WW1 Battle Tours

Battle of Neuve Chapelle (10th – 13th March 1915)

Neuve Chappelle – Why is it important?

First British offensive of the warFirst use of preliminary bombardmentFirst use of aerial reconnaissanceCoordinated airpowerProvokes the Shell Crisis of 1915Defines the conduct of warfare for the next 4 years

Neuve Chappelle - motives

The French accused the British of not doing enough, believing the British were no prepared to lose men and would only defend in their sector.

The British wanted to prove they could mount a coordinated and successful attack on their own regardless of the losses sustained.

Following the Christmas Truce and static trench warfare for several months the status quo had to be challenged.

The British people expected results, the war had not ended by Christmas and only bad news was coming from the front.

Situation – New Year 1915

BEF relieved by the French around Ypres

Moved south of St. Eloi and occupy continuous stretch of trenches down to La Bassée Canal at Givenchy

Reservists, territorials and new drafts arrive in France to replace old army.

BEF strengthened by 2 Divisons

French insist on continuation of offensive actions

Conditions in the trenches are extremely poor.

British front at Neuve Chapelle

General Haig’s army of six divisions held a twenty kilometre front from la Bassee Canal in the south to Bois Grenier in the north. The Germans facing him held with two divisions, thinly spread and under strength.

6 German battalions had just been transferred to Champagne sector.

15 British battalions faced 1 ½ German battalions. 9 Indian battalions faced 3 German battalions.Nearest German reserves were two kilometres away.

Stronger reserve forces were over 10 kilometres away

Neuve Chappelle was a fortified village in a salient which extended into British lines. Salient are difficult to defend and attack. Snipers and artillery operate from 3 sides.

Neuve Chapelle – the plan

Preliminary barrage to destroy the wire and strongpoints.

After 35 minutes artillery switches target to the village and the first wave of infantry attack the German lines.

Engineers block off the newly captured trenches

Artillery switches target to routes into Neuve Chapelle to prevent reinforcement.

Second wave off infantry attack Neuve Chapelle

Attacks at flanks meet up with the victors in Neuve Chapelle and all move forward together to capture Aubers ridge.

With the German lines smashed the cavalry charges through the gap and onto Lille

Challenges

SecrecyThousands of men, their equipment and supplies had to be moved into the area without the Germans

noticing a build up in strength.

AccommodationWhere would all the soldiers be billeted in the build up to the attack.

Artillery• Hundreds of guns needed to be moved into the area, dug in and ranged upon their allocated targets without arousing

suspicion.• Many batteries only had experience in direct fire rather than indirect fire techniques• Shortage of shells http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/others/neuve_chapelle_artillery.html

CommunicationMiles of telephone wire was deployed down communication trenches and fixed to new telegraph poles linking battalions with divisional headquarters, each division to its brigade headquarters, connect brigades with corps and corps with first army headquarters at Merville where Douglas Haig would coordinate the attack, some 16 km away.

Order of Battle –British forces

7th Division: Major General T. Capper20th Brigade: Brigadier-General F.J. Heyworth

1/Grenadier Guards 2/Border Regiment 2/Scots Guards 2/Gordons 6/Gordons (Territorials)

21st Brigade: Brigadier-General H.E. Watts

2/Bedfordshire 2/Royal Scots Fusiliers 2/Green Howards 2/Wiltshire

22nd Brigade: Brigadier-General S.T.B. Lawford

2/Queen's 1/Royal Wels Fusiliers 2/Royal Warwickshires 1/South Staffordshires 8/Royal Scots (T.F)

Field Companys RE:

54, 55 and 2/Highlanders (T.F.)

Mounted Troops:

A Squadron Northumberland Hussars Cyclist Company

8th Division: Major-General F.J. Davies23rd Brigade: Brigadier-General R.J. Pinney

2/Devonshires 2/Scottish Rifles 2/ West Yorkshires 2/Middlesex

24th Brigade: Brigadier General F.C. Carter

1/Worcestershire 1/Sherwood Foresters 2/ East Lancashire 2/Northamptonshire 5/Black Watch (T.F.) 4/Camerons (T.F.)

25th Brigade: Brigadier General A.W.G. Lowry Cole

2/Lincolnshire 1/Royal Irish Rifles 2/Royal Berkshire 2/Rifle Brigade 13/London (T.F.)

Field Companys RE:

2, 15 and 1/Home Counties (T.F.) 1st (Siege) Company R. Angelsey RE (S.R.)

Mounted Troops:

Northamptonshire Yeomanry Cyclist Company

Lahore Division: Major-General H.D'U. KearyFerzepore Brigade: Brigadier General R.G.Egerton

Connaught Rangers 57th Wilde's Rifles 9th Bhopal Infantry 129th Baluchis 4/London (T.F.)

Jullunder Brigade: Brigadier General E.P. Strickland

1/Manchesters 59th Scinde Rifles 47th Sikhs 4/Suffolk (T.F.)

Sirhind Brigade: Brigadier General W.G. Walker

1/Highland Light Infantry 1/1st Ghurkas 15th Sikhs 1/4th Ghurkas 4/Kings (S.R.)

Engineers:

20 and 21 Companys 3rd Sappers and Miners

Pioneers:

34th Sikh Pioneers

Mounted Troops:

15th Lancers

Meerut Division: Lieutenant-General C.A. AndersonDehra Dun Brigade: Brigadier General C.W. Jacob

1/Seaforths 1/9th Ghurkas 2/2nd Ghurkas 4/Seaforths (T.F.)

Garwahl Brigade: Brigadier General C.G. Blackadder

2/Leicestershires 2/39th Garhwalis 1/39th Garhwalis 2/3rd Ghurkas 3/London (T.F.)

Bareilly Brigade: Brigadier General W.M. Southey

2/Black Watch 41st Dogras 6th Jats 58th Vaughan's Rifles 4/Black Watch (T.F.) 2/8th Ghurkas (Divisional Troops)

Engineers:

3 and 4 Companys 3rd Sappers and Miners

Pioneers:

107th Pioneers

Mounted Troops:

4th Cavalry

Artillery

Heavy Artillery:

Southern No. 1 Group Northern No. 2 Group

IV Corps Artillery

Horse Artillery Group A Group B Group Siege Howitzer Group Field Howitzer Group

Indian Corps:

RFA of Meerut and Lahore Divisions

The Battlefield

Neuve Chapelle sat on the forward slopes of the Auberg Ridge. In front of it, between the two front line trenches, was a mish mash of broken trees and smashed buildings and ruined roads.

Drainage ditches criss-crossed no mans land and beyond.

On the left hand side of Neuve Chapelle stood the Ferme van Biesen, surrounded by trees, with a ornamental drainage ditch. The British named it the Moated Grange.

The German front line bulged into a salient around the fortified village of Neuve Chapelle and further to the south the British lines bulged into a salient named Port Arthur.

Behind Neuve Chapelle ran a stream called the Layes. To the rear on the right was the Bois du Biez, a large wood.

Behind all of this the Auberg ridge overlooked the entire area.

Breastworks and fortifications at Neuve Chapelle

Reconnaissance

In preparation for Neuve Chapelle thousands of photographs of the area were taken by the “First Wing” of the RFC.

Technology was in its infancy requiring the observer to hang over the side of the plane with a camera.

Intelligence officers pieced together the information gained and produced maps of the front line to a depth of 1500 yards along the entire British front.

General Douglass Haig used the photos to plan the battle.

1,500 copies of a 1:5,000 scale map overlaid with an outline of the German defensive system were specially printed and issued to each of the attacking Corps.

Artillery could use the maps to accurately target objectives without firing many ranging shots.

The BarrageBy 4.30 a.m. on the 10th of March, 1915, all the troops were in their positions, and before their arrival the men already in the line had prepared by vacating trenches, but not before setting up ladders for exiting the trenches and placing footbridges over ditches in the path of the attack.

Sunrise was at 6.30 a.m., and at 7.30 a.m. the artillery commenced their barrage. Their first task was to clear paths through the German wire, which was six to fifteen yards in depth here. Wire-cutting was reported to be effective in most places. At the same time, guns and howitzers opened up on the German front-line trenches. These trenches were not deep, and were in fact built up some four feet high from ground-level with breastworks of sand-bags about five feet across.

This phase of the bombardment lasted 35 minutes, with around 3000 shells fired - mostly with good results. A portion of the German front-line on the left hand of the attack front was not seriously damaged, due at least in part to the late arrival of some of the heavy artillery.

15 inch howitzer

Eyewitness accounts – from “1915” by Lyn Macdonald

P93 - L/Cpl W.L. AndrewsP94 – Capt. W. G. Bagot-Chester, M.C.P94 – Lt. C TennantP95 – Tmptr J. Naylor, 23 Brig. ,RFA, Att. 9 Div

The plan starts to crumble….

The Rifle Brigade, at the centre of the attack, moved so quickly forward taking all its objectives, that they caught up with the artillery bombardment ahead of them. They fell back to re-join the rest of the attacking body.

Behind them to the left the 1st Worcesters were waiting to join the attack. Three men went forward to reconnoitre the ground ahead of their position. Nothing could be seen of the enemy. The Bois du Biez was clear of enemy and ready to be taken. The Worcesters were supposed to meet up with the other attacking battalions at 9:30 and resume the attack.

Returning to the Worcesters the forward observer reported the situation but they had been ordered to wait and dig in.

The left flank of the attack was “in the air”, the plan was specific that all battalions attacked together in a line from Neuve Chapelle. Until all the battalions were present nobody could move forward.

Far to the left 3 waves of the Middlesex had advanced through the mist. Not a single wounded man had returned. Two battalions were attacking 2 companies of Germans dug in with machine guns. They had all be killed.

Eyewitness accounts – from “1915” by Lyn MacdonaldP102 - L/cpl E. Hall, 2nd Bn.,Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

Problems on the right flank…..

On the far right the 1/39th Garhwalis had attacked the wrong section of trench, a section of the line untouched by the artillery. The trench was captured but at great loss. The attack at both flanks had stalled and now a gap appeared in the line.

Very specific orders

“As soon as the village has been captured and made good, the 7th and 8th Divisions, supported by the Indian Corps on their right, will be ordered to press forward to capture the high ground.“

The 7th was held up as were the Indians, it was impossible to comply with the orders.

IV corps and Indian corps headquarters were 8 km apart. Both Corps commanders now had to make a decision on how to proceed with little communication between them.

Both pressed new attacks while the troops in Neuve Chapelle waited and waited and waited….

More delays…

On the left flank the latest attack was successful and the Germans were driven out. A small orchard a few hundred yards ahead caused concern to the Corps commander Henry RawlinsonCould it be defended? Could he risk losing more men? He was cautious, so they waited.

The general advanced was planned for 9:30 after Neuve Chapelle had been captured.

12:00 General Capper (7th Division) phones Corps headquarters asking for permission to move forward. Rawlinson denied the request due to the orchard.Troops have already entered the orchard without a fight. Nobody is there.

13:00 Corps headquarters receive a message concerning the orchard.13:20 General Rawlinson finishes writing his report on the situation

Sir Douglass Haig (at luncheon with his staff) reads the report and orders an advance for 14:0013:40 Orders to advance at 2pm are received 14:00 3rd Londons are still fighting in original front line trenches and not ready to go forward14:44 Artillery fires upon original set of targets (had not received new orders)14:45 Seaforths ordered to attack (into area being shelled by British guns on old orders) (P107 Capt G Hawes, DSO, MC)16:30 Orders received by some battalions to attack in new direction (orders were initiated at 14:30)

Three German strongholds are discovered armed with machine guns which decimate the attacking battalions21:00 Some battaltions reach their new objectives02:00 Rations begin to arrive

Counter attacks

Aftermath

1.2 miles had been captured.

40,000 Allied troops took part during the battle and suffered 7,000 British and 4,200 Indian casualties.

The 7th Division had 2,791 casualtiesThe 8th Division 4,814 lossesThe Meerut Division 2,353 casualties and the Lahore Division 1,694 losses.

Brigadier-General John Charteris stated, "... England will have to accustom herself to far greater losses than those of Neuve Chapelle before we finally crush the German army.

German casualties from 9–20 March were c. 10,000 men.

The 6th Bavarian Reserve Division lost 6,017 men from 11–13 March Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 21 losing 1,665 casualties, Infantry Regiment 14 of the VII Corps lost 666 troops from 7–12 March. Infantry Regiment 13 lost 1,322 casualties from 6–27 March

Shell crisis

30% of the field-gun ammunition in the First Army was fired over 3 days at Neuve Chapelle.

After the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, French reported to Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, British Secretary of State for War, that fatigue and the shortage of ammunition had forced a suspension of the offensive. On 15 March French abandoned the offensive as the supply of field-gun ammunition was inadequate. News of the ammunition shortage led to the Shell Crisis of 1915 which, along with the failed attack on the Dardanelles, brought down the Liberal British government under the Premiership of H. H. Asquith. He formed a new coalition government and appointed Lloyd George as Minister of Munitions. It was a recognition that the whole economy would have to be adapted for war, if the Allies were to prevail on the Western Front.