Aisne 1918

By David Blanchard

This battlefield guide and history will focus mainly on the events of attack that fell on the British sector of the front between the 27th 1st June 1918, although the offensive which also befell the French forces will not be totally neglected. This area had been a French held sector since 1915 and the French had fought one of its major engagements of the war here in 1917, the ill-fated Nivelle Offensive. French monuments and cemeteries dominate the landscape. The British were also here in 1914, and they too have left reminders of their relative brief presence. However, the actions fought here early in the war tend to be found mainly to the west of the sector. The battlefield of May 1918 scales the heights of the Chemin des Dames ridge, along the Californe Plateau and descends to afforested valley of the Aisne river and canal. The retreat of the Britsh forces during the course of the first day and in following days extends further south almost to the Marne and takes in part of the Champagne region.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jun 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781473863620

Book preview

First published in Great Britain in 2015 by

Pen & Sword Military

an imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

47 Church Street

Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S70 2AS

Copyright © David Blanchard 2015

ISBN: 978 1 78337 605 6

EPUB ISBN: 978 1 47386 362 0

PRC ISBN: 978 1 47386 361 3

The right of David Blanchard to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

Printed and bound in England by

CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CRO 4YY.

Pen & Sword Books Ltd incorporates the Imprints of Pen & Sword Aviation, Pen & Sword Maritime, Pen & Sword Military, Wharncliffe Local History, Pen and Sword Select, Pen and Sword Military Classics, Leo Cooper, Remember When, Seaforth Publishing and Frontline Publishing.

For a complete list of Pen & Sword titles please contact

PEN & SWORD BOOKS LIMITED

47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS, England

E-mail: [e-mail]

Website: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is nearly twenty years since I started researching the Aisne battle of 1918. I was inspired to do so by the brief inscription on the front page of my great uncle’s war service Bible:

L/Cp T Williams 9th Bn N F 9th Platoon C-Coy, 27th May 1918, 45776 Thomas Williams taken prisoner at Pontevert, released 13th November at Saaralben

I had no idea where Pontevert, or Pontavert, was and, intrigued, found that it is near the Chemin des Dames, not far from Soissons. To cut a long story short, starting from this rudimentary piece of information, I went on to complete a research degree on the battle in 2005.

Along the way I discovered that my maternal grandfather, Private Ned Burridge, who fought with the 8/DLI, was also taken prisoner on 27 May 1918. I would like to dedicate this book to the memory of both these men who fought for the 50th Northumbrian Division until it was decimated on the morning of 27 May 1918.

I have been fortunate to have the help and support of many people through this long period of research. Charles Messenger, Steven Broomfield, John Sheen and Nigel Cave read parts – and, in Nigel’s case, all – of the manuscript and I’m extremely grateful for their judicious comments, advice and support. The excellent maps in this book reflect the cartographical skills of John Plumer, Ruth Coombs and, in particular, Paul Hewson from Battlefield Design. Ian Durham, who lives in Cormicy, has been an invaluable source of local knowledge; I thank him for many conversations, which helped me open up new avenues to explore. Yves Fohlen, a battlefield guide at the Caverne du Dragon Museum and an expert on the battles of the Aisne, was also generous with his time in answering my many questions about the Chemin des Dames and Californie Plateau. I am also indebted to everyone who contributed to the Aisne / Chemin des Dames thread on the Great War Forum, which was a valuable sounding board. The wealth of photographic material in this book is testament to the kind generosity of relatives of those who took part in the battle. On a personal level, my thanks go to my partner, Michiko, and our son, Thomas, who patiently supported me in my endeavors; especially during the numerous occasions when our family holidays have been hijacked for ‘urgent research’. I am also grateful of the support provided by the staff at The Liddle Collection at Leeds University, The National Archives and the CWGC for helping to further my research.

I would also like to thank the following, who helped to ensure that this publication saw the light of day: Adam Llewellyn, Alan Forster, Alan Wallace, Andrew Carrick, Andrew Gill, Andrew Rawson, Andy Jackson, Andy Pay, Angela Bird, Anne Caughey, Ann Galliard, Aris de Bruijn, Avis Holden, Bill Danby, Brian Scanlon, Christopher Noble, Chris Page, Chris White, Colin Murphy, Colin Poulter, Colin Young, Dave Taylor, David Benjamin, David Marriott, David O’Mara, David Wanstall, Denis Rigg, Elisabeth Thorn, Emma Bonney, Fae Jones, Fred Ashmore, Fred Bromilow, George De Haas, Gil Alcaix, Gill Willett, Graeme Foster, Graham Morley, Graham Stewart, Guy Smith, Helen Charlesworth, Ian Durham, Ian Wiles, James Pitt, Jane Burrell, Jean Armstrong, Jean Atkinson, Jerry Murland, Joan Paparo, John Beech, John Burrell, John Butt, John Bryant, John Massey Stewart, John Wishart, Jonathan Capewell, Keith Parsonson, Lawrence Brown, Lewis Fiddicroft, Louisa Gingell, Mr L Weaterton, Margaret Atkinson, Mark Connelly, Matthew Gilbert, Matthew Richardson, Maurice Johnson, Michelle Young, Neil Storey, Nigel Brassington, Nigel Henderson, Norman Hessler, Paul Cox, Paul Dixon, Paul Hewitt, Paul Hutchinson, Paul Kendall, Paul Seymour, Peter Hart, Peter Hastie, Peter Hurn, Pete Rhodes, Rainer Strasheim, Ralph Whitehead, Richard Flory, Richard Van Emden, Rick Vincent, Robert Brunsdon, Robert Dunlop, Robert Smith, Ron Hartley, Sebastian Laudan, Simon Barnard, Stephen Beeby, Stephen Cooper, Steve Heimerle, Stuart Wilson, Susan Tall, Terry Reeves, Terry Robson, Tim Whiteaway, William G Wood, Will Murray, Valerie Snowball.

Lance Corporal Tom Williams and brother Sam.

Private George Edward ‘Ned’ Burridge.

LIST OF MAPS

Aisne and Chemin des Dames, 27 May 1918

British Divisions, 27 May

Sector occupied by IX Corps on the 27 May 1918

German Offensives May-June 1918 (from German Official History)

The 50th Division sector on the eve of battle

150 Brigade sector

French Map showing PC Terrasse (south of Craonnelle) where Brigadier H C Rees was making for on the morning of the attack

Front line positions held by B and D Coy 8/DLI, with support from C Coy 7/DLI morning, 27 May

Redoubt line held by C Coy 8/DLI

149 Brigade sector held by 6/NF, outpost line and 4/NF, battle zone

Trench map of the battle zone, held by 4/NF

50th Division sketch map

D Battery 250 Brigade RFA position

The 8th Division sector on the eve of battle

A German map from 1916 of the Bois des Buttes, highlighting the complexity of tunnels, trenches and craters

25 Brigade sector, 2/Royal Berks and 2/Rifle Brigade in the front line with 2/East Lancs in reserve

Sketch map of 5th Battery positions prepared by Mrs Massey based on reports she received from eye-witnesses. The map was prepared for the French military authorities in a bid to help find her son

The 21st Division sector on the eve of battle

Trench map from May 1918, showing positions occupied by the 62 Brigade

Trench map of Cormicy and positions held by the Leicestershire Brigade

Cauroy trench map

21st Division sector from a French map

The battle of the Aisne 1918: Stages of retreat

Route taken by the German 50 Infantry Division, 27-28 May

The retreat of the IX Corps from Vesle to Ardre

The German Advance across the Aisne, 27 May to 1 June

Car Tour Map

Trench map of Gernicourt wood and Berry-au-Bac

Walk 1 Map Californie Plateau

French trench map c. 1916. Note the cemetery to the east of Craonnelle

French trench map c. 1916. Note the cemetery to the east of Craonnelle

Walk 2 Map Bois des Buttes

A trench map from May 1918 showing the Bois des Buttes and surrounding area

Walk 2 Map Bois des Buttes point 10

Sissonne Group of cemeteries CWGC

Vendresse group of cemeteries, which includes Jonchery British Cemetery

Chambrecy group of cemeteries, CWGC

The British Sector on the Aisne, 27 May 1918.

British Divisions, 27 May.

INTRODUCTION

The Battle of the Aisne, 1918: ‘The Phantom Sector’

The 3rd Battle of the Aisne began on 27 May 1918. This German offensive, the third of 1918, was an astonishing victory – indeed, the greatest one day advance on the Western Front since the beginning of trench warfare – which also started, ironically, on the banks of the Aisne River in September 1914.

This successful operation allowed the German High Command and General Erich Ludendorff, in particular, to plan for a push on Paris, some forty miles distant. The Allied armies had effectively now been split in two. The Marne was reached by 30 May, but to all intents and purpose this is where the offensive stalled.

The British IX Corps along with the French Army had stood in the way when the tremendous German barrage had ripped the front open along the heights of the Chemin des Dames plateau and across the Aisne River on the first day. This was a novel setting; one of the few times that part of a British Army was under direct control of the French. Eventually five British divisions – the 8th, 21st, 50th in the front line and the 25th and 19th in reserve – came to this haven of supposed tranquillity to rest and recuperate away from the vicissitudes of war. All these divisions had played their role in the two previous attacks on the Somme and the Lys and suffered very heavily for it. The Aisne front was a refuge. As one British soldier put it:

In trenches shadowed by green trees and the Bois de Beaumarais gay with flowers and singing birds, the war bore a different aspect. Here surely was the hitherto phantom sector all had one day hoped to find.

Generalleutnant Erich Ludendorff.

The British divisions found resting on the Aisne in early May 1918 had been part of a plan hatched by the French General Foch, which was termed roulement. Foch hoped that relatively fresh French divisions could be transferred further north where it was felt that Ludendorff’s next hammer blow would land. The British could now regroup on this rather placid sector of the Western Front. In command was the aristocratic gunner, Lieutenant General Sir Alexander Hamilton-Gordon.

German topographical postcard of the Chemin des Dames ridges.

At the outbreak of the war Hamilton-Gordon was major general in charge of Administration at Aldershot, a post he had been promoted to in July 1914. In May 1916, he was appointed to the command of IX Corps, succeeding Lieutenant Sir General Julian Byng. This appointment to corps commander seems to have been based solely on the patronage of the Commander-in-Chief, as he lacked the necessary experience of combat to assume such a role; and it was seen as such by contemporaries. Since February 1918 Hamilton-Gordon had been released by the General Staff to work with the French to explore the possibility of relief or intervention by British troops on the French front. In late April Hamilton-Gordon found himself charged with commanding a reconstituted IX Corps and despatched to the Chemin des Dames sector.

The 8th, 21st, 25th and 50th divisions were attached to the French Sixth Army, commanded by the uncompromising General Denis Duchêne. Later the 19th Division moved further south into a reserve position near Châlons-sur-Marne (renamed Châlonsen-Champagne in 1998).

Lieutenant Colonel Sir Alexander Hamilton-Gordon.

Many an infantryman who arrived on the Aisne in the warmth of an early French summer, would have concurred with Lieutenant Victor Purcell’s (5th Yorkshire) thoughts:

For the British, who came from the bleak north, with its mud and water-logged trenches, this sector had been a haven of delight. Whereas from Ypres to St Quentin they had almost shared their parapet with the Germans, here was a No-Man’s land, which gave their lungs air. In the north tons of high explosive were cast from trench to trench by mortars as easily as one would fling a stone, but here the mortars were out of range. Anywhere north of the Somme it would have been asking for trouble to have exposed a head or a hand for a moment above the parapet, but in this sector the desultory sniping from half a mile was amusement in the tranquil monotony.

Le Chemin des Dames, Decembre 1917, F Flameng.

This battlefield guide and history will focus mainly on the events of the attack that fell on the British sector of the front between the 27 May–6 June 1918. The French had held this area since 1914. French monuments and cemeteries dominate the landscape. The British were also here in 1914, and they too have left reminders of their relatively brief presence. However, the actions fought here early in the war mainly occurred in the west of the sector. The battlefield of May 1918 scales the heights of Chemin des Dames Ridge, along the Californie Plateau and descends to the afforested valley of the Aisne River and canal. The retreat of the British forces during the course of the first day and in following days extends south almost to the Marne and takes in part of the Champagne region.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Once a good battlefield always a good battlefield.

Rose E B Coombs

Roughly five miles to the north of the Aisne is the Chemin des Dames road. The ‘Ladies’ Way’ was built on the order of Louis XV in 1770 to ease the carriage of his daughters, Adélide and Victoire, on their way from the Royal Palace of Compiègne to the rural residence of their former governess, the Comtesse de Narbonne Lara, in the Château de la Bove near Bouconville. The Chemin des Dames bisects an area of land referred to as le triangle mystique; the apex is centered on the hilltop citadel of Laon, with Soissons and Reims forming the base. Enclosed within this area, three ancient provinces of northern France meet: Picardy, Île de France, and Champagne. These three regions form a crossroads connecting Flanders – and thus much of northern Europe – with the Paris basin, and therefore most of France. Old battlefields are everywhere here. Stretching for no more than twenty-five miles east to west, the Chemin des Dames is a microcosm of this area of France that has often been referred to as the ‘Cockpit of Europe’.

Julius Caesar, in his history of the war against the Gauls, mentions the capture of the fortress of Bibrax held by the Remi tribe, near present day Berry-au-Bac. Napoleon fought his last successful battle at Craonne on 7 March 1814, against a joint Prussian and Russian army under the command of Field Marshal Blücher. The Marie-Louise Monument at Le Ferme d’Hurtebise commemorates the Napoleonic legacy of 1814 and the struggle of the French poilu in 1914. The British Expeditionary Force fought here in September 1914 against the retreating German army. French troops, commanded by General Robert Nivelle, captured part of the Chemin des Dames Ridge from the Germans at a tremendous cost in men in 1917. In October French forces, this time under General Henri-Philippe Pétain, managed to push the Germans back even further in an audacious set piece battle at Malmaison, finally wresting the whole of the Chemin des Dames out of the enemy’s hands.

By early 1918 the region had become almost a tranquil backwater. The front line still ran across the Chemin des Dames, but actual fighting was desultory; a system of ‘live and let live’ prevailed amongst the French and German combatants. This period of calm was shattered in May 1918, when the German Seventh Army attacked from the north.

British Units on the Chemin des Dames, morning of 27 May

Chapter One

THE ALLIED TROOPS AND DISPOSITIONS

The sector into which the five divisions of IX Corps were posted was recognised as being one of the quietest of the whole of the Western Front, and was known to the German forces in the region as the sanatorium of the West. Since the French had seized the Chemin des Dames in October 1917, there had been very little activity. The French Sixth Army held a sector some fifty-five miles in length, from Noyon in the west to a point three miles north of Reims in the east. The French General Duchêne’s area of responsibility had almost doubled during March and April 1918, due to the redeployment of troops to the north as a result of the German offensives.

The main topographic feature of the French front was the Chemin des Dames Ridge itself, which runs from the town of Compiègne in the north west to the precipitous buttress of the Californie Plateau above the village of Craonne in the east. The ridge has been compared to the chalky plateau of the Hog’s Back of the North Downs near Guildford. The plateau of the Chemin des Dames is a range of heights, roughly 400 feet on average, above the valley of the Aisne. The top of the plateau is gently rolling, particularly in the west between Malmaison and Braye-en-Lannois, and has a breadth of nearly three-quarters of a mile. From Californie Plateau there are commanding views to the south, where the cathedral of Reims can be observed in the distance.

General Denis Auguste Duchêne, GOC French Sixth Army.

Californie Plateau and the Chemin des Dames, as seen from near Craonnelle.

The ridge appears to be a natural fortress, but in many respects this is a mere illusion. Certainly as a defensive bastion it has much to commend itself, a flat topped plateau with some severe slopes to the north and the south. Indeed, Tim Carew in his book The Vanished Army maintains that in September 1914 the German Army, reeling northwards after the First Battle of the Marne, came to the Aisne region and settled on the heights above the river valley and found themselves occupying a defensive position as good as any that could be found between the Urals and the Bay of Biscay. This position offered the German gunners an ideal field of fire, as well as sited battery positions and a number of old stone quarries that could be utilised as storerooms and rest areas. But the heavily wooded slopes and the river valleys of the Aisne (to the south) and the Ailette (to the north) provided cover for attackers, allowing advanced units to creep forward almost totally undetected.

The southern slopes of the Chemin des Dames, occupied by the French Army in 1918, are far from uniform. The countryside consists of gashes of limestone with sides so steep that in places the ascent is a matter of climbing on hands and knees. Although this area had been fought over for a number of months in 1917 as part of the Nivelle Offensive, deciduous woodland still covered substantial acres of the battlefield in 1918. However, the front lines running parallel with the Chemin des Dames had been badly damaged by artillery fire and the white chalk of the underlying rock strata exposed (the Germans called Californie Plateau the ‘Winterberg’). The eastern sector of the French front contrasted markedly with the steep gradients of the area extending along the Chemin des Dames westwards to Soissons: east of Craonne the land drops away abruptly and for twenty miles a low flat plain extends to Reims.

The Aisne is relatively slow moving, occupying a wide fertile valley, particularly in the west near Soissons. It extends to some 180 feet in width, with many loops and