Battle of Loos, 25 Sept - 8th Oct 1915

The Allied offensive in the autumn of 1915 was designed to distract German attention from the Eastern front where she was inflicting great damage on Russia, sparking French and British fears that their ally might sue for peace. The attack was in two regions: the French would launch an assault in Champagne, the British at Loos; it began on 25 September 1915.

The French made some quick territorial gains across a fifteen mile front, capturing the well defended German position of La Courtine. The British attacked along a six-and-a-half mile front and used poison gas for the first time in the war. Over 5,000 gas cylinders were employed resulting in six hundred German deaths. But the dangers of gas warfare to both sides were demonstrated when some of the gas blew back across the British trenches, causing confusion and some casualties.

Although they had numerical superiority, British soldiers were often required to make frontal assaults on German positions defended by machine guns; casualties were severe. At Bois Hugo, a few dozen German machine guns killed or wounded thousands of British infantry, and after five attempts to take the wood the battle was called off. 8,000 of the 10,000 men who had attacked at Loos had been killed or injured. General Haig had previously expressed his opinion of the machine gun to the British War Council: ' The machine gun is a much over-rated weapon and two per battalion is more than sufficient'.

The French had fared better in Champagne, taking 25,000 prisoners and seizing a large number of heavy guns.

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