Sir Hubert de la Poer Gough | |
|---|---|
&sq=Albert Einstein&lang=en&file=File:175_7_Gough_(cropped)_(cropped).jpg) Hubert Gough in 1917 | |
| Born | 12 August 1870 London, England |
| Died | 18 March 1963 (aged 92) London, England |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 1888–1922 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Fifth Army I Corps 7th Division 3rd Cavalry Brigade 16th (Queen's) Lancers |
| Battles/wars | Tirah Campaign Second Boer War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order |
| Relations | Sir Charles Gough (father) Sir Hugh Gough (uncle) Sir John Gough (brother) |
General Sir Hubert de la Poer Gough GCB, GCMG, KCVO (/ɡɒf/ GOF; 12 August 1870 – 18 March 1963) was a senior officer in the British Army in the First World War. A controversial figure, he was a favourite of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, and the youngest of his Army commanders.
In 1916 Gough commanded the Reserve Corps, renamed the Reserve Army in April and renamed the Fifth Army in October during the Battle of the Somme. He was originally earmarked to command the exploitation forces, both infantry and cavalry, in the event of a decisive breakthrough being achieved, although he may also have been intended to command in Flanders in the event of British offensive efforts being switched to that sector.
After the First Day of the Somme he was placed in command of the hilly northern sector of the battlefield, tasked with capturing important defensive ground and drawing off German reserves from the main BEF effort by Rawlinson's Fourth Army. Gough's Army fought over Pozieres and Mouquet Farm in the summer, and in the autumn captured Thiepval and Schwaben Redoubt, both of which had targets for the initial BEF attack on 1 July.
Fifth Army conducted the final attack of the Battle of the Somme, at Beaumont Hamel in cold and wet weather in November. This was authorised by Haig largely for political reasons, to appease the French and so that he report a recent success at a conference at Chantilly. Haig and his chief of staff Launcelot Kiggell visited Gough several times beforehand to discuss the political considerations and to ensure that there was a reasonable prospect of success. The attack began well on 13 November, reflecting improvements in artillery tactics which had been made since July that year, but as with many offensives in the middle years of the war the following days were less successful. Throughout the Battle of the Somme Gough had added to his controversial reputation as an aggressive, domineering commander under whom many other generals found it difficult to serve.