The British Army in Italy 1917-1918 by John Wilks

Author:John Wilks
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473812734
Publisher: Pen and Sword

3.c

The Counter-Attacks

At about 12.00 there were still gaps in the 48th Division’s front but the enemy pressure seemed to be easing, and some reinforcements were arriving to help hold the line. The 7th Warwicks arriving at Polygon Trench found that the gap between the Trench and the Cesuna Switch was held by only two guns and a rifle party of the 12th Battery RFA, who were firing at the Austrians about 600 yards away and were themselves under machine-gun fire. Lieut.-Colonel Knox deployed the 7th Warwicks across the gap, made contact with the troops on each side, and opened fire on the Austrians.

There was now no sign of any enemy attempt to press on further but the Austrians maintained themselves stoutly on their positions. Knox’s orders at 09.30 had been to mount a counter-attack to drive the enemy back, and then hold the southern end of the Cesuna Switch. Having viewed the situation, Knox decided that he must first consolidate his present position. At 14.00 he himself led a two platoon attack, with support from three guns of the 12th Battery, against machine-gun posts in the small groups of houses called Clo and Guardiana at the south end of the Cesuna Switch. Having dealt with these he tried to advance further but was held up by machine-gun fire and sniping. However, the Austrians appeared to be discouraged by the British fire, and remained halted on a line running approximately along the so-called Pine Avenue.

Meanwhile General Fanshawe had sent for Lieut.-Colonel Tomkinson, acting GOC of the reserve 144 Brigade, and when he arrived at Divisional HQ at 12.20 told him that little news had come in and that the situation was obscure.19 Tomkinson suggested that he visit Lieut.-Colonel Reynolds (acting GOC 145 Brigade) saying that he was sure that Reynolds would have a good idea of the position in his sector and on his flanks. This was indeed the case. Tomkinson returned in a little over an hour and was then ordered to make a two-battalion attack from the Cesuna Switch to recapture the lost ground. He decided to use the 6th Gloucesters and the 7th Worcesters which were then coming up from their reserve positions.

The 7th Worcesters and 6th Gloucesters were much delayed by heavy artillery fire and the exploding ammunition dump, the Gloucesters arriving at Magnaboschi at about 12.30. An officer of the 6th Gloucesters was sent to contact 143 Brigade, and meeting Colonel Knox of the 7th Warwicks informed him that the battalion was on its way with orders to attack at 18.00, and therefore Knox decided to await the arrival of the Gloucesters before beginning his counter-attack.

It would then appear that the two battalion commanders conferred and decided on a joint counter-attack at 18.00 with the 7th Warwicks on the left and two companies of the 6th Gloucesters on the right along the line of Pine Avenue. Edmonds comments that “It was realized that it would be better to put in all four companies, but anxiety about the gap on the right led to two being kept behind the flank.

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