The Battle of Neuve Chapelle

An unacceptable loss of lives was paid for this
small blip pushed eastwards
in the front over 3 days

 Neuve Chapelle was the first significant action on the northern stretch of the Western Front in 1915. As initially planned by Sir John French it was to be little more than a pilot study for much larger subsequent Allied offensive. It assumed greater significance partly because of the nature and course of the battle, but also politically. French and Joffre were at last agreed on something – that the transfer of attention (and resources) from the Western Front to the eastern theatre for the Dardanelles campaign should be opposed. They sought an early and dramatic breakthrough at Neuve Chapelle to break the current stalemate.

Neuve Chapelle at that time was a small village sitting to the south of the Ypres salient on the La Bassee Estaires road that runs north-south, and around 20 miles to the west of strategically important Lille, held by the Germans. Smith-Dorrien's 2^nd Corps had taken Neuve Chapelle in mid October, but had been pushed back by the Germans within 10 days. By early March 1915, the surviving BEF had been greatly reinforced from Britain and the Empire. If they could break through at Neuve Chapelle and gain control of the ridges to the east, they would be well placed on the elevated approaches to Lille.

French briefed his generals on the 8^th March. The 1^st army would make a two-pronged approach at the north and south edges of the village, while supplementary attacks would be made at nearby Givenchy, and to the north just below Armentieres. The military tactic to be piloted was a concentrated artillery barrage to open up the front line defences for the infantry assault – a harbinger for the fatal Somme offensive of 1916.

At 7.30am on 10^th March an intense artillery bombardment opened up on the German line. A mere 35 minutes later, the artillery range was increased, the whistles blew, and the infantry advanced. Initial progress and success was considerable, but before long resistance from intact defences and murderous machine gun fire were encountered. At the north end of the village, the 2^nd Middlesex regiment found themselves in barbed wire and defences not touched by the artillery – they were almost wiped out. Beyond the first line the battle developed into a series of close quarters fighting through the village and surrounding woods, with heavy losses on both sides. By the end of the 10^th Neuve Chapelle was in British hands, but a renewed assault on 11^th was less successful, the Germans were better prepared, and after another long day of bitter fighting little further progress towards the ridges was made. On the night of 11^th the Germans brought in reinforcements, and on 12^th they launched a counter attack. The most severe of these was well to the north at the edge of the Ypres salient. They took the village of St Eloi, and threatened more general damage to the allied line. The allies fought back strongly, particularly the newly arrived Canadian Light Infantry, and restored St. Eloi within three days.

The ruins of Neuve Chapelle post battle

By the end of 12^th March a stalemate had been reached. The British had taken the village, and advanced for one mile along a front of three miles, but the Germans still held the ridges guarding Lille. Perhaps a Pyrrhic victory, but one aspect of the battle was great success – the actions of the Flying Corps. For the first time the aviators fought almost alongside the ground forces, and their bombs repeatedly disrupted the German communications. 

Buchan writes “Neuve Chapelle was a test action, and the deduction from it was to have a sinister effect  on the Allies’ conduct of the war”…”Guns could blast a way through the strongest defences. Clearly the attack must be on a broader front, otherwise the avenue of advance would be too narrow and degenerate into a salient; but on a broad front, granted limitless supplies of guns and shell, it seemed that success was assured. This view…dominated all the plans for 1915, and its many weaknesses were left undiscovered in the obsession which had fallen on the Allied commands.” “A false step had been taken which for three years was to be left unretrieved.”