THE BATTLE FOR LE HAMEL

General Sir John Monash

A Turning Point

Matt Walsh

Table of content

Topic Page

Introduction Order of Battle The Plan The Strategy

- Artillery - Tanks - Aeroplanes - American Troops

The Battle - Battlefield Landmarks

The Enemy - Enemy casualties

Quotes

1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 5 5 6 6 7

This booklet is an initiative of the Defence Reserves Association (NSW) Inc and the Military Police Association of Australia Inc as part of their Schools Military History Program. Written and compiled by Matt Walsh JP. MLO ALGA (MCAE) Dip Bus & Corp Law (CPS) © Matt Walsh 2008. Introduction What preceded the conflict:-

• Russian Revolution had released 70 German Divisions for use on the Western Front.

• The Germans had commenced their Spring Offensive (Operation Michael- launched on 21st March 1918).

- The purpose was to drive a wedge between the British and French Armies - The capture of Amiens

• General Monash took command of the Australian Corps on 31st May General Monash

- Monash’s 3rd Division left for France after four months training on Sailsbury Plains in the UK and arrived in the trenches of Flanders during the coldest winter in France for decades.

- Monash’s 3rd Division became known as the ‘Neutrals’ or the ‘Deep Thinkers’.

- 1 - The Plan

This was to be the first attack by Australians which was not to be part of a British Formation, although it was to receive support from the British Tank Corps and the 131st & 132 US Regiments. Monash on the 21st June commenced his plan to capture Le Hamel

- By capturing the key German observation post known as “Wolfsberg” - Straighten the line and reduce the German front north of Villers- Bretonneux - His Plan was for the offensive to take 90 minutes unfortunately it took 93 minutes.

The Strategy Artillery

• There was to be no creeping barrage as with previous attacks, but smoke would be used to hide the tanks.

• It emphasised secrecy and deception with ranging fire covered by fire from alternative positions.

Each day from 4am a mixture of Gas & High Explosive was to be fired on each occasion, with no Gas being used on the day of the attack. This should result in the Germans wearing gas masks during the actual attack causing them difficulties.

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• The Artillery was to be used during every phase of the attack:- 200 guns for counter battery,

400 guns for use in overlapping barrage.

The High Command wanted a ‘Creeping Barrage’ to be used. They were unsuccessful in their demand.

Tanks Mark V Tanks and Infantry Whilst the previous use of tanks (1st Bullecourt) was a disaster their use by Monash at Le Hamel was a success. The Mk V impressed Monash because it was heavily armoured and carried a 6-pounder gun and could travel over rough ground at 10 kph The plan was for the tanks to accompany the infantry and not precede them as had bee the earlier approach. The new Mk V Tank was to be used with successful co-operation between Tanks and the Infantry. This was achieved due to secret training taking place between the Infantry and the Tanks as a result the Infantry and the Mk V Tank worked well together. The 60 Mk V Tanks and the 4 carrier Tanks were kept hidden from the Germans and their movement was concealed by the smoke and the noise of the Artillery together with the use of aeroplanes to mask the sound of the moving tanks. Aeroplanes Aeroplanes were used for aerial photo reconnaissance to develop battle montages to help the infantry to understand the ground. Bombers were used to attack German Guns out of the Australian Artillery range and to damage road and rail junctions to stop the arrival of reinforcements. They were used to drop updated maps of the front to HQ during the Battle. They also dropped supplies including ammunition to the forward troops. 3rd Squadron AFC dropped over 1000,000 rounds to the troops.

- 3 - American Troops

During the Battle of Le Hamel was the first time that American Troops were to be used in conjunction with and under the command of the Australians. In theory the Companies of the 131st & 132nd US Regiments were attached to the Australians for training and assimilation. The US Commander General Pershing ordered that No US Troops were to fight under the command of other countries. Following protests from other US commanders one Company was allowed to participate officially. At the completion of the Battle for Le Hamel General Pershing was not a happy man as he had given positive instructions that the US were not to take part in this Battle.:- ‘ it was…some what of a surprise (he wrote) to learn on the following day that four American Companies of the 33rd Division had taken part in the attack’. Commendation Medal of Honour – Cpl. Thomas Pope MOH DCM 131st Regiment, 33rd US Division (attached to the 44th Australian Infantry Battalion). On the evening of the 4th July after the Germans had captured an advance post on the “Wolfsberg” Pope, ”counter attacked and rushed a hostile Machine Gun, single handed , bayoneted several of the crew and standing astride the gun kept the remained of the detachment at bay until the arrival of reinforcements and the gun crew were either killed or captured” Cpl Pope was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) by King George V at Mollie au-bois on the 12 August 1918. His US Congressional Medal of Honour was presented to him by General Pershing on 22nd April 1919 at Chaumont. Pope was the first “Doughboy” to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour in World War I and was to be the last recipient from WWI to die at age 94 in 1989. General Pershing presenting a Congressional Medal of Honour

- 4 - The Battle

On the 4th July 1918 at 3.10 am the Battle began which was involve a tank action the tanks left their starting point eight minutes earlier at 3.02 am, with the objective being to capture Le Hamel as a necessary preliminary step in any attempt to neutralise Ameins which was to include the recovery of the old British position east of Hamel and Vaire Wood and recapture the Villers-Bretonneux Plateau. The objective was achieved by days end and Hamel Village and Vaire Wood were secured. The attack was carried out by the Australian Corps under the command of General John Monash. They were supported by the new Mk V Tanks of the British Tank Corps which carried the Australian Battalion Colours and four Companies of the American 33rd Division (The Illinios National Guard).

• 15th Brigade 5th Division – 57th -60th Battalions were to conduct a diversion north of the Somme River/Canal on Ville-sur-ancre.

• 11th Brigade to capture the village of Le Hamel and the ‘Wolfsberg’ Battlefield Landmarks

• Le Hamel Village • ‘Pear Trench’ • ‘Kidney Trench’ – Le Hamel Wood • ‘The Wolfsberg’ – now the Australian Memorial Park.

Pear Trench 1916

- 5 - The enemy

German Troops 1918 The Germans were located on a line from the Somme south of Sailly-le-Sec and west of Le Hamel and west of ‘Pear trench’ then south to the east of Bois de Hamel and Bois de Vaire continuing south west to Villers- Bretonneux. The German Front Line included the reverse slope defences at the strongest points of “Pear Trench” and the village of Le Hamel. 13th Division 13th Regiment

15th regiment 55th Regiment

Two Infantry Battalion were on line and one in reserve for each Regiment

43rd Reserve Division 202nd Reserve Regiment The German casualties were heavy and some 1,500 Prisoners were taken. German casualties Le Hamel

- 6 - Quotes:

General Sir John Monash: ’The Australian Victories in France in 1918’ “…the role of the infantry was not to expend itself upon heroic physical effort, not to wither away under merciless machine gun fire, not to impale itself on hostile bayonets, but on the contrary, to advance under the maximum possible array of mechanical resources in the form of guns, machine guns, tanks, mortars and aeroplanes. French President Clemenceau’s speech to the Diggers on 7th July 1918: “ When the Australians came to France we expected a great deal of you… We knew that you would fight a real fight, but we did not know that from the beginning you would astonish the whole continent. I shall go back and say to my countrymen “I have seen the Australians, I have looked in their faces …I know that they will fight alongside of us again until the cause for which we are all fighting is safe for us and for our children”. Monash’s Planning Monash’ careful planning and use of tanks in support of the infantry became the model for British attacks until the end of the war. Whilst Monash was an Australian his background was German /Jewish.

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