Topic: BatzWF - Westn Front
Second Morlancourt
France, 4-9 May 1918
Second Morlancourt, a series of small thrusts carried out during 4-9 May 1918 against the new German forward line established between the Ancre and Somme rivers to protect Morlancourt. The operations, conducted by the 9th Brigade of the 3rd Australian Division, had the effect of capturing the enemy's front-line and taking 170 prisoners for the relatively low cost of 264 casualties. This success provoked a German response shortly before 4 a.m. on 14 May, but the 200 attackers were cut off after penetrating the Australian positions (now held by troops of the 5th Brigade of the 2nd Division) and lost another 48 men captured: Australian casualties were 60 killed or wounded.
Extracted from the book produced by Chris Coulthard-Clark, Where Australians Fought - The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 1998, pp. 146-147.
Additional References cited by Chris Coulthard-Clark:
C.E.W. Bean (1937) The Australian Imperial Force in France during the Main German Offensive, 1918, Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
Further Reading:
Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920
Citation: Second Morlancourt, France, May 4 to 9, 1918
