The Attack of 4 July 1918

The Battle of Hamel : The Attack of 4th July 1918

1. The assault

Men of the 15th Battalion, on the day of the fight at Hamel, worn out and asleep under camouflage which was found covering a German trench mortar in Pear Trench. AWME02664©	The assault was launched at 3.10 a.m. at the first light of dawn. Every infantryman carried 220 rounds, two Mills bombs, an extra flask and a drum magazine for Lewis-guns. These guns were added to the 46 heavy machine-guns and their crews involved in the action. The Lewis-gun was lighter and handier. It only required two gunners. In some places, clouds of smoke hid the first wave followed by tanks. Some of the defenders became conscious of the danger once the assailants were very close. In Vaire wood, the surprised Germans still wore their gas masks. Vaire wood and Hamel wood quickly felt in the 4th brigade hands.
Australians searching for wounded amongst the ruins, the day following the capture of the village. In the event of discovering a lurking Hun (German), overlooked by the mopping up parties, the men, it will be seen, are keeping their revolvers handy. AWME02666©	Concerning the village, the 11th brigade was in charge of its capture. The 43rd battalion had to take the village and eliminate there any resistance. The 44th, divided in two halves, had to go beyond the village on each side (also see order of battle). Six tanks would escort each of these two battalions. Immediately west of the now burning village, the German started to resist vigorously. The assailants were stopped and confronted the enemy by exchanging fire and grenades. Finally, the German were attacked on the flank by an American section commanded by an Australian lieutenant. Just north of the village was a little wooded space named Nolamel wood. The enemy solidly hanged it. The Australian lost their way in the smoke but their captain succeeded into guiding them by watching the flashes of the shells striking the top of the trees. There, the Germans realized they were turned at the moment they started to fire. Then, the same diggers were halted by a machine-gun on the edge of the village. It only stopped when a tank ran over it.
The French Tricolour, erected by Captain J. Moran of the 43rd Battalion, on one of the ruined houses, on the morning of its capture by the Australian troops, during the battle. AWME02667©	After the barrage had move away, the companies of the 43rd battalion entered the village by the north and the south and also by west. The Germans were retrenched in cellars and dugout. Le Hamel was totally mopped up near 7.00 a.m. and a French flag was hang up by an Australian officer on the top of the eastern house of the village. 300 Germans were captured, among them a battalion commander and his staff. Meanwhile, the 44th battalion and the 15th on south advanced towards enemy positions, a knot of old trenches. The Australians reoccupied those positions one named “Wolfsberg”. During, the morning, near 10.00 a.m., the Germans tried a counter-attack with artillery support. They advanced 200 meters but were finally pushed back.

The objectives of the battle were reached in 93 minutes instead of the 90 initially forecasted. This successful attack demonstrated the soundness of the Australian tactics and consequently of John Monash conceptions. According to him, infantrymen must not risk themselves in heroic and exhausting attack but must advance carefully covered by the whole set of the modern means : artillery, machine-guns, aircraft and tanks.

2. Infantrymen and tanks in action

During the night of the 2nd and 3rd of July, tanks were parked in fields around Hamelet. They moved to their starting position near 22.30 p.m., their engines idled. Then, they attacked with the first infantry wave that they overtook after. On many spots, the tanks were late and infantrymen had to go without them. What happened with the three tanks allotted to the 15th battalion that had to attack and take alone German defence like Pear trench (named this way because of his shape). About 30 tanks were designed to the village sectors. The 43rd and 44th battalions have received six tanks each to capture Hamel. Six tanks also accompanied the support platoons of the 45th and 15th battalions joining the 11th and the 4th brigade. Six other tanks had to reinforced those entering first the village.

A tank conducting mopping up operations in a ruined street of the village, the day after its capture by troops of the 11th Australian Infantry Brigade. This tank was subsequently put out of action when a shell hit and smashed the offside track. AWM E02864©

The infantrymen followed the tanks marked with their battalion colours. The Mark V opened ways in the barbwires and could easily cross a trench. Tanks and infantrymen adapted themselves to each other’s. Infantrymen understood that it was not essential for them to gather behind the tanks and so doing without a wide sight. On the contrary, they could deploy in skirmishing order close to the tanks. They asked the tanks to concentrate their fire on positions particularly tenacious. Some Germans surrendered on seeing the tanks.

AerialPhotography - 27 April 1918. Just after taking that picture, the plane was attack by the famous Red Baron. It was his last flight: he was shot down just after... Here one can see some objectives of the 4 July. On right, a part of the Wolfsberg and down the north-east part of Hamel. The German 2nd line can be clearly seen. Also the fields and crops well visible. German were on the ground for about one month on that time (courtesy of Dr Russell Naughton www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave ©).

Guided by infantrymen, Mark V showed that they were faster and more mobile than the previous patterns. Tanks crews also appreciated the way the diggers succeeded into exploiting the presence of the tanks. The Australians did not get out of fighting because of the tanks. Therefore, the members of the tanks corps and the diggers had great regards to each other’s. Last, supply tanks also filled their mission. They brought equipment behind the advanced lines and brought back many wounded. This way they saved the hundreds of soldiers from hard and risky jobs.