Lochnagar mine
Encyclopedia
The Lochnagar mine was an explosive-packed mine created by the Royal Engineer tunnelling companies
, located south of the village of La Boisselle in the Somme
département of France
, which was detonated at 7:28 am on 1 July 1916, the first day
of the Battle of the Somme
. The Lochnagar mine, along with a neighbouring mine north of the village known as the Y Sap mine, contained 24 tons
of ammonal
. At the time these mines were the largest ever detonated.
The explosion was witnessed from the air by 2nd Lieutenant C.A. Lewis
of No. 3 Squadron RFC:
Some of the British infantry waiting in no man's land
were struck by falling debris and one man, having braced himself in a trench
, had his leg broken and later required amputation
.
The Lochnagar mine lay on the sector assaulted by the Grimsby Chums
Pals battalion
(10th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment). When the main attack began at 7:30 am, the Grimsby Chums successfully occupied the crater
and began to fortify the eastern lip which now dominated the surrounding ground. However, elsewhere the attack at La Boisselle went badly and infantry men sought shelter in the crater, particulary those who had been attacking up Sausage Valley
to the south of the village. The prominent crater drew fire, including from British artillery, although eventually it was learned the crater contained sheltering infantry and the British ceased fire.
now mark the site.
Royal Engineer tunnelling companies
Royal Engineer tunnelling companies were specialist units of the Corps of Royal Engineers within the British Army, formed to dig attacking tunnels under enemy lines during the First World War....
, located south of the village of La Boisselle in the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
département of France
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...
, which was detonated at 7:28 am on 1 July 1916, the first day
First day on the Somme
The first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, was the opening day of the Battle of Albert, which was the first phase of the British and French offensive that became known as the Battle of the Somme...
of the 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...
. The Lochnagar mine, along with a neighbouring mine north of the village known as the Y Sap mine, contained 24 tons
Long ton
Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton...
of ammonal
Ammonal
Ammonal is an explosive made up of ammonium nitrate, trinitrotoluene , and aluminium powder.The ammonium nitrate functions as an oxidizer and aluminium as a power enhancer. To some extent the aluminium makes it more sensitive to detonation...
. At the time these mines were the largest ever detonated.
The explosion was witnessed from the air by 2nd Lieutenant C.A. Lewis
Cecil Lewis
Cecil Arthur Lewis MC was a British fighter pilot who flew in World War I. He went on to co-found the BBC and enjoy a long career as a writer....
of No. 3 Squadron RFC:
- The whole earth heaved and flashed, a tremendous and magnificent column rose up in the sky. There was an ear-splitting roar drowning all the guns, flinging the machine sideways in the repercussing air. The earth column rose higher and higher to almost 4,000 feet. There it hung, or seemed to hang, for a moment in the air, like the silhouette of some great cypressCupressus sempervirensCupressus sempervirens, the Mediterranean Cypress is a species of cypress native to the eastern Mediterranean region, in northeast Libya, southeast Greece , southern Turkey, Cyprus, Northern Egypt, western Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Malta, Italy, western Jordan, and also a disjunct population in...
tree, then fell away in a widening cone of dust and debris.
Some of the British infantry waiting in no man's land
No man's land
No man's land is a term for land that is unoccupied or is under dispute between parties that leave it unoccupied due to fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dumping ground for refuse between fiefdoms...
were struck by falling debris and one man, having braced himself in a trench
Trench
A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground. Trenches are generally defined by being deeper than they are wide , and by being narrow compared to their length ....
, had his leg broken and later required amputation
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
.
The Lochnagar mine lay on the sector assaulted by the Grimsby Chums
Grimsby Chums
The Grimsby Chums was a British First World War Pals battalion of Kitchener's Army raised in and around the town of Grimsby in Lincolnshire. When the battalion was taken over by the British Army it was officially named the 10th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment...
Pals battalion
Pals battalion
The Pals battalions of World War I were specially constituted units of the British Army comprising men who had enlisted together in local recruiting drives, with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their friends, neighbours and work colleagues , rather than being arbitrarily...
(10th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment). When the main attack began at 7:30 am, the Grimsby Chums successfully occupied the crater
Subsidence crater
A subsidence crater is a hole or depression left on the surface of an area which has had an underground explosion. Many such craters are present at the Nevada Test Site, which is no longer in use for nuclear testing....
and began to fortify the eastern lip which now dominated the surrounding ground. However, elsewhere the attack at La Boisselle went badly and infantry men sought shelter in the crater, particulary those who had been attacking up Sausage Valley
Sausage Valley
Sausage Valley was the name given by British soldiers during the First World War to a shallow valley south of the village of La Boisselle in the Somme département, France. Sausage Valley was so named because the Germans would fly an observation balloon, known as a "sausage", at the head of the valley...
to the south of the village. The prominent crater drew fire, including from British artillery, although eventually it was learned the crater contained sheltering infantry and the British ceased fire.
Memorial
The Lochnagar crater still exists today. Early attempts to fill it in were resisted and the land was eventually purchased by Richard Dunning to ensure it would be preserved. The Lochnagar memorial and a cross made with wood from TynesideTyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
now mark the site.