72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - Electric Scotland

SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA
a narrow defile
bridge and road from Domart to Hourges,
about 200 yards long, commanded throughout by the high
ground immediately to the east and especially from Dodo
and Moreuil Woods. These conditions rendered the assemb
ling of troops prior to the attack very difficult. Some dis
tance west, woods, villages and sunken roads gave a certain
amount of cover in the preparatory stage.
"Opposite
our front," says Sir Arthur Currie,
"the
ground consisted of a rolling plateau cut diagonally by the
deep valley of the River Luce. This river flows almost due
west through a strip of wooded marsh land some 300 yards
wide, from which the sides of the valley rise steeply. Nu
merous ravines, generally running north and south, cut
deep into the plateau, the ground between these ravines
forming, as it were,
tactical features more or less intersupporting.
Woods and copses were scattered over the area
and many compact and well-built villages surrounded by
The
gardens and orchards formed conspicuous landmarks.
remainder was open, unfenced farm land, partly covered
with fields of standing grain. The hostile defences con
sisted chiefly of unconnected elements of trenches, and a
vast number of machine-gun posts."
The artillery arrangements were surprisingly great, and
the performances of the guns wonderful. Between six and
seven hundred guns were massed on the Canadian front,
and the barrage laid down was the greatest of the war to
date, far exceeding even that of Vimy Ridge. The barrage
would have been wonderful if the ground had been known
and prepared and every feature carefully studied in ad
vance. It was marvellous when it is realized that many of
the batteries were only brought up a few hours before the
engagement opened.
The part taken by the 72nd in the operations thus sum
marized will be of special interest to readers of this chron
icle. The account begins on the night of August 7-8, 1918,
-
when the Battalion swung clear of Boves Wood and start
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