Battle Honour ST QUENTIN - German Spring Offensive 1918.

36th (Ulster) Division's Brigade positions.

ST QUENTIN is emblazoned on the King's Colour.

On 21 March 1918, the Germans launched Operation MICHAEL, the main offensive of the German Spring Offensive (or Kaiserschlact), at 0440 hours when their heaviest preparatory artillery bombardment yet seen on the Western Front pounded the British around St Quentin in depth with the forward trenches receiving mustard, chlorine and tear gas thickened by smoke. Then at 0940 hours the Germans attacked using their recently developed ‘Offensive in Trench Warfare’ tactics. Elite infiltrating stormtroopers led the assault and the infantry followed, attacking out of an early morning mist made dense by artillery and trench mortar smoke.

Among the Irish infantry facing the German spring offensive were the 1st, 7th, 8th and 9th Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers; the 1st, 2nd, 12th and 15th Battalion The Royal Irish Rifles and the 1st and 9th Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers; the 1st Battalion The London Irish Rifles in another area bore the brunt of a German attack supporting Operation MICHAEL around St Quentin.

Above left, German stormtroopers in gas masks, © IWM (Q 56607)

In the 36th (Ulster) Division's 108 Brigade, the 1st Faughs, soon lost contact with 12 RIR in the Forward Zone; the intense enemy artillery barrage cutting all communications. As the Rifles fought desperately throughout the morning against the German infantry, the attack against the 1st Faughs did not arrive until 1300 hours; the 12th Battalion was annihilated. Because flanking units fell back under the enemy pressure, 1st Faughs became isolated until 9th Faughs moved forward into line on the left. By dusk, for fear of being isolated again, both Battalions had withdrawn. The 1st Faughs' casualties were estimated at the time as 10 men known to be dead, one officer and 55 men wounded and nine officers and 275 other ranks missing - many of those missing were later discovered to be casualties. The 9th Battalion was even less certain of its losses.

Second Lieutenant Edmund De Wind, right, 15th Battalion The Royal Irish Rifles was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Grugies, southwest of St Quentin.

By the end of the spring offensive, the 36th (Ulster) Division had suffered 7,310 and the 16th (Irish) Division 7,149 casualties; they would be destroyed as effective formations and removed from the British order of battle for reconstruction.

Left, German photograph of a captured soldier with Royal Irish Rifles shoulder titles. © IWM (Q 23839)