Biaches Military Cemetery on the Somme: graves of Jules Auguste Huchard, Sergeant 44th Infantry Regiment, died August 11, 1916, and Prosper Victor Guinfoleau, Sergeant 79th Infantry Regiment, died July 6, 1916.
Jules Auguste Huchard, Sergeant 44th Infantry Regiment, died August 11, 1916Prosper Victor Guinfoleau, Sergeant 79th Infantry Regiment, died July 6, 1916
"At Assevillers, at the other end of the line, the defence was more tenacious: the first French assault was beaten off by artillery fire from unsilenced batteries to the south, and a second with fresh battalions was heavily counter-attacked. More battalions, hastily scraped up from the front to the south, were being thrown in to hold the line. The village was not finally in French hands until 09:00 on 3 July. Following closely the methods prescribed by GAN for the multi-stage set-piece battle, the Colonials demonstrated that early success could be quickly exploited — the capture of one German position could be followed up with the capture of a second while the defence was disorganised. In forty-eight hours the French had broken through on the Somme on an eight-kilometre front!"
The French at the right wing (southern) of the Anglo-French line in the Battle of the Somme were much more successful than their Ally in the first days of the offensive. Although the Germans had been tenacious at Assevillers, they had been quickly defeated at other points, such as Herbécourt. GAN was the Groupe des Armée du Nord commanded by General Ferdinand Foch.
Three Armies on the Somme by William Philpott, pp. 207-208, copyright © 2009 by William Philpott, publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, publication date: 2009
1916-07-03, 1916, July, Battle of the Somme, Somme, Biaches Military Cemetery, Biaches
