24.—Hoekske.
The southern part of the Belgian front may be classed as one of the most agitated sectors of the Western front. The short communications of the press which announced in their brief laconic style: “Bombing actions at het Sas and at Steenstraat;duel of artillery in the region of Noordschote”, said nothing of the horror of certain days of guard where the blood marked the ground of trenches, a hundred times turned over and as many times reestablished and always defended by our heroical troops. Drie Grachten, le Passeur, Steenstraat, Merckem, all these names resound, like as many bugle calls proclaiming the heroism of our soldiers and the glory of our arms.
It was in July-October 1917 that the Franco-British offensive gave us back, in that region, a corner of Belgian land. A few Belgian units participated on the 27thof October to the last assault which drove the enemy back beyond Luyghem, Kippe, Aschoop and reached, on the right, the outskirts of Houthulst forest. The effort had to be followed up, our troops had to extend to the North of Dixmude, theprogression of the Allies; our artillery preparation was ended, the Belgian army only waited for the signal!
But a run of unfavourable circumstances: the russian defection, the Caporetto incidents and the continual rain obliged the allies’ chief staff to suspend the offensive. One had to be resigned and wait, but it was a great deception to the Belgian soldier.
The 11thof November 1917, the 4tharmy division relieved a French division at Merckem. The state of the field after the battle, is depicted in the following extract from the order of the division commander dated the 14thof November. “In order to avoid, during the relieves, the sinking of the men in the excavations which are hollowed out all over the track, it is advised to gather the men in groups of five, holding one to one another with a rope and thus lending each other mutual help.”
Nineteen hundred and seventeen was, in fact, the year of offensives with long artillery preparations, which transformed the battle fields into masterpieces of devastation. The soil ploughed up by thousands of projectiles formed a vast field of hollows, filled with water by the autumn rains. Nothing else was seen in this desolate landscape but a few cut down trunks of trees and the monstrous concretes of the Germans, which were sometimes demolished and overturned.
However, it was absolutely necessary to remain on the chaotic ground. The positions had to be established strong enough to repulse the counter-attacks. At first it was only a system of shell holes surrounded by blocks of concrete which had been deserted by the enemy. It was a dreadful hard winter for the 4tharmy division. When the engineers and infantrymen at the price of terrible labour, had repaired and rebuilt the roads and tracks which facilitated and rendered possible the relieves, the rational and defensive organization of the sector was undertaken. Successive lines showed themselves, and were bound between byintermediate lines and a well organized plan of defence was able to be applied.
The “Grand-Père” (Grand-father) concrete dug-out, the remains of which have been preserved, was one of the posts best known among of the advanced positions of Merckem. It formed a rather prominent salient which was always a temptation to the enemy and provoked him to many sudden attacks, generally preceded by violent artillery fires demolishing all the surroundings.
The 4tharmy division managed to repulse two attempts and that at two days’ interval: one on the night 26–27 and the other 28–29 of November 1917. They were more like trials on the part of the enemy to stake out our advanced positions.
During the occupation of the sector by the 3darmy division, the raids became real attacks to reconquer the “Grand-father”. The 15thof February 1918, the enemy was thrown back in his own lines; but on the 7thof March, he managed to take a footing and bring machine-guns in the concrete shelter, from where our counter-attacks drove him out on the evening of the 8th.
It was decided then, to rectify the advanced line by suppressing the salient of the grand-father, and also the one, constituted by three little posts of Aschoop, which also was subjected to the enemy’s fires.
The last german raid on the “Grand-father” was on the 27thof March 1918, which hastened the decision, taken on the 29thof the same month, to abandon after destruction the salients of the Grand-father and Aschoop.
The “Grand-father” was again occupied by our troops the 9thof September 1918 after the taking of the german position of Kwaebeek brook. A centre of resistance was established there and was occupied till the offensive of the 28thof September 1918.
The name ofCastel Britanniawas given to the place occupied by the enemy’s batteries which oppressed up till1917 our positions of the sector of Steenstraat. Thick concrete masses protected them. They served under the Belgian occupation as observation-posts and battle posts.
The cross road ofHoekskeis situated at the crossing of Steenstraat to Dixmude road with the road of Merckem. It marks nearly the centre of the subsector which bears its name, and is celebrated by the numerous bombardments it has been subjected to. Heavy pieces of german artillery have been sunk in its vicinity.
These three sites are destined to perpetuate the remembrance of the defence of Merckem sector, organized by the 4tharmy division at the price of the greatest difficulties during the winter of 1917, and brilliantly defended by the 3darmy division in April 1918, and the gallant fields of action of the 1starmy division at the time preceding the offensive of the 28thof September. These sites will remain it that region, the witnesses of thebattle of Merckem, which was fought the 17thof April 1918 in the neighbourhood of Kippe near Langemark, and where the 3darmy division, under general Jacques, and the 4tharmy division, under general Michel, were covered with glory.
The Germans, who were in immediate contact with the 3darmy division at Kippe, made a sudden and abrupt irruption in the lines of this division and advanced up to the front of the Merckem and Hoekske trenches, where they were stopped.
Brilliant and heroical counter-attacks cleverly upheld by the artillery, drove them back disabled in their positions.
On the side of the 4tharmy division, the enemy, who, before approaching the front had to descend the slope at the North-East-bank of the Broenbeek and although vigorously welcomed by infantry and artillery fires, managed to push through a corner between the main-guards of Champaubert and Montmirail, whose wings were turned over to form a hook. Held in that way, the efforts of theGermans to open the breach further were vain. Crushed by violent musketry fires and the precise firing of the artillery, the enemy could not hold the positions reached and had to retire.
The battle of Merckem which had not procured to the Germans one atom of land, nor advantage, cost them many dead and wounded, eight hundred prisoners and the loss of numerous material, which was left in the hands of the 3darmy division. The order of Leopold was granted to the 9thregiment of the line and to the 1stjagers.
The inscription of “Merckem” on the regimental Colours of the 3darmy division, and on those of the 13thand 19thof the line (4tharmy division) and also on the shields of the guns, rewarded the bravery of the troops who won the battle.
As regards the moral point of view, the victory of the 17thof April in which our regiments had overthrown whole divisions of enemies, revealed to the General Staff, the offensive worth and power of our army and gave to it the full due, of its conscientiousness and strength and the ardent desire to go forward.
From the 17thof April, our soldiers at Merckem felt themselves masters of the sector. Patrols and audacious raids were undertaken, sometimes on Kloostermolen, sometimes on the trenches of the Kwaebeek position or on the Little-son and on Italy, Portugal and Epernon farms.
The numerous prisoners brought back from these expeditions supplied our Staff with informations, which were the more interesting because, at that time, the allied armies had begun to drive back the enemy from the French front.
At last, on the 9thof September, at dawn, a brilliant attack was executed without great loss by the 3dline regiment. The position of Kwaebeek, entirely taken, was organized, and, when a few days later, the enemy who had recovered, attempted with the aid of great reinforcement to drive back our troops in their formerlines, the success was of short duration, for the enemy had to let go.
It was from the position of Kwaebeek, that the 1st Infantry division, started the 28thof September 1918 to the signal for the great liberating offensive.