| INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY April 9, 1917 Canadian 5th Battalion |
| April 9, 1917 Trenches: Appendix to Summary of Operations on April 9, 1917 Reference Map ~ Thelus N. W. scale 1/5000 The attack by the 5th Infantry Batallion was made on a two company frontage, approximately 350 yards, "A" Company on the right, and "B" Company on the left, each in two waves for the storming of the objective, known as the Black Line, behind them "C" Company on the right, "D" Company on the left, also in two waves, for the storming of the final objective, known as the Red Line. On the right of the 5th C. I. Battalion was the 4th Battalion of the Seaforths, with whom, as Liason Officer, was Lieutenant P. S. Ansell, on the left of the C. I. Battalion was the 7th C. I. Battalion with whom, as Liason Officer was Lieutenant P. J. A. Andrew. The first objective (Black Line) was a trench, running between A.23 a.5 3/4.0. to A.17.c.1/8/ 2 3/4 the final objective (Red Line) was a support trench, Augsberger Weg, running between A.17.d.4.6 to A.17.d.6.10 (A.17.b.6.0) "A" and "B" Companies commanded respectively by Lieutenant W. Willis and Major K. Mahaffy left Ecoivres about 4 p. m. on the 8th inst. and proceded to Bannal Trench, where "C" and "D" Companies respectively commanded by Major J. G. Anderson and Acting Captain E. Day, had been in position since the 6th inst. About 10:00 p. m. the four Companies moved forward into No Man's Land to locations previously arranged by them, "A" and "B" Companies being about 75 yards from the enemy's front line position. At zero hour (5:30 a. m.) the bombardment thickened into intense barrage, and at zero plus 3, the barrage having lifted, "A" and "B" Companies went rapidly forward, occupying the enemy's front line with very little opposition. Immediately before starting, however, Lieutenant Broad and about 10 other ranks, were killed by shell fire, and before reaching the front line position of the enemy, Lieutenants W. M. Scalon and D. McCabe, also of "A" Company were severly wounded. Immediately after advancing from the German Front Line, and when approaching the Sunken Road very hostile machine gun fire was encountered, Company Sergeant Major Seggie, Sergeants Boyd, Penton, Fisher and Buttery of "A" Company, and Sergeants Agar, Wicking, and Laidlaw of "B" Company, either being killed or wounded as well as a large number of other ranks. At this Sunken Road the enemy put up a very stiff fight, and our men used the bayonet to good effect, entirely clearing the enemy from the locality, and taking a few prisoners. Several machine guns, operated by the enemy immediately behind the Sunken Road; had retarded progress, and these were effectively silenced by our rifle grenadiers, of thm being put out of action by Lieutenant W. Willis himself. "C" and "D" Companies were following up the advance of "A" and "B" Companies, according to plan, but were suffering many casualties, by the machine gun fire at the Black Objective, and beyond from where they had a good field of fire. Along the Wittleesbacher Weg were a nest of machine guns, which were sweeping the front of the advance, and as soon as "A" and "B" Companies had reached the Black Line, a party from "A" Company, assisted by a portion of "B" Company, under Major Mahaffy, commenced to bomb down the trench. Some stiff fighting ensued and it became necessary to deviate from the original operation orders, as otherwise, "A" and "B" Companies would have been compelled to retire or been cut to pieces. With great initiative and promptitude they swept beyond the Black Objective, and successfully put out of action several of these very troublesome machine guns, "C" and "D" Companies; who had been met by heavy machine gun fire from Wittlesbacher Weg, were able to procede much faster, as the forward rush of "A" and "B" Companies, had drawn the fire on the latter, and very soon,they joined "A" and "B" Companies, who were meting the stronger opposition in their efforts to bomb their way down the Wittlesbacher Weg. Major Anderson and Lieutenant Day of "C" Company hand already been wounded, Lieutenant Thompson, Sergeant Major Brassing and Sergeant Edmunds of the same company had been killed, and Lieutenant Bissett assumed command. Acting Captain Day in charge of "D" Company had also suffered serious losses from the withering fire of the enemy's machine guns on the right of Wittlesbacher Weg; Lieutenants Moxley and Thompson had been killed, Acting Sergeant Major Boyer, Sergeants Tong and Currie, wounded and Sergeants McGhan and Robinson killed, the latter as he was about to bring his machine gun into action. Lieutenant Bisset was meeting with strong resistance, but finally got in position enabling him to enfilade the enemy, and bringing his rifle grenadiers into play with telling effect. After suffering many casualties, the enemy showed a tendency to surrender, but the fight was pushed to a finish, the position captured, the advance sweeping on. An attempt was made on the part of "D" Company to go over the open Augsberger Haus, but owing to intense machine gun fire, the men were ordered into a trench along which they proceded to the junction of the Wittlesbacher Weg and the Black Objective. From this point, the attack |
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