Author: 22ndaif

General Rawlinson called a conference of his three British 4th Army Corps Commanders – Butler (III), Monash (Australian) and Braithwaite (IX) – at Assevillers to discuss the next series of operations that would take the great Hindenburg Line system comprising the Hindenburg Outpost Line (or Hagricourt Line), the main Hindenburg Line, the support or Le Catelet Line and finally the reserve Beaurevoir Line (map courtesy of the DVA Anzac Portal). The first phase, the taking of the Hindenburg Outpost Line, would be made in conjunction with the British Third Army to the north and the French to the south. The attack would be conducted with just eight Tanks for the Corps on account of the attrition of the previous month, and with no great supply of replacements likely before the end of the month. Although no date for the attack had been yet set, the two Australian Divisions (1st & 4th) needless to say kept pushing their line forward, as they had done throughout the summer, with their highly successful aggressive patrolling or peaceful penetration tactics.

The American Army launched its first great attack of the war against the St. Mihiel Salient on the Alsace front. The offensive was supported by an unprecedented 1,476 Allied aircraft used as part of a coordinated air-ground attack. Within 36 hours, the Americans took 15,000 prisoners and captured over 400 pieces of artillery as the Germans withdrew. From intelligence reports and prisoners taken across the front it was becoming clear that the enemy’s mobile reserves had almost completely been absorbed into the front line. German Division after Division was being disbanded and the strength of the enemy’s remaining Divisions was also rapidly diminishing.

The Australian 3^rd Division came into the line on the north, with each of three divisions now operating a single brigade frontage – 11^th Brigade (3^rd Division), 8^th Brigade (5^th Division) and the 97^th Brigade (British 32^nd Division). To each division a squadron of Australian Light Horse and Cyclist Battalions were assigned to provide energetic forward reconnaissance through vigorous pursuit and to keep pressure on the enemy rear-guards and disrupting any plans they had to replicate the ‘scorched earth’ policy that they had employed during the 1917 withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line.

From the morning of the 4^th September it was obvious that the German Army intentions were to withdraw to the Hindenburg Line some 20 kms distant to the east. The Somme that had been to focal point for so many years had been crossed and now attention was turning to the enemy’s last line of defence. However on the Australian Corps the river still caused a great obstacle and for many days in early September the area was a mass of activity in fixing, strengthening or rebuilding bridges and crossing points to enable all the machinery of war to move eastwards. Every available technical unit that could be spared from other urgent duty was concentrated upon this vital work. Most of the Engineer Field Companies, three of the five Pioneer Companies, both Tunnelling Companies and all the Army Troop Companies laboured in relays night and day. Peronne itself was now becoming a bottleneck, at times resembling central London at peak traffic time. Learning from way that the retreating German Army had devastated the area during the 1917 withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line, the French and British Commanders ordered their forward units to follow a vigorous pursuit policy.

By the night of the 3^rd September Lieut.-General Monash’s Australian Corps had achieved all its objectives set since the launch of the offensive four days previously, and resulted in the award of eight Victoria Crosses (click on link or photographs to read more), the most in any single Australian action during the Great War. During the offensive the Australians had suffered some 3,000 casualties but had taken 2,600 prisoners. General Rawlinson referred to the operation as the finest single feat of the war, with many of the congratulations falling to Major General Rosenthal’s 2^nd Division (photograph above right of the Australian 2nd Division monument, Mont St. Quentin). “The capture of Mont. St. Quentin by the Second Division is a feat of arms worthy of the highest praise. The natural strength of the position is immense and the tactical value of it, in reference to Peronne and the whole of the system of the Somme defences, cannot be over-estimated. I am filled with admiration at the gallantry and surpassing daring of the Second Division in winning this important fortress, I congratulate them all with my heart.” Rawlinson.

Eight men from the 22nd Battalion were awarded for their gallantry during the support to the Australian 2nd Division attack at Mont St. Quentin.  Included within this group were Sgt Batton of the 5^th Reinforcements who received a Distinguished Conduct Medal to add to his Military Medal and Bar, and RSM Cadwell a Military Medal to his Distinguished Conduct Medal and Belgian Croix de Guerre making them, along with Lieut-Col. Wiltshire, the most decorated men in the 22^nd Battalion during the Great War.

The 6^th Brigade, some 1,334 strong, had been ordered to cross the Somme and move up behind the 5^th Brigade in readiness to carry the attack and take possession of the remainder of the main Mont St. Quentin spur. Passing over the line won the previous day the 21st, 23rd and 24th Battalions assault in the rain carried it well over the crest of Mont St. Quentin. Pte Mactier (photograph top right) of the 23^rd Battalion was killed while silencing machine guns that blocked the way for which he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Sgt Lowerson of the 21^st Battalion (photograph bottom right) led a charge that overcame the centre of resistance on the left flank, and Lieut. Towner of the 7^th Machine Gun Company provided continuous covering fire for which both men were awarded the Victoria Cross. Ferocious hand to hand fighting took place, with the bayonet to the fore and as a result very few enemy prisoners were taken that day. After two attempts the summit of the Mont was taken and with it a commanding position over Peronne and the land to the east. The 7^th Brigade moved forward into support thereby relieving the 5^th Brigade from front line duty. Meanwhile just to their south on the Australian 5^th Division front the 14th Brigade had crossed the river at Clery (see map below) besides the 6^th Brigade and the 53^rd and 54^th Battalions assaulted with a direct attack against Peronne. Many belts of wire had to be struggled through before crossing the moat and taking the western half of Peronne. Cpls Hall, Buckley (posthumously) and Pte Currey were all awarded the Victoria Cross. During the day the Brig-Gen. Elliott’s 15^th Brigade made spirited attempts to cross the river and to co-operate from the south but suffered a number of casualties in the process.

The advance by three battalions of the 5^th Brigade of the Australian 2^nd Division began at 5am on the 31^st August 1918. With an average of just 330 men each the 19^th, 17^th and 20^th Battalions attacked yelling and making as much noise as possible to make it appear that their numbers where much greater than they actually were. The ruse worked resulting in the surrender of many of the enemy lying out in their advanced positions, and a nest of seven machine guns was rushed and taken without any loss. The centre (17th) and left (20th) Battalions gained a footing in Feuillaucourt and on the main hill but the progress of the 19th Battalion on the right was stopped by heavy machine gun fire from St. Denis. This was the site of a ruined sugar refinery and lay on the main road between Peronne and Mont St. Quentin, and the defenders held out to the last. The 17th Battalion had by 7am passed through the ruins of Mont St. Quentin village and had crossed the main road when it received a strong counter-attack while it was recovering from the initial assault causing it to withdraw across the road to an old trench system to the west. The 19^th Battalion beat off five successive counter attacks inflicting severe losses upon the enemy though suffering themselves 380 casualties. [Map courtesy of Australians on the Western Front]

The line of the Somme had been reached and all three divisions south of the Somme stood upon the high ground sloping down to the river looking past Peronne and as far south as St. Christ (map courtesy of Australians on the Western Front). To the north of the river the 3^rd Division kept in step reaching Suzanne, Vaux, Curlu, Hem and Clery. The last two days of the advance led the Australian Corps across the maze of trenches and debris of the 1916 campaign. The weather was unfavourable, there was little shelter plus the Germans fought a determined withdrawal all leading to the line brigades reaching the Somme in a very tired condition. Later that day Lieut.-Gen. Monash called a conference with his Divisional commanders at Proyart to discuss the next phase, the crossing of the Somme and the taking of Mont St. Quentin.

The relief of the 10th & 11th Battalions in the front line was completed at 2am and immediately fighting patrols from the 22nd Battalion went ahead, engaging the enemy wherever found with bomb and bayonet. By dawn the firing line had been advanced by 1,500 yards, during which Cpl Moodie was awarded the DCM, but at the cost to the Battalion of some twenty casualties of whom five were killed in hand to hand fighting in the dark. Amongst those killed was Lieut. Wall, MC, who was held in high esteem by the men. The advance was continued until noon with the 24^th Battalion passing through Dompierre and with the 22^nd Battalion mopping up. The Battalion Lewis gunners intercepted an attempt to withdraw two German field guns, with the guns captured. The constant advancing was fatiguing, as sleep was a luxury and the strain on the nerves was constant not knowing what lay immediately ahead.