What Happened at Chipilly Ridge?

On the Step: The 131st U.S. Infantry at Chipilly Ridge
by James Dietz (Pritzker Museum)

During the summer of 1918 several American divisions were deployed with the British Army in the Somme Sector for training and to provide reserve forces for upcoming Allied operations following the exhaustion of the German spring offensives.  On 4 July 1918, elements of the 33rd Division (Illinois National Guard) participated in Australian General John Monash's masterful capture of the strong German position around the village of Le Hamel. A month later, the division would still be in the sector when that first operation, known as the Battle of Amiens, was launched.

Positions Along River Somme Where the 33rd Division Fought

The Battle of Amiens Opens

At 0420 on 8 August, roughly 3,700 British and French guns opened fire while seven Allied divisions—aided by the cover of fog—assaulted the German positions around Amiens. Because no preliminary bombardment preceded the attack, the Allies took the Germans by surprise. The artillery barrage severed the German lines of communication, and Allied infantry isolated and overwhelmed many enemy frontline positions. By the end of the day, Allied troops had advanced over 12 kilometers on a 12-kilometer-wide front, inflicting 23,000 German casualties and capturing 400 artillery pieces at the cost of only 9,000 casualties. 

The assault left General Ludendorff—who had recovered his nerve somewhat after the Allied successes in the Second Battle of the Marne—utterly disheartened. He later declared the Allied offensive at Amiens “the black day of the German Army in the history of this war.” Even though the Allies made significant gains on the first day, not everything went smoothly. This brought on a small, but significant, contribution from American forces that were still posted near the River Somme.

Sites of Actions Involving the U.S. 33rd Division

During the offensive, the American 33d Division operated as part of the British Fourth Army, serving as a reserve for General Sir Richard H. K. Butler’s British III Corps. The III Corps’ initial attack on Chipilly on 8 August failed, partly because a limited German advance on 6 August had pushed the corps back from its original jump-off line. Well-sited machine gun positions on and around Chipilly Ridge also hindered the Allied advance, and General Frank W. Ramsay’s British 58th (London) Division was unable to secure nearby Gressaire Wood. Needing fresh troops to continue the attack, Butler received permission from General Rawlinson to continue the next day with the 33d Division’s 131st Infantry regiment, commanded by 63-year-old Col. Joseph B. Sanborn, an Illinois National Guardsman who had served in the  war with Spain two decades before.   

Chipilly Ridge

The hasty deployment of the 131st out of the Fourth Army’s reserve caused considerable confusion, necessitating an overnight march of almost 30 kilometers. After several delays, the 131st Infantry—placed in the center of the 58th Division—launched its attack at 1730 on 9 August in the direction of Gressaire Wood.

A rolling barrage accompanied the troops, but heavy fire from German guns concealed among the trees significantly slowed the advance. The Americans silenced the gunners after about ninety minutes, driving the Germans off the northern end of Chipilly Ridge. One German regimental commander abandoned his command post—complete with maps, telephones, and papers—to the advancing American infantry.

The Sole Monument to the Action at Chipilly Village
Honors the 58th British Division

Even as the Germans on the northern part of Chipilly Ridge fell back or surrendered, the ones on the southern end of the ridge and in the village resisted stubbornly, holding up the 1st Battalion, 131st Infantry, and the British 10th Battalion, London Regiment. After several hours of hard fighting, the southern portion of Gressaire Wood fell, and the 4th Australian Division immediately to the south attacked across the Somme River and seized the village of Chipilly. German artillery continued to fire throughout the evening of 9 August, with poison gas spoiling the Allies’ rations before they could be distributed. 

The 131st continued to fight alongside the Australians the next day, and American snipers and light machine gunners—equipped with the Lewis gun, an American-designed automatic rifle employed mainly by the British Army—cut down several German machine gun teams attempting to set up firing positions on the left flank of the Allied advance. By 0600 on 10 August, Colonel Sanborn reported all objectives taken. Infantry belonging to the 4th Australian Division leapfrogged the American position late on 10 August, leaving the 131st Infantry to hold the ground gained the previous day.

Aftermath: German Position Atop Chipilly Ridge

After a brief interlude, the 131st Infantry was attached temporarily to an ad hoc Australian force commanded by General Evan A. Wisdom for an attack on the town of Étinehem. Advancing over a kilometer to the northeast—together with the Australian 13th Brigade, as well as other attached units—the 131st Infantry seized its objectives by 0600 on 11 August, helping to capture sixty German prisoners, including one officer. After this success, the regiment remained in the line until the night of 19–20 August, participating in local actions and assisting Australian troops in organizing captured positions. On 20 August, the 131st Infantry withdrew to Hamel. During its 11 days in the line, the 131st captured 700 prisoners, thirty artillery pieces, one aircraft, and over 100 machine guns.

Honors

King George V and General Pershing Reviewing
Men of the 33rd Division

On 12 August King George V was visiting the front and decided to honor the division and express his appreciation for their help in the recent attack, which was still unfolding east of Amiens.  A visit was arranged at the division's headquarters just south of the River Somme with an honor guard of military policeman and General Pershing and Division Commander General George Bell in attendance.  The record, however, is unclear whether two of the most honored participants in the fighting at Chipilly Ridge were present that day.

Corporal Jake Allex Mandusich (1887–1959), a Serbian immigrant, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the battle:

At a critical point in the action, when all the officers with his platoon had become casualties, Corporal. Allex (Mandusich) took command of the platoon and led it forward until the advance was stopped by fire from a machine gun nest. He then advanced alone for about 30 yards in the face of intense fire and attacked the nest. With his bayonet he killed 5 of the enemy, and when it was broken, used the butt of his rifle, capturing 15 prisoners.

Regimental Commander, Colonel Joseph Sanborn (1855–1934) was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership of the 131st Infantry at Chipilly Ridge.

Colonel Sanborn's regiment was ordered into a critical engagement. Hurrying to the front he personally led his forces through a heavy and concentrated shell fire, and started the attack at the exact allotted time. After launching his attack he established his post of command in a shell hole and directed the battle to a successful termination. The courage and fearlessness of Colonel Sanborn, despite his advanced age of 62 years, were remarkable to all under his command.

Afterward

In September the 33rd Division would play a much larger and valuable role in securing the right flank of  the U.S. First Army's opening attack in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Later, it would lead the charge across the Meuse River to take control of the strategic heights about it.

Source: Supporting Allied Offensives: 8 August—11 November 1918; U.S. Army Center for Military History