Post by 1886lebel on Oct 1, 2009 7:18:26 GMT -8
The 151ème Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne at the Battle of the Yser in October
19 October: After the 151 is given a rest for 4 days, it is sent (with the eniter 42nd D.I.) by rail to the north of France where it is needed to stem the German advance into Belgium. The 42nd D.I. is assigned to the Furnes [Veurne] area and the 151 is immediately thrown into the fight.
22 October: With the Germans threatening to overrun Dixmude [Diksmuide] and the French marines guarding it, the 151 is ordered to advance on Lombaertzyde, while the 162 R.I. advances on Ramscapelle [Ramskapelle], Belgium.
23 October: In the morning, under a violent artillery fire the 151 crosses the Yser River and canal in small groups over narrow pontoon bridges. Marching over sand which slows it's progress, the 151 approaches Lombaertyde [Lombardsijde] under fire the entire way. One battalion (under Commandant Dutour-Gauze) occupies it's emplacements and prepares to attack the village, while another battalion (Commandant Pascal) takes the Westende dunes. Despite the darkness and the relentless rain that transforms the ground into a shapeless amalgam, the Germans keep up their attacks. They launch ten assaults against the regiment's positions and each one is beaten back with not a foot of ground being yielded. Battalion after battalion are thrown at the 151. On two separate occasions, the 10th Company is encircled but manages to fight off the attackers.
25 October: Dutour-Gauze's battalion, forced to pull back, is pressed up against the right bank of the Yser where the men dig rudimentary entrenchments. As high-tide comes in the water-level of the Yser rises and floods the shallow trenches. Despite the hardships, the men manage to hold onto their positions. Along the length of the front, the fighting has been merciless. The 42nd D.I. 25% of it's effective combat strength. However, the efforts of the 151 have allowed the Belgian engineers time to prepare for the intentional flooding of the German positions.
27 October: In the morning of October 27, at high-tide, the old lock at Furnes silently lets the seawater drain toward the enemy lines already saturated by the rain. The German offensive in this sector relents.
30 October: The 151 counter-attacks with the objective of retaking Ramscapelle, which was occupied by the Germans during the previous night. The village is successfully retaken, along with 400 prisoners. During the fighting, Commander Monphous is gravely wounded and is replaced by Commandant Bontin, who himself is wounded and replaced by Commandant Moisson from the 162 R.I. But the Germans had been checked and the German 12th Army became inactive.
19 October: After the 151 is given a rest for 4 days, it is sent (with the eniter 42nd D.I.) by rail to the north of France where it is needed to stem the German advance into Belgium. The 42nd D.I. is assigned to the Furnes [Veurne] area and the 151 is immediately thrown into the fight.
22 October: With the Germans threatening to overrun Dixmude [Diksmuide] and the French marines guarding it, the 151 is ordered to advance on Lombaertzyde, while the 162 R.I. advances on Ramscapelle [Ramskapelle], Belgium.
23 October: In the morning, under a violent artillery fire the 151 crosses the Yser River and canal in small groups over narrow pontoon bridges. Marching over sand which slows it's progress, the 151 approaches Lombaertyde [Lombardsijde] under fire the entire way. One battalion (under Commandant Dutour-Gauze) occupies it's emplacements and prepares to attack the village, while another battalion (Commandant Pascal) takes the Westende dunes. Despite the darkness and the relentless rain that transforms the ground into a shapeless amalgam, the Germans keep up their attacks. They launch ten assaults against the regiment's positions and each one is beaten back with not a foot of ground being yielded. Battalion after battalion are thrown at the 151. On two separate occasions, the 10th Company is encircled but manages to fight off the attackers.
25 October: Dutour-Gauze's battalion, forced to pull back, is pressed up against the right bank of the Yser where the men dig rudimentary entrenchments. As high-tide comes in the water-level of the Yser rises and floods the shallow trenches. Despite the hardships, the men manage to hold onto their positions. Along the length of the front, the fighting has been merciless. The 42nd D.I. 25% of it's effective combat strength. However, the efforts of the 151 have allowed the Belgian engineers time to prepare for the intentional flooding of the German positions.
27 October: In the morning of October 27, at high-tide, the old lock at Furnes silently lets the seawater drain toward the enemy lines already saturated by the rain. The German offensive in this sector relents.
30 October: The 151 counter-attacks with the objective of retaking Ramscapelle, which was occupied by the Germans during the previous night. The village is successfully retaken, along with 400 prisoners. During the fighting, Commander Monphous is gravely wounded and is replaced by Commandant Bontin, who himself is wounded and replaced by Commandant Moisson from the 162 R.I. But the Germans had been checked and the German 12th Army became inactive.
