Battle of Langemarck (1917) - Aftermath

Aftermath

In the II and XIX Corps areas, the foremost infantry had been isolated by German artillery and then driven back by counter-attacks. On 17 August Gough ordered that the capture of the remainder of their objectives of 16 August would be completed on 25 August. Apart from small areas on the left of the 56th division, the flanks of the 8th Division and right of the 16th Division, the British had been forced back to their start line, by German machine-gun fire from the flanks and infantry counter-attacks supported by plentiful artillery. Attempts by the German infantry to advance further were stopped by British artillery fire, which inflicted heavy losses. Major-General F. A. Dudgeon, commander of the 56th Division, later reported that there was a lack of time to prepare the attack and study the ground, since 167th Brigade had relieved part of the 25th Division after it had only been in the line for 24 hours, neither unit having had enough time to make preparations for the attack. Dudgeon also reported that no tracks had been laid beyond Chateau Wood and that the wet ground had slowed the delivery of supplies to the front line and obstructed the advance beyond it. Pillboxes had caused more delays and subjected the attacking troops to frequent enfilade fire.

Tanks intended to help capture pill-boxes had bogged down behind the British front-line and air support had been restricted by the weather, particularly by low cloud early on and by sending too few aircraft over the battlefield to fulfil all their tasks. Only one aircraft per Corps was on counter-attack patrol, with two aircraft per division for ground attack. Only eight aircraft covered the army front to engage German infantry as they counter-attacked. Signalling had failed at vital moments depriving the infantry of artillery support, which had made the German counter-attacks much more effective in areas where the Germans had artillery observation. The 56th Division report recommended that advances be shortened to give more time for consolidation and to minimise the organisational and communication difficulties caused by the muddy ground and weather. After the battle, divisional artillery commanders asked for two aircraft per division excusively to conduct counter-attack patrols. With observation from higher ground to the east, German artillery fire inflicted heavy losses on the British troops holding the new line beyond Langemarck.