On March 21st the long-expected attack against the Allied front commenced. The 5th Army, on the right of the 3rd Army, were driven back, and the enemy almost reached AMIENS. In order to fill the hole thus made, the 1st and 2nd Armies were denuded of reserves, and as a direct result of this the 164th Brigade, which was in Divisional reserve, was constantly being rushed up to points of concentration at night in case the Boche attacked, and all ranks learnt thoroughly to dislike the code word “Bustle.” On about April 1st, at the Corps Headquarters, it was decided that the Division must risk all on the line GIVENCHY—FESTUBERT, supporting Battalions of Brigades being close up behind their battle line. The establishment of the main line of defence on the line of FESTUBERT VILLAGE made the position of GIVENCHY difficult, as the line of defence of the right Brigade holding the position was 800 yards in front of the left Brigade.
THE BATTLE OF GIVENCHY.
At about 7 a.m. on the 9th April, in thick fog which made observation impossible, the enemy appears to have attacked the left brigade of the 2nd Portuguese Division in strength and to have broken into their trenches.
Shortly after 7 a.m. an attack had developed on the right Brigade of the 40th Division, and soon afterwards the attack opened on our front. Map No. 7 is a copy of the German map which was captured by us in the course of the battle, from which the German plan can be clearly gathered.
The 164th Infantry Brigade was holding GIVENCHY, with the 1/4th Royal Lancaster Regiment on the right and the 1/4th North Lancashire Regiment on the left, 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers in support with three Companies in the Village line (a continuation of the FESTUBERT line) and one Company and Headquarters at GORRE, some distance back. On the left of the 164th Infantry Brigade, the 165th Infantry Brigade held the Village line (FESTUBERT) in strength; north of the 55th Division were the Portuguese; the 166th Infantry Brigade was in Divisional reserve; south of the canal the 1st Division held the line. The 164th Infantry Brigade and the 165th Infantry Brigade were covered by the 276th and the 275th Artillery Brigades, or rather groups.
The amount of artillery available was not great for the frontage to be covered. At 4 15 a.m. the enemy opened a heavy bombardment, reaching as far back as GORRE; this was largely a gas bombardment, but all reports showed that no mustard gas was being used, which was suspicious, as previous experiences further south had shown that, when the enemy really intended to attack, he did not use mustard gas for fear of getting into it himself.
At this time the front line Companies reported by wire that the situation was normal, but that all ranks were standing to. The morning was extremely foggy, the limit of vision being about 30 yards at the best. About 5 a.m. the code word “Bustle” was received from Brigade, and at 6 a.m. a very heavy bombardment of our front line system commenced—some of the heaviest shelling ever experienced by the Battalion.
Map No. 7—Facsimile of German Map, showing Plan of Attack, Captured April 9th, 1918
The enemy’s procedure so far had been exactly the same as that used against the 5th Army on March 21st. The shelling of the front line system increased in intensity, many trench mortars being in action.