100th Co. MGC 1 million round Barrage - 24.08.16

[ianw]

I understand that 100th Co. MGC fired a million round barrage to create a zone of interdiction on 24.08.16. Where did this vast quantity of ammunition fall ?

[Terry Carter]

Hello Ian

The machine guns were positioned in the area of Savoy Trench, which, as a rough guide, ran from Bazentin le Grand towards the area of where Caterpillar Valley Cemetery stands today. They fired towards High Wood with the intention of stopping any German reinforcements forming up behind the wood. The date, if I remember correctly, was 24 August, 1916.

I have photo-copies of the 100 Bde Machine Gun Coy War Diary for the period. But I have looked everywhere and cannot find where I put it so far. Perhaps, another forum member might confirm that the million rounds fired was wrong, I am sure the war diary gives the figure as 100,000.

Regards

Terry

[Robert Dunlop]

I am sure the war diary gives the figure as 100,000.

I don't have the specific details for 100th MG Co but the maximum number of bullets fired by the NZ Machine Gun Corps (44 guns were involved) was 600,000. This was part of barrage for the attack on La Basseville, 31st July 1917. So 100,000 sounds more likely.

[Myrtle]

"In the orders of the 100th Machine Gun Company's barrage of ten guns, Captain Hutchinson (O.C.) requested that a rapid fire should be maintained continuously for twelve hours, to cover the attack and consolidation. The gunners did that, and the Vickers gun proved its stamina.

During the attack on the 24th, 250 rounds short of one million were fired by ten guns: at least four petrol tins of water besides all the water bottles of the Company and the urine tins from the neighbourhood were emptied into the guns for cooling purposes; a continuous party was employed carrying ammunition. Private Robertshaw and Artificer H. Bartlett between them maintained a belt-filling machine in action without stopping for a single moment for twelve hours.

At the end of this time many of the N.C.O.s and gunners were almost asleep on their feet from sheer exhaustion. The gun team of Sergeant P. Dean, DCM., fired just over 120,000 rounds. The attack was a brilliant success and all objectives were taken within a short time. Cpl. Smith M.M. was awarded a bar to his M.M. Cpl. Hendrie, Lcpl. Sorbie and Gunners McIntyre and Ogden (both the latter being runners) were awarded the Military Medal.

Prisoners examined at Divisional and Corps H.Q. reported that the effect of the machine-gun barrage was annihilating, and the counter-attacks which had attempted to retake the ground lost, were broken up whilst being concentrated east of Flers Ridge and High Wood."

[ianw]

If 10 guns were in action and one gun fired 120,000 rounds, then the 1 million total is a likely total. How honest of them to officially declare 999,750 !

Looking at the maps of the area of High Wood, it seems the barrage would have fallen in a zone 500 yds plus N.E of High Wood having been fired from 1000 yds or so to the front of the wood.

A good example of the imaginative use of the machine gun. Very unpleasant to be on the wrong end of this barrage.

[Staffsyeoman]

It's a while since I looked at the WO95 for 100 Coy, but I think there's a fire plan in it?

[Robert Dunlop]

If a single MG fired 200 rounds per minute, then during a ten hour barrage it would have fired 120,000 rounds. An impressive feat - and a lot of urine