Actions of the Hohenzollern Redoubt facts for kids

The Hohenzollern Redoubt battles were a series of fights during World War I on the Western Front. These battles happened from 13 to 19 October 1915, at a strong German fort called the Hohenzollern Redoubt (which means "Hohenzollern Work" in German) near Auchy-les-Mines in France. After the main Battle of Loos (25 September – 8 October 1915), British soldiers from the 9th (Scottish) Division managed to capture this important fort. However, they soon lost it again when German forces launched a strong counter-attack. A later British attack on 13 October didn't succeed and led to many soldiers being injured or killed, with 3,643 casualties in total, most of them in just the first few minutes. A historian named James Edmonds later wrote that the fighting during these days "had not improved the general situation in any way and had brought nothing but useless slaughter of infantry."

Quick facts for kids Action of the Hohenzollern Redoubt
Part of the Battle of Loos on the Western Front of the First World War
British trenches shown in blue, German in red, 13 October 1915.
Date 13–19 October 1915 Location Auchy-les-Mines, France 50°30′04″N 2°46′30″E / 50.501°N 2.775°E / 50.501; 2.775 Result German victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  France	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
John French Ferdinand Foch George Thesiger	Erich von Falkenhayn Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria General Kuntze
Units involved
9th and 46th divisions	117th Division and elements of several others
Casualties and losses
3,643	3,000 (partial)
The German 117th Division lost 6,572 casualties during the Battle of Loos.

Why the Battle Happened

German Defenses Get Stronger

In the summer of 1915, the German army worked hard to make their defenses even stronger. Their leader, General Erich von Falkenhayn, ordered them to build more trenches, communication tunnels, and strong points. He also wanted a second line of defense built about 2,000–3,000 yd (1.1–1.7 mi; 1.8–2.7 km) behind the main front. This was to make it harder for the enemy to attack.

Some German generals didn't like this idea at first. They thought it might make soldiers want to retreat instead of fighting. But after seeing how Allied artillery could destroy wide areas of trenches, they agreed. Building these strong defenses became a top priority.

Allied Plan to Attack

Leaders from France and Britain, Joffre and French, met in September to plan a big attack. They knew they had more soldiers on the Western Front than Germany, especially since many German troops were fighting on the Russian Front.

The Allies had also gotten more powerful cannons. They planned to use these cannons to bombard German defenses like never before. This huge attack would then allow their larger number of infantry (foot soldiers) to break through.

The main attack would be in an area called Champagne. Another attack would happen in Artois, led by the French Tenth Army and the British First Army. The British would attack on a 6-mile (9.7 km) front with many divisions. They even had cavalry (soldiers on horseback) ready to rush through if the German lines broke. The goal was to push the Germans back into open areas where the Allies' greater numbers would give them a huge advantage.

Getting Ready for Battle

British Preparations

An aerial photo of the Hohenzollern Redoubt in 1915, showing the trenches and landscape.

The British 9th (Scottish) Division got its artillery (cannons) ready. They had two groups of field artillery and a reserve. Engineers from the Royal Engineers also helped. They dug special tunnels called "Russian saps" towards the Hohenzollern Redoubt. The night before the attack, these tunnels were opened up and connected to create a new starting trench, only 150 yards (140 m) from the German fort.

British Attack Plan

Major-General George Thesiger led the 9th Division. Their plan was to attack with two brigades, the 26th Brigade and 28th Brigade. They would attack on a wide front of 1,500 yards (1,400 m). Their main targets were the German front trenches, a spoil-heap called "The Dump," and the Hohenzollern Redoubt itself.

"The Dump" was a 20-foot (6.1 m) high pile of mining waste. It was important because it gave a great view of the area. If the British captured it, they could see German positions far away. The plan was for the 26th Brigade to quickly take the Redoubt and The Dump. Then, other battalions would push towards a village called Haisnes. After securing these areas, the division would advance further to the German second line of defense.

German Defenses

The Hohenzollern Redoubt was a very strong German fort. It was built near mining areas with many pit-heads (called Fosses) and spoil-heaps (called Crassiers). "The Dump" was one of these spoil-heaps, and both sides had dug tunnels and machine-gun nests inside them.

The Hohenzollern Redoubt itself was about 300 yards (270 m) long and curved. It was connected to other trenches like "Big Willie" and "Little Willie." British planners thought it was the strongest defensive position on the entire front line. The German 117th Division had made even more improvements to the defenses in July.

The Battle Begins

First British Attacks (September–October)

On 25 September, the British 26th Brigade attacked at 6:30 a.m. They used gas and smoke to cover their advance. The gas didn't go far, and some British soldiers were accidentally poisoned. However, the smoke helped hide their first wave of attack.

The soldiers on the right side managed to get through the German wire, which had been cut well. They quickly entered the German trenches, facing little resistance. They pushed forward, taking trenches and reaching "Fosse Trench" by 7:00 a.m. They continued towards "Fosse 8," nearby cottages, and The Dump. By 7:30 a.m., the British had reached "Three Cabarets" and "Corons Trench" east of the fosse.

The soldiers on the left side waited for the gas and smoke to clear, then advanced at 6:40 a.m. They faced heavy fire from a German strongpoint called "Madagascar (Mad) Point." Many soldiers were lost. However, they managed to enter "Little Willie" trench. The Germans at Mad Point then focused their fire on another British brigade, giving the left-hand battalion time to reach "Fosse Trench" by 7:10 a.m.

By 7:45 a.m., they reached "Three Cabarets" and "Corons de Pekin" north of The Dump. They had many casualties. The British were ordered to dig in and strengthen "Corons Trench" to protect "Fosse 8." They couldn't advance further because another British division to the north had been pushed back.

Consolidating the trenches was hard because the Germans had flooded "Corons Trench" with knee-deep water. British soldiers and engineers had to dig steps above the water. German machine-gun fire from nearby trenches caused more casualties. German artillery also fired on the area until British howitzers forced them to stop. By 10:30 a.m., the British had secured The Dump, the fosse, and "Corons De Pekin."

The 28th Division was sent to help hold the line against German counter-attacks. A quarter of their men were killed in the following week. Their commander, Major-General Edward Bulfin, later called the constant fighting a "nightmare."

German Counter-Attacks

A German attack on 29 September failed because they didn't have enough hand grenades. By this time, most of the fighting in other parts of the Battle of Loos had ended. By 3 October, the British had been pushed back almost to where they started, losing thousands of lives.

On 8 October, the British Guards Division managed to stop a German attack by the 123rd and 117th divisions. German artillery fire was not accurate due to fog, and their infantry were stopped by uncut wire and strong British defenses. The German attackers lost 3,000 casualties.

On 13 October, the fresh 46th (North Midland) Division attacked after releasing a cloud of gas. However, the gas had little effect because of strong winds and bright sunlight. The British artillery support was also very weak due to a lack of ammunition. This attack also failed, and the division lost 3,643 casualties, mostly in the first ten minutes.

What Happened Next

Casualties

The battles around the Hohenzollern Redoubt were very costly.

• The British 9th Division lost 6,058 soldiers.
• The 46th (North Midland) Division lost 3,763 men.
• The Guards Division had 2,115 casualties during the Battle of Loos.
• On 8 October, the German 123rd and 117th divisions lost 3,000 soldiers.
• During the entire Battle of Loos, the German 117th Division suffered 6,572 casualties.

Later Operations

Over the winter, British engineers from the 170th Tunnelling Company dug many tunnels under the German lines in the Hohenzollern Redoubt area. This area had changed hands many times since September 1915. By March 1916, the Germans had a clear view of British positions from a spoil heap called Fosse 8. The area between the two armies had become a field of craters from previous mine explosions.

The British 12th (Eastern) Division was chosen to attack and capture these craters. They hoped to gain a better view of German defenses and stop German mine attacks. On 2 March, four large British mines exploded. British infantry then captured the new craters and some German-held ones. They even found the main entrance to the German mine tunnels and destroyed it.

German counter-attacks focused on getting back "Triangle Crater," which they recaptured on 4 March. The British tried to take it back on 6 March but failed. British tunnellers then got into the German tunnel system and destroyed it on 12 March, which stopped the threat of another German mine attack.

However, on 18 March, the Germans surprised the British with five new mines. This attack was almost as successful as the British attack on 2 March. It pushed the British back to their original front line. After some local counter-attacks, both sides ended up holding the edges of the craters. A British general suggested that trying to hold the craters themselves was too dangerous, as they were "death traps" against artillery fire.

Victoria Cross Heroes

The Victoria Cross is the highest award for bravery in the British military. The following soldiers received this award for their actions at the Hohenzollern Redoubt:

• 13 October 1915: Corporal James Lennox Dawson (from the Royal Engineers).
• 14 October 1915: Captain Geoffrey Vickers (from The Sherwood Foresters).
• 27 September 1915: Corporal James Dalgleish Pollock (from the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders).

Order of Battle

See Also

• Battle of Loos

Images for kids

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  British trenches shown in blue, German in red, 13 October 1915.

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  An aerial photo of the Hohenzollern Redoubt in 1915, showing the trenches and landscape.