Battle of Guillemont
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Guillemont was a British
assault on the German
-held village of Guillemont
during the 1916 Battle of the Somme
. Guillemont lay on the right flank of the British sector where it linked with French
forces and by holding it, the Germans prevented the Allied armies from operating in unison.
Guillemont came in range of British forces following the Battle of Bazentin Ridge
on 14 July and it was subjected to a number of costly attacks in late July and August. This sector contained a number of German strongpoints — Delville Wood
, Falfemont Farm, the villages of Guillemont, Combles
and Maurepas
— each providing protection for the other.
On 18 August a combined British-French offensive was launched on the sector with three British corps
attacking around Guillemont while the French attacked Maurepas. The British managed to seize Guillemont Station but otherwise failed to reach their objectives.
The decisive attack came on 3 September with the British 20th (Light) Division and 47 Brigade of the 16th (Irish) Division capturing Guillemont while the British 5th Division advanced on the right, eventually taking Falfemont Farm on 5 September. German units fought to the death in the frontline trenches until overwhelmed. Fusilier Regiment 73 of Lieutenant
Ernst Jünger
was involved in the defence of Guillemont and in his memoirs, Storm of Steel
, he describes the dreadful conditions the Germans had to endure. Regiment 73's history states : "Nobody from 3rd Company can provide a report - all the men were killed, as was every officer". There were 5 survivors of 5th Company Infantry Regiment 76.
The capture of Guillemont weakened the German hold on this sector. Delville Wood
was finally secured and the neighbouring village of Ginchy
fell relatively quickly to the 16th (Irish) Division on 9 September. By 15 September the British were in a position to mount their next major offensive on a broad front — the Battle of Flers-Courcelette
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
assault on the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-held village of Guillemont
Guillemont
Guillemont is a commune roughly 8 miles east of Albert in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It, like much of the surrounding area, is primarily an agricultural community, but is known for its large cemetery, which has become a tourist attraction...
during the 1916 Battle of the Somme
Battle of the Somme (1916)
The Battle of the Somme , also known as the Somme Offensive, took place during the First World War between 1 July and 14 November 1916 in the Somme department of France, on both banks of the river of the same name...
. Guillemont lay on the right flank of the British sector where it linked with French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
forces and by holding it, the Germans prevented the Allied armies from operating in unison.
Guillemont came in range of British forces following the Battle of Bazentin Ridge
Battle of Bazentin Ridge
The Battle of Bazentin Ridge, launched by the British Fourth Army at dawn on 14 July 1916, marked the start of the second phase of the Battle of the Somme. Dismissed beforehand by one French commander as "an attack organized for amateurs by amateurs", it turned out to be "hugely successful" for...
on 14 July and it was subjected to a number of costly attacks in late July and August. This sector contained a number of German strongpoints — Delville Wood
Delville Wood
The Battle of Delville Wood was one of the early engagements in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in the First World War. It took place between 14 July and 3 September, between the armies of the German Empire and allied British and South African forces...
, Falfemont Farm, the villages of Guillemont, Combles
Combles
Combles is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Combles is situated on the D20 road, some northeast of Amiens.-History:...
and Maurepas
Maurepas, Somme
Maurepas is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Maurepas is situated on the D146 road, some northeast of Amiens, about a mile from the A1 autoroute.-Population:-External links:*...
— each providing protection for the other.
On 18 August a combined British-French offensive was launched on the sector with three British corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
attacking around Guillemont while the French attacked Maurepas. The British managed to seize Guillemont Station but otherwise failed to reach their objectives.
The decisive attack came on 3 September with the British 20th (Light) Division and 47 Brigade of the 16th (Irish) Division capturing Guillemont while the British 5th Division advanced on the right, eventually taking Falfemont Farm on 5 September. German units fought to the death in the frontline trenches until overwhelmed. Fusilier Regiment 73 of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Ernst Jünger
Ernst Jünger
Ernst Jünger was a German writer. In addition to his novels and diaries, he is well known for Storm of Steel, an account of his experience during World War I. Some say he was one of Germany's greatest modern writers and a hero of the conservative revolutionary movement following World War I...
was involved in the defence of Guillemont and in his memoirs, Storm of Steel
Storm of Steel
Storm of Steel is the memoir of German officer Ernst Jünger's experiences on the Western Front during the First World War. It was originally printed privately in 1920, making it one of the first personal accounts to be published. The book is a graphic account of trench warfare...
, he describes the dreadful conditions the Germans had to endure. Regiment 73's history states : "Nobody from 3rd Company can provide a report - all the men were killed, as was every officer". There were 5 survivors of 5th Company Infantry Regiment 76.
The capture of Guillemont weakened the German hold on this sector. Delville Wood
Delville Wood
The Battle of Delville Wood was one of the early engagements in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in the First World War. It took place between 14 July and 3 September, between the armies of the German Empire and allied British and South African forces...
was finally secured and the neighbouring village of Ginchy
Ginchy
Ginchy is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Ginchy is situated on the D20 road, some northeast of Amiens.-Population:-External links:*...
fell relatively quickly to the 16th (Irish) Division on 9 September. By 15 September the British were in a position to mount their next major offensive on a broad front — the Battle of Flers-Courcelette
Battle of Flers-Courcelette
The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, was a battle within the Franco-British Somme Offensive which took place in the summer and autumn of 1916. Launched on the 15th of September 1916 the battle went on for one week. Flers-Courcelette began with the overall objective of cutting a hole in the German...
.