One hundred years ago, in mid-July the first two weeks of Anglo-French offensive operations in the Battle of the Somme had come to a conclusion. Although mainly considered a British offensive, which had begun with an intense week-long bombardment of German heavily-fortified defensive bunkers, and had little impact by the time soldiers left their trenches on 01 July 1916, the attack was actually a two-pronged approach: the British advancing in the north and the French in the south.
Upon commencing, the French Sixth army and the right wing of the British Fourth Army inflicted a considerable defeat on the German 2nd Army - but, as we now know, from the Albert-Bapaume road to Gommecourt the British attack was a disaster, and thus (against General Joffre's wishes) General Haig abandoned the offensive north of the road to reinforce their successes, where forces continued to press forward.
Heavy fighting to capture Trônes Wood, Mametz Wood and Contalmaison took place until 14 July, when the Battle of Bazentin Ridge began. However, ill-prepared German reinforcements had now reached the front and were thrown into the battle and suffered many casualties against Allied troops who were unfamiliar with the ground and lacking both adequate reconnaissance and artillery support.
The Battle of Bazentin Ridge, which ran for three days, comprised part of the second phase of the Somme Offensive, was launched primarily by twelve battalions of the Allied Reserve Army, with Rawlinson's Fourth Army providing a further battalion, on a front extending from Longueval to Bazentin-le-Petit Wood.
Having established a position at Bazentin-le-Petit, British infantry commanders found a "gap" - High Wood - in the German line and in the morning sought permission to move. Incredibly, leaders in the rear decided it was an ideal use for their cavalry, in fact a squadron from each of the 7th Dragoon Guards and the 20th Deccan Horse of the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division, who they believed could move more quickly than infantry - and possibly break through to Bapaume.
During the several hours it took to send their mounted units forward, German defenders had moved back into the area, and when the cavalry finally charged forward at sunset, they were met with decimating machine gun fire. Upon hearing of their losses and failure of their attack, and while their forces were still trying to secure a line under heavy fire inside the wood - duly preparing for an attack the following day - British headquarters instead ordered an attack at Martinpuich in the north.
It was not successful, and the consequences for the attacking 33rd Division were devastating. The 1/9th Highland Light Infantry of the 33rd Division had attacked in the early morning on 15 July, with three platoons advancing on the west side of High Wood - and facing concentrated machine-gun fire, their attack was repulsed.
Later that evening the British withdrew, yet the British Fourth Army and the German 2nd Army and 1st Army fought for control of the wood from 14 July – 15 September.
The 33rd Division attacked again at dusk on 19 July, and pushed toward the wood from Bazentin-le-Petit while two battalions of the 19th Brigade crept forward on 20 July, during a bombardment and attacked when it lifted at 3:25am, and managed to get into the wood. During the afternoon of the 21 July, another battalion went forward and reached the northern fringe of the wood.
Due to the number of British casualties, two more battalions were sent forward as reinforcements but as dark fell a German bombardment forced the British from the north end of the wood, which was reoccupied by German troops near Foureaux Riegel (known to the British as the Switch Line) and both sides dug in. Then, during renewed relentless fighting for High Wood, with the 5th Division and 7th Division attacking to the east, the 51st (Highland) Division relieved the 33rd Division after dark.
