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The Battle of Cambrai

This was a major British offensive on the Western Front that was launched on 20th November, 1917 and lasted through to the beginning of December. As the name suggests it was an attack towards the city of Cambrai and the important German railhead there, which it was hoped would be captured. The battle was notable for two things: the massed use of tanks for the first time and the success of the first day’s fighting when the formidable Hindenburg Line was breached and gains of five miles were made in places. In celebration the church bells throughout Britain were rung. However this success was short lived. The tanks were not reliable and the German defence stiffened as the fighting progressed and when they counter attacked in force on 30th November, the British came under so much pressure that they were forced to withdraw from many of the positions they had captured earlier on. Both sides suffered around 45,000 casualties during the course of the fighting.

 The initial success at Cambrai was short-lived. German resistance stiffened as fresh troops were rushed to the battlefield to help stem the allied advance, the threat from the tanks diminished as many of them broke down and on 30th November came a major offensive by the enemy who advanced three miles capturing  6,000 British prisoners and 158 guns.  Their combination of gas shells and low flying aircraft proved as effective as tanks but the British managed to regroup and hold a new line.

On the line held by 55th Division in front of Épehy, 165 and 166 Brigades were in the front line and were soon under attack. In response to this 164 Brigade moved forward from reserve and by 11am the 4th Royal Lancaster battalion had passed Epéhy, pushed on north-east and dug in 500 yards behind the refused flank still held by the heavily engaged survivors of 166 Brigade Other units, including the divisional engineers, the 422nd Field Company, arrived to extend this new defensive line but eventually all of 55th Division were forced to fall back, ceding territory that had been won at the start of the battle. Among the many casualties inflicted on the division on this day was Bert Reed a sapper in the 422nd Field Company, Royal Engineers.