The Last Battle: Victory, Defeat, and the End of World War I by Peter Hart

Author:Peter Hart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2018-03-13T04:00:00+00:00

Every attack had its teeming casualties, each an individual tragedy buried within the overall narrative of successful military operations.

THE BRITISH WERE ITCHING TO ATTACK AGAIN in the centre of the Allied front, to capitalise on their successful assault on 20 October. Yet, despite the best of intentions, it had proved impossible owing to a shortage of ammunition for the voracious guns required to power them forward. The railheads were dropping ever further behind the advancing front and this acted as a brake to progress. The Allied commanders knew that every day’s extra delay gave the Germans more time to reorganise their troops and improve their defences, yet they had no option but to wait. At last, on 23 October, they were ready: this time the First Army in the north, the Third Army in the centre, and the Fourth Army in the south would make the next advance which sought to push forward to reach the German Herman II Line that ran along the Sambre Canal. The attack was scheduled to commence at 01.20, when once more the guns blasted out. Major Joseph Rice and the 82nd Brigade, RFA, were occupying gun positions close to Le Cateau.

A big barrage at night is a wonderful sight. As I blew my whistle for my guns to start, the whole countryside suddenly became covered with little darting points of flame, and this was immediately followed by the heavy deep thunder of the guns, which was accentuated by the proximity of the buildings of Le Cateau. Coloured lights, mostly red, immediately flared up from the German lines.16

Major Joseph Rice, C Battery, 82nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, 18th Division

The Germans responded with heavy return fire which soon started a serious blaze through the centre of Le Cateau. Once they had completed their scheduled barrage, Rice’s guns had to get ready to make the next move forward; as ever, they needed to stay close to the infantry to provide immediate support should they encounter serious opposition.

We began to form up on the road, and I was just making sure that everyone had either a horse or a seat on a vehicle, as I intended to trot through the town, when a single stray shell landed among the outriders. Two sergeants and one or two men were wounded and several horses were hit. Among the horses hit was the one I had ordered to be brought up for me instead of one of my chargers. I never had a charger of mine hit during the War as a result of not riding my own during advances. It was incorrect procedure, no doubt, but the staff had most of the good chargers, and it was largely a matter of luck whether a regimental officer got even a reasonable good charger from Remounts to replace a casualty. Also, one got fond of one’s chargers!17

Major Joseph Rice, C Battery, 82 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, 18th Division

Rice grabbed his groom’s horse, a recently captured German charger that had also suffered slight wounds in the shelling, and set off with his battery.

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