page_title: City of London Artillery
section_title: Gommecourt
hierarchical_section_title: City of London Artillery / World War I / 1/I City of London Brigade / Gommecourt
caption_attribution_description: THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME 1 JULY - 18 NOVEMBER 1916 Equipment: British Gunners firing an 18 pounder gun at St Leger aux Boise.
context_page_description: The 1st London Artillery Brigade or City of London Artillery was a volunteer field artillery unit of the British Army, part of the Territorial Force and later the Territorial Army, that existed under various titles from 1863 to 1971 and fought in World War I and World War II.
context_section_description: The first major action for CCLXXX (280) Bde came at the Battle of the Somme, and there are detailed accounts of its actions. 56th Division's task for the opening day of the Somme Offensive (the 'Big Push') was to attack the south side of the Gommecourt Salient as a diversion to support the main attack further south.
  The divisional artillery was disposed in three groups. Lt-Col L.A.C Southam of 280 Bde commanded the Northern Group (called 'Southart') with B/280 and C/280 Btys (together with D (H)/282 and A/283 Btys), while A/280 and D (H)/280 Btys were in the Wire Cutting Group under Lt-Col A.F Prechtel of 282 Bde ('Peltart'), though A/280 Bty reverted to 'Southart' at Zero Hour. During the preliminary bombardment Southart was under VII Corps control, but from Zero Hour it was assigned to support the assaulting infantry of 169th (3rd London) Brigade. The batteries began moving into position in late May 1916, A/280 and B/280 being the last to arrive on 3 June. The batteries then began to register their targets during June.
  B/280 and C/280 Batteries were positioned west of Gommecourt to take the German lines in enfilade at ranges of 2000 and 3000 yards respectively. Their role was to 'search' the enemy trenches, villages, woods and hollows. In the wire cutting group A/280 Bty was in a fold of ground about 1500 yards west of the British-held village of Hébuterne and about 2500 yards from the German lines while the howitzers of D (H)/280 Bty were dug into the gardens and orchards behind Hébuterne where they could range into the German rear areas. One section (two howitzers) was on call to assist the heavy counter-battery guns in addition to their wire-cutting task.
  Five days of intense bombardment were planned leading up to the attack, designated U,V, W, X and Y days, but the whole attack was delayed by two days, so there was seven days of bombardment culminating in Z Day on 1 July. The two additional days were used for Interdiction of enemy movement and repairs, to complete the wire-cutting and counter-battery tasks, and to deceive the enemy. The Southart Group found that by Y Day (28 June) the guns were showing signs of strain, with recoil springs having to be frequently replaced, and the extension to Y2 Day (30 June) made the situation worse. The division's batteries and observation posts (OPs) also suffered from German counter-battery fire.
  Each afternoon the bombardment paused between 16.00 and 16.30 to allow a BE2c aircraft of No. 8 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, to photograph the German positions. Analysis of these pictures on 30 June revealed large areas of uncut wire, especially in the centre of the area to be attacked by 56th Division. Night patrols confirmed these reports.
  Each day of the firing programme had included an intense bombardment starting at 06.25, reaching a crescendo at 07.20 and lifting at 07.45; on Z Day (1 July) this lifted 15 minutes earlier than usual, in an attempt to deceive the enemy. 56th Divisional artillery was allocated 11,600 rounds for this final 65 minutes, amounting to three rounds per minute for each 18-pounder gun and 4.5-inch howitzer. A smoke screen was laid at 07.25, and under its cover the infantry went 'over the top' and assembled in No man's land. Then at Zero Hour, 07.30, the guns lifted to pre-arranged targets in the German support and reserve lines while the infantry began their assault.
  Having reverted to divisional control at Zero Hour, the 18-pounders had a series of very short lifts, almost amounting to a creeping barrage. The first lift was onto the German reserve trench, on which they fired for four minutes, then they fired for six minutes just beyond it, and then swept the communication trenches for 12 minutes.  Next they shifted to the infantry's second objective for eight minutes. This programme was intended to conform to the infantry's plan of attack.
  At first this 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, and they reached the German front line wit
caption: 18-pounder in action on the Somme, August 1916.
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