On 26 April they attacked Villers-Bretonneux and blocked the road to Amiens". [7] The German offensive in the Australian sector ended in late April. His first major offensive, the second battle of the Somme, had come close to creating a gap between the British and French lines.It had also reached to within ten miles of Amiens, before being stopped in the first battle of Villers-Bretonneux. The 8th Division was overwhelmed. By dawn the main German line had been forced back, and the troops in Villers-Bretonneux cut off. Total plays 3 - Last reported by kengendug on 2018-12-07 04:12:59. 0 %. The Germans developed a small number of tanks, and used them in this offensive. The German attack was preceded by a short artillery bombardment, with a mix of mustard gas and high explosive shells. Mitchell's account; excerpt from "Everyman at War" (1930), edited by C. B. Purdom. Lochnagar mine The Lochnagar mine was an underground explosive charge, secretly planted by the British during the First World War, ready for 1 July 1916, the first day on the Somme. Multimedia Presentation of Villers-Bretonneux, Armistice between Russia and the Central Powers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Battle_of_Villers-Bretonneux&oldid=994434162, Battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom, Battles of World War I involving Australia, Battles of the Western Front (World War I), Tank battles involving the United Kingdom, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 December 2020, at 18:24. [a], In late 1917 and early 1918, the end of the fighting on the Eastern Front allowed the Germans to transfer large numbers of men and equipment to the west. [23] At 9:30 a.m. he ordered an immediate counter-attack by the Australian 13th Brigade under General Thomas William Glasgow and the 15th Brigade under General H. E. "Pompey" Elliott, both in reserve, though the 13th Brigade had suffered many casualties at Dernancourt nearby. It is able to inform the reader about the Australian attack on Villers-Bretonneux with a lot of detail. See main articles The first battle of Villers Bretonneux and the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. Battle. The town of Villers-Bretonneux was a strategic point for the Germans as they could use the terrain to observe and direct bombardments of the city of … The Second battle of Villers-Bretonneux occurred during the Battle of the Lys, in the east of the Amiens and lasted from 24-27 April 1918. [3][9] On the evening of 23/24 April, an artillery barrage was fired, using mustard gas and high explosive rounds. On 26 April, the French Moroccan Division attacked south of the town and rescued the Australian 51st and 52nd Battalions. [25] The attack took place on the night of 24/25 April, after a postponement from 8:00 p.m. Glasgow argued that it would still be light, with terrible consequences for his men and that the operation should start at 10:00 p.m. and "zero hour" was eventually set for 10:00 p.m. Arab forces occupy 53 miles of Hedjaz railway south of Maan. The Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, fought on the 24 th and 25 th April 1918, is most famous as the site of the first tank vs tank battle in history. The first battle of Villers-Bretonneux, 30 March-5 April 1918, was part of the wider second battle of the Somme, and is the name allocated to the fighting in front of Amiens.Villers-Bretonneux is ten miles east of Amiens. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland Acc. Villers-Bretonneux is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France. Click or tap for full-size image (opens in new tab). had still not entered VILLERS-BRETONNEUX and so the 2nd Royal Berks were ordered to assist them which tipped the balance and by early afternoon 400 German prisoners were taken and 100 machine guns captured. Australian troops participated in both battles, which took place in March and April 1918. Instead the artillery would bombard the town for the hour once the attack began and then move its line of fire back beyond the line held by the Allies before the German attack. [5] The Germans managed to advance towards Villers-Bretonneux, a town on the high ground to the south of the Somme River. Villers-Bretonneux is situated some 19 km due east of Amiens, on the D1029 road and the A29 motorway.. Villers-Bretonneux borders a particularly orange landscape towards the east, which can be considered as the western boundary of the Santerre plateau and the limit East of the Amiénois. In his book on the 1918 Western Front battles, Essame singled out the Australians for special praise. 136 - Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux - 24 April 1918 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 90% (2 Votes) 100 %. This battle was unique in that it was the first involving tank-against-tank fighting, demonstrating the significance that tanks had increasingly come to assume in 1918. Villers-Bretonneux: Category: Battle: Conflict: First World War, 1914-1918: Description. This second battle of Villers-Bretonneux marked the end of a series of defensive actions involving the Australians throughout March and April 1918. Mitchell's tank continued to attack the German infantry, firing case-shot. Earlier in the day, another A7V, No 506 "Mephisto", became ditched in a crater and was abandoned by its crew. Three British Mark IV tanks from No. The terrain allowed artillery observers to see bombardments on Amiens, which was only 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) away, which was of great tactical value. [3], In early April, the Germans renewed their efforts, simultaneously beginning the Battle of the Lys in Flanders. [4] The Allies moved reinforcements to the Somme front and by the end of May, the German advance of the 1918 Battle of the Somme had been halted in front of Hamel. It is notable for being the first occasion on which tanks fought against each other; The crew left the tank, escaping to a British-held trench, much to the surprise of the troops in it. The other tanks were "females" armed with 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine-guns, for use against infantry. [37], The fighting around Villers-Bretonneux in April resulted in the following Allied casualties: the Australian brigades had taken 2,473 casualties, British casualties were 9,529 and French losses were c. 3,500. We studied the ones coming from the 51st Australian Infantry Brigade who fought in the 2nd battle of Villers-Bretonneux. Fresh attacks in the Amiens sector on an eight-mile front from north of Villers-Bretonneux to the west bank of the Avre; British retire from Villers-Bretonneux; attacks in the Avre Valley fail. Villers-Bretonneux ist eine französische Gemeinde mit 4464 Einwohnern (Stand 1. As part of the German Spring Offensive on the Western Front German forces using infantry and tanks captured Villers-Bretonneux (near Amiens) from exhausted British defenders on 24 April 1918. [13] All were advancing when they encountered a German A7V, "Nixe" of Abteilung III Imperial German Tank Force, commanded by 2nd Lieutenant Wilhelm Biltz. 29571/951. It is the first tank-versus-tank battle. Orders for the immediate recapture of Villers-Bretonneux were met with a plan to launch an attack by two brigades, the 13th and the 15th. In the early hours of the 24th April 1918, the 51st Australian Infantry Brigade received the order to be prepared to move out of its positions at short notice from their Head Quarter. Enquire Now. As part of the German Spring Offensive on the Western Front German forces using infantry and tanks captured Villers-Bretonneux (near Amiens) from exhausted British defenders on 24 April 1918. 0 %. For its engagement, the 8e régiment de marche de zouaves of the Moroccan division was awarded a Légion d’honneur by the French President with the following citation: "The year 1918 finds them ready, once again, for all acts of boldness and all sacrifices. [9] Foch spoke of their "astonishing valiance [sic]..." and General Sir Henry Rawlinson attributed the safety of Amiens to the "...determination, tenacity and valour of the Australian Corps". The village of Villers-Bretonneux was key to the German because from there they were able to see the terrain and aim their bombardment of the French town of Amiens. The second battle of Villers-Bretonneux, 24-27 April 1918, took place during General Ludendorff’s great spring offensive of 1918. Possession of the town would have given the Germans a position from where they could have bombarded Amiens. Mitchell later remarked that when they returned their tracks were covered with blood. The Australians spent Anzac Day in hand-to-hand fighting and the town was not secured until 27 April with the contribution of the French Moroccan Division. Sie gehört zum Arrondissement Amiens und zum Kanton Amiens-4 Geschichte. See also: First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. The "male" then advanced with the support of several Whippet light tanks which had arrived, until disabled by artillery fire and abandoned by the crew. Villers-Bretonneux is a town 16 kilometres east of Amiens and the cemetery is west of the village on the main Amiens-St.Quentin road. Next morning, the Germans attacked the village with four divisions. The second battle of Villers-Bretonneux, 24-27 April 1918, took place during General Ludendorff’s great spring offensive of 1918. Because it is a government site, it is trustworthy and credible. The Germans only developed a small number of tanks, and used them in this offensive. The attack, on the night of 24-25 April, was a total success. The Australians suffered 1,455 casualties during the battle. - Contact Us - Search - Recent - About Us -  Subscribe in a reader - Join our Google Group The Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux (also Actions of Villers-Bretonneux, after the First Battles of the Somme, 1918) took place from 24 to 27 April 1918, during the German Spring Offensive to the east of Amiens. [3][6] After the first battle, the forces that had secured the town were relieved and by late April the area around Villers-Bretonneux was largely held by the 8th Division. Only four of the seven Whippets came back, the rest were destroyed by artillery and five crew were killed. It was the biggest and most successful tank action by the German army during World War One. Technology, Weaponry and … [3], In unfinished defences, the Fifth Army was forced back quickly after the first two days, as the Germans advanced under a heavy bombardment of high explosives and gas. King wrote that the Australians shared rations with French civilians in the town. The Germans developed a small number of tanks, and used them in this offensive. The second battle of Villers Bretonneux commenced with an artillery barrage on the night of 23 April, with an estimated 1,000 shells an hour, directed at the village. The Germans developed a small number of tanks, and used them in this offensive. It was also a high advantage point with a clear view of the Amiens Cathedral, which is located near the river Somme.