From “The History of the South African Forces in France” by John Buchan :-
As regards the South Africans, whose advance was
literally unbroken, the casualties were far less than the
number of prisoners. The enemy was demoralized
by our barrage, and then surprised and routed by the
steady infantry pressure behind it.
From the war diary of the 4th South African Infantry regiment for 9th April 1917 :-
Zero hour was at 5:30 am & contrary to expectation that the cadence of the bombardment would not alter, at zero hour our barrage opened with a tremendous wack. At 5.31 our leading wave was reported well away closely followed by the moppers up, the second wave and supporting companies also ??? our front line & following at 5.34 in response to Golden Rain rockets sent up from their front the German barrage dropped on our front line, missing our men who were by then clear. The leading companies moved close behind our artillery barrage, so close that some of our casualties were occasioned by men getting hit by our own barrage through them going too fast. Everyone is of the opinion that our artillery barrage was good. The battalion went straight through the first objective but reached it with part of battalion bit to the left, also the supporting companies getting into position along the road from app[rox] H7A00 to H7A10.25 & A Coy in trench from app[rox] G12D95.90 to G12B90.10. The leading companies moving forward approx 50 yards in front of the objective slightly left with part of the battalion & consolidating. The moppers up reached the trenches with the first wave close up behind our barrage before the Germans had time to getout of their dugouts & proceeded to clear them, the procedure being to drop one of our “P” bombs & Mills bombs down one entrance, the other entrance being covered by a man on the top of the trench well to one side of the entrance. In most instances the Germans did not offer much resistance & where they did especially one party of ten that had managed to get into a cross trench were promptly dealt with by the officer in charge & a few men. The companies from the Black line were in view of the 2nd objective & corrected their dispositions. B Coy before the second attack and A Coy getting over to its right as it moved forward to get ready to follow the barrage. In this first phase the enemy were offered no obstacle at any place & once our barrage dropped their machine guns in the front line ground, there was however some machine gun fire from the Blue Line whilst at the Black Line.
At 5.47 am, the German barrage on our own front line eased off, & the battalion sigfnallers under 2/Lt. Hunt moved out, this officer being killed as he left the parapet.
At 6.21 Batt HQ received a message from O.C. A.Coy, timed at 6am stating “Have reached 2nd line Hun system, barrage halted”.
At 7am artillery liaison officer had message from his 7.0.0 to say 1st objective had been taken. Batt HQ wired Brigade that Battalion Headqrs moving forward also advised 3rd SAI H.Q. on right & 12 R[oyal] Scots H.Q. on left at same time. At 7.20 am Battalion Headqrs left Battalion Headqrs & established in the trench in sunken road west of 1st objective by 8.15 am in a dugout marked LINKER FLUGEL, 8/25, approx G12D99. The medical officer establishing his dressing station nearby.
Advancing from the 1st objective as soon as the ??? command to move forward A&B Coys moved down the spur under fairly heavy machine gun fire, & especially as they went through a belt of low plain wire erected half way down the slope which had not been destroyed. There were paths through it & it was noticed that those who used the paths were generally hit. The fire came from the western edge of the cutting which overlooked this slope. A Lewis gun was left here to play on the cutting & so help our advance. Once down the slope there was protection from the steep bank & climbing up our men waited till the barrage reached the near edge of the cutting & by the time it reached the far side were on the top of the cutting looking into it, the Germans had lined the edge of the cutting having mostly left their rifles & got into their dugouts in the cutting itself on the approach of the barrage, & came out to be taken prisoner. The near edge of the cutting had been cut away to form a fire step close behind a thin hedge which ran the length of the cutting. The battalion reached the cutting well on time, with good direction.
At battalion Headqrs in the Black Line, our men were entering the cutting & at 8.30 am wired Brigade HQ “Have taken our second objective”
At 8.45 am Battalion H.Q. received the following message from O.C. A Coy “No 4” & timed 8.20 am “Have reached BLUE LINE, quite a number of prisoners, few casualties ourselves, now reorganising and consolidating”.
At 8.45 am received no. 1 message from 2/Lt Keeley commanding no. 12 platoon, C Coy, timed 6.45 am saying “Have reached objective Black Line in touch with 3rd Regt on right and with D Coy on left & consolidating position 50 yards in advance of Black Line.”
At 8.50 am Batt HQ received the following three messages no. 1 message from Mr.W.G.Lees commanding no.10 platoon, C Coy timed 6.30 am saying “Have reached 1st objective & in touch with 3rd regiment on right” again no.1 message from 2/Lt Smith commanding C Coy timed 6.50 am saying “Have reached 1st objective, in tough with 3rd regiment on right & D Coy on left. Present strength unknown”. Also no 3 message from Capt. Grady commanding A Coy timed 7am saying “Reached no(?) map at 6.20 am, in touch with C Coy on right. Cannot estimate present strength. The whole line swung too much N.E. the pace was rapid and we overran 1st objective. Now in shell holes waiting advance to Blue Line, am correcting direction. Estimate casualties rather severe mostly through following barrage too closely. I have not seen Mr. Forder, Mr. Willis is wounded”. At 9am & 9.15 am wired Brigade the gist of messages received from Capts. Reid and Grady.
At 9.40 am received message from 2/Lt Morrison commanding “B” Coy time 8.45 am. Have reached 2nd objective in touch with 3rd regt on right & A Coy on left. Present strength about 60 men. Forbes wounded. We have had very heavy casualties, but have sent back over 100 prisoners. All ranks are at present digging in trench EAST of cutting about 60 yards away. At 10.5 am received a message from O.C. “A” Coy stating that a German plane was continuously flying low over Blue Line. The information was at once relayed to Brigade Headqrs.
At 11.45 am a message received from O.C. A Coy saying “Three Hun aeroplanes flying low & attacking us”. At 11.50 am the message passed on to Brigade.
At 12.30 pm wired Brigade “Am moving Battalion Headquarters to Blue Line now”. Battalion Headqrs reached Blue Line & established in dugout in cutting by 1 pm & advised Brigade at once.
During the operations the Battalion captured two machine guns numbered 7029 and 3361 respecting at the 1st objective and again at 2nd objective captured a machine gun numbered 3451 and a 77 mm field gun numbered 3324.
At 2pm Lt. Aitken who had taken some moppers up to clean up dugouts in the ravine between the Blue and Green Lines in rear of the 1st and 2nd SAI as they went through, returned & reported he had collected about 60 prisoners from dugouts in trenches in vicinity.
During afternoon very little hostile shell fire on cutting. All ranks engaged in deepening trench east of cutting.
Battalion remained in cutting, dugout accommodation not sufficient. At 8pm posted one sentry group per company in trench exit of railway. At 11pm the approximate strength of the battalion was 11 officers & 339 Other Ranks.
During the attack the regtl signallers, who left at 5.47 from the British Front Line ran out a telephone line but owing to a wrong direction being taken & as the Brigade signallers were coming on gave it up, as not too much wire. The regtl signallers then proceeded to our 1st objective at the Black Line, selected a station & from there ran out two lines to our 2nd objective one to each flank of the battalion & established communication from the 2nd objective being taken & for several hours kept open communication until the Brigade signal section came up.
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