The regrouping of RIR 240 begins in the night of 27.08. the frontline of the whole section is occupied by the 7 Company and 2nd. the 5 and 6 and the 8 move into the HWL( I lost it here), the 12th to the artillery protection position. The battle for Kemmel was over. Flanders had become a secondary theatre of war. Kemmel hill was to be abandoned for good. Strategic reasons were decisive. Troops were to be saved by shortening the front. On the entire western front, the arcs protruding from the enemy’s front, such as Bailleul, Merville, La Bassee, were abandoned for this reason. they were relieved in a hurry the next night. Not expected to clear a section that was still covered with fresh blood of their comrades. During the night of 27/28 August, the combat battalion was replaced by two-thirds of the battalion of Regiment 72. The other parts of the regiment also moved out of the Kemmel section during the night and early in the morning. A few days later, the hill was abandoned t after the dugouts, tunnels and cross roads had been blown up.
And this is what the Americans found , men were warned to be careful :
Attention is drawn to the practice of the enemy, when making an organized withdrawal, of leaving certain positions, dug-outs, dumps, etc., mined, the firing arrangements being such that the charges are exploded after the position has been occupied by our own troops
So one must be very careful and be suspicions towards : Attractively furnished dug-outs, dug-outs under roads. Single houses left standing when others have been destroyed. All new work, or new trench or other equipment, in the midst of weather-worn ground or articles, e. g., recently disturbed soil, new metalling, new trench boards.
Souvenirs, such as helmets, shells, badges and bayonets, left in conspicuous positions. Articles sticking in the ground, such as stick grenades or shovels.
A few examples of the traps found :
A French stove with stove-pipe dismantled, one wire attached to leg of stove and the other to stove-pipe nearby. When the stove-pipe is picked up, a mine is fired.
A charge of 2,000 lbs. Perdite in a seemingly dead end of the gallery of a dug- out and connected to ordinary telephone wires. Face of the gallery made up to look like undisturbed ground with pick marks on it.
Hand rails on the steps of dug-outs attached by wires to a charge.
One of the timbers on the side of the staircase of a dug-out was noticed to be projecting slightly inwards at the top, though it was in place at the bottom. A nail had been driven through its lower end, the point of which was placed against the cap of the cartridge, which had a charge of explosive behind it.
A charge in a chimney, with length of fuse attached, which would be ignite if a fire were lighted.
Detonators in lumps of coal.
Book on table, with wire down leg of table, charge would fire if book were lifted.
A branch placed over the entrance of a dug-out as if to conceal it, on moving the branch an explosion was caused two minutes later, the dug-out being completely destroyed.
Sources : John R O’Ryan the story of the 27thdivision part two
Geschichte des badischen (später rheinischen) Reserve-Infanterie-Regiments 240