Battle of Hamel Ellen Cresswell University of Sydney

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

THE EXPERIMENT: TECHNOLOGICAL TESTING AT THE BATTLE OF HAMEL ELLEN CRESSWELL UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY @ellecresswell OUTLINE Background to the battle of Hamel Innovations: tanks aerial ammunition drops Creating a battle plan Co-operation at Hamel Lessons and aftermath Hamel Amiens Villers- Bretonneux Somme River Hamel Villers-Bretonneux Position at Hamel Sir John Monash papers, AWM 3DRL/2316 Mark V tank after the battle of Hamel. AWM E03843 “I venture to suggest that if this force be by degrees trained to co-operate with Tanks and Aeroplanes, not only will its potential hitting power be increased many times, but a new method of warfare may be inaugurated against which the enemy is at present impotent.” Brigadier General Hugh Elles, Commander of Tank Corps, 3 January 1918 RE8s of No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Ammunition parachute used by No. 9 Corps Squadron, Royal Air Force AWM E03677 AWM RELAWM11629 Les Carlyon, The Great War, Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia, 2006, p. 632. Notes preceding conference on 30 June 1918. Sir John Monash papers, AWM 3DRL/2316 Senior Staff of Australian Corps, Bertangles Chȃteau, 1918. AWM E02750 AWM 26 361/2, [Operations file 1914–18 war:] Defence of Amiens, Australian Corps, General Staff, 16–28 June 1918. “Good liaison between our officers and the tank officers was maintained all the time. The tank officers attended some of the battalion conferences and dined with us, so that a real spirit of friendship and confidence was promoted.” Report on Operations, 43rd Battalion, 31 July 1918 George Bell, Dawn at Hamel 4 July 1918, [1921, oil on canvas, 168.5 x 273.5 cm]. AWM ART03590 American and Australian troops after the battle of Hamel, 4 July 1918. AWM E02690 Stretcher-bearers carry wounded past an RE8 that crashed near Le Hamel, 4 July 1918. AWM E04888 Will Longstaff, Breaking the Hindenburg Line, [1918, oil on canvas, 156.5 x 243.5 cm]. AWM ART03023.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

American Armies and Battlefields in Europe
Chapter v1 THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELDS NORTH OF PARIS chapter gives brief accounts of areas and to all of the American ceme- all American fighting whi ch oc- teries and monuments. This route is Thiscurred on the battle front north of recommended for those who desire to Paris and complete information concern- make an extended automobile tour in the ing the American military cemeteries and region. Starting from Paris, it can be monuments in that general region. The completely covered in four days, allowing military operations which are treated are plenty of time to stop on the way. those of the American lst, 27th, 30th, The accounts of the different operations 33d, 37th, 80th and 91st Divisions and and the descriptions of the American the 6th and 11 th Engineer Regiments. cemeteries and monuments are given in Because of the great distances apart of the order they are reached when following So uthern Encr ance to cb e St. Quentin Can al Tunnel, Near Bellicourc, October 1, 1918 the areas where this fighting occurred no the suggested route. For tbis reason they itinerary is given. Every operation is do not appear in chronological order. described, however, by a brief account Many American units otber tban those illustrated by a sketch. The account and mentioned in this chapter, sucb as avia- sketch together give sufficient information tion, tank, medical, engineer and infantry, to enable the tourist to plan a trip through served behind this part of the front. Their any particular American combat area. services have not been recorded, however, The general map on the next page as the space limitations of tbis chapter indicates a route wbich takes the tourist required that it be limited to those Amer- either int o or cl ose to all of tbese combat ican organizations which actually engaged (371) 372 THE AMERICAN B ATTLEFIELD S NO R TH O F PARIS Suggested Tour of American Battlefields North of Paris __ Miles Ghent ( î 37th and 91st Divisions, Ypres-Lys '"offensive, October 30-November 11, 1918 \ ( N \ 1 80th Division, Somme 1918 Albert 33d Division.
[Show full text]
The Western Front the First World War Battlefield Guide: World War Battlefield First the the Westernthe Front
Ed 2 June 2015 2 June Ed The First World War Battlefield Guide: Volume 1 The Western Front The First Battlefield War World Guide: The Western Front The Western Creative Media Design ADR003970 Edition 2 June 2015 The Somme Battlefield: Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont Hamel Mike St. Maur Sheil/FieldsofBattle1418.org The Somme Battlefield: Lochnagar Crater. It was blown at 0728 hours on 1 July 1916. Mike St. Maur Sheil/FieldsofBattle1418.org The First World War Battlefield Guide: Volume 1 The Western Front 2nd Edition June 2015 ii | THE WESTERN FRONT OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ISBN: 978-1-874346-45-6 First published in August 2014 by Creative Media Design, Army Headquarters, Andover. Printed by Earle & Ludlow through Williams Lea Ltd, Norwich. Revised and expanded second edition published in June 2015. Text Copyright © Mungo Melvin, Editor, and the Authors listed in the List of Contributors, 2014 & 2015. Sketch Maps Crown Copyright © UK MOD, 2014 & 2015. Images Copyright © Imperial War Museum (IWM), National Army Museum (NAM), Mike St. Maur Sheil/Fields of Battle 14-18, Barbara Taylor and others so captioned. No part of this publication, except for short quotations, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the permission of the Editor and SO1 Commemoration, Army Headquarters, IDL 26, Blenheim Building, Marlborough Lines, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 8HJ. The First World War sketch maps have been produced by the Defence Geographic Centre (DGC), Joint Force Intelligence Group (JFIG), Ministry of Defence, Elmwood Avenue, Feltham, Middlesex, TW13 7AH. United Kingdom.
[Show full text]
1 Private Henry Charles Crane (Regimental Number 1405) Is
Private Henry Charles Crane (Regimental Number 1405) is buried in Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension Number 1 – Grave reference: I. B. 7. His occupation prior to military service recorded as that of a railroad worker and earning a monthly one-hundred dollars, Henry Charles Crane presented himself for medical examination in the Conception Bay community of Harbour Grace on April 7, 1915. It was a procedure which was to pronounce his as…Fit for Foreign Service. (continued) 1 Having by that time travelled to St. John’s, capital city of the Dominion of Newfoundland, he enlisted two days following his medical assessment, on April 9, at the Church Lads Brigade Armoury on Harvey Road where he was engaged at the daily private soldier’s rate a single dollar plus a ten-cent per diem Field Allowance. It was now to be a further ten days, the date April 19, before he was to undergo his attestation, to swear his Oath of Allegiance, the concluding official formality. At that moment Henry Charles Crane became…a soldier of the King. *A second source has him attesting on the day of his enlistment. There was now to be a lengthy waiting period of nine weeks less a day before Private Crane, Regimental Number 1405, was to embark onto His Majesty’s Transport Calgarian on June 20 in St. John’s Harbour and sail (almost*) directly to the United Kingdom. He was one of the two-hundred forty-two men of ‘F’ Company and eighty-five naval reservists to take passage on that day. (Right above: Naval reservists from Newfoundland, during the early days of the Great War, before their departure for the United Kingdom - from The War Illustrated) Where Private Crane was to spend the interim between his attestation and his departure on…overseas service…is not clear – and is not documented among his papers.
[Show full text]
The Evolution of British Tactical and Operational Tank Doctrine and Training in the First World War
The evolution of British tactical and operational tank doctrine and training in the First World War PHILIP RICHARD VENTHAM TD BA (Hons.) MA. Thesis submitted for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy by the University of Wolverhampton October 2016 ©Copyright P R Ventham 1 ABSTRACT Tanks were first used in action in September 1916. There had been no previous combat experience on which to base tactical and operational doctrine for the employment of this novel weapon of war. Training of crews and commanders was hampered by lack of vehicles and weapons. Time was short in which to train novice crews. Training facilities were limited. Despite mechanical limitations of the early machines and their vulnerability to adverse ground conditions, the tanks achieved moderate success in their initial actions. Advocates of the tanks, such as Fuller and Elles, worked hard to convince the sceptical of the value of the tank. Two years later, tanks had gained the support of most senior commanders. Doctrine, based on practical combat experience, had evolved both within the Tank Corps and at GHQ and higher command. Despite dramatic improvements in the design, functionality and reliability of the later marks of heavy and medium tanks, they still remained slow and vulnerable to ground conditions and enemy counter-measures. Competing demands for materiel meant there were never enough tanks to replace casualties and meet the demands of formation commanders. This thesis will argue that the somewhat patchy performance of the armoured vehicles in the final months of the war was less a product of poor doctrinal guidance and inadequate training than of an insufficiency of tanks and the difficulties of providing enough tanks in the right locations at the right time to meet the requirements of the manoeuvre battles of the ‘Hundred Days’.
[Show full text]
Amiens
Amiens < Somme < Picardie < France Amiens Amiens Metropolitan Tourist Office greets you Monday to Saturday 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. (6 p.m. October 1 to March 31) - Focus on the city Sunday 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 2 to 5 p.m. Amiens Metropolitan Tourist Office aison, L.Rousselin, Parc zoologique - Amiens Métropole, A.S. Flament, zoologique - Amiens Métropole, aison, L.Rousselin, Parc Information desk : 40, Notre-Dame square BP 11018 - F - 80010 Amiens cedex 1 Tél.: +33(0)322716050 • Fax: +33(0)322716051 www.visit-amiens.com [email protected] ACCUEIL ET INFORMATION DES OFFICES DE TOURISME ET SYNDICAT D’INITIATIVE Cette marque prouve la conformité à la norme NF X 50-730 et aux règles 5284 2010 03 22 80 50 20 Crédit photosM B. © www.tibo.org. : © SKERTZÒ. de certification NF 237. Elle garantit que l’accueil et l’information des clients, la promotion et la communication, la production et la commercialisation, la boutique, l’évaluation et l’amélioration de la qualité de service sont contrôlés régulièrement par AFNOR CERTIFICATION 11, rue Francis de Préssensé – 93571 SAINT DENIS LA PLAINE Cedex – France – www.marque-nf.com www.grandnord.fr Amiens Tours of Amiens Visits Notre-Dame cathedral and surrounding areas • The Cathedral is open all year • round ; guided visits, audio- • Amiens Notre-Dame Cathedral has been For more information about Starting in front of the Cathedral, from April to September, the Samarobriva barou- guides and access to the described in the following terms: light, the Somme department, ches will take you on a discovery ride of towers throughout the year perfection… built to harmonious proportions.
[Show full text]
The Earliest Evidence of Acheulian Occupation in Northwest
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN The earliest evidence of Acheulian occupation in Northwest Europe and the rediscovery of the Moulin Received: 5 December 2017 Accepted: 19 August 2019 Quignon site, Somme valley, France Published: xx xx xxxx Pierre Antoine1, Marie-Hélène Moncel2, Pierre Voinchet2, Jean-Luc Locht1,3, Daniel Amselem2, David Hérisson 4, Arnaud Hurel2 & Jean-Jacques Bahain2 The dispersal of hominin groups with an Acheulian technology and associated bifacial tools into northern latitudes is central to the debate over the timing of the oldest human occupation of Europe. New evidence resulting from the rediscovery and the dating of the historic site of Moulin Quignon demonstrates that the frst Acheulian occupation north of 50°N occurred around 670–650 ka ago. The new archaeological assemblage was discovered in a sequence of fuvial sands and gravels overlying the chalk bedrock at a relative height of 40 m above the present-day maximal incision of the Somme River and dated by ESR on quartz to early MIS 16. More than 260 fint artefacts were recovered, including large fakes, cores and fve bifaces. This discovery pushes back the age of the oldest Acheulian occupation of north-western Europe by more than 100 ka and bridges the gap between the archaeological records of northern France and England. It also challenges hominin dispersal models in Europe showing that hominins using bifacial technology, such as Homo heidelbergensis, were probably able to overcome cold climate conditions as early as 670–650 ka ago and reasserts the importance of the Somme valley, where Prehistory was born at the end of the 19th century.
[Show full text]
Artillery at the Battle of Hamel, 4 July 1918
Artillery at the Battle of Hamel, 4 July 1918 By Dr. Meleah Hampton The Battle of Hamel, conducted by battalions of the Australian Corps on 4 July 1918, is remembered as one of the startling successes of the First World War. The first time Australian and American infantry fought together on the Western Front, the meticulously planned operation was scheduled to take 90 minutes and famously took 93. The man who orchestrated the battle, Lieutenant General Sir John Monash said from the outset that ‘the operation [at Hamel] will be primarily a tank operation.’1 Since then, Hamel has been considered as though it was just that, an infantry battle with attendant tanks. But the British offensive method of 1918 was heavily dependent on a systematic application of fire-power to support advancing infantry. And Hamel was no exception. The infantry attack –and the famous 90 minutes – began at 3.10am. The initial barrage lasted for four minutes, following which it moved at a rate of 100 yards every three minutes until it reached a line that bisected the village of Hamel and was roughly three quarters of the way to the final objective line. At this point the barrage paused, and a thick smoke screen was built up to protect the infantry. Each assaulting company had more or less moved straight ahead behind the barrage up to this point, but during the pause began consolidating and mopping up as the next wave from the following battalion leapfrogged through.2 After ten minutes standing barrage on this intermediate halt line, the artillery fire lifted away a little more slowly, crossing the remaining distance to the final objective in four lifts of 100 yards each, one every four minutes.
[Show full text]
Hôtel Blin, Amiens: Home of the Viscount Blin De Bourdo
INSTITUTE HISTORY WORKSHEET TOPIC: Birth to Adulthood: Françoise’s Family of Origin Places: Hôtel Blin, Amiens: home of the Viscount Blin de Bourdon in Amiens (brother) Rue des Augustins: location of Hôtel Blin in Amiens Gézaincourt: home of maternal grandparents, where Françoise is born & raised Doullens: town 1.5 miles from Gézaincourt Amiens: seat of diocese, where Françoise finished education, site of Hôtel Blin, Bourdon estate: smaller than Gézaincourt, house built when parents marry Abbey of St. Michael at Doullens: Benedictine school Françoise attended in the summers beginning in 1762 La Providence: 1st prison of Françoise in Amiens People & Relationships between them: The Blins de Bourdon and the de Fouquesolles are related. Françoise’s father’s great grandmother and her mother’s great, great grandmother are the same person. Father of Françoise: Viscount Pierre-Louis Blin de Bourdon - Viscount de Domart-en- Ponthieu; b. d. Feb. 1, 1797 Mother of Françoise: Marie-Louise-Claudine de Fouquesolles – b. 1731, carriage accident, illness, death on April 2, 1784. 25 year age difference. Sister of Françoise: Marie-Louise-Aimée Blin de Bourdon – b. 1751, d. 1821, married to Gaspard Félix by time of mother’s carriage accident Brother of Françoise: Viscount Louis-Marie-César Blin de Bourdon – b. 1753, d. 1826; owner of Hôtel Blin, Sister-in-law of Françoise: Viscountess Elizabeth Blin de Bourdon – b. 1758 (Elisabeth Pingre de Fieffes), died 1844; Marie-Louise-Françoise Blin de Bourdon (Mother St Joseph) b. March 8, 1756 at Gézaincourt; dies at Namur in 1838 Maternal grandfather: Baron Louis de Fouquesolles – b. 1701, d. 1784; Viscount of Doullens Maternal grandmother: Baroness de Fouquesolles – b.
[Show full text]
148 'Je Suis En Australie': a Personal Memoir of Villers-Bretonneux
148 ‘JE SUIS EN AUSTRALIE’: A PERSONAL MEMOIR OF VILLERS-BRETONNEUX ANNE BRASSART 1 ‘I am in Australia!’ Those were the words we screamed as children when stepping with delight on the thick lawn of the Australian cemetery in Villers- Bretonneux. Under the vast sky, blue or grey, here was ‘Australia’, here was immensity, here was freedom. On the soft green turf, we could run and run, first to the centre of the lawn where the tall stone cross stood, supporting an impressively big sword, point down. We would climb the very high steps leading to the foot of the cross and then we would go on as far as the majestic tower dominating the Memorial. It was a race to see who would reach it first. But we never went inside. It had been damaged during the last war (1939– 1945), and was unsafe. Behind the tower, at the far end of what was for us ‘Australia’, there were no tombs but big bushes which were ideal for playing hide and seek or other games that did not require anything but running and sometimes singing. Lots of delighted children’s laughter rose to the sky! We knew that the Mémorial was a burial place for the Australian soldiers, and also some from Canada and New Zealand, but because it looked more like a park, and was not at all a sad place, we did not think of it as a cemetery. The vastness of it, especially for small children, and the open fields all around it, sloping gently down to the valley of the Somme, gave us an exciting feeling of liberty.
[Show full text]
The Marshlands of Méricourt-Sur-Somme
Boisement Water Chipilly Belvedere (viewpoint) Prairie-Pâture Agricultural land Larris Wooded areas Espace urbanisé Wetlands at the bottom of the valley Somme Canal Reed Beds Lock-keeper’s House Départ Eglise de Le-Quesne Wooden foot-bridge me Un des points de vue les m plus hauts de la Somme o Starting Point S D Lock-keeper’s house at d l Méricourt-sur-Somme O Préservons la nature Vous participez à la conservation de la richesse P Car Park de ce site fragile : . en empruntant les sentiers, . en refermant les passe-clôtures après votre passage, ! Be careful: . en respectant sa faune et sa flore, Hunting is carried out on . en emportant vos déchets en quittant le site. this site during the official P Rannou © S. hunting period. Please be careful during this period. Starting at: Car park at Protect the natural The Marshlands of the lock-keeper’s house at Méricourt-sur-Somme Méricour environment D To help with the conservation of the rich natural habitats of this fragile Méricourt-sur-Somme t-sur site, please: Time: 30 mins Méricourt-sur-Somme, By visiting the marshlands of -Somme . Always use the marked trails . Keep gates and stiles closed 8km from Bray-sur-Somme, Méricourt, nature will reveal all of its . Respect the fauna and flora 31km from Amiens beauty. Hiking, hunting, fishing, and nature Distance: 1,5km . Take your litter away with you discovery activities - something N 0 50 100m for everyone. This trail is maintained by Route: easy the Poppy Country Sign posts Route continues Wrong direction Change of direction For more information:
[Show full text]
Le Canton De Villers-Bocage : Le Territoire De La Commune De Querrieu
Hauts-de-France, Somme Querrieu Le canton de Villers-Bocage : le territoire de la commune de Querrieu Références du dossier Numéro de dossier : IA80000273 Date de l'enquête initiale : 1998 Date(s) de rédaction : 2001 Cadre de l'étude : inventaire topographique canton de Villers-Bocage Désignation Aires d'études : Villers-Bocage Milieu d'implantation : Historique Le nom de Querrieu dérive du latin Carus rivus (attesté en 1145). Il apparaît sous l'orthographe Kyerru dans un texte de 1204. Le village s'est développé le long de la route d'Amiens à Albert, à l'endroit où cette ancienne voie romaine franchit l'Hallue : jusqu'en 1738, un droit de péage était perçu sur le pont par le seigneur de Querrieu, qui possédait en outre un moulin banal sur la rivière (ainsi qu'un four et un pressoir banaux, rue du Four des Champs, et un gibet et pilori). La plus ancienne mention de cette seigneurie remonte à 1106 (charte de donation en faveur de la léproserie de Corbie), et le plus ancien représentant connu en est Foulques de Querrieu (1183). Le château actuel, quoique complètement remanié aux 17e et 19e siècles, conserve le tracé de deux tours rondes qui rappellent l'importance stratégique de cette place dans la défense d'Amiens. Quant à l'église paroissiale, elle apparaît dans plusieurs actes du 13e siècle. La structure de la nef pourrait remonter à l'époque romane, mais l'édifice connut de profonds remaniements aux 15e et 16e siècles. La maladrerie de Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, citée en 1182, a totalement disparu : elle occupait le site du jardin Saint-Ladre, à l'angle du chemin d'Allonville et de la route nationale.
[Show full text]
SIMPSON PRIZE COMPETITION for Year 9 and 10 Students
SIMPSON PRIZE COMPETITION for Year 9 and 10 students 2019 Winner Tasmania Erin Massey St Patrick's College, Prospect Vale Erin Massey Simpson Prize 2019 To what extent could 1918 be considered a year of victory for Australia and its people? 1918 is often remembered by the contemporary Australian public as ‘a year of victory’. While this is an accurate description of the Australian Corps’ involvement in the Great War, it overlooks the suffering endured by our fellow Australians. The military victories of 1918 include the battles of Hamel and Amiens, both of which were greatly impacted by General Sir John Monash. Monash’s ingenious battle plans were renowned for their precise calculations and comprehensive preparations which fully deserve to be remembered by Australians today. These victories had a profound emotional effect on both the Australian and German soldiers, which further supports the view that 1918 was a year of victory as this benefitted Australia. While these factors provide compelling weight to the victorious year’s perspective, it neglects the suffering of the Australian soldiers as well as their families in Australia. There were over twelve thousand Australian casualties in 1918; while this is significantly less than the antecedent years of the war, it is still an immense statistic. Evidently, the war experience for countless Australians was an awful one, and we see this through letters from the soldiers and commanders as well as newspaper articles of that time. An undeniable argument supporting 1918 as ‘a year of victory’ is the military advances that General Sir John Monash devised and orchestrated.
[Show full text]