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trench notes
11
It seemed prodigious, in June 1916, to fire off 1,732,873 rounds
in eight days, but a year later, in June 1917 at Messines, the
Second Army artillery fired off 3,258,000 rounds in the same
period. And in September 1918, in the course of the assault
on the Hindenburg Line, the British artillery fired off 943,847
rounds in twenty four hours.
On the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele the British
barrage consisted of 3,000 guns and howitzers: one 18-pounder
for every 15 yards (14 m) of front, and a heavy howitzer for
every 50 yards (46 m), with yet more guns in the French sector.
The British barrage advanced 100 yards (91 m) every four
minutes, with the infantry following as close as 50 yards
(46 m) from the bursting shells.
J U N E 1 9 1 6
1 , 7 2 3 , 8 7 3 R O U N D S I N 8 D AY S
J U N E 1 9 1 7
3 , 2 5 8 , 0 0 0 R O U N D S I N 8 D AY S
S E P T E M B E R 1 9 1 8
9 4 3 , 8 4 7 R O U N D S 2 4 H O U R S