An Attempted Breakout on the Western Front
In the autumn of 1915 the British and the French planned more huge attacks on the Germans. This time at Champagne, near Rheims, by the French. A combined attack by the British and French on either side of Lens, and one by the British at Loos.
These attacks were designed to create a general offensive along the Western Front, cause the Germans to retreat and, according to French General Joffre “possibly end the war”.
This plan was not readily agreed to by all concerned. In fact General Haig was dead against it. He suggested he needed 36 Divisions to do the job. He had nine. The ground the soldiers were to attack over was bare and the Germans had planned their defences well. Not only that the British Artillery was badly outnumbered. With Trench Warfare being relatively new to all, how to attack and win against well entrenched troops was a problem. A successful attack would need an element of surprise and a very intense artillery bombardment. Bang goes the surprise! With artillery there would be no surprise and with the condition of no-mans-land the attack would therefore be suicidal.
Nevertheless the attack was ordered. At 0630 hours on 25 September after an Artillery bombardment and gas attack. The gas was ineffective due to the fluky nature of breezes on the day. Men of the London Regiment dribbled a soccer ball across no-mans-land and Piper Peter Laidlaw of the Kings Own Borderers marched back and forth across front of his comrades playing Scotland the Brave on his bagpipes. Piper Laidlaw was awarded the Victoria Cross for this action. Despite this bravery there was no breakthrough. The six British Divisions had little impact on the two German Divisions they were attacking. On the next day, 10,000 British Reserves advanced slowly across no-mans-land presenting a perfect target for German Machine Gunners and Artillery. In a matter of three and a half hours 8000 soldiers lay dead or wounded in front of the German Trenches. After this savage defeat Field Marshal Sir John French was replaced by General Haig.
