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French Account from the 151st Regiment, 42nd Division
Map of the western end of the Second Champagne front, showing the sectors of Salient F and Salient E, prior to the opening of the attack on 25 Sept.
Detail of map showing Salient F sector. Source of map is not known to the author.
25 September: In the night of 24-25 Sept., as the French artillery continues to thunder away along the entire 20-mile attack front, the units of the 84 BI take up their positions in the trenches. In the paralleles de départ (Tranchée Donrémy, Dunkerque, and Douai) are the 8 BCP, 94 RI and 16 BCP, comprising the first and second waves of the attack. The 151 RI is behind the 16 BCP and to the right of the organization (occupying Tranchée Dijon), with the exception of the 3 and 4 Cos. which make up the flank guard in the first wave (in Tranchée Donrémy). The 162 RI is behind the 8 BCP and 94 RI, and to the left of the organization. The time set for the attack is 0915 hrs.
Map from the 151 RI JMO of the Aubérive (Salient F) sector showing the 151's positions on the morning of 25 September. The jumping off positions of the various assault waves (vagues) are marked as well. The names of the paralleles de départ are the two forward-most trench lines shown, corresponding to Tranchées 'Donrémy' and 'Dunkerque'. The first-line trench is labeled 'Dijon', while the boyaux are numbered. A rough outline of the German first-line positions are denoted by the blue line with Salient F located at far left.
All units are in their final positions by 0530 hrs. Starting at 0700 hrs it begins to rain, making the ground very slippery. The preparatory artillery bombardment starts back up very heavy at 0700 hrs until 0800 hrs, recommencing again from 0830 to 0930 hrs. Between 0730 and 0830 hrs, the various assault units condense into their jumping off positions.
In an ominous sign, two minutes before heure-H (zero-hour), the German machine-guns and artillery begin opening up. At 0915 hrs, with bayonets fixed, the first wave goes over the top, composed of the 94 RI, 8 and 16 BCP and 3 and 4 Cos. of the 151 RI on the right. The first objective is fortin ("fortress" or fortified entrenchment) 414 directly to its front. Unbeknowst to most of the French soldiers in the assault waves was that fortin 414, along with a series of other connecting fortins, were heavily armed with German machine-guns in protected positions and 77 mm canons encased in armoured turrets.
Map from the 42 DI Medical Services JMO showing the regimental first-aid and evacuation posts.
Map from the JMO of the 103 RI of the Aubérive (Salient F) sector showing German first and second line positions before the start of the offensive. Additional supporting trenches would be dug prior to the French attack.
The lead assault elements are literally mowed down by German machine-guns and light artillery to the front and flanks. The 94 RI will suffer 1,200 killed and wounded in just the first few minutes of the attack. The next waves depart shortly after the preceding ones, leaving from Tranchée Dijon up to Tranchée Douai and rally the remnants of the lead wave, mixing the units and pushing north toward the German lines. The initial assault waves suffer massive losses as they continue to advance, and then disaster strikes. After covering only a distance of around 100 meters, most of the units run into an intact double belt of barbed-wire. The belt had been placed in hollow in the ground and consequently was left untouched by the preparatory bombardment. The entanglements are 50 meters deep and at shoulder height. They are comprised of barbed-wire intermixed with wire fixed to metal stakes 1.25 meters high. In addition, in front of the high entanglements belts of low wire 30 cm off the ground and 15 meters in depth. But the timetable has been set and the succeeding waves that include the bulk of the 151's companies move up through the boyaux and throw themselves over the top of the paralleles de depart. The result is a horrific fiasco, as the assault waves run straight into the same impenetrable belts of wire and are stopped dead in their tracks, unable to advance into the lethal zone of fire. The JMO of the 84 BI noted:
"The élan of the successive waves of the 151st break upon the German entanglements and are literally mown down by the machine-guns to the front and on the flank. The losses in officers and enlisted are particularly heavy."
All along the regiments front, men try to take cover as best they can in front of the entanglements, flattening themselves against the earth. Those with wire-cutters desperately attempt to cut through in vain and are shot down in the process. The post-war regimental historical would note somberly that entire companies were wiped out in place by strafing machine-gun fire. Whole lines of men lay in front of the wire or macabrely hung suspended in the entanglements.
The second wave formed by the 9, 10, 5, and 6 Cos. of the 151 immediately followed by a platoon of the 7 Co. and two sections of machine-guns move into the parallele de départ at go over the top at 0945 hrs. The two sections of machine-guns take up positions in the Tranchée ‘Donrémy’ [alternately spelt, Domrémy]. The 9 Co. crosses the German first-line around 200 meters west of fortin 414, coordinating its movement with the 162 RI and passing taking over about 200 meters of second German boyau, parallel to the first-line trench. A platoon from the 5, 6, and 7 Cos. advance to the east of the fortin 413 and are forced to halt their advance because of heavy enemy machine-gun and artillery fire. At 1120 hrs, the 12 and 2 Cos. are sent to reinforce them and attempt to push forward the elements of the 6, 4, and 3 Cos. stopped by the barbed-wire entanglements. The machine-gun fire from fortins 414 and 413 and the south corner of Bois 405 is directed onto the top of the parallele de départ, making any exit from it almost impossible. The troops that made it out of the trench are pinned down to the ground at the foot of the entanglement. Around 1230 hrs about fifty Germans leave their trench between 411 and 413 in order to surrender but are carrying large haversacks and their intentions are suspect. After opening fire on them only about twenty come over to the regiment’s trench.
To the 151’s left, the situation was faring better. Here, the French artillery had managed in large part to destroy the German wire-entanglements. Consequently, the 162 RI and 8 BCP make good progress initially, taking their first-line objectives. However, they are unable to advance any further owing to the heavy German machine-gun fire coming from the supporting lines. The same is true along the 42 DI's front: where the wire had been successfully destroyed by French artillery, the infantry initially was able to take the enemy by surprise and progress upwards of 400 meters beyond the German first-line. Beyond the immediate first-line however, the assailants were stopped by the intensifying enemy fire coming from the front and the flanks. At 1330 hrs, the situation is as follows in the right sector where the 151 is situated:
Elements of the 3, 4, 5, and 8 Cos. along with the 2 Co. (which had been sent up as reinforcement) are all stopped dead in front of the wire-entanglements and are unable to move without coming under heavy German machine-gun fire. To the east of Boyau ’11’, the 1 Co. can only advance slowly by crawling in the direction of the entanglements and from there, towards the point where the prisoners had exited. Further to the left, the 12 Co. is also immobilized before the wire and machine-gun fire. The 11 Co. is also stopped by the wire and machine-gun fire in front of Boyau ’16’. There after the company and battalion commanders struggle to reorganize their broken and mixed up units in order to make another push. At 1810 hrs, following a new artillery preparation concentrated on fortin 411 and 413, the elements of the 1 and 2 Bats. that were able to reform renew their attack. Once again however they encounter wire-entanglements still left intact, and in the face of continual fire from the underground German defenses, are unable to make any progress.
In the evening, the 1 Bat. along with the debris of the 2 Bat. reassemble around 2030 hrs in Tranchées ‘Donrémy’ and ‘Dunkerque’, in liaison with 40 DI. To their right, the remains of 3 Bat. also reassemble and are in liaison with the 162 RI. The remnants of 8 and 16 BCP are mixed in among the units of the 151 RI. Engineers Co. 15/5 is put at the disposition of the 151 in order to organize conquered positions. At the close of the first day, the fortins 414 b, 414, 413, and 411 are all intact and remain relatively untouched by French artillery. These fortresses are all found to be armoured and equipped with numerous machine-guns, as well as two armoured turret 77 mm cannons.
Losses for the regiment on 25 September include at least 69 killed, 296 wounded, 450 missing (815 total -- over 25% of its total effective). Due to battlefield conditions, these numbers can only be seen as preliminary. The casualties recorded in the JMO include:
Killed: Co. Hors Rangs: 2 - 1 Co.: 19 (incl Lieut. Bunoust, Sous-Lieut. Fressniet and Louvat - 2 Co.: 15 (incl Sous-Lieut. Delbarry, de Cacqueray, Royer) - 3 Co.: 1 - 4 Co.: 6 - 5 Co.: 4 - 6 Co.: 4 - 8 Co.: 6 11 Co.: 10 - MG Co.: 2.
Wounded: Lieut.-Col. Moisson. Co. Hors Rangs 22 - 1 Co.: 52 (incl Lieut. Chausson and Adj. Morel) 2 Co.: 36 (incl Sous-Lieut Adam and Cahet [sp?]) 3 Co.: 35 4 Co.: 35 (incl Lieut. Riton, Asp. Le Comte) 5 Co.: 23 (incl. Lieut. Cornner [sp?]) 6 Co.: 11 - 7 Co.: 5 - 8 Co.: 20 (incl Lieut. Canredon, Sous-Lieut. Lestienne) 9 Co.: 13 - 10 Co.: 6 - 11 Co.: 9 - 12 Co.: 29 (incl Sous-Lieuts. Guillemin [sp?] and Erkeul), MG Co.: 12.
Missing: Co. Hors Rangs: 5 - 1 Co.: 6 - 2 Co.: 13 - 3 Co.: 85 (incl Capt. Pernet, Sous-Lieuts. Marion and Chedal-Bornu) - 4 Co.: 43 (incl Sous-Lieut Lancelot) 5 Co.: 90 (incl Capt. Jouland, Sous-Lieuts. Gayard and Guelfucei) - 6 Co.: 87 (incl Chef de Bat. Adamy, Capt. Gibou, Sous-Lieuts. Legant and Lecouttere) - 7 Co.: 71 (incl Capt. Payeu, Sous-Lieut. Chartier) 8 Co.: 10 - 9 Co.: 28 (incl Capt. Grisey) - 12 Co.:12 - MG Co.: 2.
Map of the western end of the Second Champagne front, showing the sectors of Salient F and Salient E, prior to the opening of the attack on 25 Sept.
Detail of map showing Salient F sector. Source of map is not known to the author.
25 September: In the night of 24-25 Sept., as the French artillery continues to thunder away along the entire 20-mile attack front, the units of the 84 BI take up their positions in the trenches. In the paralleles de départ (Tranchée Donrémy, Dunkerque, and Douai) are the 8 BCP, 94 RI and 16 BCP, comprising the first and second waves of the attack. The 151 RI is behind the 16 BCP and to the right of the organization (occupying Tranchée Dijon), with the exception of the 3 and 4 Cos. which make up the flank guard in the first wave (in Tranchée Donrémy). The 162 RI is behind the 8 BCP and 94 RI, and to the left of the organization. The time set for the attack is 0915 hrs.
Map from the 151 RI JMO of the Aubérive (Salient F) sector showing the 151's positions on the morning of 25 September. The jumping off positions of the various assault waves (vagues) are marked as well. The names of the paralleles de départ are the two forward-most trench lines shown, corresponding to Tranchées 'Donrémy' and 'Dunkerque'. The first-line trench is labeled 'Dijon', while the boyaux are numbered. A rough outline of the German first-line positions are denoted by the blue line with Salient F located at far left.
All units are in their final positions by 0530 hrs. Starting at 0700 hrs it begins to rain, making the ground very slippery. The preparatory artillery bombardment starts back up very heavy at 0700 hrs until 0800 hrs, recommencing again from 0830 to 0930 hrs. Between 0730 and 0830 hrs, the various assault units condense into their jumping off positions.
In an ominous sign, two minutes before heure-H (zero-hour), the German machine-guns and artillery begin opening up. At 0915 hrs, with bayonets fixed, the first wave goes over the top, composed of the 94 RI, 8 and 16 BCP and 3 and 4 Cos. of the 151 RI on the right. The first objective is fortin ("fortress" or fortified entrenchment) 414 directly to its front. Unbeknowst to most of the French soldiers in the assault waves was that fortin 414, along with a series of other connecting fortins, were heavily armed with German machine-guns in protected positions and 77 mm canons encased in armoured turrets.
Map from the 42 DI Medical Services JMO showing the regimental first-aid and evacuation posts.
Map from the JMO of the 103 RI of the Aubérive (Salient F) sector showing German first and second line positions before the start of the offensive. Additional supporting trenches would be dug prior to the French attack.
The lead assault elements are literally mowed down by German machine-guns and light artillery to the front and flanks. The 94 RI will suffer 1,200 killed and wounded in just the first few minutes of the attack. The next waves depart shortly after the preceding ones, leaving from Tranchée Dijon up to Tranchée Douai and rally the remnants of the lead wave, mixing the units and pushing north toward the German lines. The initial assault waves suffer massive losses as they continue to advance, and then disaster strikes. After covering only a distance of around 100 meters, most of the units run into an intact double belt of barbed-wire. The belt had been placed in hollow in the ground and consequently was left untouched by the preparatory bombardment. The entanglements are 50 meters deep and at shoulder height. They are comprised of barbed-wire intermixed with wire fixed to metal stakes 1.25 meters high. In addition, in front of the high entanglements belts of low wire 30 cm off the ground and 15 meters in depth. But the timetable has been set and the succeeding waves that include the bulk of the 151's companies move up through the boyaux and throw themselves over the top of the paralleles de depart. The result is a horrific fiasco, as the assault waves run straight into the same impenetrable belts of wire and are stopped dead in their tracks, unable to advance into the lethal zone of fire. The JMO of the 84 BI noted:
"The élan of the successive waves of the 151st break upon the German entanglements and are literally mown down by the machine-guns to the front and on the flank. The losses in officers and enlisted are particularly heavy."
All along the regiments front, men try to take cover as best they can in front of the entanglements, flattening themselves against the earth. Those with wire-cutters desperately attempt to cut through in vain and are shot down in the process. The post-war regimental historical would note somberly that entire companies were wiped out in place by strafing machine-gun fire. Whole lines of men lay in front of the wire or macabrely hung suspended in the entanglements.
The second wave formed by the 9, 10, 5, and 6 Cos. of the 151 immediately followed by a platoon of the 7 Co. and two sections of machine-guns move into the parallele de départ at go over the top at 0945 hrs. The two sections of machine-guns take up positions in the Tranchée ‘Donrémy’ [alternately spelt, Domrémy]. The 9 Co. crosses the German first-line around 200 meters west of fortin 414, coordinating its movement with the 162 RI and passing taking over about 200 meters of second German boyau, parallel to the first-line trench. A platoon from the 5, 6, and 7 Cos. advance to the east of the fortin 413 and are forced to halt their advance because of heavy enemy machine-gun and artillery fire. At 1120 hrs, the 12 and 2 Cos. are sent to reinforce them and attempt to push forward the elements of the 6, 4, and 3 Cos. stopped by the barbed-wire entanglements. The machine-gun fire from fortins 414 and 413 and the south corner of Bois 405 is directed onto the top of the parallele de départ, making any exit from it almost impossible. The troops that made it out of the trench are pinned down to the ground at the foot of the entanglement. Around 1230 hrs about fifty Germans leave their trench between 411 and 413 in order to surrender but are carrying large haversacks and their intentions are suspect. After opening fire on them only about twenty come over to the regiment’s trench.
To the 151’s left, the situation was faring better. Here, the French artillery had managed in large part to destroy the German wire-entanglements. Consequently, the 162 RI and 8 BCP make good progress initially, taking their first-line objectives. However, they are unable to advance any further owing to the heavy German machine-gun fire coming from the supporting lines. The same is true along the 42 DI's front: where the wire had been successfully destroyed by French artillery, the infantry initially was able to take the enemy by surprise and progress upwards of 400 meters beyond the German first-line. Beyond the immediate first-line however, the assailants were stopped by the intensifying enemy fire coming from the front and the flanks. At 1330 hrs, the situation is as follows in the right sector where the 151 is situated:
Elements of the 3, 4, 5, and 8 Cos. along with the 2 Co. (which had been sent up as reinforcement) are all stopped dead in front of the wire-entanglements and are unable to move without coming under heavy German machine-gun fire. To the east of Boyau ’11’, the 1 Co. can only advance slowly by crawling in the direction of the entanglements and from there, towards the point where the prisoners had exited. Further to the left, the 12 Co. is also immobilized before the wire and machine-gun fire. The 11 Co. is also stopped by the wire and machine-gun fire in front of Boyau ’16’. There after the company and battalion commanders struggle to reorganize their broken and mixed up units in order to make another push. At 1810 hrs, following a new artillery preparation concentrated on fortin 411 and 413, the elements of the 1 and 2 Bats. that were able to reform renew their attack. Once again however they encounter wire-entanglements still left intact, and in the face of continual fire from the underground German defenses, are unable to make any progress.
In the evening, the 1 Bat. along with the debris of the 2 Bat. reassemble around 2030 hrs in Tranchées ‘Donrémy’ and ‘Dunkerque’, in liaison with 40 DI. To their right, the remains of 3 Bat. also reassemble and are in liaison with the 162 RI. The remnants of 8 and 16 BCP are mixed in among the units of the 151 RI. Engineers Co. 15/5 is put at the disposition of the 151 in order to organize conquered positions. At the close of the first day, the fortins 414 b, 414, 413, and 411 are all intact and remain relatively untouched by French artillery. These fortresses are all found to be armoured and equipped with numerous machine-guns, as well as two armoured turret 77 mm cannons.
Losses for the regiment on 25 September include at least 69 killed, 296 wounded, 450 missing (815 total -- over 25% of its total effective). Due to battlefield conditions, these numbers can only be seen as preliminary. The casualties recorded in the JMO include:
Killed: Co. Hors Rangs: 2 - 1 Co.: 19 (incl Lieut. Bunoust, Sous-Lieut. Fressniet and Louvat - 2 Co.: 15 (incl Sous-Lieut. Delbarry, de Cacqueray, Royer) - 3 Co.: 1 - 4 Co.: 6 - 5 Co.: 4 - 6 Co.: 4 - 8 Co.: 6 11 Co.: 10 - MG Co.: 2.
Wounded: Lieut.-Col. Moisson. Co. Hors Rangs 22 - 1 Co.: 52 (incl Lieut. Chausson and Adj. Morel) 2 Co.: 36 (incl Sous-Lieut Adam and Cahet [sp?]) 3 Co.: 35 4 Co.: 35 (incl Lieut. Riton, Asp. Le Comte) 5 Co.: 23 (incl. Lieut. Cornner [sp?]) 6 Co.: 11 - 7 Co.: 5 - 8 Co.: 20 (incl Lieut. Canredon, Sous-Lieut. Lestienne) 9 Co.: 13 - 10 Co.: 6 - 11 Co.: 9 - 12 Co.: 29 (incl Sous-Lieuts. Guillemin [sp?] and Erkeul), MG Co.: 12.
Missing: Co. Hors Rangs: 5 - 1 Co.: 6 - 2 Co.: 13 - 3 Co.: 85 (incl Capt. Pernet, Sous-Lieuts. Marion and Chedal-Bornu) - 4 Co.: 43 (incl Sous-Lieut Lancelot) 5 Co.: 90 (incl Capt. Jouland, Sous-Lieuts. Gayard and Guelfucei) - 6 Co.: 87 (incl Chef de Bat. Adamy, Capt. Gibou, Sous-Lieuts. Legant and Lecouttere) - 7 Co.: 71 (incl Capt. Payeu, Sous-Lieut. Chartier) 8 Co.: 10 - 9 Co.: 28 (incl Capt. Grisey) - 12 Co.:12 - MG Co.: 2.
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