Battle of Aubers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Aubers |
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| Part of the Second Battle of Artois on the Western Front of the First World War | |||||||
 Aubers Ridge and Festubert, 1915 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 German Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Sir John French |
 Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 9 May: 11,161 | 9 May: 902 (partial) | ||||||
The Battle of Aubers (also called the Battle of Aubers Ridge) was a major attack by British soldiers during World War I. It happened on May 9, 1915, on the Western Front in France. This battle was part of a bigger plan by the British and French armies. They wanted to push back the German forces.
The French army was attacking further south, trying to capture important high ground. The British army was supposed to attack at the same time. Their goal was to help the French by drawing away German troops. They also hoped to break through the German defenses near the village of Aubers.
However, the attack was a big failure for the British. They didn't gain any land and suffered many more losses than the Germans. This battle also caused a serious problem back home in Britain. It led to what was called the Shell Crisis of 1915. This was because the army didn't have enough artillery shells and other supplies.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
A Plan to Push Back
The Battle of Aubers was the first part of a larger attack planned by both the British and French armies. This bigger plan was known as the Second Battle of Artois. The main goal was to take advantage of Germany moving some of its troops to the Eastern Front. This meant there might be fewer German soldiers on the Western Front.
The French commander, Joseph Joffre, asked the British if they could help. He wanted British troops to support a French attack. The French hoped to capture important hills like Vimy Ridge.
British Role in the Attack
The British First Army was positioned further north. They were between the towns of La Bassée and Ypres in Belgium. It was decided that the British would attack in the southern part of their front line. This area was near the village of Laventie.
Their target was Aubers Ridge. This was a slightly higher area of ground, about 2 to 3 kilometers (1.2 to 1.9 miles) long. It included the villages of Aubers, Fromelles, and Le Maisnil. This area had been attacked before, just two months earlier, in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
Secret Tunnels
For this battle, special Royal Engineer tunnelling companies were used again. These soldiers dug tunnels under the "no man's land" between the armies. They placed mines (explosives) under the German defenses. The plan was to blow up these mines when the attack began.
German Defenses
Stronger Fortifications
After the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the Germans made their defenses much stronger. They knew that their old defenses weren't enough. They added more layers of barbed wire, making it two or three times thicker. Their breastworks (low walls of earth) were made much wider, from 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep to 15–20 feet (4.6–6.1 meters) wide. These defenses also had special turns and banks of earth to protect soldiers from behind.
Each German battalion had two machine guns. These guns were placed low to the ground and set up to fire across "no man's land." This meant they could sweep the area with bullets from the sides.
Second Line of Defense
The Germans also built a second line of breastworks. This was about 200 yards (180 meters) behind their front line. This second line had underground shelters where 20 to 30 soldiers could hide. Communication trenches connected the front line to this second line. These trenches were strongly built with concrete shelters. They could also be used to defend against any British soldiers who managed to break through.
This second line was far enough back that shells hitting the front line wouldn't affect it. The front breastwork became a line of lookout posts. The main group of soldiers stayed in the second line. They would move forward during an attack to hold the front line at all costs.
Machine Gun Posts and Artillery
About 700 to 1,000 yards (640 to 910 meters) behind the front breastwork, the Germans built a line of concrete machine-gun posts. These posts were about 1,000 yards (910 meters) apart. They were meant to be rallying points if the front position was broken.
The German artillery (big guns) was placed on Aubers Ridge. This was about 2,500 to 4,000 yards (2.3 to 3.7 kilometers) behind the front line. They also had a second line of gun positions further back. This allowed them to move their guns if needed until more soldiers arrived to counter-attack.
The Battle Begins
Problems for the British
The British army didn't have good information about how strong the German defenses had become. Or, if they did know, they didn't pay enough attention to it. The British attack didn't surprise the Germans at all.
The British artillery bombardment (shelling) was not strong enough. It failed to break the German barbed wire or destroy their breastworks. It also didn't knock out the German machine guns on the front line. German artillery could fire freely, and their reserve troops could move easily.
The way the British trenches were set up also caused problems. It was hard to move new soldiers to the front or to bring back wounded soldiers. The British artillery and their ammunition were in poor condition. The guns were worn out from overuse, and many shells were made badly. Soon, it became impossible to tell where British troops were, making it impossible to fire artillery accurately without hitting their own men.
Air Support
Eyes in the Sky
Three squadrons of the 1st Wing Royal Flying Corps (RFC), which was the British air force at the time, helped the First Army. For four days before the attack, they flew defensive patrols. Their job was to stop German planes from spying on British positions.
During the attack itself, the RFC planes had several tasks. They watched for artillery targets and flew reconnaissance missions to gather information. They also bombed German areas behind the lines, including railway junctions and bridges.
What Happened After
Soldier Losses
The Battle of Aubers was a very costly battle for the British. On May 9 alone, the British suffered 11,161 casualties (soldiers killed, wounded, or missing). The Germans, on the other hand, had far fewer losses, with about 902 casualties on that day.
For the entire Second Battle of Artois (which included Aubers), French losses were around 102,500 soldiers. British losses were about 32,000. German losses for the whole operation were around 73,072.
Awards for Bravery
Four soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross for their incredible bravery during the Battle of Aubers. The Victoria Cross is the highest award for bravery in the British military.
- David Finlay, from the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
- John Ripley, from the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
- Charles Sharpe, from the Lincolnshire Regiment
- James Upton, from the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment)
