CONTENTS
[FOREWORD] BY GENERAL LORD HORNE OF STIRKOKE,
G.C.B., K.C.M.G.
CHAPTER I
FORMATION AND THE ATTACK ON THE GOMMECOURT SALIENT
The Assembly—The Grouping of Units—The Size of a Division—Perfecting the Organisation—General Situation—Falkenhayn’s View—Haig’s Summary—Preparations for the Somme—The Division at Hébuterne—The First Task—Extent of the New Line—The German Positions—Note by Gen. Hull—The Date of Attack—Operation Orders—Artillery and Smoke—Patrol Reports—The Attack—Gen. Hull’s Conclusion—The Battle of Albert, 1916
pp. [1-48]
CHAPTER II
THE SOMME
Tanks—Progress on the Somme—The Move to Battle Positions—In Contact with the Enemy—The Battle of Ginchy—The Attack-Haig’s Dispatch—Battle of Flers-Courcelette—Orders to Tanks—The Attack—The Quadrilateral—The Battle of Morval—Battle of the Transloy Ridges—The Division Relieved—Lessons of the Somme—Lieut.-Col. Bayliffe’s Paper—The Bad Conditions—Lord Cavan’s Appreciation—Falkenhayn on Verdun—Hindenburg and Ludendorff
pp. [49-100]
CHAPTER III
LAVENTIE-RICHBOURG
Strength of the Division—Raids—Gen. Haking’s Appreciation—Revolution in Russia—Move to the Third Army
pp. [101-113]
CHAPTER IV
THE BATTLES OF ARRAS, 1917
The German Retreat, 1917—Plan of Attack—Artillery Control Signals—First Battle of the Scarpe—The Attack—Clearing the Hindenburg Line—The Advance Checked—German Comments—Move to the VI Corps—Third Battle of the Scarpe—Result of the Battle—Minor Actions—British Gains—Q.W.R. Observation—The Artillery
pp. [114-143]
CHAPTER V
YPRES
Gen. Sir C. P. A. Hull—General Situation—Opening of the Offensive—Gen. F. A. Dudgeon—Preliminary Difficulties—The Attack—German Pill-box Defence—Result of Ypres Battles
pp. [144-164]
CHAPTER VI
CAMBRAI
Organisation of Battalions—Patrol Encounters—The Plan of Attack—Preparations—The Attack—Tadpole Copse—The Attack Held—Warning of a Counter-attack—The Counter-attack—The Story of a Great Fight—Gen. Dudgeon’s Report—The French Troops
pp. [165-208]
CHAPTER VII
THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE
American Action—The Enemy Strength—British Strength—German Assembly—British Preparations—Frequent Change of Orders—Imminence of Enemy Attack—Disposition of Troops—Enemy Attack Opens—The Queen’s Westminsters—L.R.B. and 4th Londons—Kensingtons, London Scottish—The Artillery—Enemy Failure—Reports on the Battle—The Machine Gunners
pp. [209-242]
CHAPTER VIII
THE ADVANCE TO VICTORY
Allied Defence—South of the Scarpe—Gen. Dudgeon—Raids—Division in Rest Area—August the 8th—Haig’s Plan—Orders for the Advance—The Position—The Battle of Albert—Croisilles—Battle of the Scarpe—Loss of Direction—Bullecourt—The Artillery
pp. [243-280]
CHAPTER IX
THE ARMISTICE
The New Position—Battle of the Canal du Nord—German Resistance Broken—Aubigny-au-Bac—The Allied Advance—Reorganisation—Open Fighting—Battle of the Sambre—Demolition of Roads—Intercommunication—The Grand Honnelle—Enemy Confusion—The “Cease Fire”
pp. [281-314]
APPENDIXpp. [315-326]
INDEXpp. [327-331]
Special thanks are due to Messrs. Hutchinson & Co., publishers of My War Memories 1914-1918, by Gen. Ludendorff, and General Headquarters 1914-1916, and Its Critical Decisions, by Gen. von Falkenhayn; also to Messrs. Cassell & Co., publishers of Out of My Life, by Field-Marshal von Hindenburg, for permission to print extracts from these works.