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For other battles with the same name, see Battle of Hénin (disambiguation).

Attack on Hénin Sur Cojeul
Part of the Western Front of the First World War
Hénin-sur-Cojeul in present day (2018)
Date 2 April 1917 Location Hénin-sur-Cojeul, France 50°13′31.5″N 2°50′6.4″E
Belligerents
British Empire United Kingdom	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Lieut.Colonel C.V. Edwards Major W.D. Grant Captain R.A. Field, M.C.(KIA) Captain T.W. Baron, M.C. Captain G.H.N. Smith, M.C. Captain F. Dalimore (R.A.M.C.)	Unknown
Strength
About 650 men in all: 2nd Bn Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) and two companies from the 19th Bn Manchester Regiment.	Unknown
Casualties and losses
64 dead, 103 wounded, 8 missing	94 dead, Unknown wounded, 39 POWs

Hénin-sur-Cojeul is a village situated 6 miles southeast of Arras.The battle of Hénin-sur-Cojeul took place on the 2nd of April 1917 between the British Forces and the German forces. The casualties included about 185 British and probably at least 100 Germans however the figures for the Germans are probably significantly higher.

Background

After the Germans retreated to the Hindenburg line in March 1917 they cleverly and strategically left troops in fortified villages so that if the British wanted to pursue to German retreat they would have to capture and control each of these villages. The German retreat confused British high command who had spent most of the winter devising plans for an April attack on the old German Front line which was now vacated.

British high command quickly devised a new plan to attack the Hindenburg line. These attacks would start on the 9th of April 1917.

The northern-most fortified village was Hénin-sur-Cojeul.

The 2nd Battalion Yorkshire regiment and the 19th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment (probably about 650 men in all) were selected to capture this village.

The attack on Hénin took place on the 2nd April 1917. The infantry advanced at 05.15 hrs, preceded by a creeping artillery bombardment, aimed at crippling German defences.

Strategy

See also: Operations on the Ancre, January–March 1917

Strategy and post locations.

The aim of this battle was to clear German defenders from this village thus clearing a path for an all out attack on the Hindenburg line a week later. The aim was also to stop Germans from returning to the village, so the battle was all about capturing and controlling the cross-roads.

The Nagpur Trench had been one of the German's main communication trenches until their withdrawal to the Hindenburg line a few days prior. The Green Howards probably used this trench to approach the village and then assembled behind the high ground.

At 05.15 British artillery began shelling the fortifications along the western and south-western edges of the village, so as to soften up the enemy. Shortly after, the British infantry (the Green Howards) began their advance.

The Right Party moved around the Southern edge against little opposition and set up post No 1 at the southern most cross-roads.

The Right Centre Company encountered some opposition but they fought through and set up post No 2 at the cross-roads near No 1 post.

The Left Centre Company under Capt Field, attacked the very highly fortified part of the village along the South-Western side. 2nd Lieut Wright (age 19) was killed (shot in the head) before he reached the village and most of his platoon were also put out of action. Capt Field must have got further because he was later killed (age 22) near the Mairie. All of the other officers of the Left Centre Party had been killed or wounded, so this company understandably failed to achieve it's target, which was to set up post No 3 at the cross-roads at the centre of the village. That is why the supporting company - the reserves commanded by Capt Baron- were called in at an early stage.

The Left Flanking Party commanded by Lieut Robinson reached the crossroads at the North-West corner of the village and set up post No 5 there (possibly to prevent any enemy reinforcements from getting in)

About 30 men of the Left Flanking Party, commanded by 2nd Lieut Herbert Smith, then continued forward to establish post No 4 at the crossroads north of the village. They reached their target and took about 15 prisoners but were immediately pushed back by a German counter-attack. Soon they were surrounded and had to fight their way back through the Germans. Most of the British platoon were killed or wounded. 2nd Lieut Smith was severely wounded in the thigh but managed to get back to post No 5 and thence to a casualty clearing station and to England. He walked with a stick for the rest of his life until his death in July 1968.

Lieut Robinson (from post No 5) then moved into the village (probably behind the German defenders on the South-West edge). With a stokes mortar he bombarded the Mairie at the central cross-roads, destroying the opposition, and was finally able to establish post No 3 there.

Artillery

The attack on Hénin was preceded with an Artillery barrage on the Western and south-western edges of the village.

Aftermath

The Battle of Hénin cost each side over 150 casualties and yet it was a mere skirmish, just a prelude to the big battle that would follow a week later. On the 3rd of April 1917 the Green Howards were relieved by the 16th Bn Manchester Regiment, 90 Infy Bde, and moved back to billets at Bellacourt where the day was spent cleaning up.

Awards

2 Military Crosses were awarded at this battle. 2nd Lieut Herbert Smith was awarded a medal for during the counterattack he "extracted his men with great coolness, himself killing many of the enemy. He has at all times led his men with great courage and confidence." He also prevented the 15 German prisoners form regrouping with the German army. Capt Thomas William Baron was also awarded a military cross "When in command of the support company, he engaged three strong points held by snipers in strength, and in the face of heavy rifle and artillery fire, finally succeeded in capturing the posts." "He set a fine example throughout a most difficult operation."

Casualties

In total there were around 185 British casualties. These included Captain Robert Alistair Field M.C. (age 22)(KIA), 2nd Lieutenant Herbert Melville Wright (age 19)(KIA), Private James William Howard D.C.M.(age 25)(KIA), Lieutenant A.F. Robinson (Wounded), Lieutenant J. Pyman (Wounded), 2nd Lieutenant J.T Evans (Wounded), 2nd Lieutenant A.T. Jones (Wounded), 2nd Lieutenant Herbert Smith M.C.(Wounded), 2nd Lieutenant H.N. Bright (Manchester Rgt attd) (Wounded) and 2nd Lieutenant T. Connelly (Wounded)

References

Bibliography

Books

• Ashworth, Tony (2000) [1980]. Trench Warfare, 1914–1918: The Live and Let Live System (repr. ed.). London: Pan Books. ISBN 978-0-330-48068-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Bean, C. E. W. (1941) [1933]. The Australian Imperial Force in France: 1917. Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918. Vol. IV (11th ed.). Sydney: Angus and Robertson. OCLC 9945668. Retrieved 14 November 2015.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Bellis, M. (1996) [1916]. Instructions for the Training of Divisions for Offensive Action (repr. ed.). London: Military Press International. ISBN 0-85420-195-5.
• Berton, Pierre (1986). Vimy. Toronto: McLelland and Stewart. ISBN 0-7710-1339-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Bond, B., ed. (1999). Look To Your Front: Studies in the First World War. Staplehurst: Spellmount. ISBN 1-86227-065-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Boraston, J. H. (1920) [1919]. Sir Douglas Haig's Despatches (repr. ed.). London: Dent. OCLC 633614212.
• Buffetaut, Yves (1997). The 1917 Spring Offensives: Arras, Vimy, Le Chemin des Dames. Paris: Histoire et Collections. ISBN 2-908182-66-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Corkerry, S., ed. (2001) [1916/1917]. Instructions for the Training of Divisions for Offensive Action, Instructions for the Training of Platoons for Offensive Action (1917) (repr. ed.). Milton Keynes: Military Press. ISBN 0-85420-250-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Die Kriegführung im Frühjahr 1917 [Warfare in the Spring of 1917]. Der Weltkrieg 1914 bis 1918 : Die militärischen Operationen zu Lande. Vol. XII (Die digitale landesbibliotek Oberösterreich ed.). Berlin: Mittler. 2012 [1939]. OCLC 248903245. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
• Doughty, R. A. (2005). Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01880-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Falls, C. (1992) [1940]. Military Operations France and Belgium 1917: The German Retreat to the Hindenburg line and the Battles of Arras. History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Vol. I (Imperial War Museum and Battery Press ed.). London: HMSO. ISBN 0-89839-180-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
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• New Zealand Defence Force. Arras Tunnellers Memorial (press release) Archived 21 October 2008.
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• Oldham, Peter (1997). The Hindenburg Line. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-0-85052-568-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Samuels, M. (1995). Command or Control? Command, Training and Tactics in the British and German Armies 1888–1918. London: Frank Cass. ISBN 0-7146-4214-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
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• Simpson, A. (2006). Directing Operations: British Corps Command on the Western Front 1914–18. url is for the original PhD of 2001. Stroud: Spellmount. ISBN 978-1-86227-292-7. Retrieved 8 April 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Stewart, J.; Buchan, J. (2003) [1926]. The Fifteenth (Scottish) Division 1914–1919 (repr. The Naval & Military Press, Uckfield ed.). Edinburgh: Blakwood. ISBN 978-1-84342-639-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
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Newspapers

• "The Times". London: The Times Newspapers Ltd. 13 April 1917. OCLC 16241023.
• "The Times". London: The Times Newspapers Ltd. 6 January 1918. OCLC 16241023.

Further reading

• Gilbert, M. (1995). First World War. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-637666-8.
• Holmes, R. (1999). The Western Front. London: BBC Publications. ISBN 978-1-57500-147-0.
• Nicholson, G. W. L. (1962). Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914–1919 (PDF). Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War. Ottawa: Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationary. OCLC 557523890. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
• Reed, P. (2007). Walking Arras. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 1-84415-619-2.
• Sheldon, J. (2015). The German Army in the Spring Offensives 1917: Arras, Aisne & Champagne. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-78346-345-9.

External links

• The Battle of Arras at 1914–1918.net Online history of the battle, accessed 4 April 2007
• The Battle of Arras at the War Chronicle Another online history of the battle, accessed 16 April 2007
• New Zealand Tunnellers Memorial in Arras archived 21 October 2008
• The Arras tunnels – NZHistory.net.nz
• France reveals British WWI cave camp BBC News 5 May 2008
• Finding Private Adams Exploring the life of a soldier killed at Oppy-Gavrelle
• Online history of the Worcestershire Regiment General history of a regiment involved in the battle, accessed 24 April 2007
• The South Africans at Delville Wood, General history of the 1st South African Infantry Brigade involved in the battle, accessed 9 February 2017