Capture of Gueudecourt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Capture of Gueudecourt |
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| Part of the Battle of the Somme, First World War | |||||||
 Battle of the Somme 1 July – 18 November 1916 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Britain |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Douglas Haig | Crown Prince Rupprecht | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1 division | 2 regiments | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| part of 4,152 (16 September – 1 October) |
incomplete 370 prisoners |
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The Capture of Gueudecourt was an important event during the First World War. It happened on 26 September 1916, as part of the larger Battle of the Somme. Gueudecourt is a small village in France. It was a key location because of its position on a main road.
German troops had passed through Gueudecourt in 1914 during the First Battle of Albert. This was when both sides tried to outflank each other in what was called the Race to the Sea. The village became quiet until 1916. Then, the Germans built strong defenses there. This was in preparation for a big attack by British and French forces on the Somme front.
During the Battle of Flers–Courcelette (15–22 September), German forces were pushed back. They retreated to a strong defense line called the Gird Trenches, which were in front of Gueudecourt. At the Battle of Morval (25–28 September), the British tried to capture the village but were stopped. The next day, a combined attack by soldiers, planes, and a tank forced the German defenders to surrender. The British then took control of Gueudecourt. British cavalry tried to advance further but were stopped by German machine-guns.
Later, Gueudecourt was used as a starting point for more attacks. In 1918, the village was lost again to a German offensive. It was finally recaptured on 28 August by the 17th (Northern) Division.
Contents
Background to the Battle
1914: Early Movements
In September 1914, during the "Race to the Sea," French forces attacked north of the Somme River. This forced German troops to quickly pull back. As more German units arrived, they advanced through several villages, including near Gueudecourt. German forces pushed back French soldiers, trying to reach the sea. They attacked towards Albert and Amiens, aiming to control the Somme valley.
1916: Preparing for Battle
In July 1916, British planes flew over the German defenses near Gueudecourt. They saw that the defenses were very strong but not yet fully manned. On 15 September, a British tank drove towards Gueudecourt. The German soldiers there ran away, but the tank was hit and caught fire.
Planning the Attack
British Strategy
The British planned to advance to their final goal from earlier attacks. This goal was on the east side of Bazentin ridge. The attack would happen in three stages. Each stage aimed to capture specific trench lines and parts of the village.
The first stage began at 12:35 p.m. It aimed for the Gird Trenches south of Gueudecourt. The second stage, at 1:35 p.m., aimed for a line through the center of Gueudecourt. The final stage, at 2:35 p.m., aimed for the eastern side of the village. All objectives were to be reached by 3:00 p.m.
Tanks were kept ready to help capture the villages. However, the open ground near Gueudecourt was thought to be too dangerous for tanks. British cavalry units were also prepared to advance once Gueudecourt was captured. The British decided to attack in the afternoon, following the French preference. This meant the final bombing would happen in daylight.
The 21st Division was given the task of capturing Gueudecourt. They would advance through the Gird Trenches and then into the village. The soldiers of the 21st Division were tired, and some even tried to report sick before the attack.
German Defenses
In early September, the German commander, Crown Prince Rupprecht, realized his troops needed frequent breaks. He moved fresh divisions to the Somme front. After a change in German leadership, new orders were given to strengthen the Somme front. They also decided to use a more flexible defense strategy. This meant not defending every small piece of ground.
After the Battle of Flers–Courcelette, new German divisions took over the defenses around Gueudecourt. The Gird Trench and Gird Support Trench were dug about 500 yards apart. These trenches were built to defend against an attack from the southwest. Other fortified points like Seven Dials and Luisenhof Farm protected the village from different directions.
The Battle for Gueudecourt
September 25: Initial Attack
The 21st Division attacked the German lines. The Germans had expected the attack earlier, so the British achieved some surprise. However, two British battalions were stopped by uncut barbed wire at the Gird Trench. German machine-guns fired heavily, causing many casualties. Most of the surviving soldiers had to hide in shell-holes.
The Germans had moved many of their machine-guns back from the front line. This helped them fire on the British from a distance. One British battalion, the 1st Lincoln Regiment, was heavily shelled as it moved forward. It was stopped before reaching its goal. Other British units tried to attack but faced strong German fire.
Some British soldiers managed to get into a trench called Goat Trench. Others held a small part of the Gird Trench. However, communication was difficult, and many message runners were wounded. This meant the British headquarters received wrong information. They mistakenly thought Gueudecourt had already fallen.
September 26: The Capture
Two British tanks were meant to help the attack on the Gird Trench. One tank was damaged, but the other moved forward. It drove along a path called Pilgrim's Way, firing into the Gird Trench. British soldiers followed, attacking the German defenders.
British planes overhead saw that the Germans were trapped in a 500-yard section of the trench. The planes directed artillery fire onto the trench. After the bombing, the planes flew low and fired their machine-guns. This caused 370 German soldiers to surrender. Most of these prisoners were from the 52nd Reserve Division.
British soldiers then occupied the Gird Trenches. Cavalry patrols were sent to explore the area around Gueudecourt. Around noon, a squadron of cavalry advanced towards the village. They were met with German artillery and machine-gun fire.
However, British soldiers from the 110th Brigade entered the village from the southwest. Other troops entered from the northwest. They engaged German soldiers with small-arms fire. By 4:30 p.m., the 6th Leicester regiment entered the village. German forces were seen advancing from Thilloy, but British artillery stopped them.
The cavalry pulled back around 6:00 p.m. The Leicester regiment began to dig in on the eastern edge of the village. Other British units also moved forward and dug new front lines. By 10:00 p.m., the British had secured their positions along the Gueudecourt–Le Transloy road.
Aftermath of the Battle
Casualties
The 21st Division suffered 4,152 casualties between 16 September and 1 October. The number of German casualties is not fully known. However, 370 German soldiers surrendered during the capture of Gueudecourt on 26 September.
Later Operations
After the Battle of Morval, the 21st Division was replaced by the 12th (Eastern) Division. In the Battle of Le Transloy, British forces tried to push further beyond Gueudecourt. However, they gained only a few hundred yards. This was despite several planned attacks in October.
The furthest the British advanced during the Battle of the Somme was about 6 miles. This was to the foot of the Butte de Warlencourt and just east of Gueudecourt. By November, the British were digging in for winter. Attacks became less frequent, but artillery fire continued. German counter-attacks were often canceled due to a lack of troops.
During the winter of 1916–1917, the area around Gueudecourt was considered one of the worst parts of the Somme front.
1918: Recapture
Gueudecourt was lost to a German offensive on 24 March 1918. However, it was recaptured for the last time on 28 August. This was done by the 17th Division during the Second Battle of Bapaume.
Commemoration
Gueudecourt Memorial
The Gueudecourt Memorial is located about 1 kilometer northeast of the village. It stands on what was the British front line on 17 November 1916. This was the final day of the British offensive at the Somme.
A preserved trench line is visible behind the caribou statue at the memorial. This area was captured by Newfoundland troops from the Germans on 12 October 1916. The memorial marks the furthest point that British units advanced during the Battle of the Somme.
Images for kids
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Map of the vicinity of Gueudecourt (commune FR insee code 80314)
