Battle of Langemarck (1917) - Aftermath - Subsequent Operations

Subsequent Operations

On 17 August a 48th Division (XVIII Corps) attack on Maison du Hibou failed. On 18 August the 14th Division (II Corps) attacked with a brigade through Inverness Copse, although held up further north by fire from Fitzclarence and L-shaped Farms. A German counter-attack forced the British half way back through the copse but with support from two tanks on the Menin Road the British held on, despite three more German attacks. In the XIV Corps area, the 29th Division pushed posts over the Broembeek. On 19 August the 48th Division and seven tanks of 1 Tank Brigade attacked up the St Julien – Poelcappelle road and captured Hillock Farm, Maison du Hibou, Triangle Farm and the Cockcroft, losing no tanks. Next day a special gas and smoke bombardment took place on Jehu Trench, beyond Lower Star Post from the 24th Division (II Corps). The 61st Division (XIX Corps) took a German outpost near Somme farm. On 21 August the 38th Division (XIV Corps) pushed forward its left flank.

On 22 August the 24th Division captured a strongpoint near Bodmin Copse. II Corps resumed operations to capture Nonne Bosschen, Glencorse Wood and Inverness Copse north of the Menin Road, the Copse and Herenthage Park being the first objective. The German outpost line was back on the western edge of the Copse, about 600 yards (550 m) west of the Albrecht (second) line. The 14th (Light) Division with some tanks, forced the German defenders back to the Albrecht line, with heavy losses to both sides. North of the Ypres – Roulers railway, two brigades of the 15th Division and patrols from the 47th Division attacked at 4.45 a.m. The right brigade reached Potsdam, Vampire and Borry Farms where machine-gun fire forced them back to Railway Dump and the road to Beck House. The left brigade was also stopped by machine-gun fire but gained a little ground at Hill 35. The 47th Division established posts on the Hanebeek and two German counter-attacks against the 15th Division in the afternoon were driven off. A brigade of the 61st Division attacked further north and quickly reached a line 150 yards (140 m) west of the Winnipeg – Kansas Farm crossroads. The right was held up at Pond Farm and Hindu Cottage, which fell later after a long struggle.

In the XVIII Corps area the 48th Division attacked with a brigade, towards Springfield and Winnipeg Farms and captured some gunpits, which were lost to a counter-attack and then retaken later in the day. The left brigade got close to Springfield Road with tank support but lost Vancouver to a counter-attack, posts being pushed up to the road after dark. A brigade of the 11th Division and two tanks attacked, although the tanks were blocked on the St Julien – Langemarck crossroads by fallen trees. Bulow farm was taken on the right and on the left the objective was taken easily. The advances by XIX and XVIII Corps left them still overlooked by the German defenders of the uncaptured part of the Wilhelm (third) line, from east of Langemarck south to the Ypres – Zonnebeke road.

On 23 August at 4:00 a.m. a German attack by the 34th Division, in the 14th Division (II corps) area, from Inverness Copse to Glencorse Wood with bombers and flame-thrower units, pushed the British back to the line of 22 August between Inverness Copse and Glencorse Wood. Despite a German hurricane bombardment falling short on German troops in Inverness Copse, the infantry advanced, reached the western edge, then fell back still under fire from German artillery. Another attempt in the afternoon, under a hail of fire from both artilleries, pushed the British out of the Copse to the western fringe, from the Menin road to the junction of Jargon Drive and a sunken road.

A British counter-attack at Inverness Copse intended for 24 August was cancelled, due to uncertainty about the position of the front line. An attack by the 61st Division (XIX Corps) on Aisne Farm failed and a German counter-attack with a flame-thrower unit, on the gunpits captured by the 48th Division the day before also failed. On 25 August in the XIX Corps area, the 15th Division attacked Gallipoli and Iberian Farms again, only advancing the line 170 yards (160 m). The 61st Division failed again at Aisne Farm and the 48th Division (XVIII Corps) captured more gunpits. The British general offensive intended for 25 August was postponed because of these failures, then cancelled due to more bad weather. Next day in the Second Army area, the 23rd Division was attacked by a German flame-thrower unit which captured a post. In the Fifth army area the 24th Division (II Corps) lost an outpost then recaptured it. An attack by the 61st Division on Schuler Galleries failed. Minor operations took place further south, in the British Third Army area from 9–26 August, in which co-ordination of air and ground forces showed further improvement.

On 27 August an attack by a brigade of the 23rd Division with two tanks, on a trench from the Menin road for 600 yards (550 m) through the western edge of Inverness Copse failed. Further north an attack by the 61st Division (XIX Corps) on a line from Schuler Farm – Gallipoli Farm failed and a 15th Division attack by a brigade on Gallipoli Farm also failed. In the XVIII Corps area the 48th Division attacked with two brigades before dawn, towards Springfield and Vancouver Farms. The right brigade reached and took Springfield after dark, while the left brigade floundered in the mud and made little headway. The 11th Division attacked towards Pheasant Trench (Wilhelm line) with a brigade, took a pillbox near Vieille Maisons on the right and reached Pheasant Trench on the left. The 38th Division (XIV Corps) attacked Pheasant Trench at the same time, lost the barrage and finished back at the start line. Next day a local truce allowed casualties to be recovered by both sides. On 30 August the 38th Division took the White House.

The success of the German Fourth Army in preventing the British Fifth Army from advancing far along the Gheluvelt Plateau, led Haig to reinforce the offensive in the south-east, along the southern half of Passchendaele Ridge. Haig gave principal authority for the offensive to the British Second Army under command of General Herbert Plumer on 25 August. Like Gough after 31 July, Plumer planned to launch a series of attacks with even more limited geographical objectives, using the extra heavy artillery brought in from the armies further south to deepen and increase the weight of the creeping barrage, to ensure that the infantry were organised on tactically advantageous ground and in contact with their artillery, when they received German counter-attacks. Minor operations by the British and German armies continued in September along the Second and Fifth Army fronts, the boundary of which had been moved north, close to the Ypres – Roulers railway at the end of August.