Gommecourt 1916

The phrase "lack of offensive spirit" is a highly controversial accusation from World War I. It was leveled by Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Thomas D'Oyly Snow against the 46th (North Midland) Division (commanded by Maj. Gen. Edward Montagu-Stuart-Wortley), following a disastrous diversionary attack at Gommecourt on July 1, 1916. [1, 2]
While historically applied to the Somme, this accusation is deeply intertwined with the division's tragic earlier experiences at the Hohenzollern Redoubt.
Flawed Tactics: Major-General Stuart-Wortley originally proposed a small-scale, methodical bombing attack. His superiors overruled him and ordered a costly, direct frontal assault across open ground  The Result (Oct 13, 1915): The attack was an unmitigated disaster. The troops were slaughtered within minutes by unsuppressed German machine guns, resulting in 3,763 casualties in a single afternoon