The First World War, Volume 2 by Peter Simkins

Author:Peter Simkins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The First World War (2): The Western Front 1914–1916
ISBN: 9781472809742
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Following a four-day bombardment the gas was released at 5.50 am on 25 September, 40 minutes before the infantry assault. The gas largely failed in the centre and on the left, drifting back over the British trenches in places. Nevertheless, the 9th (Scottish) Division overcame the daunting defences of the Hohenzollern Redoubt and Fosse 8, while the 15th (Scottish) Division captured Loos village. Receiving Haig’s request for the reserves at 8.45 am, Sir John French freed the inexperienced 21st and 24th Divisions by 9.30. However, the slow transmission of orders and congestion in the rear – partly the fault of Haig’s staff – delayed their arrival. They were forced to march at night, over unknown and debris-strewn terrain, for an attack the next morning, without artillery support, against the uncut wire of the German second position between Lens and Hulluch. It is small wonder that their attack dissolved into a disorganised retirement. The Germans soon recaptured many of the earlier British gains, including the Hohenzollern Redoubt.

The French, anxious not to repeat their mistakes of May, placed their own reserves too far forward on this occasion and suffered severe casualties from artillery fire. Even so, their Tenth Army finally seized Souchez on 26 September. The Germans kept possession of Vimy Ridge but the French took an important knoll – later called ‘The Pimple’ – at its northern end, and held this feature for nearly five months. A further British attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13 October only secured its western face.

These scattered tactical prizes were trifling rewards for the Allies, the Artois offensive having cost over 50,000 British casualties and approximately 48,000 French. German losses overall totalled about 56,000. In the BEF, Sir John French can rightly be censured for keeping the reserves too far back and retaining control of them too long. That said, the tactical handling of those reserves by Haig and his staff, once they came under First Army’s direct orders, was unimpressive. Clearly the BEF – not least its senior commanders – had much still to learn, although the combat performance of the Scottish New Army divisions – 9th and 15th – offered some encouragement for the future.

Haig takes command of the BEF

Sir John French was swept away by the recriminations over the handling of the reserves at Loos and was succeeded as Commander-in-Chief of the BEF by Douglas Haig on 19 December 1915. Historians disagree about the extent to which Haig manipulated the situation to his own advantage. Increasingly disenchanted with his superior since Mons, Haig had certainly taken care to ensure that his feelings about French were known in the corridors of power. One should note, however, that, within a few months Haig’s blend of single-minded professionalism and growing pragmatism had helped to generate fundamental improvements in the infrastructure, organisation, equipment and tactics of the BEF. His influence was also apparent in the appointment of Lieutenant-General Sir William Robertson as Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) on 23 December. Before accepting that post,

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