95th Siege Battery was a heavy howitzer unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) raised during World War I. It manned heavy howitzers on the Western Front from 1916 to 1918, beginning with the Attack on the Gommecourt Salient on the First day on the Somme. It then served at Vimy Ridge and Ypres, against the German Spring Offensive and in the final Allied Hundred Days Offensive.
Mobilisation On the outbreak of war in August 1914, units of the part-time Territorial Force (TF) were invited to volunteer for Overseas ServiceBecke, Pt 2b, p. 6. and most of the Lancashire and Cheshire Royal Garrison Artillery (L&CRGA) did so. This unit had mobilised as part of No 24 Coastal Fire Command, responsible for the defence of Liverpool, Barrow-in-Furness and the Mersey Estuary.Frederick, p. 698.Maurice-Jones, p. 187.
By October 1914, the campaign on the Western Front was bogging down into Trench warfare and there was an urgent need for batteries of siege artillery to be sent to France. The WO decided that the TF coastal gunners were well enough trained to take over many of the duties in the coastal defences, releasing Regular RGA gunners for service in the field,WO Instruction No 248 of October 1914. Soon the TF RGA companies that had volunteered for overseas service were also supplying trained gunners to RGA units serving overseas and providing cadres to form complete new units.Maurice-Jones, pp. 200–1.
According to WO Instruction No 181 of 16 December 1915, 95th Siege Battery was to be formed at Portsmouth from a cadre of 3 officers and 78 other ranks (the equivalent of a TF Company) drawn from the L&CRGA.Frederick, pp. 702–7.War Office Instruction No 181, 16 December 1915. The L&CRGA cadre was assembled in January 1916 at Crosby Battery under the command of Captain J.E. Wheeler (No 3 Company) with lieutenants T.S. Paterson (No 5 Co) and R.W. Balfour (No 8 Co). After the battery was formed at Portsmouth, it moved to Horsham for training.Behrend, pp. 101–4.Monthly Army List, August 1914.
The battery went out to the Western Front on 25 May 1916 equipped with four 9.2-inch howitzers with Major Francis Twiss as officer commanding (OC). It joined VII Corps of Third Army to begin the bombardment for the Attack on the Gommecourt Salient in the forthcoming 'Bug Push' (the Battle of the Somme.'Allocation of Siege Batteries RGA', The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 95/5494/4.'Headquarters Heavy Artillery Groups', TNA file WO 95/5494/1.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 89–98.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 175–8.MacDonald, Pro Patria, pp. 161, 174.
Service
Somme The battery formed part of 35th Heavy Artillery Group (HAG), being grouped with 93rd and 94th Siege Btys to make up No 2 Sub-group of 12 x 9.2-inch howitzers at Bayencourt.Lowe, pp. 18–9.MacDonald, Pro Patria, pp. 174, 176, 233; Appendix 1. The sub-group's main role was to use the high-angle fire of its howitzers to bombard German trenches and strongpoints facing 56th (1/1st London) Division's attack frontage on the south side of the Gommecourt salient. The specific targets assigned to 95th Siege Bty were around Gommecourt Village, Chateau and Park; 500 rounds per gun had been stockpiled.MacDonald, Pro Patria, p. 188.
The bombardment programme was planned to spread over five days, U, V, W, X and Y, before the assault was launched on Z day. 95th Siege Bty opened fire on V day (25 June) with an allowance of 50 shells per gun per day (70 for Y day). At all times during daylight, No 8 Squadron Royal Flying Corps had a BE2c observation aircraft in the air spotting fall of shot for the batteries. Because of poor weather for observation on Y day, the attack was postponed for two days, and the additional days (Y1 and Y2) were used for further bombardment, the ammunition having to be rationed accordingly.Edmonds, 1916, Vol I, p. 299.MacDonald, Pro Patria, pp. 179–81, 190–1. Overall, the damage caused to the German positions was insufficient to suppress the defenders.Edmonds, 1916, Vol I, p. 460.
On Z Day (1 July, the First day on the Somme), the entire artillery supporting 56th Division fired a 65-minute bombardment of the German front, starting at 06.25, with the 9.2-inch batteries firing as fast as was possible. At 07.30 the guns lifted onto their pre-arranged targets in the German support and reserve lines as the infantry got out of their forward trenches and advanced towards Gommecourt.Lowe, p. 20.MacDonald, Pro Patria, pp. 258–63. At first all went well for 56th Division. Despite casualties from the German counter-bombardment on their jumping-off trenches, the smoke and morning mist helped the infantry. They reached the German front line with little loss and moved on towards the second and reserve lines. The Forward Observation Officers (FOOs) in their observation posts (OPs) reported the signboards erected by the leading waves to mark their progress. However, the OPs themselves came under fire from the German guns, which laid a barrage across No man's land preventing supplies and reinforcements from reaching the leading infantry waves who had entered the German trenches. The OPs' telephone lines were continually cut by shellfire. By midday, the Germans were launching concerted counter-attacks from all directions, and by mid-afternoon 56th Division's slight gains were being eroded; they all had to be abandoned after dark.Edmonds, 1916, Vol I, pp. 462–4, 471–3.MacDonald, Pro Patria Mori, pp. 528–30.Ward, pp. 37–44.
VII Corps' costly attack was only a diversion from the main BEF attack further south, and was not renewed after the first day. A truce was observed at Gommecourt on 2 July to allow both sides to collect their wounded. 95th Siege Bty transferred to the command of 46th HAG on 5 July, and then on 25 July it moved to 28th HAG, which was taking over at Maricourt in Fourth Army's sector for the continuation of the Somme offensive. The battery registered its guns in their new positions, and then from 31 July to 2 August it took part in a bombardment of Guillemont, where XIII Corps was attacking. Afterwards it carried out counter-battery (CB) fire with observation aircraft, and responded to SOS calls when German counter-attacks were reported. Another attempt on Guillemont was made on 8 August, with the heavy artillery bombarding the village once more and then providing protective barrages when the infantry attacked, but it was another failure. A 36-hour artillery preparation for a further attack on Guillemont by XIV Corps began on 17 August, but the smoke and dust continued to make observation difficult. The rate of fire did not quicken before Zero hour, so as not to warn the enemy of the attack, which went in at 14.45 on 18 August; XIV Corps advanced to the edge of the village and consolidated its gains next day.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 99–109.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 209–14.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 215–20.28th HAG War Diary, August 1915–December 1916, TNA file WO 95/541/1.Miles, 1916, Vol II, pp. 169–70, 178–81, 190–3.
28th HAG resumed CB fire and bombarding strongpoints. The final capture of Guillemont came on 3 September after 95th Siege Bty and other heavy artillery had spent the preceding days shelling the southern end of the village and trenches nearby. The troublesome Falfemont Farm strongpoint was taken early on 5 September. The batteries immediately began preparation for the next planned operation, the Battle of Flers–Courcelette on 15 September, even though no suitable positions could be found to move the guns forward and shorten the range. XIV Corps attacked at 06.20 with Guards and 56th (1/1st London) Divisions after the heavy artillery had maintained a continuous bombardment throughout the night of 14/15 September. Despite heavy casualties, the Guards reached their first and second objectives, but could not get on to the third. The 56th, tasked with forming a defensive flank, was mostly successful, but the Quadrilateral strongpoint held out against them.Farndale, pp. 150–2.Headlam, Vol I, pp. 151–60.Miles, 1916, Vol II, pp. 251–9, 293–5, 297–8, 306–17.Ward, pp. 69–75.
Fighting continued in the area for several days. On 21 September 95th Siege Bty registered on Morval, and then took part in the bombardment for the Battle of Morval on 25–8 September, during which the Guards captured Lesbœufs. The last of the German main defences had been taken, and their batteries were seen to be pulling back to new positions.Headlam, Vol I, pp. 169–74.Miles, 1916, Vol II, pp. 370–7. 95th Siege Bty then targeted Le Transloy for the Battle of the Transloy Ridges, beginning on 1 October. Fourth Army began a deliberate bombardment at 07.00, and there was no increase in the rate of fire until the infantry went over the top at 15.15, when an hour's intensive fire commenced. Bad weather then slowed progress. The battery was transferred to the command of to 31st HAG on 5 October but the targets did not change: Le Transloy cemetery, and specified strongpoints and trenches, such as Zenith Trench. Results were not good, because communications with the OPs were continually being cut (31st HAG reported on 27 October: 'Same Tasks and same results').Miles, 1916, Vol II, pp. 429–35, 440–1, 443–6, 466–9.31st HAG War Diary, September 1915–September 1917, TNA file WO 95/221/1. On 28 October 31st HAG HQ was relieved by 6th HAG, taking over command of 95th Siege Bty in position, as the Somme offensive died away in a series of attacks on the Butte de Warlencourt. By now the battery had been advanced to Maricourt and then to Guillemont. On 10 November a chance shell hit the officer's mess (a shack a couple of hundred yards behind the guns) killing Capt Wheeler, Lt Paterson, and 2/Lt F.W. Squires. The sole remaining L&CRGA officer, Capt Balfour, later became OC with the rank of major.
The front was rearranged at the end of the year. XV Corps took over part of the line from the French Army and 18th HAG HQ was brought in to command the heavy artillery moving into the French gun positions; 95th Siege Bty joined it on 3 December. Although the front was generally quiet, the battery still came under CB fire in its new positions on 14 December.18th HAG War Diary May 1915–October 1918, TNA file WO 95/540/1.
Vimy 95th Siege Bty was ordered to pull its guns out on the night of 6/7 February 1917, immediately after firing its allocation of shells in a scheduled bombardment. The gunners found the move extremely difficult because of the hard frost. The battery then moved via Amiens to join 70th HAG with First Army. However, it transferred to 50th (South African) HAG on 27 February, almost immediately after arriving.70th HAG War Diary August 1916–February 1919, TNA file WO 95/323/1.50th (SA) HAG War Diary, June 1916–March 1919, TNA file WO 95/225/5.
First Army was preparing for the Battle of Vimy Ridge to open the Arras Offensive, with 50th (SA) HAG deployed at Marœuil Wood supporting Canadian Corps. 50th (SA) HAG's batteries carried out CB tasks and supported trench raids by Canadian troops. On 1 April they supported a raid by 34th Division, and silenced the hostile batteries around Bailleul-Sir-Berthoult. The artillery preparation for the battle was highly successful, with most German batteries destroyed or neutralised. The attack went in at 05.30 on 9 April with a heavy barrage and bombardment; the Canadians overran three lines of German trenches and seized the crest of the ridge where the battery established an OP for the following morning's shoot. Vimy village and other targets were bombarded over the days following the attack. On 14 April the gunners of 95th Siege Bty turned round two captured '8-inch howitzers' (probably 21 cm Mörser 16 or the equivalent) and fired them against the enemy.Becke Pt 4, pp. 71–8.Cave, pp. 113–27.Falls, 1917, Vol I, pp. 306–7, 312–6, 321–39.Farndale, Western Front, pp. 164–6, 174–6, Map 23.Nicholson, pp. 248–9, 252–8.