G.O.C.
THIS SUMMARY IS OF A CONFIDENTIAL NATURE AND MUST NOT BE
TAKEN BEYOND BATTALION OR BATTERY HEADQUARTERS.
XIVTH CORPS INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY.
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No. 86.
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1. ENEMY ACTIVITY.
Artillery.
Retaliation for our barrage this morning is reported as not having been heavy; a heavy barrage was, however, put down along the line of the STEENBEEK at 4.50 p.m. this afternoon.
Other details of shelling are as follows:-
Areas shelled No of Nature of Ordnance. Group firing.
rounds.
B.11.c. 15 10.5 cm. Gun )
U.27.c. 50 “ “ )
B.12.a. 100 10.5 & 15 cm. Hows.)
(shrapnel & gas) ) POELCAPPELLE
INTERNATIONAL) )
CORNER and ) Intermittent Big H.V. Gun )
vicinity ) )
U.21.a. Heavily at intervals. 15 cm. How. )
B.22.a. 60 “ “ BROENBEEK.
2. IDENTIFICATIONS.
Companies.
214th Div. 363 I.R. 2, 7, 8, 9, & 2nd & 3rd M.G. Coys. N. of WIJDENDRIFT.
(Prisoners).
358 I.R. 9, 10, 11, 12, & 3rd M.G, Coys. N of LANGEMARCK.
(Prisoners).
50 I.R. 1. 2, 3, 4, 7, & 1st & 2nd M.G. Coys. N of LANGEMARCK.
(Prisoners).
424th Minenwerfer Company (Prisoners).
79th Res. Division.
261 R.I.R. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12 & ) S.W. LANGEMARCK (Prisoners).
1st & 2nd M.G. Coys. )
262 R.I.R. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, &) S.W. LANGEMARCK
2nd & 3rd M.G. Coys. ) (Prisoners).
279th Minenwerfer Company (Prisoners).
541st Sanitas Company. (Prisoners).
26th Division.
119th Gren. Regt. 1, 2, 5, 7, 8 Coys. LANGEMARCK. (Prisoners).
183rd Division.
184th I.R. 1, 4, 9, 10 Coys. LANGEMARCK. (Prisoners – strayed out of their sector).
3. ORDER OF BATTLE.
The order of battle from north to south is –
46th I.R. – 119th Division
363rd I.R. )
Elements (50th I.R. ) 214th Division.
(358th I.R.)
Elements (261st R.I.R.)
(262nd R.I.R.) 79th Reserve Division.
263rd R.I.R.)
214th Division.
The order of battle on this front was undergoing a change when our attack took place and the sector held by the 50th I.R. was being taken over by the 358th I.R., which had been withdrawn from the BIXSCHOOTE Sector.
79th Reserve Division.
The 261st R.I.R. and 262nd R.I.R. were found to be occupying the front from the STADEN Railway to the Military Road in U.28.d., while the 263rd R.I.R., which was in process of relief by the 184th I.R. (183rd Division), was holding the sector south of the road.
26th Division.
Men of the 119th Regt. and captured documents belonging to an officer shew that this division is arriving to take over at least part of the 79th Reserve Division’s front.
The prisoners state that they form the advance party of the 119th Regt. and that the regiment was to occupy the sector held by the 262nd R.I.R., 79th Reserve Division.
As these men were to take over the sector immediately south of the STADEN Railway, it is possible that the front formerly held by one regiment of the 79th Res. Division with two battalions in the front line is now to be held by two regiments of the 26th Division.
183rd Division.
Statements of men of the 184th I.R., who lost their way and were captured at LANGEMARCK, tend to strengthen the supposition that the enemy intends to thicken his line in this sector.
The 184th I.R. was in process of relieving the 263rd R.I.R., 79th Reserve Division.
4. RELIEFS.
The 184th I.R., 183rd Division, was in process of relieving the 263rd R.I.R. this morning.
The 262nd R.I.R. and 261st R.I.R., 79th Res. Division, will probably be relieved to-night (16th/17th inst) by the 119th Regt., 26th Division. It is highly probable that another regiment, either the 121st I.R. or 125th I.R. of this division will move in south of this regiment to-night.
The 358th I.R., 214th Division, was relieved in the BISCHOOTE sector on the 12th inst. and moved into the line immediately north of the STADEN Railway to relieve the 50th I.R. on the night of the 14th/15th instant.
The 26th Division was relieved in the MONCHY-le-PREUX sector on the 25th July.
5. MOVEMENTS OF THE 26TH DIVISION.
The 26th Division was withdrawn from the MONCHY-le-PREUX sector on the 25th July and moved into rest in the LILLE area.
The 119th Regt. rested at LOOS, near LILLE and entrained there on 15th August for ROULERS, via TOURCOING and COURTRAI.
From ROULERS the 2nd Bn. marched to HOOGLEDE, arriving there on the evening of the 15th instant.
The advance party left HOOGLEDE at 9.0 p.m. for the front line, travelling by light railway as far as WESTROOSEBEKE, thence by march route as given in yesterday’s summary under “Routes and Approaches”.
6. ROUTES AND APPROACHES.
Prisoners of the 358th I.R. followed the following route from ONDANK Camp to KOEKUIT:-
ONDANK to P.21.c.70.20., thence south along STADENREKE – VYFWEGEN Road to VYFWEGEN, thence re-crossing railway through P.33., P.32., HOUTHULST Forest to O.36.d., thence south to cross-roads in U.6.d.
7. REST BILLETS.
Prisoners of the 358th I.R. were withdrawn to rest at ONDANK Camp.
Documents shew that the SCHAAP BALIE Camp is still in use.
8 STADEN – ZONNEBEKE LINE.
Prisoners of the 358th I.R. state that the wire on this line in the ONDANK sector was being strengthened by a Labour Battalion on the 13th instant.
They know of no other work being done in this sector and as regards digging it is found to be almost impossible under the present conditions. Their own (the soldier’s) opinion is that they are better off in shell holes than they are in trenches under heavy artillery fire.
9. SECTORS.
YPRES Group – North to south – LANGEMARCK to ST. JULIEN
(Captured document dated 15/8/17)
10. HEADQUARTERS.
3rd Bavarian Army Corps …. ISEGHEM. ) Captured documents
(YPRES Group) ) dated
26th Division ….. ….. ARDOYE ) 15th august.
214th Division …. ….. …. GITS … (Prisoner’s statements.)
79th Reserve Brigade ….. ….. Chateau – 20.P.35.c.90.80
(Captured document)
11. PIONEER PARK.
Main Pioneer Park ….. GEITE (ST. JOSEPH) – 20.K.32.a.
Pioneer Park ….. …. VYFWEGEN (contains a large amount of wire
entanglements &c. &c.) (Captured documents).
12. AMMUNITION DEPOT.
GEITE (ST. JOSEPH) …. 20.K.32.a. (Captured documents).
13. MORAL.
The 261st R.I.R. and 262nd R.I.R. were quite demoralised during our attack and fled in batches to the rear, where they undoubtedly fell victims to our artillery fire. The cause for the complete breakdown of the moral is stated by senior N.C.Os to be the unreliability of the 1918 Class, which is well represented throughout the companies and cannot stand heavy shelling.
The men of the 119th Regt. express the greatest contempt for the behaviour of these regiments, who, to use their own words, “flocked to the rear” and made little attempt to defend their positions.
Documents shew that a counter-attack was planned for the night of the 15th/16th inst., to drive us over the STEENBEEK. This did not materialise, owing to the complete exhaustion of these regiments, lack or moral and also our artillery fire.
14. EVACUATIONS.
Prisoners confirm that the civilian population has been evacuated from STADEN.
15 1919 CLASS.
Prisoners state that the 1919 Class was called up in the II Corps District in the beginning of June.
16. Statement of prisoners passed through the Advanced Corps Cage during the past 24 hours:-
Officers. Other Ranks. Companies.
214th Division.
50th Inf. Regt. 2 36 1,2,3,4,7,1st &
2nd M.G. Coys.
363rd “ “ 1 35 2,7,8,9, 2nd & 3rd
M.G. Coys.
358th “ “ 3 187 9,10,11,12, & 3rd
M.G. Coy.
424th Minenwerfer Coy. – 5
79th Reserve Division.
261st R.I.R. 3 141 1,2,3,4,5,7,11,
12, 1st and 2nd
M.G. Coys.
262nd “ 9 106 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,
10,11,12, & 2nd & 3rd M.G. Coys.
541st Sanitas Coy. – 1
279th Minenwerfer Coy. – 5
26th Division.
119th Gren. Regt. – 14 1,2,5,7,8 Coys.
184th Division.
183rd Inf. Regt. – 6 1,4,9,10 Coys.
Total 18 officers, 536 other ranks.
In addition, the following have been admitted to Casualty Clearing Station:-
Officers. Other ranks.
10 107
17. CAPTURED MATERIAL.
One 5.9” Howitzer.
Two 4.2” Howitzers
Ten Machine Guns.
Signature unreadable.
Major, G.S.,
for Brigadier-General,
General Staff, XIV Corps.
16th August, 1917.
PART II
PART II – INFORMATION FROM OTHER SOURCES.
(From Fifth Army Summary of 16/8/17)
GERMAN ARTILLERY METHODS. (Communicated by the Army on our left).
I. Relation borne by number of battery emplacements to the actual number of batteries.
Prisoners’ statements, which are confirmed by documents captured in an artillery command post, show that in August, 1916, in the YPRES sector there were four times as many emplacements as there were batteries. On the 1st June, 1917, there was an average of three emplacements available for each battery.
Owing to the great number of emplacements available the enemy is able to
(a) Move batteries from their normal emplacements in case of need to emplacements already prepared.
(b) In case of a retirement move batteries to a prepared position in rear.
(c) Provide prepared emplacements for reinforcing batteries.
On the 28th August, 1916, there were 32 emplacements available for seven batteries in the KORTEKEER area. Each battery had four emplacements.
(1) Normal emplacement (FEUERSTELLUNG).
(2) Alternative emplacement (AUSWEICHSTELLUNG).
(3) Normal rear emplacement (RUCKWARTIGE HAUPSTELLUNG).
(4) Alternative rear emplacement (RUCKWARTIGE AUSWEICHSTELLUNG).
The seven batteries included,
2 batteries 7.7 cm.
2 batteries 8.8 cm.
1 battery 10 cm.
1 battery 10.5 cm.
1 battery Russian howitzers.
A captured order dated 1st June 1917 states:-
To all batteries:-
All batteries will send a sketch 1/20,000 showing:-
(i) Battery emplacement.
(ii) Alternative emplacement.
(iii) Reinforcing emplacement (VERSTARKUNGSTELLUNG).
These sketches will show the principle and alternative observation posts and the nearest available observation post.
II. Provisional emplacements.
The following order shows that the enemy at times moves sections into provisional emplacements, with a view to attracting the enemy’s attention, so that another battery whose position has probably not been discovered can carry out effective fire.
The 8th Battery of the 23rd Artillery Regiment will move a section into emplacement No. 104 (a). This section will take 400 rounds with it. The intention is that this section shall distract the enemy’s attention from the 1st Battery of the 29th Artillery Regiment which will carry out effective fire, probably on Battery R 43.
Prisoners have stated on several occasions that the enemy brings batteries forward at night to fire on our front lines and withdraws them to rearward positions as soon as they have finished shooting.
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