Loss of the Kink Salient facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Loss of the Kink Salient |
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| Part of Local operations December 1915 – June 1916 Western Front, First World War | |||||||
 Lens–La Bassée area |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Germany |
 Britain |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| General Erich von Falkenhayn | Douglas Haig | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 2 battalions | 2 battalions | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 71 (incomplete) | 935 135 taken prisoner |
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The Loss of the Kink Salient was a battle during the First World War. It happened on May 11, 1916, near Loos in France. German soldiers attacked a part of the British front line known as the Kink. This area was very important on the Western Front.
The German attack started with a huge bombing. This destroyed the British trenches. German special forces then rushed in and captured the first and second lines of defense. British tunnel builders were caught underground and taken prisoner.
The British tried to fight back quickly. But it was dark, smoky, and dusty. Their cannons could not see where to shoot. The British guns kept firing at the old German lines. Later, a planned counter-attack happened at night. It made some progress but was stopped. A final try to get the land back on May 14 also failed. The British then made a new defense line further back. This new line was safer than the Kink.
Contents
The Battle of the Kink Salient
What Happened Before?
The Loos Battle (1915)
The Battle of Loos happened in 1915. It was part of a bigger attack by French armies. The British attack started on September 25. Soldiers advanced behind a cloud of gas. This was because they did not have enough artillery shells.
British troops captured an area called the Hohenzollern Redoubt and Fosse 8. A "redoubt" is a small fort. "Fosse 8" was a mining area. German soldiers fought back and retook some land. The British tried to get it back but failed.
By October 3, the Hohenzollern Redoubt was lost again. The British tried another attack on October 13. They took the redoubt but could not hold it. They had to pull back. This attack was very costly for the British. Many soldiers were hurt or killed.
Fighting in 1916
After the 1915 battle, the British held only the west side of the Hohenzollern Redoubt. German forces kept bombing and digging tunnels. The ground was made of clay and chalk. When mines exploded, they created big holes called craters. These craters were good places to watch the enemy.
The Germans recaptured some trenches. This left the British on lower ground. British tunnel builders, the 170th Tunnelling Company, dug deep tunnels. In February, they placed three mines under German tunnels. On March 2, these mines exploded. They created new craters.
British soldiers took over these new craters. But the Germans fought back. They retook one crater on March 4. Fighting continued in heavy snow. By March 18, the Germans blew five more mines. They pushed the British back to their old front line. Both sides found the craters hard to defend. The ground was muddy and offered little protection.
The "Kink" Area
After the fighting in March 1916, the British front line near Fosse 8 became a "salient." A "salient" is a part of the battle line that sticks out into enemy territory. This salient was called the Kink. It was about 400 yards (365 meters) wide.
The Kink was on a slight slope. It was overlooked by the Hohenzollern Redoubt and Fosse 8. Many mine craters were in "no man's land," the area between the two armies. Both sides occupied these craters. The Kink was constantly bombed by German cannons. Many British soldiers thought it was the worst place on the Western Front.
British tunnel builders eventually gained control over the German miners. By late April, they had recaptured most of the craters. The British kept their old front line as a backup. They also had a reserve line further back.
Getting Ready for Battle
German Plans
German soldiers from the 3rd Bavarian Division took over the area on April 1. They found the ground opposite the Kink difficult. It was a narrow crater field with no clear view of the British lines. The British held most craters. This meant they could sneak up and dig new tunnels.
The German defenses were too close to Fosse 8, a German observation point. Because of this, the 3rd Bavarian Division decided to attack. They wanted to remove the British threat. Two battalions of soldiers were chosen for the attack.
For weeks, the soldiers practiced. They dug many shelters to hide in during the bombing. They practiced getting in and out quickly. Each soldier knew where to go through the barbed wire. The attack was planned for 6:00 p.m. Special teams would lead the way. They carried wire cutters, shovels, and ladders. Other waves of soldiers followed with tools and building materials. Each leader wore a white board to keep units together. After some delays due to weather, the soldiers moved into position.
British Defenses
The 15th (Scottish) Division took over the Kink area on April 27. German bombing and trench mortar fire increased. On May 1, the Germans blew a small mine. On May 5, another mine exploded. The British thought these were just for improving German defenses.
German machine-gun fire increased at night. The British were trying to secure the craters in no man's land. This led the British to bomb the German trenches on May 6. After this, German artillery fire returned to normal.
By May 11, the 15th (Scottish) Division held the front line. Two brigades, the 46th and 45th, were in charge. The 46th Brigade was on the right. The 45th Brigade was on the left. Other battalions were kept in reserve.
The Attack Begins
The Main Attack (May 11)
At 4:00 p.m. on May 11, German cannons began firing. They targeted the front line of the 15th (Scottish) Division. At 4:25 p.m., the shelling hit the Kink area. The British cannons fired back. But dust and smoke made it impossible to see.
The British commander ordered his reserve soldiers to get ready. At 5:00 p.m., the Germans blew a mine near the Hohenzollern Redoubt. German shelling on the Kink lessened, but increased at the redoubt. British cannons also changed targets. A German infantry attack was stopped by British cannons and rifle fire.
German shelling on the Kink increased again at 5:45 p.m. It was one of the biggest bombardments of the war on such a small area. Villages and cannon positions behind the front line were hit with powerful explosive and gas shells.
The British soldiers in the first line were killed or badly hurt. The ground became a field of shell holes. The battalion headquarters was hit, killing or wounding everyone inside. This left no one in charge.
At 6:00 p.m., German soldiers moved forward. They used the craters for cover. They quickly overwhelmed the few British survivors. The attackers then took Anchor Trench, just behind the front line. The remaining British soldiers retreated.
The German attackers went too far at first. They almost reached the British third line in the dark. They were called back to their main target, the British second line. They captured the entrances to British mine tunnels. Thirty-nine British tunnel builders were taken prisoner.
British cannons kept firing at the crater field and the German front line. But telephone wires were cut. It was impossible to see in the smoke. So, the British cannons kept firing at the wrong place. The German soldiers were able to make their new positions stronger without being disturbed.
British counter-attacks began. But they failed against German machine-gun fire. The British commander stopped these small attacks. He planned a bigger counter-attack with cannon support for 9:30 p.m. Most of the attackers were shot down by machine guns. Some reached the west end of Hussar Horn.
At 3:00 a.m. on May 12, the British gave up. They set up a new front line in Sackville Street. Engineers helped make this new line strong.
Later Fighting (May 12-14)
From May 12 to 14, German cannons continued to fire heavily on the Kink area. Many trenches were destroyed, and men were buried.
On May 14, another British counter-attack was made at 6:40 p.m. Soldiers tried to capture a trench called Boyau 99. This was east of Anchor Trench. The attack was planned to start after a British bombing.
But the British bombing was weak. Within ten minutes, German cannons fired back. The British soldiers pulled back to avoid being hit by their own shells. When they returned, the heavy German shelling moved further back.
The British attack began at 6:45 p.m. They moved across "no man's land," which was about 200 yards (180 meters) wide. The soldiers had been under German fire for 90 minutes. They moved as fast as they could.
When the Scots attacked, they found Germans already waiting. The Germans had moved up and were ready. The British soldiers reached Boyau 99 but were forced out by German cannons and trench mortars.
Another attack was ordered for 10:30 p.m. But it took too long to get ready. The attack was canceled. The soldiers were told to make their positions strong before dawn.
The British commander decided to stop trying to get the lost land back. Even though the Germans had improved their positions, the new British line was better. It was safer than the exposed lines at the Kink. The army commander agreed with this decision.
The Aftermath
How Many Were Hurt?
The 15th (Scottish) Division had 935 casualties from May 11 to 15. The Germans said they took 135 prisoners. The 13th Royal Scots lost 242 men. Of these, 152 were missing and likely buried by German shelling. The 170th Tunnelling Company lost 61 men.
The German II Battalion, Infantry Regiment 18, had 71 casualties. Most of these happened on May 12. The number of casualties for the I Battalion, Infantry Regiment 23, is not known.
