Second Battle of Bapaume

Second Battle of Bapaume
Part of the Hundred Days Offensive of World War I
A New Zealand Battalion passing through recaptured Bapaume, 14 September 1918
Date 21 August – 3 September 1918 Location Bapaume, France Result Allied victory
Belligerents
British Empire  New Zealand	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Andrew Russell

The Second Battle of Bapaume was a battle of the First World War that took place at Bapaume, France, from 21 August and 3 September 1918, and was a continuation of the Battle of Albert. It followed the Battle of Amiens and is also referred to as the second phase of that battle. The British and Commonwealth attack is often taken to be the turning point of the First World War on the Western Front and the beginning of what was later known as the Allies' Hundred Days Offensive. On 29 August, elements of the New Zealand Division, after heavy fighting, occupied Bapaume having broken through, with the British 5th Division, the very strong Le Transloy–Loupart trench system.

Background

On 8 August 1918, the Hundred Days' Offensive commenced and it would prove to be the last major campaign on the Western Front. It began with the Battle of Amiens, an attack by the Canadian and Australian Corps at Amiens, which rolled the German lines back 8 kilometres (5.0 mi).^[1] The advance petered out after four days after the Germans began to regroup and shore up their defences. Haig recognised that it was time to put pressure elsewhere on the German front and for this, decided to use General Julian Byng's Third Army.^[2] Field Marshal Douglas Haig decided that the Bapaume sector, with the town of Bapaume at its centre, was to be the new focus of operations.^[3]

Bapaume

Bapaume itself was a small town linked by rail to Albert and Arras.^[4] Captured by the forces of Imperial Germany in the early stages of the war, it had been the focus of the British forces on the opening day of the Battle of Somme in 1916.^[5] Still in German hands, it had been largely destroyed in early 1917 following their withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. Extensive booby traps had also been left and these troubled the Australians that moved into the town afterwards. It was subsequently re-captured by the Germans during the Spring Offensive.^[4] The land surrounding Bapaume was relatively flat and thus was conducive to the use of tanks.^[3]

Plan of attack

The Third Army's IV Corps allocated three divisions to the forthcoming operation, the Second Battle of Bapaume:^{[Note 1]} the 37th, 42nd, along with the New Zealand Division. The 5th and the 63rd Divisions were held in reserve.^[7] Of all these divisions, only the New Zealand Division was at full strength.^[8]

The battle was to have three phases, the first of which was to capture the Albert-Arras railway and then an advance to the Ancre River. The second phase was to surround Bapaume, and then move into the town itself. The last phase was the advance to Reincourt-les-Bapaume and Bancourt-Fremicourt and the high ground beyond.^[9] To distract the Germans from the main attack being carried out by the Third Army, the French 10th Army conducted diversionary attacks to the south.^[8]

Battle

The opening phase was to be an attack across a 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) front from Puiseux towards the Albert-Arras railway. This was the Battle of Albert but the role the New Zealanders played in this action was relatively minor,^[10] being limited to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade supporting the main attack, which was carried out by the 37th Division. The 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades of the New Zealand Division were held in reserve.^[11] As a result of the operations of 21–23 August, all but one of the ridges to the south and west of Bapaume were held by IV Corps. However, this left the ridge which ran from Loupart Wood to Grévillers and then onto Biefvillers.

The New Zealand Division was tasked with capturing the first two and then push into, and beyond, Bapaume, while 37th Division was to capture Biefvillers.^[12] This began with a night-time advance on 24 August by the 1st and 2nd Brigades to clear the approaches to Bapaume, including Loupart Wood and Grévillers.^{[Note 2]} Progress was delayed by heavy machine gun fire and artillery took its toll on supporting tanks.^[10]

On 29 August, Bapaume itself was captured by the New Zealanders when, after a heavy artillery barrage, they attacked into the town at the same time the Germans were withdrawing.^[10]

The village of Frémicourt fell the following day.^[10] The New Zealand Division continued to advance, with the 2nd Brigade capturing Haplincourt on 3 September following a failed attempt the previous day.^[14]

A section of New Zealand Riflemen in newly captured Bapaume

Aftermath

The New Zealand Division moved onto the outer defences of the Hindenburg Line, including Trescault Spur, which overlooked the German positions. Later that month, in conjunction with 37th Division and elements of the 38th Division, the New Zealanders attacked and captured the spur on 12 September.^[15] After this engagement, the New Zealand Division was withdrawn from the front lines for a two-week rest.

Notes

Footnotes

1. The battle was fought from 21 August to 2 September; however, the British Battles Nomenclature Committee designated the fighting that took place from 21 August to 29 August as the Battle of Albert while the Second Battle of Bapaume was deemed to cover the period 31 August to 3 September. However, Haig referred to the Battle of Bapaume as covering the period from 21 August to 2 September.^[6]
2. Sergeant Samuel Forsyth earned a posthumous VC when he led a party in the capture of a strongpoint that was delaying the advance past Grévillers.^[13]

Citations

1. Harper 2007, p. 343.
2. Harper 2007, pp. 347–348.
3. Harper 2007, p. 350.
4. Gray 2010, pp. 301–302.
5. Harper 2007, p. 327.
6. Harper 2007, p. 323.
7. Harper 2007, p. 352.
8. Harper 2007, p. 354.
9. Harper 2007, pp. 325–326.
10. Wright 2005, pp. 145–147.
11. Gray 2010, p. 275.
12. Gray 2010, p. 280.
13. Pedersen 2012, p. 498.
14. Wright 2005, p. 148.
15. Wright 2005, p. 150.

References

• Gray, John H. (2010). From the Uttermost Ends of the Earth: The New Zealand Division on the Western Front 1916–1918. Christchurch, New Zealand: Wilson Scott Publishing. ISBN 978-1-877427-30-5.
• Harper, Glyn (2007). Dark Journey: Three Key New Zealand Battles of the Western Front. Auckland, New Zealand: HarperCollins Publisher. ISBN 978-1-86950-579-0.
• Pedersen, Peter (2012). ANZACS on the Western Front: The Australian War Memorial Battlefield Guide. Milton, Australia: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-74216-981-1.
• Wright, Matthew (2005). Western Front: The New Zealand Division in the First World War 1916–18. Auckland, New Zealand: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0990-0.

External links

• Military History Encyclopedia on the Web: Second battle of Bapaume, 21 August-1 September 1918