Lives of the First World War

16th (Service) Battalion (1st City) Manchester Regiment. (126th Infantry Brigade 42nd Division). Died of wounds 21st March 1918 (“Operation Micheal” the German Spring offensive in Picardy) German Spring Offensive March 21st-April 5th, 1918. 21st-23rd Battle of St Quentin. 24th-25th Action of the Somme Crossings. 24th-25th March 1st Battle of Bapaume. 28th March 1st Battle of Arras. 26th-27th March Battle of Rosiers. 5th April battle of the Avre. At 4.30am in thick fog on March 21st 1918 a sudden bombardment by over 5,000 guns heralded an attack along a 40 mile against the right of the British Third Army under Byng and the Fifth Army under General Gough. An overwhelming force of 71 enemy divisions many liberated following the collapse on the Russian Front attacked 26 British divisions. 14 Infantry Divisions of Byng’s Third Army front of 26 miles and 3 Cavalry and 12 Infantry Divisions on Gough’s Fifth Army front. The Fifth Army bore the brunt of this attack Ludendorf’s aim was to drive a wedge between the British and French armies by thrusting on Amiens. In thick fog the forward redoubts were quickly isolated by storm troopers who penetrated the battle zone and threatened the flanks A retreat of up to 40 miles ensued over the following 10 days as the situation became extremely serious with losses in men and material on a colossal scale. Both sides reached a state of exhaustion. The enemy had committed its reserves and out ran its supplies, and the momentum of the offensive was lost, a huge salient had now been created Many fresh British divisions were rushed into the area and the situation was stabilised. General Gough was blamed for the Fifth Army debacle and was sacked by Haigh who was put under political pressure. (formerly 32831 Queen’s Royal West Surrey). Poziers Memorial to the Fith Army ‘Missing’ Ovillers-la-Boiselle, Somme, France. Panels 64-67. On Crewkerne's war memorial.

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