Battle of Malmaison (Laffaux Salient)

The 21st and 20th Chasseur Battalions of XXI Corps met little opposition as they advanced. Vaurains Farm was captured with tank support and the eastern end of Lizard and Lady trenches were occupied by early morning. Once the 31st Chasseur …

1917-10-23

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The 21st and 20th Chasseur Battalions of XXI Corps met little opposition as they advanced. Vaurains Farm was captured with tank support and the eastern end of Lizard and Lady trenches were occupied by early morning. Once the 31st Chasseur Battalion stormed and took Malmaison Farm, the French were in firm control of the sector.

Laffaux Salient, France

The Battle of La Malmaison from 23 to 27 October, was the final French action of the 1917 campaign in the First World War, which had begun with the Nivelle Offensive. The French captured the village and fort of La Malmaison and took control of the Chemin des Dames ridge. The German 7th Army had discovered French preparations for the attack and also identified the date and time. Boehn chose to defend the front positions, rather than treat them as an advanced zone and to conduct the main defence north of the Oise–Aisne Canal. The German artillery was outnumbered three-to-one and on the front of the 14th Division, 32 German batteries were confronted by 125 French, which silenced most of the German guns before the attack. Gas from French bombardments on low-lying land near the Oise–Aisne Canal in the Ailette valley, became so dense that it was impossible to carry ammunition and supplies forward or to remove the wounded.

Wikipedia: Battle of La Malmaison

German

French