Andrew Wareham - The Death of Hope

There were four other infantry colonels present and two cavalrymen and a single gunner.

Dorrington took the stand in the largest room of the small chateau Braithwaite had appropriated.

“Third Battle of Arras, gentlemen. This one to be more successful than the previous two. Our assault will be unexpected for its timing – late in the year as it is. The BEF is to aim towards Loos, will take the town and open the way forward for the cavalry. All simple and straightforward. In this sector, there will be a bombardment of fifteen hours duration by four batteries of sixty pounders and six of eighteen. A mixture of HE and shrapnel to cut the wire. Guns will register on the day prior to the assault. Take the forward trench and do not delay, gentlemen, quickly into the second line and the communications trenches. Open the way for your supporting horse and their batteries of RHA with their thirteen pounders. You will take off at 0700 hours and will be in the German rear trenches by 0725, the cavalry coming through at that time. Full packs and eighty rounds, the men to maintain a proper order in the advance.”

That seemed to be the end of the briefing.

“Will there be machine gun support, Major?”

“No, Colonel Baker. The extra guns will be massed towards the main assault. Yours is somewhat of a sideshow to tidy up and prevent German reserve troops from interfering from positions to the west.”

“An additional supply of Mills Bombs, perhaps?”

“No. The General does not approve of grenades. Cold steel is all that British troops require. Ensure that all bayonets are well sharpened.”

Braithwaite shook his head as Richard prepared his answer. He was right – there was no point to arguing.

“What reserves are there, Major?”

“None in this sector, Colonel Baker. They will not be needed. The cavalry will roll up anything the Germans have waiting. You are fortunate to have two regiments of heavy dragoons assigned, sir.”

“Very good, Major. How are they to cross the trench, sir?”

“Deal with that when the time comes, Colonel. It will be obvious. They are used to hunting, don’t you know.”

Presumably they were to jump. Richard wished them luck.

Braithwaite took over.

“There will be additional rations, to allow for the first two or three days of open warfare that will follow on the breach of the German lines. It is vital, of course, to push on as hard as can be and mop up behind the cavalry before the broken remnants can reform. Arrangements are being made for prisoner of war cages in the rear areas. Other than that, maintain close order and keep the men together.”

The written orders stipulated a march pace of three miles an hour, the men to hold in their lines, shoulder to shoulder, lieutenants to mark the pace and hold the line, exactly as at Neuve Chapelle.

Dorrington left to carry his glad news to another brigade and Richard turned to Braithwaite in dismay.

“Nothing has changed, sir. We will lose a quarter of the men if everything goes well. Fifteen hours of bombardment is insufficient to flatten all of the wire and destroy the machine guns and field artillery. Only small guns available to us, as well.”

“The big howitzers are being kept back for the main thrust in the centre, Baker. They are short of rounds for them so they will join in the last two hours of the barrage there.”

“Even an hour with a pair of nine point twos would do us some good, sir. Landing on the wire apron, the big shells would cut us a passage. Sixty pound shells won’t do the job.”

“That’s your naval background, Baker. You know about such things. Still, come and talk to the artillery.”

Richard was introduced to the major who had attended the meeting.

“Ten batteries, Major, for fifteen hours?”

“Not quite, Colonel. The eighteen pounders will maintain fire. We are short of shells for the sixties. They will fire for the first two hours, targeted specifically at the wire. After that, their fire will be more sporadic. They will join in for the last half an hour of rapid fire. We have aeroplanes promised to spot for us, provided the Fokkers don’t get them.”

“Observation balloons?”

“Not in this sector, Colonel. We only have a few as yet. There are more coming, we are told. More likely for next year. They hope they will not be necessary, of course.”

The cavalry stayed for lunch; they had nothing sensible to say.

“Should be jolly good sport, old chap. Done nothing since we came out in January. Make a change from parading in the rear, don’t you think?”

Richard shook his head. He feared not.

“If the machine guns are silenced, then you may do well, gentlemen. Even then, rifle fire can cut horse up severely. Saw it in August and September last year when the cavalry was butchered, British and German equally. Did some of the butchering myself.”

“Different conditions, I expect, old chap.”

That was as meaningless an answer as was possible; it was profound for a cavalryman.

The infantry remained a few minutes after the cavalry and gunner had ridden off.

Braithwaite saw them off to their battalions.

“There are Mills Bombs held in the rear, gentlemen. General French does not approve of them. I gather they are ‘unsporting’. I shall do my best to have an issue made.”

There was no more to be said.

Richard called his captains together. There was just sufficient room in his dugout for them all to fit in.

“There will be a bombardment commencing at 1600 hours on the day after tomorrow. It will go on, sporadically, until 0700 hours on the following morning. We will then go over the top. Marching in line with full pack and eighty rounds. Keep the weight in the packs down, gentlemen. No rations, no spare boots. Leave the blankets behind. If we succeed in breaking the lines, I shall send fatigue parties back for the necessaries for a marching campaign. Packs may be made up with extra rounds and Mills Bombs, if they are delivered. Men are to drop their packs before entering the enemy trenches. Again, they can be recovered afterwards. Lewis Gunners to the fore. I am aware that General French does not like to see them, for being untidy. They will nonetheless be used.”

“What if the wire is not cut, sir?”

“If there are machine guns active, drop flat and retire. In the absence of machine guns, you will cut the wire. The gunners assured me they would concentrate their fire on the wire. They are to have aerial spotters to assist them. You will not be able to observe their progress during the night, unfortunately.”

They said nothing.

“We are fortunate in having so small a no man’s land to our front. That also means we are close to the detonation point of our own artillery. It seems wise to me that the bulk of each company will spend the period of the bombardment in our second line, leaving only a small party by the field telephone. We can reasonably assume there will be no enemy attack through the bombardment.”

None of them trusted the accuracy of the artillery sufficiently to argue.

“We shall man the front line fully at 0650 and go over the top to the second of 0700 hours. I shall accompany Captain Caton. Major Vokes will hold two companies to the rear and will bring them forward to any point where we have made a breakthrough, hopefully to pass them through the lines and into the enemy rear. The cavalry and RHA will pass through at that point.”

“In the absence of a breakthrough, sir?”

“Then you may cover us as we fall back, Vokes.”

“You mentioned Royal Horse Artillery batteries in company with the cavalry, sir. Will they take part in the bombardment?”

“Doubtful. Too small to be a great deal of value, in any case.”

Richard tried to sum up on a more cheerful note.