 Part 2 Chapter 1 of Canada's Hundred Days with the Canadian Corps from Amines to Marnes, August 8th through November 11th, 1918. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Mike Venditti, Canyon City, Colorado. Mike Venditti.com. Canada's Hundred Days by John Lively. Part 2 Chapter 1. Planning Attack on Hindenburg Line. We have seen that Canadian Corps headquarters moved from Amines to Hot Cloak on the morning of August 22nd. Its stay here was of the briefest, a move being made early next morning to Noyalevion and the interest of Hot Cloak in the annals of the Corps lies solely in the fact that here the plan of battle on the Arras Front was prepared. Great as had been the moral effect of the successful Amines offensive, followed up immediately by the attack of the Third Army between Albert and Arras. What was to follow was designed to be much more far-reaching in its effect, namely, the breaking of the Hindenburg Line and the driving of the enemy on territory he had occupied uninterruptedly since 1914. Sir Douglas Hague thus explains the design. As soon as the progress of the Third Army had forced the enemy to fall back from the Mercitile spur, thereby giving us a secure southern flank for an assault upon the German positions on Orange Hill and about Montchai-Répré, the moment arrived for the First Army to extend the front of our attack to the north. Using the River Sensé to cover their left in the same way the River Somme had been used to cover the left of the Fourth Army in the battle of Amines, the right of the First Army, attacked east of Arras, and by turning from the north the western extremity of the Hindenburg Line compelled the enemy to undertake a further retreat. It was calculated correctly that this gradual extension of our front of attack would mislead the enemy as to where the main blow would fall and would cause him to throw in his reserves piecemeal. As we shall see, the entire operation was entrusted to the Canadian Corps, strengthened at times by the addition of British divisions. The recommendation of the Canadian Corps commander made after the successful initial operations of the battle of Amines namely that those operations should be slackened to give time to organize a set-piece attack on a broad front in a surprised attack elsewhere had therefore borne its full fruit. In this connection it is interesting to follow Sir Arthur Currie's observations upon the general situation at this date. In sympathy with the severe reverses suffered, on the marines he says, and consequent upon the action now fully developed in the Somme salient, signs were not wanting that the enemy was preparing to evacuate the salient of the Lies. This evacuation began under pressure of the First Army on August 25. All these attacks and results direct or indirect enabled the Allies to recover the ground they had lost in the course of the German offensive operations of the spring and summer. The recapture of the ground was however of secondary importance as compared to the morale results of these successive victories. The German armies had been impressed in the course of these operations by the superior orgy of our general ship and our organization and by the great determination of our troops and subordinate commanders. The Hindenburg system however was intact and the enemy higher command hoped and believed that behind this powerfully organized area the German armies might be collected and reorganized. Fighting the most determined rear-guarded action in the Somme salient, they expected that our armies would be tired and depleted by the time they reached the forward area of the Hindenburg system. The battle of Cammeray, now about to begin, shattered their hopes by breaking through the Dorchklinet line itself but a part of the Hindenburg system. The Canadian Corps carried the operations forward to ground that had been in the hands of the Germans since 1914. This advance constituted a direct threat on the rear of the German armies. North and South of Cammeray dominated at all times paralyzed by the swift and bold strokes on vital points of their line. And by the relentless pressure applied everywhere the German higher command was unable to take adequate steps to localize and stop our advance after the Dorchklinet line was broken. The retreat of the enemy became more accelerated and our attacks met everywhere with less and less organized and determined resistance. The morale effect of the most bitter and relentless fighting which led to the capture of Cammeray was tremendous. The Germans had at last learned and understood that they were beaten. The operations now about to open in which were not concluded until the fall of Cammeray on October 9th, regarded as one great battle ranks foremost in all the operations of the Hundred Days. It entailed six weeks continuous fighting, often surpassing in intensity any battle in which the Canadian troops had ever been engaged and never falling below the standard of bitterest trench warfare. For when as in mid-September there was a pause in the forward movement our troops in the front line were exposed in a sharp salient and had no rest by day or night. Throughout this great battle the Canadian Corps held the center of the field and was often dependent entirely upon its own exertions and resources. Its work contributed more than any other combined operation of this period to the final downfall of the enemy arms. These are considerable claims, but they will be amply supported by the ensuing narrative. The task before the Canadian Corps is described by Sir Arthur Currie as follows. On August 22nd I received the details of the operation contemplated on the 1st Army Front. The plan was substantially as follows. The Canadian Corps on the right of the 1st Army was to attack eastward astride the Ares-Cammeray road and by forcing its way through the Duquart-Cant line south of the Scarpe to break the hinge of the Hindenburg system and prevent the possibility of the enemy rallying behind this powerfully organized defended area. These operations were to be carried out in conjunction with the operation of the 3rd Army then in progress. This attack had been fixed for next Sunday, August 25th. It was represented that this gave barely 48 hours to concentrate the necessary artillery part of which was still in the 4th Army area and that furthermore the Canadian Corps had sentimental objections to attacking on the Sabbath day. It was then agreed the attack should take place on Monday, August 26th. On the evening of August 22nd I held a conference of divisional commanders at Corps headquarters, Hart Cloquet, and outlined the projected operation and my plans for carrying it out. In addition to a detailed knowledge of the ground which we had held before, we were particularly benefited by all the reconnaissance and plans made for the capture of Orange Hill during the period of simulated activity at the end of July. The excellence of trench railways, rear communications and administrative arrangements in the area were also of great value and enabled the Canadian Corps to undertake to begin with only three days' notice the hardest battle in its history. Reinforcements had come up and although all units were not up to strength, they were all in fighting condition. The efficiency of the organization peculiar to the Canadian Corps and the soundness of the tactical doctrine practice had been proved and confirmed. Flushed with the great victory they had just won and fortified by the experience acquired, all ranks were ready for the coming task. The first step must be the recapture of the territory overrun by the enemy in his spring offensive. The most important feature was the conical hill rising out of the plateau between Scarpe and the Camry Road known as Monchay Le Pro. This had been captured from the enemy by a very fine operation of British troops when April 1917 had turned the position in a driving snowstorm as part of the program carried out south of the Scarpe immediately following the capture of Vimy Ridge by the Canadian Corps. In the face of furious counterattacks lasting several days the hill had been held by the Gallant Newfoundland Regiment who although cut to pieces clung desperately to the position until support was forthcoming. It was one of the tragedies of the spring of 1918 that Monchay Le Pro was perhaps needlessly surrendered to the enemy. Those were days of panic and the loss of the hill seriously embarrassed the troops including the Second Canadian Division holding the line in front of Arras during the summer. It was certain that the enemy would not give it up again without a desperate struggle. There were other strong features. For the ground to be a tank let itself peculiar to defense being composed of a secession of ridges, rivers and canals which form natural lines of defense of very great strength. These natural positions often mutually supporting had been abundantly fortified. The organization was the last word in military engineering and represented years of intensive and systematic labor. Barbed wire entanglement were formidable. Machine gun positions innumerable and large tunnels had been provided for the protection of the garrison. The four main systems of defense, says the corps commander, consisted of the following lines. One, the old German front line system, east of Monchay Le Pro. Two, the Française-Rovey line. Three, the Dorschach-Coinette line. And four, the Canal du Nord line. These with their subsidiary switches were strong points as well as the less organized but by no means weak intermediate lines of trenches made the series of positions to be attacked, without doubt one of the strongest defensively on the western front. Broad glaciers, studded with machine gun nests, defended the immediate approaches to these lines. And this necessitated in each case heavy fighting to gain a suitable jumping off line before assaulting the main position. In addition to these systems and as a preliminary to the attack on the old German trench system east of the Monchay Le Pro, it was necessary to capture the very well organized British defenses which had been lost in the fighting of March 1918. These defenses were intact to the depth of about 5,500 yards and were dominated by the heights of Monchay Le Pro, from which the Germans were enjoying superior observation. Throughout these operations there could not be any element of a surprise other than that afforded by the selection of the actual hour of the assaults. The positions to be attacked formed the pivot of the movements of the German army to the south and the security of the armies to the north depended also on these positions being retained. There was consequently little doubt that the enemy was alert and had made every disposition to repulse the expected attacks. Therefore the plan necessitated for vision for very hard and continuous fighting, the main stress being laid on the continuity of the operations. To carry this out, I decided to do the fighting with two divisions in the line, each on a one brigade front, thus enabling both divisions to carry on the battle for three successive days. The two other divisions were to be kept in core reserve, resting and refitting after each relief. The severity of the fighting did not however allow this plan to be adhered to, and on many occasions the division had to fight with two brigades in the front line. It was understood that British divisions from army reserve would be made available as soon as additional troops were required. To maintain the utmost vigor throughout the operation the divisions were directed to keep their support and reserve brigades close up, ready to push as soon as the leading troops were expended. Six terrible weeks were to follow, they were to test the core as it had never been tested before. Days were to come in which it was to envision defeat and triumph only by its stern denial of such a possibility. For all it was to be a fiery ordeal, but for none more than the core commander. He had taken on the task and for the honour of the core of Canada and the good of the cause he must push it through to a victorious conclusion. Be sure there were for him days of doubt and sorrow. But his lofty spirit certain of itself even as it was certain of the Canadian soldier triumphed over all. Some view an intimate touch with the core commander in the dark days may have guessed any burden that at times was almost overwhelming of responsibilities that troubled the humane man. But to those who relied upon him he showed only a serene fortitude and quickened their drooping spirits by the vitality of his faith. One of the divisional commanders has written of the grateful thanks of all ranks of the division to our chief, Sir Arthur Curry. For the extraordinary skill and ability with which he conducted these battles and especially do we wish to place on record our appreciation of the care and solicitude which he has invents at all times for our lives and general well-being. End of Part 2, Chapter 1. Recording by Mike Vendetti, Canyon City, Colorado. MikeVendetti.com Part 2, Chapter 2 of Canada's Hundred Days with the Canadian Corps from Amiens to Mont. August 8th through November 11th, 1918. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Canada's Hundred Days by John Livesey. Part 2, Chapter 2. Wayside Scenes. Meantime preparations are going busily on. On the night of August 19th the Second Canadian Division began to move back to its fighting ground in front of Arras. Where it had arrived on March 30th in time to halt the enemy assault on Arras, remaining in the same line with a brief interval until the move south was made. Units of this division now found themselves back in the identical trenches they had held so many weeks. The Third Canadian Division began its move the following night and was followed immediately by the First Division. But our Fourth Division remained in the line in front of Roy until August 25th when it was relieved by the 34th and 35th French Divisions and did not rejoin the corps until August 28th after the battle had opened. The Canadian troops had been fighting in a country relatively little war-scarred where green fields and growing things were to be seen. They had had the luck of an unbroken spell of fine weather. Granted, the hard toil and ever-present danger of the soldier's lot, their excursion south had been something in the nature of a break in the dull monotony of trench warfare, an adventure full of life and color and movement. Now they were coming back to no man's land, to the pitiless desolation wrought by the static warfare of years, to mud and mire and the clang of the gas alarm. Such was to be their life until long weeks ahead they had passed over the Canal de Nord through the scarred wood of Bourlain and had fought their way again to green fields across the Schelt Canal. But not the hardiest optimists nor the most imaginative soldier in their ranks could at that time guess that anything lay in front of them but another winter in the trenches. Passing in trains and buses through August harvest scenes their eyes were blinded to the great panorama presently to unroll before them the towers of Valenciennes, the slag heaps of Hanalt, the belfry of Mons, the dark forests of the Ardennes and the shining ribbon of the Rhine. They had had their little excursion, their adventure, their holiday, and now, somewhat grimly, they returned to a landscape rent by war from the very form of nature and to the dreary round of raid by night and alarms by day. We are camped in the orchard of Noyel-Vion, ten miles west of Eres. It is unscourged by war and its people go about their daily abacations habituated to the continual shifting military population. We follow hard on an American divisional staff. Their footprints are still fresh in the damp orchard mould and they in turn some British troops. The tradition of French units there in the early months of the war is already indistinct. English is the language of barter and children lisp it. One wonders whether this movement is welcome to the peasants. The idea of being their saviours has passed into history. We must be something of a nuisance. True, they are paid for their billets, but in turn they must evacuate their homes or crowd into narrow quarters. Home life ceased for these peasants four years ago. They are mere appendages of a vast and complex military movement, restless, seeming purposeless, that at an hour's notice picks up the major population of the village, Whisks sit from sight and memory, save perhaps in a shy maiden heart, and before nightfall deposits a new, strange, but still alien multitude in khaki. Shops, houses, estimates have sunk their identity in the bold conspicuousness numbering of the billets. The maiden sisters Dubuque, whose little dressmaking parlour stood just back from the street and was a favourite corner for gossip among the good wives, have disappeared. God knows where. Peace will bring them back, but the gate that looked down the cobbled street as they plied their busy needle is now disfigured by the sign. Number thirty-seven. Billets for eighteen men. Mankind has the instinct to climb upward, survey what lies below of the countryside, and catch maybe the sun's declining rays. Back of the orchard, gently rising ground leads one up to one of the finest prospects in France. Not bold indeed, like the view from Castle, but on every hand undulating into purple distances. Peace here reigns. In the foreground women with kilted skirts are milking. An old man steadily follows his plow. Up the road, perched sideways on a farm-horse, her sabbots clicking against the chain-traces rides a young girl, a white kerchief bound coquettishly over her dark hair, going home to prepare the evening meal. At the hour of Vespers for countless generations these same people have been doing these same tasks. The war has not touched them visibly, save that it has snatched from the village sturdy manhood and lusty youth. Below lies a vista of dark, plowed land, yellowing fields of sugar-beet, tender green of sprouting grain, and umbrageous clumps enclosing trim villages. Nothing could be more silven, more caressing to the eye. But at our very feet is a line of trench, leaving its white, serrated scar, hastily thrown up in those feverish spring days when it seemed Eris, too, must fall in the general ruin. What is that mass that gleams on the eastern skyline? The glass shows the familiar lines of the broken towers of the great church of Mont-Saint-Eloy, a landmark for miles around, to be seen at a later date quite as distinctly from the hill-top of Montchilet-Pru. And then that faint outline must be Vimy Ridge, with its crowding memories. To the left stand out the wooded summits botering Notre-Dame de Lauret. War is not so distant. From an arid dome in the valley rises a solitary airman, and a while he desports himself in the blue. Soon the sharp purve of his engine is overhead. He turns, careening his machine, whose belly gleams ready in the blazing western sky, a darting dragonfly. Presently he is joined by the rest of his bombing squadron. Imperfect alignment, like a flight of geese over a northern lake, they turn eastward on their grim errand. In the little town of Dui-Saint, but a stone's throw west of Arras, a procession of clergy and pious laymen bearing banners and tall candles pass up the hill to the church. This is a day of thanksgiving for the villagers. The legend goes that in those fateful days of August 1914, when the Huns swept through Arras into the country beyond, the aged curé called together the debout, and earnestly they besought our lady that if she would shield them from the invader, annual offerings would be made at the shrine. A party of Ulans rode up to the town octrapost, inquired if troops were there, and then returned once they came. Shells fell about the outskirts, neighboring villages were shattered, but not a pagan finger-mark touched Dui-Saint. Worn out with the load of the terrible years the old priest died, but still the parish pays its annual tribute. Presently are heard strains of Gregorian music. In our orchard is much speculation as to when and where the corps will go in again. It rains a good deal, the ground is clay, and rash folks say any move will be to the good. It is Sunday night, August 25th. Hiney has been over, and one of our fellows after him. An officer with a night-glass claims that he saw him come down, and orderly comes to the tent with an urgent message. In a few minutes we are pulling boots on again and going down the hill to the corps garage. It is after midnight, the attack is to be at three o'clock. There is little time to spare. Soon Noël Villon is behind us, and we pass through Habarque, famous we have been told for its beautiful women. Presently we come out upon the broad St. Paul-Arris Highway, and broad it need be to take care of the traffic this night. No lights are allowed, for all this road is under direct observation. The moon, just past the full, keeps slipping behind clouds, and we crawl forward slowly. We pass gun-limbers pulled by six horses apiece, whose black feet make a pattern on the wet shining road. Dense columns of four swing steadily forward. The identification patch is French gray, and therefore the third Canadian division, but we can make out nothing further. No stretch of the imagination can render Arris beautiful, but there is a certain picturesqueness in the narrow streets, exposing to the night air their gaping wounds. It is a torturous passage, and just where traffic space is most needed, a wall of sandbags has been built across the road. We pass the ruined railway station we go, across a bridge and then up a long hill, through ruins that were once the Faubourg-Rombie, and so into other ruins that once was the village of Beaurein. In a dugout here is a company headquarters, where men going up the line are being served hot tea, grateful and refreshing. The car can go no further, but it is only a matter of a mile to telegraph Hill, which offers a good view of the battle. It has begun to rain a driving rain from the west, cold and cheerless, and it is slow work picking one's way through wire and trenches, stumbling over a soldier's grave or slipping into a shell-hole. Zero hour in fact bursts on our ear from a field battery unnoticed in a little wood a few hours behind us. The battle is on, but nothing can be made out in the darkness. The barrage we have been told is more intense than that even of the opening of the Amiens show, but somehow it is not so impressive. The front is narrower, and the horizon limited by ridges. There is not the same wide sweep of vision that made the spectacle from Gentel ever memorable. Nevertheless, it is effective, as the enemy's flares show. Very soon there is the glimmer of dawn, and gradually the battlefield unfolds as though a transparency. Getting back to the road that runs from Beaurein to new Beauretus, we meet already some of our walking wounded. One of these drives before him thirty prisoners. They expected us today, he calls out, but we were an hour too early for them. These lazy beggars were asleep in their dugout. How's the battle going? Why, fine. We're a way over the hill by now. But he adds that the machine-gunners are stout chaps and gave it his section bad. Over the entrance to a dugout is a boldly painted sign. This is Neuville-Vitas. That ruin needed identification. Our thirty-first battalion, Southern Alberta, had captured part of the village or the trench system that goes under that name, but the previous night, and fighting was still going on in the other end. Further to the right we now see our men, a straggling line, making good progress a mile or so inside the enemy line. But the enemy is shelling the sunken road going through the village, and one is well advised to take to a trench. In fact, it is a very different affair to Amien, where our men sailed off into the blue and were not brought up until they had got in four or five miles. Our counter-battery work then silenced his guns, but now he is putting up a fight for every yard of ground and sending over big stuff on our supply lines. Against the skyline a tank lies derelict, and our line, now very thin, is scattered into little groups, answering the enemy machine-gun fire. Slowly troops in support work forward. An advanced dressing station is busy in the fold of the hill just behind Neuville-Vitas. Long lines of our wounded wait patiently, lying in the open on stretchers. Nearby is a brigade headquarters. News that men of the Third Division have captured Monchi Le Prue evokes a cheer. Good old CMRs, whispers a private of the thirty-first. One wonders if he can make blighty, his face is the colour of parchment, but he lies there waiting his turn without complaint. A big fellow in field grey next to him groans horribly. Down the shell-torn road come long lines of stretcher-bearers. One of these little parties is scattered by a bursting charge. The surgeons and their white aprons work on impassively. Canada's Hundred Days by John Lively Part II, Chapter III, Operations, August 26th through August 27th. The attack on the morning of August 26th was to be launched by the Second Canadian Division Major General Sir Henry E. Burstel, on the right and the Third Canadian Division Major General L.J. Lipset on the left. The total frontage of 6,000 yards the jumping-off line began at the Sugar Factory just south of Nouvelle-Bitassee. Passing north through that village, then a little east of Telegraph Hill across the Arras-Combres Road, the divisional boundary just east of Tole les Muffelins, thence northeast to the Scarpe River at Phampoch, north of which the line was taken up by the Fifty-First Division. For the purpose of this operation placed under orders of the Canadian Corps Commander. This famous Heinlein Division, as part of the 22nd Corps, had been through all the hard-fighting on the Marne in July and had good reason to be a little battle weary. To protect the flank of our Third Division, the Fifty-First Division, was to advance towards Mount Pleasant and Roll. On our right, the 17th Corps. The left Corps of the Third Army, during the offensive of the preceding week, had advanced its line well forward of our right flank to the outskirts of Crossels and its front trended back north-westerly to join up with us at Nouvelle-Bitassee. This Corps was to follow up any advantage the Canadian Corps might gain. On the previous night, Saturday, August 24th, our Second Division had secured a better jumping-off line by advancing its outposts into the western edge of Nouvelle-Bitassee, pursuing this advantage by capturing the sugar factory and some elements of trenches south of the village. The original design was that our two divisions should push their attack due east, but after the battle was initiated, this was changed. The Camry Road being made the divisional boundary line, the direction being southeast. The first task set for the Second Division was the capture of Chapel Hill, and it was then to work south through the old British support system and join up with troops of the 17th Corps. On the right, on the northern end of Juancourt Spur, the object being to throw a dragnet around the enemy troops in their forward area toward Nouvelle-Bitassee. The left of the division was to push forward simultaneously and capture the southern end of Manche-les-Pro. The third division was to capture Orange Hill first and then pass on to the attack on Manche-les-Pro. Both divisions were to exploit their successes as far as possible. After a mature consideration, Zero Hour, which had been originally set at 4.50 a.m., was changed to 3 a.m., says Sir Arthur Curry, in order to take advantage of the restricted visibility produced by moonlight and so to affect a surprise. The attacking troops would thus pass through the enemy's forward machine gun defenses by infiltration and be in position to assault at Don, his line of resistance, on the eastern slopes of Orange Hill. The initial assault was to be supported by 17 brigades of field and 9 brigades of heavy artillery. Throughout the Arrascambe operations, the artillery allotted to the Canadian Corps was at all times adequate, varying at times in accordance with the tasks assigned. In the operation against the Dolshoit-Cleanke line, the attack was supported by 20 brigades of field and 12 brigades of heavy artillery. The following troops were attached to the Canadian Corps for the operation. Fifth Squadron, RAF. Third Brigade, Tank Corps, about 45 tanks to a brigade. As a result of lessons learned during the Amin's operations, it was laid down as a general principle that tanks should follow rather than proceed the infantry. The third Tank Brigade was asked to supply, if possible, 9 tanks to each attacking division each day, and the necessity of exercising the greatest economy in their employment was impressed on divisional commanders. On August 26, 3 a.m., the attack was launched. Under the usual artillery and machine gun barrages, it's made good progress, the village of Montchelapri, being entered early in the day after a very brilliant and circling attack was carried out by the 8th Brigade, Brigadier-General D.C. Draper. The trenches immediately to the east of Montchelapri were found to be heavily held and were not cleared until about 11 a.m. by the 7th Brigade, Brigadier-General H.M. Dyer. Guantamp was captured at 4 p.m. and Wancourt Tower and the top of Hanoe Ridge were in our hands at 10.40 p.m. The defenders of the latter feature fought hard but eventually succumbed to a determined attack delivered by the 6th Brigade, Brigadier-General A.H. Bell. Under cover of an extemporized barrage fired by the 2nd Canadian division artillery, Brigadier-General H.A. Pennet. During the night, this brigade captured an addition-egrant trench, thus securing a good jumping offline for the operation of the following day. The situation along the Rescambe Road was at one time obscure following a change in the inter-divisional boundary ordered when the attack was in progress. A gap occurred for a few hours but it was filled as soon as discovered by the Canadian independent force. The enemy fought strenuously and several counterattacks were repulsed at various stages of the fighting. Three German divisions being identified during the day and more than 2,000 prisoners captured together with a few guns and many machine guns. North of the Scarpe, the 51st Highland Division had pushed forward east of the chemical works and Garvelle without meeting serious opposition. Our average advance the first day was about 6,000 yards covering what had been the sharp enemy salient thrust to within 2 miles of arrests into a fairly uniform line projected forward by our two divisions on our right to within 1,000 or 1,500 yards with the old German front line. And on our left, south of the Scarpe at Pelvis, actually a little over that line, thus giving us virgin territory, which had been held since 1914. It was an auspicious beginning. On our right, the 17th Corps after some delay had conformed to our advance through Hennell. But on our left, north of the Scarpe, the situation was not quite so satisfactory, where the 51st Division had orders to cooperate but not to attack and during the day did not advance more than 1,000 yards on the river, thus being at least as much behind our men who had established themselves in the western outskirts of Pelvis. Although the task of our 2nd Division was not so spectacular as the work allotted to the 3rd Division on their left, it was far from easy. The enemy alert to meet attacks already developing in this sector had pushed forward reinforcements. Our advance developed well along the Cambry Road but when our troops sought by a turning movement to link up with the 17th Corps, the fighting became very severe, each ridge providing a separate battlefield and already the enemy was showing what lay in store for us when his main line of resistance was reached. On the right, the 6th Brigade Brigadier General A.H. Bell attacked with the 29th Battalion of Vancouver on the brigade right and the 27th Battalion of Winnipeg on its left. These battalions pushed forward due east on each side of Nouvelle Vitassee, the 27th swinging around and closing in on the back of the village and then continued the advance to Wanquart Village which was taken on schedule. Meantime, the 29th Battalion had swung off at right angles in an endeavor to secure contact with troops of the 3rd Army. This difficult maneuver was well carried out, a number of prisoners and guns being captured in Nouvelle Vitassee. Advancing to capture Wanquart Ridge, both battalions were held up by terrific machine gun fire and proceeded to make good a line of defense. The 31st Battalion Southern Alberta and the 28th Battalion Regina now came up in support and with aid of an admirable shot put down by the 2nd Division artillery, the ridge was finally cleared and Wanquart Tower captured at half-past 4th that same afternoon. That night, the brigade pushed forward and captured a line of trench ahead to furnish the 5th. Brigade with a good jumping offline next morning. The right battalion of the brigade was obliged to build up a flank to the south as the British troops had not come up. Meantime, the 4th Brigade Brigadier General R. Rennie on the left of the 6th Brigade after storming Chappell Hill had pushed on south of the Cambry Road with Bretton Elles Brigade now on their left, overcoming heavy opposition at Pompeya and along the Swampy Valley of the Cajol. The 4th Brigade attacked at 3.20 a.m. and by 6 a.m. had reached its first objective, the 21st Battalion Eastern Ontario on the right and the 20th Battalion Central Ontario on the left. The final objective was reached at 7.30 a.m. with Guantanp captured later by the 21st Battalion. The 19th Battalion Central Ontario and the 18th Battalion Western Ontario now came up in support and by 7 in the evening, the line had been carried forward to the northern slope of the Hannell Ridge. On our left, on the 3rd Canadian Division Front, the dramatic feature of the day was the capture of Moshe Le Pro. The commanding height known to every soldier on the erase front and this brilliant exploit is deserving of description in some detail. The attack was entrusted to the 8th Brigade, Brigadier General D. C. Draper. At 0, our artillery put down a heavy rolling barrage moving forward at the rate of 100 yards every 4 minutes on the enemy's front line and defenses in conjunction with defensive barrages designed to prevent the enemy bringing up reinforcements. The 5th, 4th and 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalions jumped off exactly at 0 following closely upon the rolling barrage at 25 minutes past 5 when visibility was good. The 1st Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion Western Manitoba and Saskatchewan passed through the 4th and 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalions on our left attacking the enemy positions between the Scarpe River and the northern slopes of Moshe Le Prix. The attack was pressed with vigor and by 7 o'clock our men had accomplished their tasks and the final objectives were in their hands but they did not stop until they had advanced some distance further east. The right flank swung around behind Moshe Le Prix joining hands at 8 o'clock with the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Eastern Townships which had attacked on the right capturing Orange Hill and then drifting parties up to the southwest of the village seeing themselves thus cut off from support the garrison surrendered. During the advance our troops encountered and overcame stiff resistance chiefly machine gunfire and particularly from the village no sooner were they in possession of the hill then the enemy turned upon it a furious bombardment with trench mortars and heavy guns at 11 o'clock. Units of the 7th Brigade passed through the line and pressed on the advance leaving the 5th Brigade to consolidate the position they had so gallantly won. In this brilliant encircling movement the first Canadian Mounted Rifles inflicted severe casualties on the enemy beside capturing a large number of prisoners several heavy and light trench mortars a great number of heavy and light machine guns together with two 77mm guns fell into their hands. There remains to be recorded a notable personal exploit after the encircling movement was completed but while the enemy still held the hill crowned with the ruins of Moshe Le Prix's Lieutenant Charles Smith Rutherford 5th Canadian Mounted Rifle a native of Colborne, Ontario went forward alone to reconnoiter some distance ahead of his assaulting party entering the outskirts of the village he walked straight into an enemy machine gun section holding a pillbox but which was not looking for an attack from that quarter surrender he cried without a moment's hesitation though covered by enemy rifles you are completely surrounded and our machine gunners will open fire on you do not surrender immediately the enemy officer disputed the fact and invited Rutherford to enter the pillbox but this he discreetly declined there was a moment's discussion and then the German officer said they would surrender you have another machine gun further up the hill order them to surrender or we'll blow them to bits and they did the entire garrison consisting of two officers and 43 men with three machine guns surrendered to him his men then coming up Lieutenant Rutherford observed that the right assaulting party was held by heavy machine gun fire from another pillbox this he attacked with a Lewis gun section and captured a further 35 prisoners with machine guns thus enabling the party to continue their advance Orange Hill west of Montchai-le-Prix was covered by a strong enemy trench line and some of the numerous dugout were not mopped up thoroughly as our infantry pushed ahead Father James Nicholson of Kingston, Ontario Chaplain of the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles went over with his medical officer and stretcher-bearers after the infantry coming to a dugout the Padre shouted down don't shoot try to wash officer we surrender and up-thumbed 7 officers and 40 men piling their arms but where are your men asked the leader looking around suspiciously never mind prepare to go to the rear they began to whisper together at this moment the MO arrived with his stretcher-bearers but all unarmed that is quite enough from you one word more and off goes your block he said walking up to the Bosch fortunately at that juncture two of our men with rifles came up shoot the first man that opens his mouth said the MO, Captain H.B. McAllen and they marched off to the rear after passing through the 8th Brigade the 7th Brigade had it very stiff fighting along the valley of the Scarpe and also towards the Bois du Vert and the Bois du Start from which the enemy launched heavy counter-attacks during the course of that afternoon and evening but these were beaten off and our line consolidated for the attack next morning the attack says the Corps Commander was renewed at 4.55 a.m. on August 27th by the 2nd and 3rd Canadian divisions in the face of increased opposition under a uniformly good initial barrage the 2nd Canadian division pushed doggedly forward through the old German trench system where very stiff hand-to-hand fighting took place and crossed the Sensei river after capturing the villages of Chassay and Vis-en-Arteos the 3rd Canadian division encountered very heavy opposition but succeeded in capturing Bois du Vert Bois du Start and reaching the western outskirts of Hancourt, Remy very north to Dam and Bois the enemy throughout the day pushed a large number of reinforcements forward bringing up machine gun units in mortar lorries in the face of our accurate field and artillery fire hostile field batteries in the open firing over open sites showed remarkable tenacity several remaining in action until the personnel had been destroyed by our machine gun fire our casualties were heavy especially on the 2nd Canadian division front and after discussing the situation with the GOC 2nd Canadian division and taking into consideration the uncertainty of the right flank of this division the operations were after 5.45pm restricted to the consolidation of the line then reached east of the Sensei river north of the Scarpe the 51st Highland division had pushed forward and gained a footing on Greenland Hill but were forced to withdraw slightly by a heavy German counter-attack during the night of August 27th and 28th the 8th division 7th Corps took over the northern half of the 51st division front as the enemy was still holding Pluvian and the high ground north of the Scarpe the 3rd Canadian division had been compelled to refuse its left flank and the front now held by the division was increased from about 3700 yards to about 6000 yards the fact was that while during this day the Canadian Corps advanced a maximum of about 4000 yards along the Cambry Road there was no corresponding advance by the British troops on either flank particularly on the north where the failure to hold Greenland Hill was a sad loss as enemy batteries on this elevation directed at us and inflate fire throughout this and the following days the situation was very clear to the onlooker on top of Monchay Le Brou at times itself a warm spot the main supply of ammunition for both our division was along the Iris Cambry Road and this was subjected to a harassing fire length several ammunition lorries were hit south of Monchay and casualties were suffered by our advanced dressing station in that vicinity all the fire coming from the north right across the supports of our 3rd division on a right the 2nd Canadian division had a hard day of it right from the kickoff the attack was made by the 5th brigade on the right which during the night had relieved the 6th brigade and the 4th brigade on the left immediately south of the Iris Cambry Road the 5th brigade had a terrible grueling fighting it's way through a dense maze of trenches and wire and with it's right blank in the air all it's battalions were engaged and lost very heavily these being the 24th recruited from the Victoria Rifles of Montreal the 22nd French Canadians the 25th of Scotia and the 26th to Brunswick Lieutenant Colonel W. H. Clark Kennedy of the 24th enlisted at Montreal showed this day conspicuous bravery and brilliant leadership he led his battalion with great bravery and skill from Crow and our trenches in front of Wancourt to the attack on the Francis Rovet line from the outset the 5th brigade of which the 24th was a central unit came under very heavy shell fire and machine gun fire suffering many casualties especially among the leaders units became apparently disorganized check appreciating the vital importance to the brigade front of a lead by the center and undismayed by annihilating fire Lieutenant Colonel Clark Kennedy by a sheer personality and initiative inspired his men and encouraged them forward on several occasions he led party straight at the machine gun nest which were holding up the advance by controlling the direction of neighboring units and collecting men who had lost their leaders he rendered valuable services in strengthening the line and enabled the whole brigade front to move forward by the afternoon very largely due to the determined leadership of this officer in disregard for his own life his battalion despite its heavy losses had made good the maze of trenches west of Chersey and Chersey village and across the sense a bed and had occupied the Ocident trench in front of the heavy wire of the Francis Rovet line under continuous fire he then went up and down his line until far into the night improving the position giving wonderful encouragement to his men and sending back very clear reports on the left of the 2nd Canadian division front the 4th brigade had equally hard fighting had captured and the Ares Cambry Road early but it was unable to cross the sense a river until late in the day undeterred by their losses these fine Ontario units fought their way literally step by step until they had made good the east bank of the sense a the fighting veteran character in the 21st Battalion in particular was little inclined to mercy after a Bosch prisoner had shot down one of their officers from Monchay it was clear that a stern battle was in progress up over the high ridge from Wancourt and Gwymap and then down into the valley of the Sesame River through the strongly fortified village of the Christie and Visin Arteos from the opposite slope the enemy board in a terrific fire and from time to time he threw out our attacks with his infantry it was slow and expensive work but it was virtually necessary to unmask the French Roble line the last line of resistance which lay between us in our immediate goal the Drotkort-Quian switch itself an integral part of the Hindenburg system equally intense but of a different character was the fighting on the front of the 3rd division on our left we were now fighting in the Nomans land of 1917 and the ground was everywhere it was torn up by shellfire and littered with old wire the 7th Brigade had carried the line overnight in front of them Woyst du Vert and Woyst du Sart two woods crowning twin heights a thousand yards apart north and south Monchay being two thousand yards west a thousand yards northeast of Woyst du Sart lies Jigsaw Wood with hatchet wood between the 9th Brigade took up the attack at zero hour the immediate objective being these two woods and if possible the advance was to be pushed into the beret norter dame a mile for the east the two woods were taken in the first rush but the enemy meanwhile had brought down heavy reinforcements from doi and counter attack three times in succession from Jigsaw Wood compelling us to refuse our left which here as already explained exposed a long flank to the north in order to cope with the resistance it was determined to lay down a hurricane barrage at Jigsaw Wood four brigades of field artillery and a dozen batteries of heavy guns were concentrated on orange hill and open fire simultaneously as luck would have it the enemy had just pushed in strong supports to their troops holding Jigsaw Wood and a slaughter was very great our bombing planes flying over the wood at the same time added to the destruction and confusion the enemy however had a strong second line of defense and both Buyora and Jigsaw Wood remained in his hands this day on its right however the third Canadian division succeeded in advancing its line north of the Cambry road abreast of our second division at this and our toys the battle was intensifying as it progressed but there was harder fighting yet to come end of part two chapter three recording by Mike Benderi Kenyon City Colorado Mike Benderi.com part two chapter four of Canada's Hundred Days this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by James O'Connor Canada's Hundred Days by John Livese part two chapter four Operations August 28 it was intended says Sir Arthur Currie to continue the battle on August 28 with the first Canadian division on the right and the fourth British division then coming under my command on the left the latter division however was unable to reach the battle position in time as it was undesirable at this stage to employ a fresh division alongside a division which had been already engaged the orders issued were cancelled and the battle was continued by the divisions then in the line in fact there was no choice in the matter as we have seen the fourth Canadian division was then only moving back from Amiens the enemy was pushing up reinforcements from both Douay and Cambray and evidently meant to throw every available ounce into the scale to check us before the Drogot camp line was reached he held an immensely strong position on the eastern slopes rising up from the Sinsea river which was continued by the Bwari defense line to the scarp he had shown a disposition to attack in force and the positions we had won offered no facilities for a passive defense we must either go on or fall back on one court bridge and Monchee thus throwing away the fruits of two days hard fighting and all the advantages of our surprise attack it was not to be thought of and so until two fresh divisions could be brought into the line the following night at earliest there was nothing for it but for our tired troops to press on the days operations are described by the core commander as follows at 9 a.m. on August 28th the third Canadian division resumed the attack followed at 12 30 p.m. by the second Canadian division the objective for the day was the capture of the Fren-Rouvois line the possession of which was vital to the success of our further operations on the left the third Canadian division had pushed forward capturing the Fren-Rouvois line from the Sinsea river to north of Bwari, Notre Dame and had secured that village jigsaw wood and entered pelts and had, however, been unable to clear the village of Holcourt in order to shorten their front and reduce to a minimum the risk of a counterattack from the north the 51st division being still at Roux our third division opened the day by an assault at 7 o'clock on their extreme left when by the capture of pelts they secured that bridgehead over the scar this was brilliantly carried out by the 7th Brigade General H. M. Dyer whose elements fought their way through an intricate maze of trenches despite the galling fire poured in on them from the heights bordering the river valley further east it was the scene of a very brilliant exploit Sergeant John Hutchinson of the 49th Battalion of Edmonton a native of Newcastle but who enlisted at Edmonton led the way up an enemy communication which projected forward at right angles from their main system bombing as he went he fought along the trench to the T-point where it joined the main trench where he established himself and sent back word that the left of the enemy sector based on the river was now in the air reinforcements were rushed up and our men divided right and left along the main trench and soon were in complete possession across the bare open ground from the east the enemy sent over three massed counterattacks in order to restore their line but our men turned on them their own trench mortars and the divisional artillery being now apprised of the situation laid down so effective a barrage that the enemy was cut to pieces many dead being left on the field combined with the operations of the 9th Brigade Brigade General D. M. Ormond on the divisional right this movement had the effect of turning the flank of the very strong enemy position in jigsaw wood which the previous day had resisted all our efforts the garrison streamed back from the wood across the open plateau and were moaned down by the rifle fire of our men in the main trench the range being so short that the shooting was exceedingly effective few of them reached their support line further to the right the 9th Brigade pushed ahead and the 52nd Battalion New Ontario which the previous day had captured Bois de Vert now stormed Bois de Village this was the battalion that had taken Dammery in the Amy Inn show but probably its work on this day will rank in its annals as a greater achievement but the men had lost heavily on the previous day and expected relief that night yet they went in with a will and a cheer and nothing could stand before them since August 8th the battalion had lost over half its effectiveness on the night of August 28th 29th the 3rd Canadian division was relieved by the 4th British division and went out of the line for a brief rest after three days ding dong writing in which every brigade was used to the uttermost following close on the hard work along the Roy Road in the Amy Inn show but although not actually in the line the general situation demanded that they should remain in close support where they were still exposed to enemy shell fire one of the most remarkable features of the present fighting indeed arose from the fact that the enemy immediately before us was in superior strength as during the course of the battle between August 26th and September 2nd he brought into action no less than 11 divisions all of which were beaten in turn coupled with this the fact that at this stage we were but fighting our way up through the fringe of his defense in an effort to grapple with his main line of resistance and it will be seen that the situation of our divisions in the line weakened numerically by their heavy losses incessantly strafed the enemy's artillery and machine gun fire and subjected to successive waves of determined counter-attack from fresh troops thrown into his line must have afforded constant anxiety to the core commander it followed inevitably that an exhausted division so far from going out to rest in the back area when relieved must stand too close up in support ready for any event and thus be exposed to bombardment by day and bombing by night curious indeed was a spectacle presented by every little veil and depression in this area that lay separated by but a single ridge from the battle line and the direct observation of the enemy but which nevertheless was crowded with infantry in support massed batteries of artillery heavy in light trains of supply and field ambulances with cheek by jowl divisional brigade and battalion headquarters in dugouts and under canvas such an area was included south of the Cambrai road between Nuvil Vitas and Guia map and from the commanding village of Moschee La Prude lay spread out like a map it seemed impossible the enemy could fail to note this great concentration where a division lay within the compass of a good-sized western ranch and to pour down upon it a devastating bombardment but his gunners were fully occupied in dealing with our assaults on his front area and beyond throwing over occasional heavy stuff and maintaining a persistent searching fire along our lines of communication there was nothing in the way of a concerted artillery demonstration during these in the next few following days too our airmen had so established their supremacy that hostile scouts durced not venture over our lines in daylight these conditions however brought about relatively heavy casualties among troops lying in support and particularly among our burial parties the situation on our left the third division front has been dealt with first because the kickoff took place in the early morning while on the right to which we now come the second Canadian division did not open its attack south of the Cambrai Road until a little afternoon on the front of the second Canadian division the fighting was most severe says Siratha Curry the wire in front of the friend Rouvoy line was found to be almost intact and although at some points the fifth brigade Brigadier General T. L. Trimley had succeeded in penetrating the line the first objective could not be secured except one short length on the extreme right subjected to heavy machine gunfire from both flanks as well as frontally the attacking troops had suffered heavy casualties which they had born with the utmost fortitude at nightfall the general line of the second Canadian division was little in advance of the line held the night before although a few parties of stubborn men were still as far forward as the wire of the friend Rouvoy line the enemy reinforcements were seen dribbling forward all day long the fifth brigade staff had suffered severely in the Amy Inn show when one shell had wounded Brigadier General Ross and killed the brigade major and a staff major of the second division present besides wounding the brigade intelligence officer Lieutenant Colonel T. L. Trimley who had led the 22nd Battalion with such distinction at Corsalette and elsewhere was now acting Brigadier later to be confirmed in that appointment the brigade exhausted and depleted though it was by the hard fighting of the previous days could not have been handled with more resolution and the response of the men was magnificent but they were up against an impossible task all the battalions engaged lost very heavily the casualties of the brigade during the two days fighting being about 100 officers and 2,500 other ranks every officer engaged of the 22nd Battalion French Canadians was a casualty by nightfall of August 28 including the acting officer commanding Major A.E. Dubuk the entire headquarter staff of the battalion mostly by shellpire Lieutenant Colonel Clark Kennedy of the 24th Battalion whose brilliant leadership the preceding day has been recounted above was seriously wounded he again showed valorous leadership in the attack on the friend Louvoir line and Upton Wood though severely wounded soon after the start he refused aid and dragged himself to a shell hole from which he could observe realizing that his exhausted troops could advance no further he established a strong line of defense and thereby prevented the loss of most important ground despite intense pain and serious loss of blood he refused to be evacuated for over 5 hours by which time he had established the line in a position from which it was possible for the relieving troops to continue the advance Lieutenant Colonel John Wise of the 25th Battalion Nova Scotia was wounded severely while leading his men the command devolving upon Major F.P. Day Lieutenant Colonel A.E.G. McKinsey 26th Battalion New Brunswick was killed while gallantly rallying his men and thus every unit of the 5th Brigade lost its commanding officer besides extremely heavy casualties both among officers and rank and file losses to the 26th being 9 officers and 350 men I never saw so many machine guns in my life said the trench mortar officer of the New Brunswickers after the battle they were in 3 tiers 3 miles wide protected by dense wire their front plastered by shell fire we attacked again and again and in the intervals beat off enemy counterattacks if we'd had tanks we'd have been all right what we want is tanks tanks and yet more tanks it isn't rifles that shoot them guys set a stretcher bearer at the advanced stressing station pretty well every man that comes down here is done in by machine guns but most of them are good blighties with clean bullet wounds a good idea of the character of the fighting throughout the day of August 28th is given by the narrative of soldier of the 22nd battalion as told the following day on Monday he said we were in support total strength was about 850 of all ranks but when 50 men had been detached as stretcher bearers and burial parties and a few men from each company left in reserve as a nucleus at battalion headquarters our battle strength was reduced to 675 10 o'clock Tuesday morning we moved up to the attack between Guilla map and Cherry sea but were held up on the ridge and lost heavily by machine gun fire as did the 20th and 21st of the 4th brigade alongside of us in the afternoon we attacked again taking our objective Cherry sea and crossed over the dry creek bed and the wash plastered us with fish tails gas and machine guns the colonel and our majors were wounded that day and next day the battalion was run by subalterns the command went down to a captain but at nightfall of Wednesday not an officer was left and the sergeant major of one of the companies brought the battalion out Corselet was child's play to this it was machine guns not shell fire it was like this as we pushed up from Cherry sea and the river over the ridge this was about 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon we got our first objective the chalk pit and then went on to our final objective the friend rouvre line a thousand yards beyond and 1500 from the jumping off line but they caught us on the wire and only 15 or 20 reached it we fell back because we had no officer bringing away our wounded only three officers were left of the 35 this battalion brought out of the amy and shell and they were in reserve up to battalion headquaters came a gutter still carrying his machine gun with two bullet holes through it hello lieutenant he cried here we are again the glorious 22nd opening parenthesis quote hello lieutenant la gloria vant desiem quote closing parenthesis the glorious 22nd the battalion will go on the body perishes but the spirit dies not at brigade headquaters that evening there came a telephone call from the sergeant major I am holding the line with 15 men what shall we do carry on until your supports come up the following account is taken from the story of this battalion the epic of the 22nd by sergeant major corneluk la presse montréal colonel de bouc fell at the head of his men major venier lost a leg mages routier, roy and asher embole captain morgan lieutenants lemoth and lemieux such is the entire list of those who had been decorated who were now extinguished all the glory of the past being aureoled in a bloody apotheosis in spite of numerous desperate efforts to bring him in captain morgan remained for 36 hours in the sad no man's land out of the 22 officers who took part in this Homeric struggle not one was spared of the 600 shock troops who went into battle only 70 uninjured answered the roll call the position one was held a non-combatant one of those great natures of the elect born for devotion dr. albric maran captain in the medical corps saved the situation he was following the battle as a spectator giving first aid to the wounded when he noticed that our soldiers deprived of their leaders were hesitating in a bound he leapt over the dead the wounded those caught in the wire carrying this handful of brave men still hot from the odder of combat he carried them along electrifying them and inspiring them to hold their ground among the resounding crashes which churned the river and earth in his own turn he fell victim of gas our chaplain father deja-dain worthy successor of the noble father was surrounded while smothered in a gust of evil fumes left of the fifth brigade just south of the arachanbray road in the valley of the sin sea the fourth brigade brigadier general arini made his third successive attack having been continuously in the line since the battle opened on monday morning but the fighting strength was much reduced and for this reason the brigade frontage was limited to seven hundred yards attacking across the open slope these fine ontario troops fought their way forward with the utmost gallantry but the men were tired and the wire in front being uncut it was impossible to reach the objective and in face of strong enemy resistance progress was slow casualties to officers were very heavy every battalion was in line and suffered severely in addition the thirty first battalion was sent up in support from the sixth brigade which was in reserve tales of heroism and sacrifice were common these three days but one example must suffice at one time when the right flank of the eighteenth battalion western ontario was held up by machine gun fire lance carpal w h metcalf a native of denny'sville main realizing the situation rushed forward under intense fire to a tank passing on the left with his signal flag he walked in front of the tank directing it along the trench in a perfect hail of bullets and bombs the machine gun strong points were thus overcome heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy and a very critical situation relieved later though wounded he continued to advance until ordered to get into a shell hole and have his wounds dressed entered in the advance of the fourth brigade on vison atua but the men of the second canadian division did not die in vain if they had not done much to improve the line they had still held fast and had beaten back all through the day wave after wave of hostile counterattacks intent on driving them back over the sin sea our fresh troops now coming up were to jump off from the line so stoutly maintained were to carry on the battle into the hide of the enemy's defense and there established the canadian corps as the first of the allied troops to break through the hindenburg system at no point so formidable or so bitterly defended as here their failure glorious as it was was due largely to matters over which they had no control we fought that day with our right flank exposed for the british had not come up to our support it was only late in the day that london troops stormed the village of quassiel this village was four thousand yards southwest of our right flank and the 56th british division had fought their way up to its outskirts during the battle of bapong on august 24th thus for four days this line had remained static and whereas at the opening of the battle of our ass on august 26th the general line of the third army was considerably in advance of our jumping off line it was now refused on august 26th scottish and london troops indeed on our right flank had captured the high ground between quassiel's and hindenel in face of strong resistance chiefly from machine gun posts but this did no more than conform to our advance and there being no corresponding advance on the following days our right flank was much exposed particularly from the direction of hindercourt the battle in fact was throughout a canadian corps battle receiving little or no support on either flank on the night of august 28th 29th the second and third canadian divisions were relieved by the first canadian division on our right and the fourth british division on our left this division consisted of first right english county troops and as we shall see their contribution to the general success of the canadian corps through the hard fighting of the following days was in every respect worthy of their reputation and none could be higher than that of the famous fighting fourth distinguished even among the old contemptibles veterans of a hundred well fought they still maintain their name as storm troops and in the canadian corps found worthy company end of part two chapter four recording by james o'connor randolph massachusetts december 2009 part two chapter five of canada's hundred days with the canadian corps from amines to mons august 8th through november 11th 1918 as a libervox recording all libervox recordings were in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libervox.org recording by mike vendetti canada's hundred days by john libsley part two chapter five operations august 29th through the 31st the next four days were devoted to improving our lines so as to afford suitable jumping off ground for the great attack on drill court quench switch desperate and often detached struggles for isolated positions and sections of the enemy's defense before entering into some of the details of these operations it will be well to quote sir arthur curry's narrative during the days succeeding the capture of monche le prole the enemy's resistance had been steadily increasing and it became clear that the drill court quaint line would be very stubbornly defended on august 28th instructions had been received fixing tentatively september 1st as the date on which the drill court quaint line was to be attacked by the canadian core in conjunction with the 17th core the intention was to capture also the canal do nord line in the same operation it was therefore essential to which secure that date a good jumping off line roughly parallel to and approximately 600 yards west of drill court quaint line this was indeed a very difficult task entailing the capture of the francaise rovay line of the vizen arthur switch and a number of defended localities of very great strength notably the crow's nest upton wood and saint servants farm the second and third canadian divisions were now exhausted and during the night of august 28th and 29th they were relieved by the first canadian division on the right in the 4th british division which had been placed on my orders on the night of august 26th 27th on the left and brutan al's brigade formally the canadian independent force on the extreme left plank the heavy artillery from now on concentrated on the cutting of the broad belts of wire in front of the drill court quaint line and the engineers prepared the bridging material required for the crossings of the sensei river and the canal to lord during the day august 29th our line had been considerably improved by minor operation brutan al's brigade had pushed forward on their front and captured bench farm and victoria copes north of borny north dame the 4th british division in the face of strong opposition had advanced their line in the vicinity of hall court and remy north of the scarp and the 51st division had captured the crest of greenland hill the command of the 51st division front now passed to general officer commanding 22nd corps and during the night august 29th 30th the 11th division which had been transferred to the canadian corps from the 1st corps relieved brutan al's brigade in the line the command of that division also passing to the general officer commanding 22nd corps on completion of the relief this shortened the line considerably and relieved me of the anxiety caused by the length and vulnerability of the northern flank on august 30th following the reported capture of hengdu court by the 57th division the 1st canadian division attacked the vison artoy switch upton wood and the francés rouleway line south of vison artoy switch the attack a daring maneuver organized and carried out by the 1st canadian infantry brigade brigadier general w.a. rebeck under cover of very ingenious barrages arranged by the 1st canadian division artillery brigadier general h.c. thecker was eminently successful all objectives being captured and the entire garrison either killed or taken prisoner heavy counterattacks by fresh troops were repulsed during the afternoon and following night on august 31st the remainder of the francés rouleway line south of oras comry road including ocean work was captured by the 2nd canadian infantry brigade brigadier general f.o.w. lumas in the meantime the 4th british division had doggedly pushed ahead crossing the valley of the sensei river and capturing the villages of howcourt, remy, and hiter pregne this advance was over very difficult thickly wooded country and the fighting was very heavy particularly in the vicinity of saint severance farm which after changing hands several times remained in possession of the enemy until september 2nd the brilliant fighting on the part of the 1st canadian division major general sir archibald c mcdonald in the days immediately preceding the great assault is admirably described in this division's own narrative of its operations as follows on the night of august 28th and 29th the 1st division relieved the 2nd division the general officer commanding the 1st division taking over the command of the line at midnight the relief was most difficult the position of the 2nd division front line was uncertain and it was necessary for the relieving troops to form in an extended order and march forward until the foremost troops of the battalion in line was reached the 3rd brigade brigadier general g.s. tuckshord took over the right sector the 2nd brigade brigadier general f.o.w. lumas the left and the 1st brigade general w.a. gribach came into divisional reserve the next day august 29th passed without incident except for fairly heavy shelling that was maintained on forward areas and roads on this day the plans of the army commander for an extensive operation tentatively set for september 1st were communicated to the division this new attack was to be made by 3 divisions the object being to break the drill court queen out line overrun the crossing of the canal du nord and also seas bullon wood and the high ground to the north of it in the meantime the divisions in line were ordered to secure by a series of minor operations the jumping off line running from chateau wood on the right crossing the visen artoy switch and to the village of ether bichne on the left in order to understand the task before the core as a whole and the 1st canadian division in particular a brief description of the high ground and the enemy defenses is necessary on the evening of august 29th our front line followed roughly the valley of the sensei river from fontes les croissants into harcourt where it bent back over a small ridge between this river and the valley of the congé then over the high ground east of bernoy nordom and continued in a generally north westerly direction to the valley of the scarpe north of the scarpe operations were carried out merely to protect the flank of the main attack south of the stream and need not be considered here while the valley of the scarpe began to bend to the northeast practically at our front line the valley of the trequis river began almost at once and ran due east joining the sensei valley 500 yards east of our line from 10 to 12,000 yards beyond our line was the valley and the waterway of the canal du nord almost due north and south cutting the canadian core front in halves and running in a south east early direction straight to cambré a distance of 13 miles was the treeline ares cambré road the natural features then were these two valleys converging on our northern flank forming an isolated triangle of ground to be dealt with then two more convergent valleys those of the sensei and the canal du nord with the high ground between the plateau on the right flank with a distance of 10,000 yards to go before the canal was reached and on the left breaking into more sharply defined valleys and ridges as the junction of the valley was approached with the exception of one small jog the ares cambré road formed the left flank of the first canadian division the right flank ran 3,500 yards south and parallel to this road on the front of this division therefore the ground features were simple and the gradual upward slope along the crest of which ran the hendocourt du re-road and roughly paralleling our front line then came the gentle valley and in this depression was the village of cagnacourt on the right and villas les cagnacourt on the left each being about 6,000 yards from our front line immediately east of cagnacourt were two small woods the boïs de boïs then another ridge and a sharp valley running in a north east-early delectron with the villages of boizoy and braille straggling through it across the entire first division front and finally the wooded valley of the canal du nord while the natural features presented no great difficulties until the canal was reached the enemy had strongly fortified this ground and it was these heavily wired and strongly held trench systems that formed the great obstacle coming back to the preliminary task of august 30 immediately in front of the first Canadian division was the force-née-revois line sided on the slope leading up to the hendercourt du re-road 2 or 3,000 yards east of this line was the famous du court cagnacourt line a switch-off from the Hindenburg line which at this point ran in a generally south-easterly direction some 1,500 yards south of our frontage running in a south-easterly direction from viz and our toys and connecting with the front-slash-revois connecting on lines was the trench system known as a viz and our toys switch and beginning at the point where the du court cagnacourt line crossed the R.S. Cambry Road and also running east was a fourth line known as a buzzy switch this system of trenches ran immediately south-west of the villages of Villers and Buizoye joining the Hindenburg line in the vicinity of Vichy and Autoyes a village situated near the canal du nord of the Canadian Corps boundary it will be seen therefore that the trenches to be taken by the 1st Canadian division ran in zig-zag fashion practically to the canal the Canadian Corps plan for the attack on the du court cagnacourt line depended on the division's inline securing a jumping-off position within reasonable distance of this objective the first thing therefore that the 1st Canadian division had to do was take the Fresnois Rovois line the greater part of the Vizon Anton switch Upton Wood and the two strong obstacles known as Chateau Wood and the Crow's Nest or in other words to advance its line some 3,000 yards before launching the big attack as the divisional commander did not wish to incur any risk of dissipating the strength of the two brigades earmarked for the breaking of the du court cagnacourt line he decided that the 1st brigade in division reserve should carry out this preliminary operation the date set was at dawn on August 30th the task confronting the 1st brigade was no light one there was the strong princess Rovois trench line that already had stopped one attack by the Canadians there was the Vizon Artois switch line cutting this system diagonally there was the fortified obstacle presented by Upton Wood lying between the Fresnois Rovois line and the Hennacourt Dury Road there was cemetery trench easternly direction from our right flank and passing just east of Upton Wood at first it was decided to attack this area frontally later however when the brigade commander heard that British troops had captured the village of Hennacourt thus breaching the Fresnois Reveille system just south of his right flank he evolved a daring plan for the attack two battalions the 1st western Ontario and 2nd of Ottawa were to assemble in the vicinity of Hennacourt and attack northeast and north respectively the 1st going up cemetery trench and the other rolling up the Fresnois Rovois trench from the south the 3rd battalion recruited from Toronto District was ordered to attack astride the Vizon Artois switch and burst the Fresnois Rovois line at its junction with that trench the artillery then worked out a complicated barrage or rather two one protecting each of the attacks from the flanks and then merging together and sweeping eastwards the attack opened at 4.40 am all went smoothly and the objectives were taken heavy fighting continued through the greater part of the day however for soon afternoon the enemy launched a determined counterattack under cover of an organized barrage and penetrated some portions of Upton wood and cemetery trench a portion of the 2nd battalion in the Fresnois Rovois line at once started another counterattack and so brought the enemy to a standstill but did not drive him out completely an attempt on the part of the 3rd battalion patrols to take the remainder of the Fresnois Rovois line that lay between the Vizon Artois switch and the Arras Camry Road was not successful owing to the strength with which the enemy was holding it towards evening a portion of the 4th battalion Central Ontario was thrown into the fight to re-establish our new line by nightfall this was accomplished and the enemy driven out of those positions he had secured as a result of his attack at midday the next day August 31st the 2nd brigade using the 8th battalion Winnipeg completed to capture of the Fresnois Rovois line as far north as the Arras Camry Road and then in daylight and in the face of heavy machine gun fire patrols were rushed well forward of the captured line the enemy fought with desperate courage throwing in his reserves lavishly these including Prussian guard divisions and a stout marine division thoroughly alarmed by the manner he pushed steadily forward despite all obstacles he brought against us all his available reserves from both the doi and camry areas this was the crucial point of his whole line of defense and once pierced the entire Hindenburg system north and south the fruit of years of work in which the lives of tens of thousands of Russian prisoners had been squandered would be turned and rendered worthless at this juncture it was worth to him depleted of men as he was an army corps to prevent us crossing the canal du Nord and driving a wedge through his west front at camry to add to the difficulties of our troops in these days of fierce preparation for the great assault things were not going well on our right flank on August 30 London and west Lancashire troops had taken Bullcourt and Hindencourt the report of which had reached us and encouraged the attack on Upton Wood detailed above but the Germans so runs an account being unwilling to give up points so near their main lines of defense attacked in great force and by the evening had driven back our troops to the western outskirts of these villages and to the German trench line between them while our first and fourth divisions were pushing forward their line on the two following days the situation on our right was not improved and when the great attack finally opened on September 2 the left brigade of the 17th corps fell in line behind our right brigade and followed up its advance until the opportunity opened of turning off south and capturing Courant into part 2 chapter 5 recording by Mike Mendetti part 2 chapter 6 of Canada's Hundred Days with the Canadian Corps from Amiens to Mons August the 8th to November the 11th 1918 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Daniel Watkins Canada's Hundred Days by John Livesey part 2 chapter 6 Operations September the 1st to September the 3rd Drogor K. Antline we have now come to the morning of September the 1st the date of the great assault was originally designed but the change had to be made in the plan on the night of August the 31st to September the 1st says the Corps commander the 4th Canadian Division came into the line on a one brigade front between the 1st Canadian Division and the 4th British Division the general officer commanding 4th British Division having now reported that he considered his division unable successfully to attack the Drogor K. Antline on the front allotted to him in view of the losses suffered in the preliminary fighting for the jumping off line I decided that the 4th Canadian Division would extend their front and take over 1000 yards additional frontage from the 4th British Division this necessitated a change of plan on the part of the 4th Canadian Division who a few hours before 0 had to place an additional brigade in the line for the initial assault accordingly the 12th Brigade Brigadier General J. H. McGryan carried out the attack on the right and the 10th Brigade Brigadier General RJF Hater on the left divisional front having 1st advanced the line to conform with the 1st Canadian Division it was necessary to postpone the attack on the Drogor K. Antline until September 2nd on account of the additional wire cutting which was still required and the day of September 1st was employed in minor operations to improve the jumping off line for the major operation the important strong point known as the crow's nest was captured by the 3rd Brigade during the afternoon and evening of September 1st the enemy delivered violent counter-attacks directed against the junction of the 1st and 4th Canadian Divisions 2 fresh divisions and 2 divisions already in the line in the course of the heavy fighting our troops were forced back slightly twice but the ground was each time regained and finally held the hand-to-hand fighting for the possession of the rest of the spur at this point really continued until zero hour the next day the troops attacking the Drogor K. Antline as they moved forward taking over the fight from the troops then holding the line for the doings of the 1st Canadian Division on this day there are still no better guide than the narrative already so freely quoted after the wire in front of the Drogor K. Antline the date of the major attack was postponed for one day in order to give the heavy artillery further time to carry out wire-cutting operations in order also to thicken the infantry attack the frontage of the 1st Division was reduced by some 1500 yards on the night of August 31st the 2nd Brigade side-slipping south the 1st Brigade was relieved during the night the 3rd Brigade taking over the right sector with the 15th Battalion 48th Highlanders of Toronto and the 14th Battalion Royal Montreal Regiment and the 2nd Brigade the left sector with the 5th Battalion Saskatchewan on the same night the 4th Canadian Division came into line between the 1st Division and the 4th British Division once again at dawn the next day the whole infantry line on the core front moved forward this time the advance of the 1st Division front was only for a distance of 1,000 yards the new line being established within the same distance from the Drogor K. Antline a suitable striking distance for the great attack set for September the 2nd in spite of the short advance the fighting was of the most bitter character as soon as the protective barrage died down the enemy commenced a series of determined counter-attacks down an old trench against the 14th Battalion 4 such attacks were beaten off by the garrison of the trench during the day captured stick grenades and stokes mortars being used freely on the left on the front captured by the 5th Battalion we flung two battalions against the position at 11.30am a heavy machine gun and artillery barrage being used the two companies in the forward position were solely forced back to their original line the battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel L.R.O. Tudor however at once counter-attacked with his remaining two companies after 4 hours of heavy fighting the whole position was regained and 125 prisoners captured the enemy was not satisfied however and once again at six o'clock in the evening he developed a strong attack this effort was beaten off except on the extreme left where two posts were captured by the enemy fighting in this area continued intermittently throughout the night and as a matter of fact when the barrage opened in the morning for the major attack on the Drogor K'ant line and the 7th Battalion Vancouver passed through the 5th Battalion was even then engaged in hand-to-hand fighting for the possession of these posts during the night of September 1st 20 morning hours following while the front was in a turmoil of shellfire and bombing attack and counter-attack swift rushes or stubborn resistance the infantry, artillery, machine guns and tanks were moving forward along the whole core front into their assembly positions for the thrust that was designed to break the Drogor K'ant line and secure the crossings of the Canal du Nord much the same situation was being combated by the 4th Canadian division Major General Sir David Watson north of the Canberra Road except for the tremendous finale of the barrage the night of September 1st and the dawn next day might be described as one continuous battle thus from the time the leading regates of the 4th Canadian division took over the line right up to zero hour they were involved in always continuous fighting due to enemy counter-attacks and isolated enemy posts which were calculated to hamper our jump-off and must therefore be reduced it was in such a situation that a valorous act was performed by the enemy of the 38th Battalion of Ottawa when his battalion on this day was in the vicinity of Vizan Artois preparatory to the advance of the following morning the enemy laid down a heavy barrage and counter-attacked Private Nunny who was at this time at company headquarters immediately and of his own initiative proceeded through the barrage to the company outpost lines and going from post to post encouraged the men by his own fearless example the enemy were appulsed and a critical situation saved the 4th Canadian division had in the line the 10th Brigade Brigadier General R.J.F. Hater on the right resting on the Arras Cambride Road and on the left, the 12th Brigade Brigadier General J.H. McBrien with the 11th Brigade Brigadier General V.W. Odium in support prepared to go through after the attack had well developed the left of the division was in touch with the 4th British division which carried on the Canadian core line north to the Scarb and at times the artillery of heaven drowns out even the roar of the guns making our way on foot from Wancourt up over that ridge towards Cherazy we passed through seeming endless tears of guns of all calibres brought up in the night and waiting now impatiently upon the zero it was to be the greatest barrage of the war and if the artillery could not succeed in cutting lanes for the infantry we were bound to sustain a disastrous defeat before every show one had to be impressed with the faith of our men in the victory of the morrow for them it was not a thing even debatable certain objectives had been set the Canadian core and they would be taken it was perhaps natural enough to men who had never known failure in attack but this was an occasion somewhat different exactly a week ago the first face of this battle had opened for the first two days it had gone well a wedge 11,000 yards deep at its apex being driven into the heart of the enemy's defence but day by day the task had hardened until the whole line was involved in a furious battle not so much often to win more ground as to hold what we had there can be now no element of surprise save in so far as the enemy cannot anticipate the weight and fury of our bombardment he is thoroughly on the alert and his trenches swarm with men brought up day by day fresh from his reserves he is fighting a last ditch battle on which must depend the trend of events many miles beyond the sound of these guns and moreover admitting the unquench spirit of the men there remain the question of whether their reserves of physical vitality can endure this last ordeal such thoughts as these occur to one waiting upon the hillside a little back of the charred village of Cherazy below us but indistinguishable in the night lies the valley of the Sansei river beyond it on the right is a veritable graveyard of Canadian soldiers that await only the burial parties we have come so far fought so hard paid so dear perhaps here for the first time to meet defeat and that in its most sanguinary form for it is a battle that cannot be broken off at will of the attacking force defeat and retreat is the only alternative of victory the night wears away towards morning the sky clears but mist still hangs low in the valley on our left a furious cannonade is in progress but quite local in character there is none of that tense stillness preceding a surprise attack the high nose overhead flying boldly and only darkness saves the batteries mass behind the hill the night has turned to a grey obscurity when zero hour strikes when pandemonium is let loose there is here again something different from that famous mooring at Jantelwood 25 days ago a shrillness of concentration a ferocity of intense purpose in our barrage for the front is narrow and the guns set so close are registered on a target even more limited there is also the quick instant reply from across the valley as it might be a rolling echo beating back into our ears the roar of our own guns shells come from all directions they power up our hillside and search systematically every sunken road every line of trench where our supports are congregated the wicked crack of high explosive mingles with the soft purring explosion of gas shells to the uninitiated hardly to be distinguished from the harmless dud from the opposing slope reverberate the dread rattle of machine gun volleys and at times these minor notes are smothered by the tremendous detonation of the heavy guns the mist lifts a little and dimly can be seen the trained elephants the life saving tanks making their way on the far slope among the wire and the machine gun posts two have passed up and over the enemy defence and for a moment are silhouetted against the dawn moving heavily forward then their career comes to a sudden end one hitting the flank swings half round for days to come they are to lie upon the crest smashed almost beyond recognition by a battery on the reverse slope daylight now picks out one familiar feature after another the crow's nest a pyramidal hill half a mile north of hendercourt upton wood and the serrated outline of the hendercourt jury road our infantry are nowhere to be seen they have passed over the crest instead dark in the valley is a moving mass soon to be distinguished as cavalry the droguecore crayon line is won we have won the droguecore crayon line but the battle is not over all day long it sways to and fro and only as dusk gathers is victory secure here is the story in the words of the core commander at five a.m. September the second the major operation against the droguecore crayon line was launched preceded by an intense barrage and assisted by tanks the infantry pushed forward rapidly and the droguecore crayon line the first objective and its support line the second objective including the village of jury were captured according to program with the capture of the second objective the field artillery barrage was shot out and the attack further east had to be carried forward without its assistance the enemy's resistance free of the demoralizing effect of our barrage stiffened considerably the open country being swept continually by intense machine gunfire in addition the tank soon became casualties from enemy guns firing point blank and the advance on the left and centre was held up the fruginels brigade reinforced by a regiment of cavalry the tenth royal hussars and armored cars endeavoured to pass through to capture the marquion bridge on the canal duneau wire trenches and sunken roads however confined the movements of the force to the auras cumbrai road and this was rendered impassable by machine gunfire and by batteries firing over open sites on the right however the first canadian division pushed forward despite very heavy machine gun and direct artillery fire and captured the villages of caniocore and vilele caniocore and the boar de bouches and boar de lason to the east of caniocore taking advantage of the breach thus made by the canadian divisions a brigade of the 63rd naval division 17 corps which had followed the attack behind the right brigade of our right division now turned south and advanced in the directional quarry further progress made by the first canadian division in the afternoon resulted in the capture of the heavily wired wassy swish line as far south as the outskirts of wussy this largely outflanked the enemy still holding out in front of the canadian fourth division and compelled their retirement during the night behind the canal duneau although the crossings of the canal duneau had not been captured the result of the days fighting was most gratifying the canadian corps had pierced the drocore handline on the whole front of attack and the extension of our attack by the 17 corps on the right had further widened the breach to pull the capture of a large stretch of territory to the south to stem our advance and hold the drocore quarry online the enemy had concentrated eight fresh divisions directly opposite the canadian corps but the unparalleled striking power of our battalions and the individual bravery of our men had smashed all resistance the number of unwounded prisoners captured exceeded 5,000 and we had identified every unit of the seven infantry divisions and the one cavalry division engaged our infantry had penetrated the enemy's defenses to a depth exceeding 6,000 yards in provision of the attack on the canal duneau taking place the same day the engineers had rapidly prepared the bridges and roads advanced the light railways and pushed forward the personnel and all material necessary for future construction