The Attacks on the Butte de Warlencourt (7 October – 16 November 1916) describe a tactical incident during the Battle of the Somme. The Butte de Warlencourt is an ancient burial mound off the Albert–Bapaume road, north-east of Le Sars in the Somme département in northern France. It is located on the territory of the commune of Warlencourt-Eaucourt and slightly north of a minor road to Gueudecourt and Eaucourt l'Abbaye. During the First World War, German troops constructed deep dugouts in the Butte and surrounded it by several belts of barbed wire, making it a formidable defensive position in advance of Gallwitz Riegel (Gird Trenches to the British). After the Battle of Flers–Courcelette (15–22 September 1916), the view from the Butte dominated the new British front line and was used by the Germans for artillery observation.
During the Battle of Le Transloy (1–20 October 1916), part of the Battle of the Somme, the Butte de Warlencourt was the subject of several attacks by the British Fourth Army, which were costly failures; attacks in November also failed. The 2nd Australian Division occupied the Butte on 24 February 1917, during the German retirements made on the Somme front, preparatory to Operation Alberich (Unternehmen Alberich), the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. The Butte de Warlencourt was recaptured by the German 2nd Army on 24 March 1918, during the retreat of the 2nd Division in Operation Michael, the German spring offensive. The Butte was recaptured for the last time on 26 August, by the 21st Division, during the Second Battle of Bapaume.
During the Battle of Le Transloy (1–20 October 1916), part of the Battle of the Somme, the Butte de Warlencourt was the subject of several attacks by the British Fourth Army, which were costly failures; attacks in November also failed. The 2nd Australian Division occupied the Butte on 24 February 1917, during the German retirements made on the Somme front, preparatory to Operation Alberich (Unternehmen Alberich), the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. The Butte de Warlencourt was recaptured by the German 2nd Army on 24 March 1918, during the retreat of the 2nd Division in Operation Michael, the German spring offensive. The Butte was recaptured for the last time on 26 August, by the 21st Division, during the Second Battle of Bapaume.
Prelude
German Defensive Preparations
The Butte is a mound about 50–60 ft (15–18 m) high, on a slope near the Gird trenches (Gallwitz Riegel). In the Franco-Prussian War the mound had been tunnelled and during the Battle of the Somme the Germans fortified the Butte with machine-gun posts and encircled by many belts of barbed wire. From the mound, Pozières to the south-west; La Barque and Bapaume to the north-east are easily visible. Many German artillery positions had been established on the ground east of the Butte. German artillery positions commanded the area around Martinpuich, where the British had to move much of their artillery, which increased the accuracy of German counter-battery fire.
British Offensive Preparations
The 47th (1/2nd London) Division captured the nearby farmstead of Eaucourt L'Abbaye from 1 to 3 October. On 4 October, the 140th Brigade took over the line from the 141st Brigade in preparation for another general attack. Next day the 1/6th London Regiment (1/6th London) occupied an old mill 500 yd (457 m) west of Eaucourt l'Abbaye. The attack by III Corps was to begin at 1:45 p.m. on 7 October, against the Gird trenches, which ran north-west to south-east from Gueudecourt to Warlencourt and past the Butte. The 47th (1/2nd London) Division was to attack in the centre, with the 41st Division on the right and the 23rd Division on the left flank. The Germans had dug a new trench (Diagonal Trench) across the 47th (1/2nd London) Division front, over the high ground north of Eaucourt I'Abbaye, westwards into the valley. Diagonal Trench was the first objective and was to be taken by the 1/8th London, then the final objective at Gird Trench and the Butte was to be captured by the 1/15th and 1/7th London, with the 1/6th London in support. On 9 October, the 26th (South African) Brigade relieved the 140th and 142nd brigades.
German Defensive Preparations
The Butte is a mound about 50–60 ft (15–18 m) high, on a slope near the Gird trenches (Gallwitz Riegel). In the Franco-Prussian War the mound had been tunnelled and during the Battle of the Somme the Germans fortified the Butte with machine-gun posts and encircled by many belts of barbed wire. From the mound, Pozières to the south-west; La Barque and Bapaume to the north-east are easily visible. Many German artillery positions had been established on the ground east of the Butte. German artillery positions commanded the area around Martinpuich, where the British had to move much of their artillery, which increased the accuracy of German counter-battery fire.
British Offensive Preparations
The 47th (1/2nd London) Division captured the nearby farmstead of Eaucourt L'Abbaye from 1 to 3 October. On 4 October, the 140th Brigade took over the line from the 141st Brigade in preparation for another general attack. Next day the 1/6th London Regiment (1/6th London) occupied an old mill 500 yd (457 m) west of Eaucourt l'Abbaye. The attack by III Corps was to begin at 1:45 p.m. on 7 October, against the Gird trenches, which ran north-west to south-east from Gueudecourt to Warlencourt and past the Butte. The 47th (1/2nd London) Division was to attack in the centre, with the 41st Division on the right and the 23rd Division on the left flank. The Germans had dug a new trench (Diagonal Trench) across the 47th (1/2nd London) Division front, over the high ground north of Eaucourt I'Abbaye, westwards into the valley. Diagonal Trench was the first objective and was to be taken by the 1/8th London, then the final objective at Gird Trench and the Butte was to be captured by the 1/15th and 1/7th London, with the 1/6th London in support. On 9 October, the 26th (South African) Brigade relieved the 140th and 142nd brigades.
Battle
7th October
Butte de WarlencourtThe first objective was set at Snag Trench, which ran across the east slope of a depression running north to Warlencourt. The 6th Bavarian Reserve Division held the area with the III Battalion, Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 16. In the centre the objective was 500 yd (460 m) distant, half way to the Butte. On the right the 1/8th London was stopped by massed machine-gun fire, as were the 1/15th London and the 1/7th London, which had been intended to leap-frog through to the final objective. In 1922, the 47th (1/2nd London) Division historian wrote how,
From across the valley the enemy had magnificent observation of the ground leading to our objective, and made full use of it... not a man turned back, and some got right up under the Butte, but they were not seen again.
— Alan Maude the attackers came under small-arms fire from Diagonal Trench but the 1/15th London and 1/8th London got forward on the right and dug in along a sunken road leading north-east from Eaucourt l'Abbaye to La Barque. A few outposts were established near the Le Barque road and on the right flank, touch was gained with the 41st Division.
To the left, companies of the 1/8th London, followed by the 1/7th London advanced down the slope, forward of the mill and were fired on from Diagonal Trench and by artillery and machine-gun fire sited in depth, to aim cross-fire along the western slopes up to the Butte and high ground to the south. From the far side of the valley, the ground leading to the British objectives was easily observed. Some of the attackers reached the Butte and disappeared and several local counter-attacks were made by Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 16. Parties dug in where they could and several posts were pushed out from the mill, to maintain contact with the 23rd Division, which had advanced along the main road and captured Le Sars. The 23rd Division sent patrols which gained a view of the Butte and the vicinity; at 3:40 p.m. the patrols reported that no Germans could be seen. The 140th Brigade lost many casualties and were relieved on the left flank by the 142nd Brigade but the 1/6th London in the advanced posts had to wait until the 142nd Brigade attack the next day.
On 8 October, a post was spotted halfway up the road towards the Butte by the crew of a British reconnaissance aircraft. The 142nd Brigade attacked Diagonal Trench again with the 1/21st London and the 1/22nd London, who crawled forward to rush the German garrison as soon as a one-minute hurricane bombardment lifted at 9:00 p.m. The 1/21st London advanced until about 200 yd (180 m) short of Diagonal Trench with no losses, then massed machine-gun fire inflicted many casualties; few troops reached the trench. On the left flank, three companies of the 1/22nd London reached the trench against slight opposition but enfilade fire from the right flank made the trench untenable once dawn broke. The survivors managed to dig advanced posts up to 100 yd (91 m) short of the objective and at the Eaucourt l'Abbaye–Warlencourt road. Touch was gained with the 23rd Division on the left. The 47th (1/2nd London) and 23rd divisions were relieved by the 9th Division (Major-General William Furse) and 15th (Scottish) Division (Major-General Frederick McCracken) from 8 11 October, preparatory to another attack.
7th October
Butte de WarlencourtThe first objective was set at Snag Trench, which ran across the east slope of a depression running north to Warlencourt. The 6th Bavarian Reserve Division held the area with the III Battalion, Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 16. In the centre the objective was 500 yd (460 m) distant, half way to the Butte. On the right the 1/8th London was stopped by massed machine-gun fire, as were the 1/15th London and the 1/7th London, which had been intended to leap-frog through to the final objective. In 1922, the 47th (1/2nd London) Division historian wrote how,
From across the valley the enemy had magnificent observation of the ground leading to our objective, and made full use of it... not a man turned back, and some got right up under the Butte, but they were not seen again.
— Alan Maude the attackers came under small-arms fire from Diagonal Trench but the 1/15th London and 1/8th London got forward on the right and dug in along a sunken road leading north-east from Eaucourt l'Abbaye to La Barque. A few outposts were established near the Le Barque road and on the right flank, touch was gained with the 41st Division.
To the left, companies of the 1/8th London, followed by the 1/7th London advanced down the slope, forward of the mill and were fired on from Diagonal Trench and by artillery and machine-gun fire sited in depth, to aim cross-fire along the western slopes up to the Butte and high ground to the south. From the far side of the valley, the ground leading to the British objectives was easily observed. Some of the attackers reached the Butte and disappeared and several local counter-attacks were made by Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 16. Parties dug in where they could and several posts were pushed out from the mill, to maintain contact with the 23rd Division, which had advanced along the main road and captured Le Sars. The 23rd Division sent patrols which gained a view of the Butte and the vicinity; at 3:40 p.m. the patrols reported that no Germans could be seen. The 140th Brigade lost many casualties and were relieved on the left flank by the 142nd Brigade but the 1/6th London in the advanced posts had to wait until the 142nd Brigade attack the next day.
On 8 October, a post was spotted halfway up the road towards the Butte by the crew of a British reconnaissance aircraft. The 142nd Brigade attacked Diagonal Trench again with the 1/21st London and the 1/22nd London, who crawled forward to rush the German garrison as soon as a one-minute hurricane bombardment lifted at 9:00 p.m. The 1/21st London advanced until about 200 yd (180 m) short of Diagonal Trench with no losses, then massed machine-gun fire inflicted many casualties; few troops reached the trench. On the left flank, three companies of the 1/22nd London reached the trench against slight opposition but enfilade fire from the right flank made the trench untenable once dawn broke. The survivors managed to dig advanced posts up to 100 yd (91 m) short of the objective and at the Eaucourt l'Abbaye–Warlencourt road. Touch was gained with the 23rd Division on the left. The 47th (1/2nd London) and 23rd divisions were relieved by the 9th Division (Major-General William Furse) and 15th (Scottish) Division (Major-General Frederick McCracken) from 8 11 October, preparatory to another attack.
