CHAPTER XIX the Capture of Hiio11t St. Quentin and Psronne Is Held By
CHAPTER XIX THE HINDENBURG OUTPOST-LINE THEcapture of hiIo11t St. Quentin and PSronne is held by many Australian soldiers to be the most brilliant achievement of the A.1.F.l Among the operations planned by Monash it stands out as one of movement rather than a set piece; indeed within Australian experience of the Western Front it was the only important fight in which quick, free manoeuvre played a decisive part. It furnishes a complete answer to the comment that Monash was merely a composer of set pieces. But Monash himself realised that it was also largely a soldiers’ battle. Monash passed four brigades under the enemy’s nose round the bend of the Somme, with all his invariable care in plan- ning, supplying and bridging. But what an instrument was to his hand! The picture given in the histories of some German regiments of their slender, exhausted remnants being over- . whelmed by masses of fresh troops is sheer propaganda. The 2nd and 3rd Divisions at least, with companies depleted to the German level, weary with-in soiiie cases-incredibly pro- tracted effort, and without normal artillery support, constantly attacked more than their number of Germans in strong, well wired positions and captured more prisoners than they could safely hold. The tactics were necessarily left largely to divisional, brigade, battalion and even platoon commanaers , they were sometimes brilliant and sometimes faulty, but in general the dash, intelligence, and persistence of the troops dealt a stunning blow to five German divisions, drove the enemy from one of his key positions in France, and took 1 Gen.
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