WO 171/675 - 152 Infantry Brigade - September 1944

Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs., Vol. 1. and the Staff Manual respectively Title pages will be prepared in manuscript.	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Army Form C.2118
	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Unit: 152nd Infantry Brigade
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Brig. A.J.H. Cassels

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
LE HAVRE	11		H hour for 152 Bde was 2359 and at that time 5 Seaforth marchin personnel were to cross the Bde S.L. However owing to very hy going it was arranged that 5 Seaforth should cross 15 mins earlier to give them plenty of time to form up for their attack. It had originally been arranged that 5 Seaforth marching tps plus five vehs would use one of the gaps in the minefd made by 49 Div. Just before H hour it was learned that the gap wich 5 Seaforth intend using was fit only for marching personnel but that that the gap immediately East was fit for vehs. Permission was obtained from 56 Bde (49 Div) to use this second gap but it was afterwards learned that neither gaps were fit for vehs and would not be for two hrs. Meanwhile 5 Seaforth crossed the minefd and proceeded to their F.U.P. for the attack. The F.U.P. was shelled heavily which shelling delayed the start of one coy by about 10 mins. The barrage programme was scheduled to start at 0040 hrs. Comns between 5 Seaforth and the fwd coys became sketchy owing to the Bn Hq wireless being held up on the home side of the gap by uncompleted gaps. at 0100 hrs 5 Seaforth reported that the attack had started and from that time until 0243 hrs now news of progress was received. At 0243 hrs 5 Seaforth reported that leading coy had met no opposition and that the second two coys had passed through on way to final bn objectives. Meanwhile the minefd gapping parties on the bde front had commenced ops. Check pts on the lanes of adv of the gapping parties had been lit to within 300 yds of the anti tk ditch but despite these the gapping parties did not arrive at the A Tk ditch until 0050 hrs or thereabouts. Gin gap was eventually completed about 0430 hrs though it was ready to take marching personnel about 0400 hrs. The other two gaps converged into each other. Rum gap was eventually able to take vehs at 0435 hrs. The Bde Comd had ordered 5 Camerons to move fwd from assembly Area on receipt of news from 5 Seaforth that leading coy had met no opposition and second coys had passed through. This was at 0243 hrs and from that time until 0410 hrs. 5 Camerons were delayed owing to gaps not being ready for them. 275 Fd Coy were ordered to move up to gaps at 0225 hrs. The gaps were subjected to hy shelling which delayed their progress even further and in addition many flails were killed by mines which had been burried sufficiently to inocculate them against the flail but which were detonated by the weight of the tk. All this delayed the completion of the gaps which were vital to the whole op. At 0410 hrs the marching personnel of 5 Camerons began to pass through. The gaps at this time were very heavily shelled so much so that the coy 5 Camerons which had crossed the a tk ditch along with the remainder of the bn on the home side of the ditch was held up and did not really get going until 0600 hrs. Coc 51 Div decided to dend 1 Gordons through after 5 Camerons marching personnel in order to exploit the enemy withdrawal. 1 Gordons were given clear road through to the gaps by pushing all vehs 5 Camerons and 5 Seaforth off the rd leading to the gaps. 5 Camerons were ordered to move fwd as hard as possible in order to give 1 Gordons space to get through. 1 Gordons were to use Gin gap and 5 Camerons Rum. by 0615 hrs 5 Camerons marching personnel were almost all through and their vehs were going through Rum gap. 2 Seaforths were ordered fwd from the assembly area to an area immediately behind Bde Hq. From this time onward the op went with great swing. Enemy resistance was almost nil and as soon as our tps appeared about to attack they displayed white flags and came out of the posns, after firing in some cases only a few shots. 2 Seaforth were ordered fwd behind tpt of 5 Seaforth and were told to get through the gaps before first light if possible. 2 Seaforth did not in actual fact manage to do this, as they were held up by the tpt of 5 Seaforth. 5 camerons reported a firm Champagne at 0810 hrs and that they were exploiting to Vermouth. Mines still constituted the only obsticle to rapid progress but these were cleared by 275 Fd Coy with the help of bn pioneers. At 1058 hrs 5 Camerons reported Vermouth. By this time 2 Seaforth coln had become very stretched as the marching tps were through the gaps and on their first objective before their tpt began to move through the gaps. This did not delay the progress of the inf who had completed Phase 1 by 1109 hrs and were ready to begin Phase 2. By 1200 hrs 2 Seaforth were on final objectives and had begun to exploit towards DOUDEVILLE. This exploitation did not actually begin until 1420 hrs by which time 5 Camerons had started exploitation in same direction and had to be restrained to give 2 Seaforth a free hand. Meanwhile many Pw were coming in. Frech patriots were of great assistance in following up our tps and escorting Pw back to their own cages. It was clear to everyone long before now that the enemy did not intend to make any stand at all that remained to be done was to comb out the area for P.W. The sole enemy hostile action on the Bde front after 1100 hrs consisted of a few shells and a burst or two of Mg fire. At 1455 hrs a directive was received from Goc 51 Div to exploit to the sea within the bdys laid down. Bde comd was fwd when this directive was received and he ordered 5 Camerons and 2 Seaforth to fresh objectives and gave Er Yeo the tast of exploiting to the Sea and also of shooting the inf of 2 Seaforth and 5 Camerons on to their new objectives which were Chess and Bridge respectively. By 1501 hrs 2 Seaforth were entering DOUDEVILLE and were soon preparing to move on Chess. This they did and by 1740 hrs were half way through Chess though they reported being shelled thereon. This shelling ceased about 1900 hrs and by 2100 hrs 2 Seaforth quite firm on Chess and had one sqn Er Yeo sitting along side them. So far no enemy hostility was encountered from OCTEVILLE. 5 Camerons moved to Bridhe and were firmly set there by 2130 hrs. 5 Seaforth moved to MONT TROTIN area about 2100 hrs and were est there at 0030 with tpt in posn. B.M. went to div at 1900 hrs and Goc then ordered that further exploitation to OCTEVILLE and ECQUEVILLE should not take place until morning 12 Sep and that he was content to have 2 Seaforth and 5 Camerons firm on Chess and Bridge until then. Verbal orders received by B.M. were confirmed at 2150 hrs by Hq 51 Div.

Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Pim van Gelder.

Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. Locations are calculated, so might not be in the correct place. For historical research, always check the originals.

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