Amiens Turning Point
World War I started in 1914 and ended in 1918. The most important ground of battle during the First World War was the Western Front, located in Belgium and France. In order to win the war, victory on the Western Front was necessary. On this ground, some of the greatest battles of the war were fought. Over 295,000 Australian soldiers served on the Western Front, but of this 295,000, 46,000 soldiers lost their lives, hundreds of war memorials built across France and Belgium dedicated to their sacrifice (Remembrance Day- Australian Army 2016).
The Battle of Amiens is considered the turning point in WW1, fought on the Western Front. Regarded as one of the greatest advances in history, the Battle of Amiens began on the 8th of August 1918 and ended on the 12th of August. Also known as the ‘Third Battle of Picardy’, this battle led to the end of World War One, marking the beginning phase of the Hundred Day Offensive. The battle took place east of Amiens in Picardy, France at the Sommes River as seen in Map 1, the main objective to capture the Amiens line. (Battle of …show more content…
Amiens-World War I, 2016).
The purpose of the Battle of Amiens was of the merciless demoralization and destruction of the German army rather than the common intention of obtaining land. The formal orders of Marshal Ferdinand Foch stated that the main objective was to protect the Amiens and the Paris-Amiens railway, as well as defeating and driving back the enemy positioned between the Somme and Avre (The National Archive, 2016). Germany had previously gained the offensive, pushing back the British and Australian troops back to Amiens (Alisa. P-Battle of Amiens, 2016). As Amiens was a major rail hub during the war, it was of great significance to the allied forces. Amiens was in the middle of railway junctions and crucial roads, therefore it was vital destination where the Allies would send out supplies to troops as well as to receive them (History Learning Site, 2016). The Germans on the front lines was extended and abnormally quiet, therefore both Douglas Haig and the French General and Marshal of France Ferdinand Foch believed it to be a promising site for an offensive on the front. As preparation for the approaching battle, more tanks were amassed than in any previous battles. These tanks were modernised and better suited to fighting, as seen in Figure 1. The troops were sworn by secrecy, which was necessary for the success of the important battle. It was hoped that the attack in Amiens could obtain railheads in the east, which would be essential for a final attack in 1919 to the Rhine The suitability of the hard, open land discovered in the south of Somme was confirmed by multiple counter-attacks by the Australians. It was established as sufficient for a larger attack as well as developing methods to be used (MacDoughal. A - Australians at War, 2007, p.180).
The Battle of Amiens was an extremely well-prepared attack. Prior to the battle, two battalions and a radio unit from the Canadian corps were shifted to Ypres in order to convince the Germans that all of the corps was being transferred there. This was done in preparation for a surprise attack that was to be launched on the Germans. (Battle of Amiens-This day in history, 2016).
A dense fog covered the battle ground when the offensive commenced on the 8th of August at 4:20am. The width of the front covered by the Australian 2nd and 3rd divisions was 3.6km. As the battle began, the 4th and 5th Australian Divisions were held at readiness to continue the advance immediately through the 2nd and 3rd divisions who were the first wave. There was no preliminary artillery barrage which took the German defenders completely by surprise. The Australians had broken through both the German front lines and reserve lines by 7:30am, the rout was so complete that the majority of the German field artillery had been seized or overrun. The Australian 2nd and 3rd Divisions entrenched to hold the ground they had gained, then the Australian 4th and 5th Divisions passed through them and at 8:20am started the second stage of the attack. In this new "open warfare" stage the Australians excelled, capturing Bayonvillers with little to no resistance and by 11am the Australian 59th Battalion had taken Harbonniers. By the close of the day the Allies had punched through on a front of 20 kilometres and 11 kilometres forward into territory previously held by the Germans, seen in Map 2. They had advanced rapidly forward moving eastwards on the town of Perrone and hill Mont St Quentin. The victory was described as a blackest day for the German army by their commanding Generals (Australian Battlefields of World War 1- France, 2010).
The Germans suffered great losses during this battle. On the 8th of August, more ground on the Western Front had been lost by the Germans than on any other day. The battle’s momentum had been lost by the 12th of August, but the damage endured by the Germans had been ample in damaging the army. The Allies had captured 29, 144 German soldiers by the end of the battle, as seen in Figure 2. The German emperor Wilhelm II was told by the German General Ludendorff that the war was lost after this battle (The Battle of Amiens- History Learning Site 2016).
The battle was very successful for the Allies.
It marked the beginning of the Germans defeat and the end of the First World War. After this offensive, no other battle was ever one by the Germans. The battle caused the troops of Canada to unite with the Australian and British troops in order to conquer the Germans. (Tattrie Jon - Canadian Encylopaedia. 2016). The Australian corps played a major role in this offensive, leading the advance, cementing their reputation as one of the strongest in the allied forces. This battle also made the war break out of trench warfare and into relatively open country. The Battle of Amiens was one of the most decisive days in the Great War. Obtaining one hundred yards was considered a victory in the earlier offences, but in this battle the troops gained more than 7 miles, breaking through the German defences completely (Charles Messenger - The Day We Won the War, 2010,
p.5).
The Battle of Amiens had one of the highest casualties in World War One because it was the first to implement modern weaponry. The 5 Australian Divisions had 6,491 casualties in total, these casualties making up almost 20% of their original forces before the battle (Australian Battlefields of World War 1- France, 2010). All the allied forces together suffered 21,243 casualties, with one-quarter of these soldiers killed, the wounded shown in Figure 3 (The Anzac Day Tradition Australian War Memorial, 2016). The Battle of Amiens had a very large amount of cross-fire, the allied forces possessing over 500 tanks, 2000 guns and 1900 aircrafts. This new modernised weaponry meant killing was easier, causing more bloodshed. The foggy weather that enveloped the battle field concealed the allies, aiding in their surprise attack on the Germans (Alisa. P- Battle of Amiens 2016).
The Battle of Amiens reflected the ANZAC legend by defending the French town of Amiens. On the 7th of November, 1920, the Bishop of Amiens paid tribute to Australian soldiers in the Notre Dame d’Amiens Cathedral. He thanked them for defending his city when it needed help saying:
“As Bishop of Amiens I owe you and your illustrious dead my heartfelt thanks because the land of my diocese has been your field of battle, and you have delivered it by the sacrifice of your blood. During the painful days of the invasion you made a rampart of your breasts, behind which you shielded and saved the last shreds of my territory … the children who in coming centuries will grow up in your homes and schools, will learn through your good deeds the lessons of patriotism. They will not be able to pronounce your name without speaking of the towns, villages, tablelands, ridges and valleys of the Somme.”
In the presence of the Australian Prime Minister Andrew Fisher and the Australian High Commander, the Bishop, Marshal Ferdinand Foch and the local church community revealed a marble plaque attached to a pillar in the Amiens Cathedral, seen in Figure 4. The plaque is dedicated to the soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) who fought in 1918 on the Somme and defended the city from the Germans (Nearby Amiens Cathedral, 2016).
Battles such as this one should be remembered and commemorated by people today as it is an important reminder of the devastations of the war and send an important message to people. The soldiers’ actions on the battle field have left behind a strong legacy, becoming a significant element to the identity of Australia and shaping Australian’s ideals. These battles remind the world of the importance of remembering and paying our respects to those who gave up their lives to protect ours, as well as the significance of Anzac and Remembrance Day within the community. Battles like the Battle of Amiens should be commemorated for generations in honor of the men who died with the intention of defending the nation.
The Battle of Amiens is considered the turning point in WW1, fought on the Western Front. Regarded as one of the greatest advances in history, the Battle of Amiens began on the 8th of August 1918 and ended on the 12th of August. Also known as the ‘Third Battle of Picardy’, this battle led to the end of World War One, marking the beginning phase of the Hundred Day Offensive. The battle took place east of Amiens in Picardy, France at the Sommes River as seen in Map 1, the main objective to capture the Amiens line. (Battle of …show more content…
Amiens-World War I, 2016).
The purpose of the Battle of Amiens was of the merciless demoralization and destruction of the German army rather than the common intention of obtaining land. The formal orders of Marshal Ferdinand Foch stated that the main objective was to protect the Amiens and the Paris-Amiens railway, as well as defeating and driving back the enemy positioned between the Somme and Avre (The National Archive, 2016). Germany had previously gained the offensive, pushing back the British and Australian troops back to Amiens (Alisa. P-Battle of Amiens, 2016). As Amiens was a major rail hub during the war, it was of great significance to the allied forces. Amiens was in the middle of railway junctions and crucial roads, therefore it was vital destination where the Allies would send out supplies to troops as well as to receive them (History Learning Site, 2016). The Germans on the front lines was extended and abnormally quiet, therefore both Douglas Haig and the French General and Marshal of France Ferdinand Foch believed it to be a promising site for an offensive on the front. As preparation for the approaching battle, more tanks were amassed than in any previous battles. These tanks were modernised and better suited to fighting, as seen in Figure 1. The troops were sworn by secrecy, which was necessary for the success of the important battle. It was hoped that the attack in Amiens could obtain railheads in the east, which would be essential for a final attack in 1919 to the Rhine The suitability of the hard, open land discovered in the south of Somme was confirmed by multiple counter-attacks by the Australians. It was established as sufficient for a larger attack as well as developing methods to be used (MacDoughal. A - Australians at War, 2007, p.180).
The Battle of Amiens was an extremely well-prepared attack. Prior to the battle, two battalions and a radio unit from the Canadian corps were shifted to Ypres in order to convince the Germans that all of the corps was being transferred there. This was done in preparation for a surprise attack that was to be launched on the Germans. (Battle of Amiens-This day in history, 2016).
A dense fog covered the battle ground when the offensive commenced on the 8th of August at 4:20am. The width of the front covered by the Australian 2nd and 3rd divisions was 3.6km. As the battle began, the 4th and 5th Australian Divisions were held at readiness to continue the advance immediately through the 2nd and 3rd divisions who were the first wave. There was no preliminary artillery barrage which took the German defenders completely by surprise. The Australians had broken through both the German front lines and reserve lines by 7:30am, the rout was so complete that the majority of the German field artillery had been seized or overrun. The Australian 2nd and 3rd Divisions entrenched to hold the ground they had gained, then the Australian 4th and 5th Divisions passed through them and at 8:20am started the second stage of the attack. In this new "open warfare" stage the Australians excelled, capturing Bayonvillers with little to no resistance and by 11am the Australian 59th Battalion had taken Harbonniers. By the close of the day the Allies had punched through on a front of 20 kilometres and 11 kilometres forward into territory previously held by the Germans, seen in Map 2. They had advanced rapidly forward moving eastwards on the town of Perrone and hill Mont St Quentin. The victory was described as a blackest day for the German army by their commanding Generals (Australian Battlefields of World War 1- France, 2010).
The Germans suffered great losses during this battle. On the 8th of August, more ground on the Western Front had been lost by the Germans than on any other day. The battle’s momentum had been lost by the 12th of August, but the damage endured by the Germans had been ample in damaging the army. The Allies had captured 29, 144 German soldiers by the end of the battle, as seen in Figure 2. The German emperor Wilhelm II was told by the German General Ludendorff that the war was lost after this battle (The Battle of Amiens- History Learning Site 2016).
The battle was very successful for the Allies.
It marked the beginning of the Germans defeat and the end of the First World War. After this offensive, no other battle was ever one by the Germans. The battle caused the troops of Canada to unite with the Australian and British troops in order to conquer the Germans. (Tattrie Jon - Canadian Encylopaedia. 2016). The Australian corps played a major role in this offensive, leading the advance, cementing their reputation as one of the strongest in the allied forces. This battle also made the war break out of trench warfare and into relatively open country. The Battle of Amiens was one of the most decisive days in the Great War. Obtaining one hundred yards was considered a victory in the earlier offences, but in this battle the troops gained more than 7 miles, breaking through the German defences completely (Charles Messenger - The Day We Won the War, 2010,
p.5).
The Battle of Amiens had one of the highest casualties in World War One because it was the first to implement modern weaponry. The 5 Australian Divisions had 6,491 casualties in total, these casualties making up almost 20% of their original forces before the battle (Australian Battlefields of World War 1- France, 2010). All the allied forces together suffered 21,243 casualties, with one-quarter of these soldiers killed, the wounded shown in Figure 3 (The Anzac Day Tradition Australian War Memorial, 2016). The Battle of Amiens had a very large amount of cross-fire, the allied forces possessing over 500 tanks, 2000 guns and 1900 aircrafts. This new modernised weaponry meant killing was easier, causing more bloodshed. The foggy weather that enveloped the battle field concealed the allies, aiding in their surprise attack on the Germans (Alisa. P- Battle of Amiens 2016).
The Battle of Amiens reflected the ANZAC legend by defending the French town of Amiens. On the 7th of November, 1920, the Bishop of Amiens paid tribute to Australian soldiers in the Notre Dame d’Amiens Cathedral. He thanked them for defending his city when it needed help saying:
“As Bishop of Amiens I owe you and your illustrious dead my heartfelt thanks because the land of my diocese has been your field of battle, and you have delivered it by the sacrifice of your blood. During the painful days of the invasion you made a rampart of your breasts, behind which you shielded and saved the last shreds of my territory … the children who in coming centuries will grow up in your homes and schools, will learn through your good deeds the lessons of patriotism. They will not be able to pronounce your name without speaking of the towns, villages, tablelands, ridges and valleys of the Somme.”
In the presence of the Australian Prime Minister Andrew Fisher and the Australian High Commander, the Bishop, Marshal Ferdinand Foch and the local church community revealed a marble plaque attached to a pillar in the Amiens Cathedral, seen in Figure 4. The plaque is dedicated to the soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) who fought in 1918 on the Somme and defended the city from the Germans (Nearby Amiens Cathedral, 2016).
Battles such as this one should be remembered and commemorated by people today as it is an important reminder of the devastations of the war and send an important message to people. The soldiers’ actions on the battle field have left behind a strong legacy, becoming a significant element to the identity of Australia and shaping Australian’s ideals. These battles remind the world of the importance of remembering and paying our respects to those who gave up their lives to protect ours, as well as the significance of Anzac and Remembrance Day within the community. Battles like the Battle of Amiens should be commemorated for generations in honor of the men who died with the intention of defending the nation.