"The Sugar Refinery at Courcelette" Ruins [DND Photo o.859 ] OFFICIAL CAPTION: "The Sugar Refinery was captured by the 21st Canadian Infantry Battalion during the Battle of Courcelette on the 15th of September, 1916." CONFIRM DND PHOTO - O.859 OR 0.1876 The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 - 22 September, 1916). "From the middle of September, however, to the middle of November the Corps bore its full share of the Somme fighting. The first important action in which the Canadians were engaged was the capture of Sugar and Candy trench and the sugar refinery at Courcelette on September 15, 1916 this action is notable not only for the fierce fighting involved but by the fact that for the first time Tanks were used in cooperated with the Canadian infantry. The following day the Canadians swept on and captured the village of Courcelette itself, in one of the most successful operations of the Somme fighting. For many days the Germans strove stubbornly to retake Courcelette; but their efforts resulted only in further loss of ground and further punishment." The battle began at 06:20 am 15 September, 1916. Objectives of the 2nd Canadian Division, making the main effort astride the Albert-Bapaume road, were the defences in front of Courcelette. These included Candy Trench, the strongly fortified ruins of a sugar factory, which was a key objective, beside the Bapaume road and 1500 yards of Sugar Trench, which cut across Candy Trench. On the 2nd Canadian Division's left were the 3rd Canadian Division, who's front was held by the 8th Infantry Brigade, providing flank protection. The 2nd Canadian Division had seven tanks allotted to it in support of their attack. The assaulting Brigades for the 2nd Canadian Division were the: 4th Infantry Brigade on the right (east) of the road, with three tanks and the 6th Infantry Brigade on the left (west) of the road, with three tanks. The five assaulting Battalions, right to left (east to west) were the: 18th, 20th, 21st, 27th and 28th (approximately 4,000 men). At 06:20 am, the Canadian attack began, with the 18th Battalion attacking Candy Trench, towards Martinpuich, on the right, the 20th and 21st Battalions straddling the road, attacking towards Candy Trench and the 27th and 28th Battalions attacking towards the Sugar Factory and Sugar Trench. The fighting was severe, with the troops advancing through very heavy machine-gun, rifle and artillery fire, but within fifteen minutes the five assaulting Battalions had broken through the German front lines (200 metes from their start line) and were pushing on to assault the main German lines in front of Courcelette, Sugar and Candy Trenches, which were secured by 07:30 am, after severe hand-to-hand fighting for their possession. While pushing on from Sugar Trench, towards Courcelette village, the 27th Battalion came under extreme German machine-gun fire. By 6 pm, the Canadian follow-up Battalions (22nd, 25th and 26th) had entered Courcelette village and by 16th, it was firmly in Canadian hands. Also at 06:20 am, on the extreme left of the Canadian line, 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles assaulted the German positions about Mouquet Farm, which was heavily defended and linked by a catacomb of underground subways. Having captured this position, it was lost again later in the day by a German counter-attack and taken again by the 2nd Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles on the evening of the 16th.