4 August Guns taken out of action 5 August Guns recalibrated 6 August Guns in position Villers Bretonneux [See Chapter 33] 8 August Advance commenced. Limbers and wagons went forward to old gun positions, the limbers going from there taking guns forward and the wagons following later. In the afternoon the guns took up position on the NE side of Bayonvillers with the wagon lines about 400 yds in the rear, on the outskirts of the village 10 August Moved forward the gun pits being between Harbonniers and Rosiers and the wagon lines in a sunken road south of Harbonnieres 20 August The guns moved across to Vauvillers 28 August Advance to Maricourt 29 August Guns into action near Clery. Supported attack on Mont St Quentin [See Chapter 35] 04 September Moved back to Cappy. Rested til 12 September. Artillery positions held. 12 September Wagon Lines established at Buire. 18 September Attack on Hindenburg Line defences. Successful. Battery moved forward to valley in front of Templeux. Wagon Lines to Roisel. 27 September Again moved forward to Harpicourt 28-30 September Took part in attack on Hindenburg Line covering 30th Division American troops 1 October Guns moved forward to Bellicourt and kept advancing 11 November Moving through Peronne and received news of the Armistice being signed.
Showing posts with label Mont St Quentin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mont St Quentin. Show all posts
Monday, 21 December 2020
Chapter 32: The Somme April to October 1918
April to October 1918
After leaving Flanders on 8 April, 1918, the 4th Australian Field Artillery Brigade returned once more to the Somme. Gargoo was transferred to the Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery (RBAA) on May 1, 1918. He arrived at the Heytesbury (near Warminster, Wiltshire) camp on 6 May 1918 and remained there until embarking for Australia on 2 February 1919.
However, the Second Division 4th Artillery Brigade remained very active, taking part in the major battles from May to October as the allies advanced on the Hindenburg Line. These battles are covered in following chapters - Le Hamel, Villers-Bretonneux, Mont St Quentin and Peronne.
8 April 1918
2am left Vieux Berquin, entrained at Strazeele Railway station, arrived St Roch Rway Stn (outside Amiens), disentrained then by road to Villiers Bocage, arrived same day.
9/10 April Left Villers Bocage, arrived in Querrieu (?) (outside Frechencourt)
10 April – 14 July Quarry. Guns in action near Bresle (May 14)
Photo of Field Artillery Brigade soldiers camouflaging blast marks scorched on the grass by an 18 pounder gun. Bresle, 21 April 1918 )church spire in background) [AWM E04783]
1 May
GARGOO TO RBAA
7 May Wagon Lines shifted back to Frechencourt
14 July Left Bresle, Wagon Line to Glisy, guns to near White Castle (Villers Bretonneux)
Watercolour sketch by Louis McCubbin of horse lines at Glisy. 1918 [AWM ART03074]
"Watercolour sketch depicting a view of horse lines and tents for stores and men near Glisy with observation balloons visible in the skyline. AIF Headquarters were located at Glisy during 1918. Louis McCubbin enlisted with the 14th Battalion AIF in 1916, serving in France from November 1917 with the 10th Field Ambulance. He undertook a camoflage course and was appointed as an Official War Artist working as Officer in Charge of Camouflage for 3rd Division AIF in 1918. His appointment was terminated in 1920, in which year he returned to Australia and joined the staff of the Australian War Memorial to paint backgrounds for dioramas and to perform a variety of other duties. McCubbin remained in the position until 1930."
Photo of dugouts for horses, Glisy [AWM P00098.004]
Chapter 35: Mont St Quentin and Peronne
Australian Second Division Memorial, Rue des Australiens, Mont St Quentin. It replaces the original monument which was removed by German troops in 1940. It depicted a Digger bayonetting a German eagle. It has bronze bas relief plaques of Australians in action on each side of the base. May 2003From the Australian War memorial website
http://www.awm.gov.au/1918/battles/mtstquentin.htm
The Aim
The end of August found German troops at their last stronghold at Mont St Quentin - overlooking the Somme River and the town of Péronne. Mont St Quentin stood out in the surrounding country, making it a perfect observation point and a vital strategic area to control. This area was key to the German defence of the Somme line. As it was such an important area, Lieutenant General Sir John Monash was keen to capture it and thus possess a valuable position.
The Attack
Painting by Fred Leist, Capture of Mont St Quentin [AWM ART02929]
Painting by Louis McCubbin, Péronne, heavy artillery advancing through the town 1918. [AWM ART03043]
This Australian operation is sometimes regarded as the finest achievement of the AIF. The 2nd Australian Division crossed the Somme River on the night of 31 August, and attacked Mont St Quentin at 5 am, from the unexpected position of northwest. It was a difficult position as it was an uphill fight for the troops, across very open ground where they were vulnerable to attack from the German-held heights above.
Rifle grenades and trench mortars were employed to outflank outpost positions. The battalions positioned to the right made a lot of noise to distract the Germans, while the centre and left battalions got a foothold on the hill and in Feuillaucourt.
By 7 am, the troops had gained the village of Mont St Quentin and the slope and summit of the hill, by working in small groups. The five German divisions were confused and dispersed, and many had fled. By midnight on 31 August, Monash's troops had captured 14,500 prisoners and 170 guns since 8 August. Allied troops also broke through lines to Péronne by 8.20 am on 1 September.
However, the Germans quickly regrouped and launched a counter-attack, and the first day of September saw fierce fighting and heavy losses. Germans attacked and heavily shelled Péronne. Much of the fighting was hand-to-hand combat.
The outnumbered Australians were pushed back off the summit of Mont St Quentin, and lost Feuillaucourt. Relief battalions were sent, and with their reinforcement, all the areas were retaken by the Australians, but at the cost of 3,000 casualties. Private Alex Barclay of the 17th Battalion was shot in the head by a sniper's bullet during the attack. Miraculously the bullet passed right through his skull, and he survived to re-enlist in the Second World War!
After heavy and exhausting fighting, the Australians established a stronghold on the area and forced the complete withdrawal of the Germans from Péronne. By the night of 3 September, the Australians held Péronne. They captured Flamicourt the next day, and advanced 2 miles to the east.
Monash said of the Mont St Quentin and Péronne campaign that it
furnished the finest example in the war of spirited and successful infantry action conducted by three divisions operating simultaneously side by side.
The fight had also included battalions from every Australian state. British Commander General Lord Rawlinson remarked that this feat by the Australian troops under Monash's command was the greatest of the war.
Forced out of Péronne, the Germans had to retreat to their last line of defence- the Hindenburg Line.
Photo of Soldiers from a machine-gun position established in the fighting in the ruins of Péronne, 2 September 1918. [AWM E03183]
Peronne
This has been a fortified town since the Roman invasion. The massive ramparts were built in the ninth century. It was heavily damaged in 1870 in the Franco Prussian war, and taken over by Germany in 1914. Peronne was to the Germans what Amiens was to the Allies – a centre of activity and leisure.
The Allies took the town on 18 March 1917, then re-occupied by the Germans during the March offensive of 1918, before being retaken by the Australian Second Division on 2 September 1918.
Photo of Peronne, 4 October 1918. [AWM E03501]
http://www.awm.gov.au/1918/battles/mtstquentin.htm
The Aim
The end of August found German troops at their last stronghold at Mont St Quentin - overlooking the Somme River and the town of Péronne. Mont St Quentin stood out in the surrounding country, making it a perfect observation point and a vital strategic area to control. This area was key to the German defence of the Somme line. As it was such an important area, Lieutenant General Sir John Monash was keen to capture it and thus possess a valuable position.
The Attack
Painting by Fred Leist, Capture of Mont St Quentin [AWM ART02929]
Painting by Louis McCubbin, Péronne, heavy artillery advancing through the town 1918. [AWM ART03043]
This Australian operation is sometimes regarded as the finest achievement of the AIF. The 2nd Australian Division crossed the Somme River on the night of 31 August, and attacked Mont St Quentin at 5 am, from the unexpected position of northwest. It was a difficult position as it was an uphill fight for the troops, across very open ground where they were vulnerable to attack from the German-held heights above.
Rifle grenades and trench mortars were employed to outflank outpost positions. The battalions positioned to the right made a lot of noise to distract the Germans, while the centre and left battalions got a foothold on the hill and in Feuillaucourt.
By 7 am, the troops had gained the village of Mont St Quentin and the slope and summit of the hill, by working in small groups. The five German divisions were confused and dispersed, and many had fled. By midnight on 31 August, Monash's troops had captured 14,500 prisoners and 170 guns since 8 August. Allied troops also broke through lines to Péronne by 8.20 am on 1 September.
However, the Germans quickly regrouped and launched a counter-attack, and the first day of September saw fierce fighting and heavy losses. Germans attacked and heavily shelled Péronne. Much of the fighting was hand-to-hand combat.
The outnumbered Australians were pushed back off the summit of Mont St Quentin, and lost Feuillaucourt. Relief battalions were sent, and with their reinforcement, all the areas were retaken by the Australians, but at the cost of 3,000 casualties. Private Alex Barclay of the 17th Battalion was shot in the head by a sniper's bullet during the attack. Miraculously the bullet passed right through his skull, and he survived to re-enlist in the Second World War!
After heavy and exhausting fighting, the Australians established a stronghold on the area and forced the complete withdrawal of the Germans from Péronne. By the night of 3 September, the Australians held Péronne. They captured Flamicourt the next day, and advanced 2 miles to the east.
Monash said of the Mont St Quentin and Péronne campaign that it
furnished the finest example in the war of spirited and successful infantry action conducted by three divisions operating simultaneously side by side.
The fight had also included battalions from every Australian state. British Commander General Lord Rawlinson remarked that this feat by the Australian troops under Monash's command was the greatest of the war.
Forced out of Péronne, the Germans had to retreat to their last line of defence- the Hindenburg Line.
Photo of Soldiers from a machine-gun position established in the fighting in the ruins of Péronne, 2 September 1918. [AWM E03183]
Peronne
This has been a fortified town since the Roman invasion. The massive ramparts were built in the ninth century. It was heavily damaged in 1870 in the Franco Prussian war, and taken over by Germany in 1914. Peronne was to the Germans what Amiens was to the Allies – a centre of activity and leisure.
The Allies took the town on 18 March 1917, then re-occupied by the Germans during the March offensive of 1918, before being retaken by the Australian Second Division on 2 September 1918.
Photo of Peronne, 4 October 1918. [AWM E03501]
"The Wireless Section of the 3rd Australian Divisional Signal Company, marching through the main street passing an American Division making its way to a sector of the fighting area from which the Australians had just been withdrawn. Two days later, on the relief of the 2nd Division, who had succeeded in penetrating to the entire limits of the Hindenburg Defences, the whole of the Australian front passed to the 2nd American Corps, and the Australian Corps, with the exception of Artillery units, which continued operations until the Armistice, returned to a rest area behind Amiens. "
Photo of Peronne 7 September 1919 [AWM E05601]
"A panorama looking northwest along Bapaume Road towards Mont St Quentin, showing the extensive shell damage to the village buildings and surrounds. In the background (left) is a ruined factory, probably the St Denis Sugar Factory. Note a sign on the right, with an arrow directing to the right, the towns of Aizecourt-le-Haut, Nurlu, and Fins."
Above: Peronne, May 2003Housed behind the façade of a medieval castle is the Historial de la Grande Guerre a marvellous museum which opened in 1992. Web site: http://www.historial.org/us/home_b.htm
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