The 1/4th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment moved forward from the assembly position in rear of the 1/4th Royal Lancaster Regiment. The 1/4th Royal Lancaster Regiment had for its objective (1) the RED DOTTED LINE and (2) the YELLOW LINE, and it was intended that the 1/4th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment should “leap-frog” at the YELLOW LINE and capture and consolidate the GREEN LINE.
The enemy barrage was promptly opened on the approximate line of our assembly position—a proof that the enemy were fully prepared for the attack. This caused the three rear waves, i.e., the four Companies of the 1/4th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, to close well up on to the 1/4th Royal Lancaster Regiment, and it appears that in a good many cases this was overdone, causing the two units to be intermingled and considerably undermining the principles of organisation.
The creeping barrage was being governed by two new principles, tried for the first time and designed to combat and counteract the enemy’s new system of defence:—(1) there were two definite pauses in the barrage, during which it was intended that Companies should replace casualties from the rear and generally reorganise; (2) the barrage started to move forward at the rate of six minutes every hundred yards and later at the rate of eight minutes every hundred yards.
The attack to commence with went well, though a great many casualties were inflicted by enemy machine gun fire, which from the start was very well directed. AISNE FARM was reported taken at 6 5 a.m., though a Platoon of the 1/4th Loyal North Lancashires had to give assistance in the attack on this strong point. A message timed 8 17 a.m. stated, “Attack appears to be going well.”
The first pause was made on the RED DOTTED LINE, though apparently very little reorganisation was found practicable. Soon after moving forward again considerable trouble was caused by hostile machine guns on the flanks bringing enfilade fire to bear on our advancing troops. According to reports received, this was particularly the case on the right, where the left Battalion of the 165th Infantry Brigade was held up before GALLIPOLI, as a result of which an enemy machine gun on Hill 37 was playing havoc with the waves in the valley through which we were advancing.
The result of these obstructions on either flank was that the men of this Battalion in many cases inclined outwards, leaving an exceedingly thin line facing the original objective. In some cases whole Platoons found themselves attacking strong points on the frontage of other Battalions. Particularly was this so in the case of GALLIPOLI, in the ultimate capture of which men of this Battalion very materially assisted.
Very few of our men reached the YELLOW LINE, though a message from the Battalion O.P., timed 8 45 a.m., stated that it appeared to be taken and consolidation commenced. Finally, therefore, a line of resistance was sited and consolidated about mid-day between the RED DOTTED and YELLOW LINE, with posts of Lewis gun teams thrown out 50 to 100 yards to the front.
The enemy was not finally dislodged from the vicinity of GALLIPOLI and the adjoining SUVLA until after 10 a.m., by which time the barrage was of no further assistance.
20th September. At 10 50 a.m. the enemy was reported massing for a counter-attack in the vicinity of NILE and FOKKER FARMS, but nothing except heavy shelling materialised on our front. Soon after 1 p.m. various S.O.S.’s were sent up, and apparently local counter-attacks, without any success, were launched on both our flanks.
In the afternoon an effort was made to reorganise the Battalion, which was now reported to consist of only four Officers and 60 rifles in the firing line. The right Battalion frontage was now being held by a mixed line of the 1/4th Royal Lancaster Regiment and the 1/4th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, stiffened by two Companies of the 1/5th Royal Lancaster Regiment, who, as Battalion in Brigade reserve, and detailed to assist in the capture of the objective and to deal with any hostile counter-attack, had dug themselves in on a line in rear of our consolidated positions.