SUPPLEMENT to the LONDON GAZETTE, 7 Januahy, 1919
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SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 7 JANUAhY, 1919. 339 thereby cutting the communications of the Fourth Army extended for a distance of over <3erman forces in the Lassigny and Montdidier eleven miles from just south of the Amiens- .areas. If all went well, French troops would Roye road to Morlancourt exclusive. The troops be in readiness to co-operate by pressing the employed were: On the right the Canadian •enemy south-east of Montdidier. Corps, under command of Lieut.-General Sir Preliminary instructions to prepare to attack A. W. Currie, with the 3rd, 1st and 2nd Cana- •east of Amiens at an early date had been given dian Divisions in line, and the 4th Canadian to the Fourth Army Commander, General Division in close support; in the centre the Rawlinson, on the 13th July, and on the 28th Australian Corps, under command of Lieut. July the French First Army, under command General Sir J. Monash, with the 2nd and 3rd of General Debeney, was placed by Marshal Australian Divisions in line and the 5th and Foch under my orders for this operation. Fur- 4th Australian Divisions in support; on the ther to strengthen my attack, I decided to re- left, north of the Somme, the III. Corps, under inforce the British Fourth Army with the the command of Lieut.-General Sir R. H. K. Canadian Corps, and also with the two British Butler, with the 58th and 18th Divisions in divisions which were then held in readiness line and the 12th Division in support. astride the Somme. The attack of the French First Army, under In order to deceive the enemy and to ensure General Debeney, was timed to take place about the maximum effect of a surprise attack, an hour later than the opening of the British elaborate precautions were taken to mislead assault, and was delivered on a front of be- him as to our intentions and to conceal our tween four and five miles between Moreuil in- real purpose. clusive and the British right. As the Allied Instructions of a detailed character were troops made progress, the right of the French issued to the formations concerned, calculated attack was to be gradually extended south- to make it appear that a British attack in wards until the southern flank of the Allied Flanders was imminent. Canadian battalions battle front rested on Braches. •were put into line on the Kemrnel front, where Behind the British front the British they were identified by the enemy. Corps Cavalry Corps, consisting of three Cavalry headquarters were prepared, and casualty Divisions under command of Lieut.-General ^clearing stations were erected in conspicuous Sir C. T. McM. Kavanagh, was concentrated positions in this area. Great activity was at zero hour east of Amiens. A special mobile maintained also by our wireless stations on the force of two motor machine gun brigades and First Army front, and arrangements were a Canadian cyclist battalion, under command made to give the impression that a great con- of Brig.-General Brutinel, had orders to ex- centration of Tanks was taking place in the ploit success along the lines of the Amiens-Roye St. Pol area. Training operations, in which road. infantry and Tanks co-operated, were carried •out in this neighbourhood on days on which the (17) The Battle Opened. enemy's long-distance reconnaissance and At 4.20 a.m. on the 8th August our massed photographic machines were likely to be at artillery opened intense fire on the whole front work behind our lines. of attack, completely crushing the enemy'a The rumour that the British were about to batteries, some of which never succeeded in undertake a large and important operation on coming into action. Simultaneously British the northern front quickly spread. In the infantry and Tanks advanced to the assault. •course of our subsequent advances convincing The enemy was taken completely by surprise, •evidence was obtained that these different and under cover of a heavy ground mist our measures had had the desired effect, and that first objectives, on the line Demuin, Marcel- the enemy was momentarily expecting to be cave, -Cerisy, south of Morlancourt, were -attacked in strength in Flanders. gained rapidly. Meanwhile, the final details for the com- After a halt of two hours on this line by the bined British and French attack had been leading troops, infantry, cavalry and light •arranged early in August, and Jie date for Tanks passed through and continued the ad- tJie assault fixed for the morning of the 8th. vance, the different arms working in co-opera- The front held by the Australian Corps on the tion in the most admirable manner. At the right of the British line was extended south- close of the day's operations our troops hart wards to include the Amiens-Roye road, and completed an advance of between six and seven the Canadian Corps was moved into position by miles. The Amiens outer defence line, includ- night behind this front. The assembly of ing the villages of Caix, Harbonnieres and Tanks and of the Cavalry Corps was postponed Morcourt, had been gained on the whole front •until the last moment and carried out as of attack, except at Le Quesnel itself. Cavalry •secretly as possible. and armoured cars w^re in action well to the Partly as the result of successful minor opera- east of this line, and before dawn on the 9*h tions of the Allies, and partly in consequence August Le Quesnel also had been taken. North of the change in the general situation, the of the Somme the enemy was more alert as enemy during the first days of August with- the result of the recent engagements in this sector, and succeeded by heavy fighting in main- drew from the positions still held by him west taining himself for the time being in the vil- of the Avre and Ancre rivers. These move- lage of Chipilly. ments 'did not affect our plans, but, on the other hand, a strong local attack launched by East of the line of our advance the enemy the enemy on the 6th August south of Morlan- at nightfall was blowing up dumps in all direc- court led to severe fighting, and undoubtedly tions, while his transport and limbers were rendered the task of the III. Corps more streaming eastwards towards the Somme, difficult. affording excellent targets to our airmen, who made full use of their opportunities. Over 13,000 prisoners, between 300 and 400 guns, (16) The Troops Employed. and vast quantities of ammunition and stores The front of attack of -General Rawlinson's of all kinds remained in our possession..