The Second Battles of the Somme, 1918

21 August – 3 September 1918: the Second Battles of the Somme, 1918. British Third and Fourth Armies commence offensive operations on the same ground over which the 1916 Battle of the Somme was fought. They make deep advance.

Map from the British Official History of Military Operations, France and Flanders, 1918. Crown Copyright. This map shows the advance of Fourth Army in the Second Battles of the Somme, 1918.
Map from the British Official History of Military Operations, France and Flanders, 1918. Crown Copyright. This map shows the advance of Fourth Army in the Second Battles of the Somme, 1918.

Phase: the Battle of Albert, 21 – 23 August 1918

Third Army (Byng)
IV Corps (Harper)
5th Division
37th Division
42nd (East Lancashire) Division
63rd (Royal Naval) Division
New Zealand Division.
V Corps (Shute)
17th (Northern) Division
21st Division
38th (Welsh) Division.
VI Corps (Haldane)
Guards Division
2nd Division
3rd Division
52nd (Lowland) Division
56th (1st London) Division
59th (2nd North Midland) Division .

Fourth Army (Rawlinson)
III Corps (Butler)
12th (Eastern) Division
18th (Eastern) Division
47th (2nd London) Division
58th (2/1st London) Division.
Australian Corps (Monash)
32nd Division
1st Australian Division, which captured Chuignes
3rd Australian Division
4th Australian Division
5th Australian Division.

On the horizon, the Moislains ridge. Author's photograh, taken from a point near Bouchavesnes
On the horizon, the Moislains ridge. Author’s photograph, taken from a point near Bouchavesnes

Phase: the Second Battle of Bapaume, 31 August – 3 September 1918

Third Army (Byng)
IV Corps (Harper)
5th Division
42nd (East Lancashire) Division
New Zealand Division.
V Corps (Shute)
17th (Northern) Division
21st Division
38th (Welsh) Division.
VI Corps (Haldane)
Guards Division
2nd Division
3rd Division
62nd (2nd West Riding) Division .

Fourth Army (Rawlinson)
III Corps (Butler)
18th (Eastern) Division
47th (2nd London) Division
58th (2/1st London) Division
74th (Yeomanry) Division.
Australian Corps (Monash)
32nd Division
2nd Australian Division, which captured Mont St. Quentin
3rd Australian Division
5th Australian Division, which occupied Peronne.

Captain Sullivan MC and Bar MM, Officer Commanding A Company, 21st Battalion, in Elsa Trench with some of his men, immediately before going out to participate in the attack on Mont St Quentin, at 1.30 pm, on 1 September 1918. It was with this renewed assault that the enemy resistance was broken and the whole position of Mont St Quentin won. Australian War Memorial image EO3198
Captain Sullivan MC and Bar MM, Officer Commanding A Company, 21st Battalion, in Elsa Trench with some of his men, immediately before going out to participate in the attack on Mont St Quentin, at 1.30 pm, on 1 September 1918. It was with this renewed assault that the enemy resistance was broken and the whole position of Mont St Quentin won. Australian War Memorial image EO3198

Links

Battles of the Western Front in France and Flanders