March 1918 Guemappe / German Spring Offensive

[Guest]

Hello,

 

new to this forum I need some assistance.

 

My great grandfather Karl died on 24.03.1918. He was soldier since 1905 in the Infanterie-Regiment 62. During the Frühjahresoffensive 1918 the regiment was in reserve behind the attacking regiments as he and his lieutenant were hit by british grenades close to the village of Guemappe (near Wancourt). My great grandfather and his comrades who had died on 24th and 25th were buried at the street between Vis-en-Artois and Arras, near Guemappe, corner of Rue de Douai. In the 1920 they were moved to other graveyards.

 

Two questions:

1. Is it possible to receive trenchmaps close to this date? I already found some from 8.3. and 25.4.1918 in the collection of National Library of Scotland.

2. Is it possible to find out which british units hold Guemappe and Wancourt during the german offensive? Are there any reports about the initial german attacks in this area?

 

If I could help with any information please let me know.

 

Thanks a lot in advance

 

Gerrit

[MBrockway]

2 hours ago, Gerrit said:

Two questions:

1. Is it possible to receive trenchmaps close to this date? I already found some from 8.3. and 25.4.1918 in the collection of National Library of Scotland.

2. Is it possible to find out which british units hold Guemappe and Wancourt during the german offensive? Are there any reports about the initial german attacks in this area?

 

 

 

The two trench maps you have already found at the NLS are both 1:20,000 scale.

 

There is a more detailed 1:10,000 scale map from 25 April 1918 available on the McMaster website here

 

Mark

[MBrockway]

4 hours ago, Gerrit said:

Two questions:

1. Is it possible to receive trenchmaps close to this date? I already found some from 8.3. and 25.4.1918 in the collection of National Library of Scotland.

2. Is it possible to find out which British units hold Guemappe and Wancourt during the German offensive? Are there any reports about the initial german attacks in this area?

 

 

From the maps in the British Official History, it looks like it was the British XVII Corps [Wrong!] with 76 and 8 Infantry Brigades of the 3rd Division in the front line in the GUEMAPPE/WANCOURT area and 15th Division (XVII Corps) immediately to their north.

[Edit:  I misread the corps boundaries (solid line terminated in two dots on the top map between the words ARRAS and 6 m. on the Arras-Vis-en-Artois road)!  The sector in fact belonged to VI Corps, Third Army.  The rest of the Orbat is correct though]

 

The 2/Suffolk Regt and 2/Royal Scots were holding the line on the morning of 22 March.

 

 

 

22 March ...

[Solid line is the front on the morning of 22 Mar.  Dashed line is that of the morning of 23 Mar.  As you can see, the German attack had penetrated to beyond WANCOURT by then.]

 

 

 

 

25 March ...

 

 

IX.R(eserve) and III.B(ayerische/Bavarian) are the German corps. 26.R, 236, 234, 12 etc., are the German divisions.  All in Seventeenth Army.

 

I do not have the maps for the intervening dates.  I'll check the OH text for you.  I'll also check the 20/KRRC war diary - this was 3rd Dvision's Pioneer battalion, not attached to any Infantry Brigade.

 

Mark

 

Edited 5 April , 2019 by MBrockway

[PRC]

I don't know if it helps but the War Diary for the 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, has two maps at the end of the entry for March 1918. Neither are given an Appendix name or title, but looking at the contents I suspect the first map shows the British positions prior to the German offensive and the second how the British units planned to give way and absorb any such attack should it come. Both include Guemappe. Checking through the daily entries, there is one on for the 11th March in which the C.O and senior officers reconnoitred the reserve area they had been allocated and which in the margin says - "see Map A". However the entries from the 21st to the 29th are covered by a separate report, so there may be a further reference in there about the role of the maps.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

 

Edited 5 April , 2019 by PRC
Typo

[Pat Atkins]

I think 2nd Suffolks are the most likely: there is some rather circumstantial evidence to support this in an account of Lt Douglas Lockhart of C Company 1st Gordon Highlanders, included in the 1/GH War Diary. On the 23rd B and C Companies (and I infer the rest of the battalion, though he doesn't say so) were astride the Wancourt-Tilley road NE of Wancourt, having dug trenches for the Suffolks to retire to. Seems likely that they'd be retiring from Guémappe or thereabouts. He doesn't record any contact between the Gordons and German troops on the 23rd.

 

While the situation was surely quite fluid, Lockhart's account makes it clear that the British were not in disarray in this sector, but believed they were retiring as their flank was in the air following German successes to the south. 2nd Suffolks fighting in Guémappe and withdrawing to a position NE of Wancourt seems very plausible (no idea if in fact they ever used the new trenches though),

 

Cheers, Pat

[MBrockway]

Reading the text of the Official History, the divisions of VI Corps were deployed South to North as follows: 40th Divn., 31st Divn., Guards Divn. and 3rd Divn., with 42nd Divn. coming up and 34th Divn. in reserve north of BUCQUOY.

 

59th Divn. had been very seriously weakened and was attached to 40th Divn.

 

3rd Divn. were holding the sector in front of GUEMAPPE, though their left boundary with 15th (Scottish) Divn. of XVII Corps was just to the north.

 

The main German attack in this specific area on 24 March 1918 seems to have been against 8 Inf. Bde. on 3rd Divn.'s right flank with the Germans pushing NW towards NEUVILLE VITASSE in an attempt to take the higher ground there.  The all-day attack was repulsed with the aid of enfilading fire from 3 Guards Brigade into the German troops advancing obliquely across their front at HENIN.  No ground was lost.

 

There does not seem to have been a serious push in the northern part on 3rd Divn.'s left, although the OH does mention that one company of the rightmost (southernmost) battalion of XVII Corps (presumably 15th Divn.) - the next unit to the north -  was in action supporting 3rd Divn.

 

76 Inf. Bde. were holding the left (North) of 3rd Divn.'s sector.  Its battalions were 8/King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regt, 2/Suffolk Regt and 1/Gordon Highlanders.

 

44 Inf. Bde of 15th (Scottish) Divn. were the next brigade to the north.  Its battalions were 8/Seaforth HIghlanders, 8th/10th Gordon Highlanders and 7/Cameron Highlanders.

 

I've checked the 20/KRRC material and there's nothing relevant to this query.

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 5 April , 2019 by MBrockway

[PRC]

Most of the 2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment casualties I've researched died on the 28th when two Companies made a back to back last ditch stand on the Wancourt-Tilley Road, so never had cause to transcribe the earlier days of the offensive before from the War Diary. If I had  I might have been better able to nominate the Gordon Highlanders. It will probably make more sense if it's read alongside the second map above - the action starst on the 21st with the 2nd Suffolks just off the right hand edge of the map.

 

To assist Gerrit, the abbreviations used are:-

Bn \ Battn. = Battalion

Coys.\Coy - Company \ Companies

Div \ Divn = Division

Bde = Brigade

L.G. = Lewis Gun

K.O.R.L = Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment

G.H. = Gordon Highlanders

Rl.Scots = Royal Scots

 

 

21st March 1918 – Battalion War Diary

 

The Bn. was holding the Bde front on the left of the Division from the head of GORDON AVENUE at O.14.a.7.6 exclusive to the head of SHIKAR AVENUE at O.20.d.3.9 inclusive astride the ARRAS-CAMBRAI Road and the COJEUL RIVER.

 

At 5 a.m. an extremely loud explosion was heard off the left of the Bn. front and was reported by the sentry to be a mine. It was judged to be a projector discharge, which was proved to be accurate. Our barrage came down promptly and continued. Coys. reported O.K. The enemy heavily shelled the areas in rear especially the COJEUL valley with gas and continued to do so intermittently all day.

 

Considerable quantities of gas drifted over the Bn. sector and masks were worn for periods of an hour or so several times during the day. No enemy Infantry action developed until 9a.m. when the centre Coy. reported enemy advancing on south of COJEUL & North of the CAMBRAI-ARRAS Rd. about the same time the enemy heavily shelled the Reserve line and Battn. H.Q. with 4.2 and 5.9 shells and continued to do so intermittently throughout the remainder of the day. A small party of the enemy effected a lodgement in the front line near the head of SHIKAR AVENUE but were immediately ejected by Bombing parties on both flanks and fire from APE SUPPORT.

 

At 1 p.m. the enemy were again seen assembling in “No man’s land” in O.20.b & d and at 3 p.m. he again advanced but did not get further than the disused advanced posts in front of our wire  in O.20.b & d. At 5.30 p.m. small parties of the enmy were seen to be withdrawing into his own front line, although repeated attempts by certain individuals were made to prevent this withdrawal. Considerable execution was inflicted throughout the day on all hostile attacks, the ground greatly favouring cross and infilade L.G. action. An enemy M.G, which had succeeded in reaching our camouflage across the COJEUL valley was knocked out by L.G. fire from the high ground south of the river. Night fairly quiet. Line intact.

 

22nd March 1918 – Battalion War Diary

 

At about 2 p.m. enemy were seen in very large numbers crossing the DURY-HENDECOURT Rd and moving in a S.W. direction.

 

At 4.30 p.m. 15 enemy planes flew very low over our lines and then rising to a considerable height remained in the vicinity.

 

A very heavy bombardment of the WANCOURT RIDGE commenced at 5.0 p.m. and at 5.30 p.m. the enemy heavily shelled the vicinity of the Bn. H.Q in SHOVEL TRENCH continuing until 7.30 p.m. The S.O.S. was sent up on our right at 7 p.m. but hostile Infantry action did not develop on the Bn. Front.

Night quiet.

 

23rd March 1918 – Battalion War Diary

 

At 1.30 a.m orders were received to evacuate the front system and occupy the marked out line of trenches in the 3rd System.

Dispositions: K.O.R.L on the right, G.H. on the left front line from N.10.d.6.0 to N.21.e.6.6, with Rl. Scots on right and 15th Divn. on left. SUFFOLKS in Support with 3 Coys (right to left) 3.W.Y. in 2nd line 3rd System and X. Coy in reserve in GREEN LINE about concentration ‘H’.

Bn. H.Q. in gunpits at N.13.c.9.7. The withdrawal  was commenced at once on receipt of orders. Y.Coy. covering the retirement with one platoon in the front line with orders to keep the front normal as regards Very lights, L.G. and sniping and to withdraw at dawn. The whole manoeuvre was carried out with success and the Coys’ dispersed in their new positions by 5.30 a.m. except X.Coy. who were in position at 8 a.m. and digging in commenced. Scouts were sent out and obtained touch in the 3td System on both flanks and on the left in the GREEN LINE with the 15th Div. but not on the right.

 

At 9.15 a.m. Y.Coy. reported a threat of attack on the right and at 11 a.m. that the enemy was within 300 yards of our present front line N. of WANCOURT and his M.G. active on both flanks.

11.45 a.m.  he was seen advancing through WANCOURT but was held up by rifle and L.G. fire from the front line. Considerable casualties were caused particularly by W. (centre) Coy. who were able to bring fire to bear – the front line being in a defiladed zone.

 

During the night dispositions were altered as follows:- X.Coy. relieved Y who withdraw to N.13 a & C GREEN LINE. – Z. Coy. front taken over by Rl. Scots. Z. Coy moved to the left and filling gap between us and 15th. Div. our front now being from N.16.c.3.8 to N.16.a.9.8

 

24th March 1918 -  Battalion War Diary

 

At 10.15 a.m. the enemy put down a barrage on the whole front and cut the wire. At 11.15 a.m. S.O.S. was sent up on the right and at 11.40 a.m. orderlies reported enemy moving S. of WANCOURT and at 11.45 a.m. G.H. reported an attack on 15th. Div. front and considerable movement of enemy opposite his left.

 

At 12 noon the enemy were observed massing near MARLIERE CAVES in N.17.b & d and in N.22. b& C and at 12.5 p.m. he advanced in three waves from the ARRAS-CAMBRAI Rd to N.17.b and also down SOUTHERN AVENUE.

 

At 12.50 p.m. the enemy attacked the two left Coys of the G.H. and the left of the 15th Div. and at 1 p.m. a report was received from the K.O.R.L. timed 12.31 p.m. that the enemy had penetrated into the front line at the junction of the G.H. and K.O.R.L. Bombing attacks were made by G.H. and fire brought to bear by W.Coy. and he was ejected, the line being re-established. At 1.25 p.m. many wounded Germans seen crawling to the rear and a large number of dead in front of the wire. His casualties were extremely heavy both from rifle and barrage fire.

 

At 2.25 p.m. the enemy heavily shelled our line and considerable casualties were caused by trench being too wide and shallow.

 

Orders were received at 5.45 p.m. that 9th Bde. would take over part of front on right and the battalion move into the GREEN (ARMY) Line. The relief was successfully carried out and relief complete at 4.45 a.m. 25th.

 

(Note  - in bold is my emphasis)

 

Hope that helps

Peter

Edited 5 April , 2019 by PRC
Typos, formatting and abbreviations

[Guest]

Hello,

 

wow, I am so impressed. Thank you all for your intense help!

 

My great grandfathers regiment was not involved by the initial attack. After checking some german sources Guemappe was not directly attacked just occupied after the retreat. But the trenches were still in range of the artillery which cost his life after 12 years in the army and 3 1/2 years of fighting in Flanders, Russia, at the Isonzo and the Somme and again in Flanders. I received some sketches and assume that he died in the area of Durham Alley. His comrades burried him and the fallen of 24th/25th at the corner road to Guemappe / main road Arras-Cambrai. In the 1920 he was moved to St. Laurent Blangy but the names or crosses were gone mostly. So today he lays next to his 11.500 not identified comrades.

 

 

Gerrit