| rdfs:comment | - The Capture of Oppy Wood was an engagement on the Western Front of the Great War on 28 June 1917. The Arras Offensive of 1917 ended with the Germans in possession of a fortified wood to the west of the commune of Oppy, which overlooked British positions. The wood was in area and contained many German observation posts, machine-guns and trench-mortars. New German defensive tactics adopted after the Battle of the Somme, of defence in depth and rapid counter-attack, had been enforced on the German Sixth Army after the disaster of 9 April and the British were defeated everywhere on 3 May, except at Fresnoy which was captured by the 1st Canadian Division. The attack on Oppy Wood by 92nd Brigade of the 31st Division during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, had been repulsed with many British casua
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| abstract | - The Capture of Oppy Wood was an engagement on the Western Front of the Great War on 28 June 1917. The Arras Offensive of 1917 ended with the Germans in possession of a fortified wood to the west of the commune of Oppy, which overlooked British positions. The wood was in area and contained many German observation posts, machine-guns and trench-mortars. New German defensive tactics adopted after the Battle of the Somme, of defence in depth and rapid counter-attack, had been enforced on the German Sixth Army after the disaster of 9 April and the British were defeated everywhere on 3 May, except at Fresnoy which was captured by the 1st Canadian Division. The attack on Oppy Wood by 92nd Brigade of the 31st Division during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, had been repulsed with many British casualties. The area was defended by the 1st Guard Reserve Division and the 15th Reserve Division, which had not needed to call on specialist Eingreif (counter-attack) divisions. A second attack took place on 28 June, as part of a series of feints intended to simulate a threat to the cities of Lens in the First Army area and Lille in the Second Army area. The attack was conducted by the 15th Brigade of the 5th Division and the 94th Brigade of the 31st Division, which advanced on a front extending from north of Oppy Wood to Gavrelle in the south. After a hurricane bombardment, the objectives were captured with few British losses and German counter-attacks were broken up by artillery-fire. An attack at the same time by the 4th Canadian Division and the 46th Division astride the Souchez river also succeeded. Operations to continue the encirclement of Lens, with an attack by the Canadian Corps on Hill 70 to the north, were postponed until August, due to a shortage of artillery. The feint attacks failed to divert German preparations to defend Flanders, which included the transfer of ten divisions to the Fourth Army, despite claims by the Sixth Army command that an offensive towards Lens was being prepared. The operations did succeed in diverting German attention from the French front.
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