Eyewitness on the Somme 1916 by Matthew Richardson

Author:Matthew Richardson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HISTORY / Military / World War I
ISBN: 9781473878112
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2016-06-30T04:00:00+00:00

Bois de Foreaux, as the Germans knew it, was a misprint of Bois de Forcaux, known to the British as High Wood. By whatever name it was called, this contentious and bitterly contested piece of ground still lay in German hands, despite repeated British attempts to capture it. Indeed, the almost reckless nature of the British attacks now was becoming something of a cause for concern. Louis Mairet of the 8e Regiment d’Infanterie, positioned as he was close to the junction of the British and French armies on the Somme, had seen much of the Anglo-Saxon way of warfare. At this mid-point of the battle, he gave an assessment of the calibre of his allies in his diary on 27 August:

My impression of the English, the ones I’ve seen: … Generally calm and indifferent. The value of their artillery: 5 out of 20, against 15 out of 20 with us. But they fire freely. At Falfemont, on the 24th they failed, why? It is said they were stopped by machine-gun fire. The fact is that they failed. Their fault is that they see war as a sport. They are too quiet, striving to appear unconcerned. At Hardecourt, an artillery lieutenant comes to see where is Combles! There is little consistency in their actions, they attack for any reason and for no reason, failing when they should succeed, and, with a certain firmness of mind, saying, ‘Missed it today, better luck tomorrow.’ But it is so many shells spent, and men lost. In short, they still lack know-how.24

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