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Old 24-03-03, 17:18
Mark W. Tonner's Avatar
Mark W. Tonner Mark W. Tonner is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: London, Ontario, Canada.
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Post Re: Courcelette - 15 Sep 1916

Hi Carman;

A brief outline of the Battle of Courcelette on the 15th September, 1916:

The Battle of Flers-Courcelette 15 - 22 September, 1916

27th (City of Winnipeg) Infantry Battalion, C.E.F. - 6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division

1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, C.E.F. - 8th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division

Battle of Courcelette 15 September, 1916:

The battle began at 06:20 am 15th September, 1916.

Objectives of the 2nd Canadian Division, making the main effort astride the Albert-Bapaume road, were the defences in front of Courcelette. These included Candy Trench, the strongly fortified ruins of a sugar factory, which was a key objective, beside the Bapaume road and 1500 yards of Sugar Trench, which cut across Candy Trench. On the 2nd Cdn Div's left were the 3rd Canadian Division, who's front was held by the 8th Infantry Brigade, providing flank protection. The 2nd Canadian Division had seven tanks allotted to it in support of their attack.

The assaulting Brigades for the 2nd Cdn Div were the: 4th Infantry Brigade on the right (east) of the road, with three tanks and the 6th Infantry Brigade on the left (west) of the road, with three tanks. The five assaulting Battalions, right to left (east to west) were the: 18th, 20th, 21st, 27th and 28th (approx. 4,000 men).

At 06:20 am, the Canadian attack began, with the 18th Battalion attacking Candy Trench, towards Martinpuich, on the right, the 20th and 21st Battalions straddling the road, attacking towards Candy Trench and the 27th and 28th Battalions attacking towards the Sugar Factory and Sugar Trench.

The fighting was severe, with the troops advancing through very heavy machine-gun, rifle and artillery fire, but within fifteen minutes the five assaulting Battalions had broken through the German front lines (200 metes from their start line) and were pushing on to assault the main German lines in front of Courcelette, Sugar and Candy Trenches, which were secured by 07:30 am, after severe hand-to-hand fighting for their possession. While pushing on from Sugar Trench, towards Courcelette village, the 27th Battalion came under extreme German machine-gun fire. By 6 pm, the Canadian follow-up Battalions (22nd, 25th and 26th) had entered Courcelette village and by 16th, it was firmly in Canadian hands.

Also at 06:20 am, on the extreme left of the Canadian line, 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles assaulted the German positions about Mouquet Farm, which was heavily defended and linked by a catacomb of underground subways. Having captured this position, it was lost again later in the day by a German counter-attack and taken again by the 2nd Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles on the evening of the 16th.

Thats about all there is to tell of the rolls of the 27th Battalion and the 1st Battalion, C.M.R., for the 15th of September.

Have attached a map of the assault.

Hope all this helps.

Cheers
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Last edited by Mark W. Tonner; 24-03-03 at 18:01.
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