The telephonic communication being
cut by the enemy's fire rendered communication between the front and the
rear most difficult. The fact of the left of the Twenty-third Brigade
having been held up had kept back the Eighth Division and had involved a
portion of the Twenty-fifth Brigade in fighting to the north, out of its
proper direction of advance. All this required adjustment. An orchard
held by the enemy north of Neuve Chapelle also threatened the flank of
an advance toward the Aubers Bridge.
I am of the opinion that this delay would not have occurred had the
clearly expressed order of the general officer commanding the First Army
been carefully observed.
The difficulties above enumerated might have been overcome earlier in
the day if the general officer commanding the Fourth Corps had been able
to bring his reserve brigades more speedily into action. As it was, a
further advance did not commence before 3:30 o'clock. The Twenty-first
Brigade was able to form up in the open on the left without a shot being
fired at it, thus showing that, at the time, the enemy's resistance had
been paralyzed.
The brigade pushed forward in the direction of Moulin-du-Pietre. At
first it made good progress, but was subsequently held up by machine gun
fire from houses and from a defended work in the line of the German
intrenchments opposite the right of the Twenty-second Brigade.
Pages:
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27