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surrendered and the
Australians continued to the main German trench-line. In the rear, other Australians crossed the Somme by a bridge which Australian engineers had saved and repaired. The Australians were unable to hold their gains on Mont St Quentin and German reserves regained the crest. However, the Australians held on just below the summit and next day it was recaptured and firmly held. On that day also, 1 September, Australian forces broke into PĂ©ronne and took most of the town. The next day it completely fell into Australian hands. In three days the Australians endured 3,000 casualties but ensured a general German withdrawal eastwards back to the
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for half an hour trying to establish visual communication. When this failed, he at once ran at a line to bde
Forward Station through very heavy machine gun and artillery fire and remained out on the line the whole day, keeping it in order. Throughout the whole operation he showed an utter disregard of danger and set a fine example to all his men."
682:
spirited resistance. Later during the consolidation, he personally supervised the placing of the six
Company Lewis Guns, moving around the Company front in spite of fierce enemy fire. His work throughout was of the highest order, and his fighting spirit throughout was of the greatest value to the success of his Company."
681:
William
Stevens, 23rd Australian Infantry Battalion, originally from Melbourne was awarded a Bar to his Military Medal for his work during the battle. In part, his citation from Rosenthal reads: "In the Village fighting he personal lead a party of five which accounted for 16 of the enemy who put up a
584:
Australians of the 2nd
Division crossed to the north bank of the Somme River on the evening of 30 August. At 5 am on 31 August, supported by artillery, two significantly undermanned Australian battalions charged up Mont St Quentin, ordered by Monash to "scream like bushrangers". The Germans quickly
677:
Other medals awarded included the
Military Medal. Robert James Young, 25th Battalion, originally from Brisbane, was one such awardee. During the attack, according to Rosenthal, the recommending general, "he selected a position on a hill which was being heavily shelled at the time. He remained there
470:, described the Australian advances of 31 August – 4 September as the greatest military achievement of the war. During the battle Australian troops stormed, seized and held the key height of Mont Saint-Quentin (overlooking Péronne), a pivotal German defensive position on the line of the Somme.
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to cross a series of marshes to attack the heights. This plan failed when the assaulting troops could not cross the marshes. After this initial setback, Monash manoeuvred his divisions in the only free
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Looking back after the event, Monash accounted for the success by the wonderful gallantry of the men, the rapidity with which the plan was carried out, and the sheer daring of the attempt. In his
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was only 100 metres high but was a key to the German defence of the Somme line, and the last German stronghold. It overlooked the Somme River approximately 1.5 kilometres north of
521:, "German archives show that the 51st Corps anticipated the offensive... The line divisions were ordered to increase their depth and the counter-attack divisions to 'stand to.
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616:(the same position from which the Germans had launched their offensive in the spring). A total of 2,600 prisoners were taken at a cost of slightly over 3,000 casualties.
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612:. As the position overlooked much of the terrain east of Mont St. Quentin, it guaranteed that the Germans would not be able to stop the allies west of the
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605:, who was in charge of the operation. But Monash and his staff were responsible for the conception of the project and the working out of the plans.
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243:
772:
Official
History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 – Volume VI – The Australian Imperial Force in France during the Allied Offensive, 1918
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807:. Australian Government: Department of Veterans' Affairs together with Board of Studies NSW. 12 February 2008. Archived from
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580:"The gaps in the wire near Anvil Wood were death traps", reads the caption of a contemporary photograph of the battlefield.
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The Allied victory at the Battle of Mont Saint
Quentin dealt a strong blow to five German divisions, including the elite
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893:"Young Robert James : SERN 282 : POB Aberdeen Scotland : POE Brisbane QLD : NOK F Young James"
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in pursuit was Mont Saint-Quentin which, situated in a bend of the river, dominated the whole position. The
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502:, and strategically, the hill's defences guarded the north and western approaches to the town.
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977:. Australian Department of Veteran's Affairs and Board of Studies NSW. 2007. Archived from
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918:"AWM28 1/118 Part 1: 2nd Australian Division, 27 August 1918 to 5 September 1918"
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for their role in the battle, all to members of the
Australian 2nd Division:
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673:, 3rd Division, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his role in the battle.
601:, Monash pays tribute to the commander of the 2nd Division, Major-General
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The
Australian Imperial Force in France during the Allied Offensive, 1918
235:
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of any consequence undertaken by the Australians on the Western Front.
104:
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742:"The Battle for Mont St Quentin: 31 August 1918 – 3 September 1918"
575:
544:
564:; Monash planned a high-risk frontal assault which required the
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801:"Mont St Quentin – Péronne 31 August – 2 September 1918"
785:
Sir John Monash – An effective and competent commander?
442:
on the Western Front in the late summer of 1918, the
882:, (1st ed., 1942), Volume VI, Chapter XVIII, p. 862.
971:"Mont St Quentin, 2nd Australian Division Memorial"
533:. The German 94th Infantry Regiment (part of the
716:Australian Victories: 1918 Australians in France
36:
27:1918 battle on the Western Front of World War I
517:. According to Australian official historian
251:
8:
951:"Mont St Quentin: Australian Military Units"
486:, and the greatest obstacle to crossing the
975:Australians on the Western Front: 1914–1918
774:, Sydney, Angus and Robertson, pp. 916–917.
525:" Bean states that LI Corps controlled the
1009:Battles of World War I involving Australia
1004:Battles of the Western Front (World War I)
805:Australians on the Western Front 1914–1918
692:Mont Saint-Quentin Australian war memorial
258:
244:
236:
33:
1014:Battles of World War I involving Germany
744:. Penrith City Council Library Service,
619:The following soldiers were awarded the
450:on the night of 31 August and broke the
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957:from the original on 11 September 2007
860:from the original on 30 September 2007
560:The offensive was planned by General
7:
1044:Australia–Germany military relations
1019:Military history of Hauts-de-France
925:Honours and Awards (Recommendation)
537:) was also involved in the battle.
505:Australian forces faced the German
836:Dictionary of Australian Biography
722:from the original on 7 August 2007
87:31 August – 3 September 1918
25:
56:Second Battle of the Somme (1918)
712:"Mont Saint Quentin and PĂ©ronne"
498:. Its location made it an ideal
209:
197:
177:
164:
62:
897:National Archives of Australia
839:. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
787:. Australian Defence College,
599:Australian Victories in France
1:
550:Capture of Mont Saint Quentin
425:Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin
37:Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin
953:. Australian War Memorial.
718:. Australian War Memorial.
529:, 1st Reserve Division and
527:5th Royal Bavarian Division
1060:
856:. www.diggerhistory.info.
671:43rd Battalion (Australia)
667:Lawrence Carthage Weathers
18:Battle of Mont St. Quentin
927:. Australian War Memorial
829:Serle, Percival (1949). "
658:2nd Machine Gun Battalion
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79:
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149:Australian Corps victory
566:Australian 2nd Division
748:. 2005. Archived from
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466:'s commander, General
440:Hundred Days Offensive
269:Hundred Days Offensive
191:Commanders and leaders
52:Hundred Days Offensive
1039:September 1918 events
770:C. E. W. Bean, 1942,
628:Albert David Lowerson
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222:Casualties and losses
746:Penrith City Council
662:Blackall, Queensland
636:Myrtleford, Victoria
427:was a battle on the
981:on 3 September 2007
752:on 8 September 2007
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610:2nd Guards Division
464:British Fourth Army
126: /
1034:August 1918 events
647:, originally from
634:, originally from
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482:were pursuing the
456:Mont Saint-Quentin
307:Mont Saint-Quentin
130:49.9472°N 2.9325°E
97:Mont Saint-Quentin
850:"Mont St Quentin"
783:Fidge, AC. 2003.
603:Charles Rosenthal
435:. As part of the
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344:St. Quentin Canal
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811:on 25 July 2008
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983:. Retrieved
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929:. Retrieved
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862:. Retrieved
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831:Monash, John
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724:. Retrieved
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552:painting by
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398:Valenciennes
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158:Belligerents
71:painting by
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42:Part of the
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562:John Monash
488:Somme River
448:Somme River
433:World War I
359:2nd Cambrai
319:Havrincourt
302:2nd Bapaume
204:John Monash
133: /
48:World War I
998:Categories
931:25 January
698:References
554:Fred Leist
509:, part of
474:Background
386:Le Quesnoy
329:St.-Mihiel
314:2nd Scarpe
297:3rd Albert
118:49°56′50″N
985:31 August
961:31 August
864:31 August
815:18 August
756:31 August
726:31 August
593:Aftermath
454:lines at
405:Honnelles
354:5th Ypres
292:2nd Somme
172:Australia
121:2°55′57″E
955:Archived
858:Archived
720:Archived
686:See also
511:2nd Army
507:LI Corps
410:2nd Mons
364:Courtrai
92:Location
54: :
660:, from
496:PĂ©ronne
484:Germans
460:PĂ©ronne
431:during
287:Ailette
105:Picardy
101:PĂ©ronne
99:, near
556:(1920)
541:Battle
480:Allies
462:. The
452:German
437:Allied
381:Sambre
369:Burkel
282:Amiens
182:
169:
146:Result
109:France
75:(1918)
921:(PDF)
902:1 May
376:Selle
334:Épehy
987:2007
963:2007
933:2018
904:2023
866:2007
817:2008
758:2007
728:2007
492:Mont
478:The
458:and
423:The
84:Date
833:".
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