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Enlisted-Kensington

With an end to the fighting on the Eastern Front after the Russian Revolution, Germany was able to bring its troops from there to France and launch a series of offensives in the Spring of 1918, designed to bring the war to a swift conclusion. Four times between March and July they attacked in strength and on each occasion they broke through the British and French lines and made spectacular gains but in each case they over extended themselves and without adequate supplies keeping up with their rapid advances, they could go no further.

The first of these attacks, Operation Michael, was made on 21st March by 63 specially trained divisions, attacking along a 60 mile front held by 26 British divisions, many of them in a weakened state At 4.40am the German artillery opened up with the most ferocious and concentrated bombardment of the war, the likes of which the British had never experienced before. The Forward Zone, consisting mainly of individual posts was blown away. Very few of the men there made it back. Many were killed and many more were taken prisoner. The Battle Zone was also battered as were the British guns, firing from positions just to the rear. Brigade and Divisional HQs were targeted as well and then, from out of the thick mist came the German storm troopers. Moving fast, they skirted round the few remaining strongholds and penetrated deep into the British lines, including those of the Battle Zone, causing the utmost confusion. There were many cases of heroic stands being made but the relentless pressure forced the British back everywhere and there then began a general retreat that went on for two weeks and which ceded to the Germans a huge amount of territory, including all of that that had been won at such great cost during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

When the German attack was launched on 21st March, 1918, 34th Division were in the line from a position just north of Bullecourt to a little beyond the Sensee river and were not attacked until 11.30am because the German plan was to attack further south and then wheel north. Anticipating this, the 22nd Northumberland Fusiliers battalion 102 Brigade formed a flank along the Hog’s back which was instrumental in keeping the enemy at bay for much of the day. This was extended by a company of 25th Northumberland Fusiliers from reserve but not before the enemy had surrounded the HQs of the three battalions of the brigade. But the enemy continued to press despite this desperate and prolonged resistance and at 2pm they resumed their north-west attack, moving round the south of Longatte then towards the Hogs Back where they were held up by fire from the long trench system, “Croisilles Switch North’. The German infantry made three unsuccessful attacks against this line until reinforcements arrived after which they were able to move on. At 5pm what was left of 22nd Northumberland Fusiliers and 25th Northumberland Fusiliers made a fighting withdrawal to a temporary redoubt where they burnt all of their papers and then continued their retreat to the rear of the Battle Zone. At some stage during the day Albert Bew was killed.