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The Battle of Loos

This battle, fought by the British Army from 25th September, 1915 through to 13th October, was conducted along a six-and-a-half-mile front running north from the mining village of Loos on the outskirts of Lens in Northern France. It was the largest offensive carried out by the British so far in the war. The opening day involved an attack by six divisions, with others entering the fray as it progressed and it was part of a much wider offensive with the French launching their own attacks in Champagne and at Vimy. It was the first time that the British used gas during the war, despite their condemnation of the Germans for doing the same in April 1915. There were some encouraging results on the first day but no major breakthrough was achieved and in the successive days the offensive became mired in trench warfare. By mid-October the battle had petered out with the British having suffered over 60,000 casualties during its course.

On 25th September, 1915, 47th (2nd London) Division  attacked on the right of the British line with French troops holding a passive front in front of Lens on their right. They held a 2500 yard front and had as their objectives the great dumps of Fosse 11 and Fosse 12, the Double Crassier and the Loos Crassier.  The waste from these pits had been shot into the valley rather than built up into a pyramid, forming two high embankments.  The Double Crassier was two 1200 yard long embankments about 100 feet high.  The Loos Crassier was one 800 yard embankment, 150 feet high.  At the north end of the Loos Crassier were the two lattice girder wheel houses. ‘Loos Pylon’ & ‘Tower Bridge’. The gas travelled well in this sector and there was also lots of smoke which concealed the advance. 

On the left,  141 Brigade had one assault battalion, 18th London (London Irish Rifles) with 20th London  (Blackheath & Woolwich) following up on their right and 19th London (St Pancras) likewise on their left.  18th London attacked at zero hour and soon reached the Loos Defences trenches south of the cemetery.  They were shallow and still wired but unmanned and at this stage 19th London and 20th London passed through to continue the attack.  20th London soon occupied ‘Garden City’ and then moved right to Chalk Pit Copse and Chalk Pit.  The pit with its two field guns was captured after a hand grenade attack but the southern end of the copse was well defended and the Germans held out here. At 9.30am, 20th London were reinforced by one company and the machine guns  of 17th London (Poplar & Stepney Rifles).  The rest of 17th London moved up to a German communication trench to link 20th London with 18th London.  By now 20th London had a platoon astride the Loos Crassier. 

The following day, 26th September, 1915, 19th London and 20th London remained in these positions astride the Loos Crassier and on the right of Hill 70, ignoring an order to withdraw passed on to them by 15th Division, knowing that two battalions of 6 Cavalry Brigade were on their way up to reinforce them. When the enemy launched a counter attack against the Loos Crasier, the two London battalions managed to hold them off.