17/9/16, National Library of Scotland.
3. Rawlinson Diary 20/9/16, Churchill College, Cambridge.
4. Haig Diary 21/9/16.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. ‘Notes on Operations between 14th September and 8th October 1916’, Rawlinson Papers, RAGVQ 2522/2/79, NAM.
8. ‘Operations of the 6th Division between the 12th–18th September, 1916, at the Quadrilateral’, 6 Division War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/1582.
9. Ibid.
10. Account of Lt-Col. H.M. Dillon, uncatalogued, IWM.
11. 14 Northumberland Fusiliers War Diary 21/9/16, WO 95/2828.
12. Ibid.
13. 1 Cameron Highlanders War Diary 21/9/16, WO 95/1264.
14. ‘Report on Operations of 23rd Division from 19th September to 8th October, 1916’, 23 Division War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/2168.
15. See his ‘Notes on Operations between 14th September and 8th October’, quoted above.
16. ‘Battle of the Somme: Artillery Notes and Statistics’, Table C. This table gives the number of shells used. The weight of shell devoted to trench destruction is based on the figure for 15 September and adjusted for the lesser number of shells. The length of trench attacked has been calculated by the usual method.
17. XIV Corps Operation Order No. 59, 20/9/16, XIV Corps War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/911.
18. ‘Account of Operations carried out by 56th Division During Sept. and October 1916’, 56 Division War Diary September 1916, WO 95/2932.
19. ‘Narrative of operations carried out by XIV Corps against LesBoeuf, Morval and Combles on September 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th’, XIV Corps War Diary Sept. 1916.
20. 1 Norfolk War Diary 25/9/16, WO 95/1573.
21. General Fielding (GOC Guards Division) to Cavan 26/9/16, Guards Division War Diary Sept. 1916’, WO 95/1191.
22. 2 Grenadiers, ‘Narrative of events for 24th-25th Sept 1916, WO 95/1215.
23. Ibid.
24. Ibid.
25. ‘Narrative of operations carried out by XIV Corps ... on September 25th’.
26. Ibid.
27. 9 Leicesters War Diary 25/9/16, WO 95/2165.
28. ‘Operations of the 21st Division, 15th September–1st October 1916’, 21 Division War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/2131.
29. 1 East Yorkshire War Diary 25/9/16, WO 95/2161.
30. Ibid.
31. ‘Operations of the 21st Division’.
32. ‘An account of operation on morning of Sept. 26th in which a “Tank” was employed’, 21 Division War Diary September 1916.
33. 6 Leicesters War Diary 25/9/16, WO 95/2164.
34. The quotation comes from Colonel H. Stewart, The New Zealand Division 1916–1919: A Popular History Based on Official Records (Auckland: Whitcombe & Tombs, 1921), p. 99.
35. Miles, 1916 V2, p. 381.
36. Ibid., pp. 382–4; Jones, War in the Air V2, pp. 285–7.
23 ‘The Tragic Hill of Thiepval’, 26–30 September
1. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tender is the Night (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1986), p. 124.
2. All quotations are taken from a file regarding this fiasco in the 49 Division War Diary for Sept. 1916, WO95/2766.
3. Miles, 1916 V2,p.393.
4. General Maxse, ‘The 18th Division in the Battle of Ancre’, 18 Division War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/2015.
5. 6 Canadian Brigade Operations 26–30 Sept., WO 95/3807.
6. Miles, 1916 V2,pp. 396–7.
7. 9 Lancashire Fusiliers ‘Report on Attack – September 26th-28th, 1916, in their War Diary 26/9/16, WO 95/1820.
8. 11 Manchester War Diary 26/9/16, WO 95/1821.
9. 34 Brigade War Diary 26/9/16, WO 95/1818.
10. ‘G.O.C's Comments on the Late Operations 26/9/16–1/10/16’, 11 Division War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/1806.
11. 9 Lancashire Fusiliers ‘Report on Attack'; 8 Northumberland Fusiliers ‘Report on Operations for week ending 30th September 1916' in their War Diary 26/9/16, WO 95/1821.
12. 8 Northumberland Fusiliers ‘Report on Operations’.
13. Miles, 1916 V2, p. 401.
14. Ibid.
15. 9 West Yorkshire War Diary 27/9/16, WO 95/1809.
16. ‘Report on the Operations of the 32nd Infantry Brigade during the attack on Stuff Redoubt and Hessian Trench from the 26th September 1916 to 30th September 1916,32 Brigade War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/1806.
17. 32 Brigade, ‘Report on Operations’.
18. Maxse, ‘18th Division in the Battle of Ancre’.
19. ‘Report on the Operations carried out by the 53rd Infantry Brigade in the Thiepval area from 24th-29th Sept. 1916’, Maxse Papers 69/53/9, IWM.
20. Ibid.
21. Ibid.
22. ‘Report on Operations of the 54th Infantry Brigade during the capture of Thiepval and the
subsequent attack on the Schwaben Redoubt' 26–28 Sept. 1916, Maxse Papers, 69/53/9.
23. Ibid.
24. Ibid.
25. Ibid.
26. ‘Narrative of the part played by the 6th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment in the capture of Thiepval on the 26th September 1916, 6 Northampton War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/2044.
27. 7 Bedfords War Diary 27/9/16, ‘Account of Captain L.H. Keys’, WO 95/2043.
28. Maxse,'The 18th Division in the Battle of Ancre’.
29. 7 Queen's ‘Short Description of the Action of Sept. 28th 1916’, 7 Queen's War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/2051.
30. Maxse,'The 18th Division in the Battle of Ancre’.
31. Ibid.
32. 8 East Surrey, ‘Report on the attack on the north face of the Schwaben Redoubt – September 30th’, 8 East Surrey War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/ 2050.
33. Ibid.
34. 18 Division ‘Report on operations for week ending 6 p.m. October 6th, 1916’, 18 Division War Diary Sept. 1916.
35. Ibid.
36. Maxse ‘The 18th Division in the Battle of Ancre’.
24 ‘A Severe Trial of Body and Spirit’
1. Ellis to the Ministry of Munitions 30/9/16, WO 158/836.
2. Miles, 1916 V2, pp. 382–4; Jones, War in the Air V2, pp. 285–7.
3. Haig to Third, Fourth, Reserve Armies 29/9/16 (OAD 159), WO 158/246.
4. All quotations in this section are taken from Haig's diary entry of 30/9/16. Haig Diary, National Library of Scotland.
5. Some of this detail is elaborated by Haig in his diary entry of 1/10/16.
6. Haig manuscript diary.
7. See Miles, 1916 V2, pp. 449–51 for Canadian operations and pp. 432–4 for III Corps' operations.
8. ‘Report on operations of 23rd Division from 19th September, 1916 to 8th October, 1916’, 23 Division War Diary Sept. 1916, WO 95/2168.
9. Ibid.
10. Miles, 1916 V2, p. 455, n. ii.
11. ‘20th (Light) Division Operations 6th, 7th and 8th October, 1916^ 20 Division War Diary Oct. 1916, WO 95/2095.
12. 1/7 London (47 Division) War Diary 7/10/16, WO 95/2730; 12 Division War Diary 7/10/16, WO 95/1824.
13. ‘Operations of 189 Brigade (56 Division) on the Somme Front’, AWM 26/6/49/43; 124 Brigade (41 Division) Report of Operations 7/10/16, 124 Brigade War Diary Oct. 1916, WO 95/2640.