Battle of Amiens - the Battle of

BATTLE OF AMIENS - THE BATTLE OF BAPAUME–PERONNE This operation is dealt with here as it formed the immediate sequel to the battle of Amiens, in the scheme of the British of fensive leading up to the assault of the Hindenburg Line. At the time the front of Byng's 3rd Army, which was the northern neigh bour of Rawlinson's Army, was held as follows: 5th Corps (Shute, with three divisions) from the left of the 4th Army just north of Albert to Beaucourt, 4th Corps (Harper, with five divisions) thence as far as opposite Ablainzeville, 6th Corps (Haldane, with four divisions) thence to the army boundary south of Arras. Preparations were at once put in hand, the operations being timed to begin on Aug. 21, by which date the rapid advance of the 4th Army had been checked on the western edge of the old Somme battlefields of 1916.

Attack by 3rd Army.

On Aug. 21 a preliminary operation was carried out by the 4th and 6th Corps together with the left division of the 5th Corps, in order to get within striking distance of the enemy's main defensive position along the Arras-Albert railway. This attack, which was entirely successful and resulted in the capture of some 2,000 prisoners, enabled Byng to spend the 22nd in bringing up his guns preparatory to the main attack on the 23rd, on which date a general advance on the whole army front, together with that portion of the 4th Army which was north of the Somme, was timed to take place.

On the 23rd Byng attacked on a front of 16m. from just north of Albert to the Cojeul. Though stubborn resistance was encoun tered considerable progress was made, the objective being reached all along the line. The 4th Corps, in the centre, pushed forward to Bihucourt and Loupart wood, while the 6th Corps captured Er villers and established itself east of the Arras–Bapaume road in the vicinity of Boyelles. On the right the 5th Corps, in conjunction with the 3rd Corps (4th Army), pushed out its right and estab lished itself on the hills overlooking the town of Albert just west of La Boisselle. During the day 5,00o prisoners and a number of guns were taken.

The advance was continued on the 24th and 25th, by the evening of which the 4th Corps had pushed forward as far as the line Favreuil–Mory, thus threatening the enemy's line of retreat from Bapaume. To the south the 5th Corps, after capturing the Thiep val stronghold on the 24th, attained a general line west of Con talmaison and Courcelette. On the left the 6th Corps occupied St. Leger and Henin–sur–Cojeul but was held up in front of Croisilles.

Fourth Army Operations.

The operations of the 3rd Army were closely supported by the 4th Army troops north of the Somme. On the 22nd the 3rd Corps and left Australian Division attacked on a front of 7,000yd., reaching all their objectives to a depth of from 2,000 to 3,00o yards. In the afternoon a strong counter-attack developed against the 3rd Corps right division, and much of the ground won earlier in the day was lost. During the next three days the advanced continued in conjunction with the 3rd Army, and on the evening of the 25th the front had reached a general line along the high ground west of Suzanne Mametz. South of the Somme the Australian Corps on the 23rd advanced up to the edge of the old Somme battlefield, capturing 3,00o prisoners and 23 guns. As a result of the critical situation caused by these operations, the German Higher Command ordered Von Boehm, commanding the group of armies between the Ancre and the Aisne, to fall back to the general line Queant-east of paume—Peronne—Ham. This movement was carried out on the 26th and 27th.

On the 26th the 5th Corps made a rapid advance, whilst the 4th Corps continued to swing round to the north-east of Bapaume, occupying Beugnatre. On the evening of the 25th, the 17th Corps (Ferguson) relieved the 6th and undertook the difficult task of dispossessing the enemy of his strong position in the vicinity of Croisilles. During the next week a stubborn defence was shown all along the front, which by the evening of Sept. 2 had reached the enemy's position on the line Morval—Haplincourt—Noreuil. During the 13 days' fighting the 14 divisions of the 3rd Army had engaged 23 hostile divisions, had taken from them I r,000 prisoners and many guns and had driven them back•a depth of 8-13m. on a front of 20m., besides inflicting heavy losses in killed and wounded.

On the 4th Army front north of the Somme, the 3rd Corps, to gether with the 3rd Australian Division, continued the advance in touch with the 3rd Army. South of the Somme the advance had been rapid, and on the evening of the 29th the river had been reached between Cizaucourt and Biaches, whence the line con tinued northwards to Combles. In view of the small prospect of success afforded by an attempt to force the strongly-held river line south of Peronne, Rawlinson decided that the next operation must be a strong advance by the centre and left towards Nurlu in order to turn the river line. Bef ore that could be done, however, the key to it, the dominating height of Mont St. Quentin, which command ed all the country to the north and west, including all the river passages by which it could be approached, had to be captured.

Capture of Mont St. Quentin.

Althoughthe operations which resulted in its capture by the Australians extended over only a few miles of front, they were of such importance to the general advance and so brilliantly executed that a description will be given in rather greater detail. On the 3oth a bridge-head on the north bank of the river near Clery was seized, and by 4 A.M. on the 31st the 5th Brigade (2nd Australian Division) had crossed over and by 7 A.M. had captured Mont St. Quentin village, the right being held up in front of Anvil wood. Shortly afterwards a strong coun ter-attack developed and drove the British line back to the road on the south-west side of the village. As a result of the day's fighting the 5th Brigade of some 1,200 rifles had penetrated to a depth of 2,000yd., and, though reduced to only 600 rifles, had held out on a wide front of 4,000yd. against repeated and desperate counter blows.

Next morning the 6th Brigade, which had crossed the river the evening before, passed through the 5th Brigade, and after a short bombardment stormed the village and wood and established itself on the height. Meanwhile the 14th Brigade (5th Australian Divi sion) also passed through south of the 6th Brigade, and, brushing aside all opposition, entered and occupied Peronne, only a small portion of the suburbs on the north-east remaining in the enemy's hands. Next day the Australians occupied Allaines, and the 3rd Corps St. Pierre Vaast and Vaux woods. The line of the Somme had been turned, due, as a detailed account would show, to the brilliant initiative of every commander, from the army command er to the section leader, and to the magnificent fighting qualities of the Australian soldier. Between Aug. 22 and Sept. 2 the 4th Army of nine divisions had engaged 23 of the enemy's divisions and taken 23,000 prisoners and many guns.

Results of the Battle.

Byng's and Rawlinson's armies total ling together 23 divisions had defeated 46 German divisions. On a front of 28m. they had advanced to a depth of six to 13m., captur ing 34,25o prisoners and 270 guns. The whole area of the Somme battlefields, which had cost the British five months of bitter fighting in 1916, had been reconquered in less than a fortnight ; more than half the ground gained by the German spring advance had been recovered, the only good natural line of defence west of the Hindenburg system had been broken, and the shifting of the moral and material balance in favour of the British and against the Germans was not only heartening to the troops of the Allies but had become patent to the world.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.-F. M. Cutlack, The Australians: Final Campaign, Bibliography.-F. M. Cutlack, The Australians: Final Campaign, 19r8 (1918) ; G. P. Cuttriss, "Over the Top" with the 3rd Australian Division (1918) ; A. A. Montgomery, The Fourth Army, Aug.-Nov. 19r8 (192o) ; H. E. R. Steele, The Canadians in France, 1915-18 (192o) ; G. A. B. Dewar and J. H. Boraston, Sir Douglas Hail's Com mand, 1915-1918 (1922) ; B. H. Liddell Hart, Reputations (1928) ; also British and French Official Histories of the War. (See also WORLD WAR: Bibliography.) (R. M. L.)