The Fifth Army In March 1918 [Illustrated Edition] by Walter Shaw Sparrow

Author:Walter Shaw Sparrow [Sparrow, Walter Shaw]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2014-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

This withdrawal may have come as a surprise to Gorringe and the Forty-seventh, as it did to Tudor and the Ninth; because at 4.40 p.m. the Ninth was in communication with the Forty-seventh, and no bad news was related. Indeed the news was cheery. According to German prisoners, the raid on the Forty-seventh was carried out by only two battalions If the THIRD ARMY’S most southern division was not kept in touch during the day with events north of the salient, troops inside the salient’s lower flank had an imperfect knowledge of the main events and also of their own position as affected by these events.

In any case, Below and Marwitz had done so much mischief that there was cause for anxiety.

Watts, with his intrepid but weak divisions, Daly’s and Malcolm’s, had done a great deal more than a reasonable country should have asked them to attempt. On the right they had lost Maissemy, a key village, and on their left the Templeux positions, strategical points, but they had managed by desperate counter-attacks, very costly and fatiguing, not only to keep the centre of their battle zone, but also to check the foe’s advance where it was most harmful. Malcolm gave ground slowly, losing between 10.30 a.m. and nightfall not more than about 4500 yards. At nightfall his right rested near Le Verguier, where some of Daly’s troops—mainly a battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, I believe, of Dugan’s brigade —fought brilliantly.

A Victoria Cross was won in the Le Verguier sector by Lance-Corporal John William Sayer, of the Eighth Royal West Surrey Regiment, when holding for two hours, in face of incessant attacks, the flank of a small isolated post. The official account says: “Owing to mist the enemy approached the post from both sides to within thirty yards before being discovered. Lance-Corporal Sayer, however, on his own initiative and without assistance, beat off a succession of flank attacks and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. Though attacked by rifle and machine-gun fire, bayonet and bombs, he repulsed all attacks, killing many and wounding others. During the whole time he was continuously exposed to rifle and machine-gun fire, but he showed the utmost contempt of danger, and his conduct was an inspiration to all. His skilful use of fire of all description enabled the post to hold out till nearly all the garrison had been killed and himself wounded and captured. He subsequently died as a result of wounds at Le Cateau.”

Equally brilliant and helpful was Major Whitworth’s defence of Carpeza Copse, with a mixed force of cavalry and Manchester soldiers. It held the attack at bay until Malcolm was ordered to retire, on March 22. Whitworth died of wounds—to be gratefully remembered by all survivors of Gough’s Army.

Though Watts’s Corps, both infantry and cavalry, had acted as a strong breakwater, heavy losses, united to the disorganization caused by confused fighting in the fog, set anxious thoughts astir; for next day, early in the morning, Marwitz would certainly try to open gaps west of Maissemy and Ronssoy.

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