Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi placed a wreath at the India Gate memorial
in Delhi on Tuesday, 10 Mar 15 marking the centenary of the battle of Neuve
Chapelle. This brought an end to the official denial mode in which we had been surviving as a nation as regards our troops participation in World War I. Well a bit about the battle of Neuve Chapelle.
Neuve Chapelle is a small commune in
Northern France on the border with Belgium in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of
France. During World War I, this village was the site for the battle of Neuve
Chapelle which was fought from 10 to 13 Mar 1915. This battle was fought
between the British & British Indian Army commanded by Field Marshal Sir
John French and the German Army
commanded by Crown Prince Rupprecht.
The plan was for the British to cause a
rupture in the German lines while the French Army helped cut lines of
communication including roads, railways and canals. This would have prevented
the German Army from using these means to support its troops in Arras and
Rheims South of Neuve Chapelle.
Garhwal Troops at Neuve Chapelle
Pic Courtsey www.mentalfloss.com
The British assault was planned using Four
Divisions of the British Army against Two defending Divisions of the German
Army. This battle was the first deliberately planned British offensive. It
would have showed what position warfare
took for the rest of the war on the Western Front. The planning as well as the
assault used the assets of the Royal Flying Corp for aerial photography - which
was used to prepare accurate and detailed maps – and for bombarding the
railways and German reserves.
After the artillery bombardment, the
first assault was carried out by the Garhwal Brigade of the Meerut Division of
the Indian Corp. Though the Indian troops faced German troops that were not
bombarded, and hence fresh for battle, they forced their way through the German
wire and took 200 yards of the German front trench, despite many casualties. They
over ran the German troops and captured German support trenches. They proceeded
further with no artillery support and captured the village along with 200
German prisoners and five machine guns. In North, the Germans also fought
valiantly and were able to stop repeated British assaults.
Pic courtsey www.historicallfirearms.info
Although aerial photography had been
useful, it could not efficiently identify strong defensive points of the German
Army. Because the British Army used primitive telephone based communications, the British commanders were unable to keep in
touch with each other. This caused the battle to became uncoordinated which in
turn disrupted the supply lines. Also, the infantry-artillery cooperation broke
down after the telephone system failed. On 12 March 1915, German forces launched
a counter-attack which failed. However, the British were forced to use most of
their artillery ammunition in defence, As a result, the British offensive was
postponed on 13 March 1915 and was thereafter abandoned two days later.
The battle led to improved relations
with the French, because unlike earlier in the war, British commanders had
shown themselves willing to order attacks regardless of losses suffered. The
battle resulted in the German and French armies begining to revise their low
opinion of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).
Pic courtsey www.osset.net
The British had deployed 40,000 troops
out of which 11,200 perished. Indian casualties were 4,200. The German Army
lost 10,000 troops defending their positions.
The British Empire awarded 10 Victoria
Crosses (Highest Gallantry Award of UK) during the battle. One of the awardees
was 21 year old Rifleman Gabbar Singh Negi of the 2nd / 39th Garhwal Rifles. His Citation read,
“His Majesty
the KING
has been graciously pleased to approve of the grant of the Victoria Cross to
the undermentioned man for his conspicuous acts of bravery and devotion to duty
whilst serving with the Expeditionary Force: —
No. 1685
Rifleman Gobar Sing [sic]
Negi, 2nd Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles.
For most
conspicuous bravery on 10th March, 1915, at Neuve Chapelle.
During our
attack on the German position he was one of a bayonet party with bombs who
entered their main trench, and was the first man to go round each traverse,
driving back the enemy until they were eventually forced to surrender.
He was killed
during this engagement.
—London
Gazette, 28 April 1915”
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