Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux

The Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux came during the period of the battle of Lys, 24–27 April 1918 but was launched against the British lines in front of Amiens. The German army built twenty-one tanks in the war and used fourteen A7V tanks in the attack, making it one of the biggest uses of German tanks in World War I. During the battle, the first tank-versus-tank battle in history occurred when a group of three advancing German A7V tanks met and engaged three British Mark IV tanks, two of which were female tanks armed with machine-guns. The two Mark IV females were damaged and forced to withdraw but the male tank armed with 6-pounder guns, hit and disabled the lead A7V, which was then abandoned by its crew. The Mark IV continued to fire on the two remaining German A7Vs, which withdrew. The "male" then advanced with the support of Whippet light tanks which had arrived, until disabled by artillery fire and abandoned by the crew. The German and British crews recovered their vehicles later in the day. A counter-attack by two Australian and one British brigade during the night of 24 April partly surrounded Villers-Bretonneux and on 25 April the town was recaptured. Australian, British and French troops restored the original front line by 27 April.

Prelude
The area was largely held by the British 8th Division. Although it had been one of the best British divisions it had suffered badly in the German attacks of March losing 250 officers and about 4,700 other ranks, reducing its infantry by half. Reinforcements had been made from the latest draft in the United Kingdom; some units replacements had been 18 year olds with little training.

German Second Army
The German attack was preceded by artillery, using both mustard gas and high explosive rounds. The German infantry with fourteen supporting tanks (one was unserviceable) broke through the 8th Division, making a three mile wide gap in the British lines. Villers-Bretonneux fell to the Germans, and the main strategic centre of Amiens was under threat. After the Germans took Villers-Bretonneux, the first ever engagement between opposing tanks took place. Three British Mark IV tanks (No. 1 Section, A Company, 1st Battalion, Tank Corps) had been dispatched to the Cachy switch line at the first reports of German advance and were to hold it against the Germans. One was a "male" (the No. 1 Tank of the section) armed with two 6-pounder guns and machine guns, under the command of Lieutenant Frank Mitchell. It was only crewed by four of the normal crew of seven as the others had been affected by gas. The other tanks were "females" armed only with 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns, intended for use as anti-infantry support fire. All were advancing when they encountered a German A7V: "Nixe" of Abteilung III Imperial German Tank Force was commanded by 2nd Lt Wilhelm Biltz.

Biltz's tank fired on the two "females", damaging them to the extent that it left holes in the hull leaving the crew exposed. Both retreated; their machine guns were unable to penetrate the armour on the German tank. Mitchell's "male" Mark IV continued to fire at the A7V while on the move to avoid German artillery fire and the cannon of the German tank. The movement meant Mitchell's gunner had difficulty in aiming the Mark IV's 6-pounders. The tanks continued to fire at each other on the move until the Mark IV stopped to allow the gunner a clear shot. He scored three hits (a total of six shell hits). The German heeled over on its side, possible as a result of crossing an incline at the wrong angle. The surviving German crew (out of 18 men), including Biltz, alighted from the vehicle. Mitchell's crew continued to fire at them as they fled on foot, killing nine.

The British tank was next faced by two more A7Vs, supported by infantry; Mitchell's tank fired several ranging shots on the German tanks and they retreated. Mitchell's tank continued to attack the German infantry present, firing case-shot at them. Following this, a group of seven of the new British Whippet medium tanks arrived. The Whippets attacked the German troops encountering some battalions "forming up in the open", doing much damage both with their machine guns and by running them down. Mitchell later remarked that when they returned their tracks were covered with blood. Only four of the seven Whippets returned, the rest were destroyed by artillery, though only five crew were killed.

Being the sole tank on the field, and slow moving, the Mark IV now became an obvious target for German artillery. Lieutenant Frank Mitchell's tank retreated, maneouvering to try to avoid the shells. A mortar round eventually disabled the tank's tracks. The crew left the disabled tank, escaping to a British-held trench, much to the surprise of the troops in it. Lt Biltz and his crew reboarded "Nixe" and withdrew. The tank was eventually broken up for spares in June 1918. Earlier in the day, another tank in the same group as Lt Biltz, A7V No 506 "Mephisto", had fallen onto its side and was abandoned. The tank was captured by Australian troops when they counter-attacked a few days later.

Fourth Army counter-attack
About noon the 1st Bn of the Sherwood Foresters had attempted a counter-attack. The British 25th Brigade was considered for an attack but this was cancelled. A tank with troops from the 2nd Royal Berkshire made a spontaneous attack from the north pushing the German line back about 150 yards. General Henry Rawlinson had responded even before he received orders from Marshal Foch to recapture the town. At 9:30 a.m. he ordered an immediate counter-attack by the Australian 13th Brigade under General Thomas William Glasgow and the 15th under General H.E. "Pompey" Elliott, both previously kept in reserve, though the 13th had suffered in heavy fighting at nearby Dernancourt. Rawlinson's plan was to use a pincer manoeuvre, the 15th Brigade attacking north of the town, the 13th to the south. British troops would support and the 2nd Bn Northamptonshire Regiment and the 22nd Durham Light Infantry would follow through in the gap between the Australians and "mop up" the town once it was isolated. Artillery support was available but since German positions were unknown and to avoid alerting the Germans, there was no preparatory barrage to soften up the German positions. Instead the artillery would bombard the town for the hour once the attack was underway and then move its line of fire back beyond the line held by the British before the German attack.

The attack took place on the night of 24/25 April 1918. The original time for the operation to start had been 8:00 p.m. but General Glasgow argued that it would still be light, with terrible consequences for his men. Glasgow argued that the operation should start at 10:00 p.m. and Zero hour was eventually made 10:00 p.m. The operation began with German machine gun nests taking some toll on the Australians. A number of charges against machine-gun posts helped the Australian advance; in particular, Lieutenant Clifford Sadlier was awarded the Victoria Cross after attacking with grenades. The two brigades swept around Villers-Bretonneux and the Germans retreated, for a while escaping the pocket along a railway cutting. The Australians eventually captured the German positions and pushed the German line back, leaving the German troops in Villers-Bretonneux surrounded. The British units attacked frontally and suffered at the German defences. By 25 April, the town had been recaptured and handed back to the villagers. The battle was a great success for the Australian troops, who had recaptured the town from forces that vastly outnumbered them and defeated the German attempt to capture Amiens. The village remained in Allied hands to the end of the war.

Casualties
The Australian brigades had taken 2,473 casualties, British casualties were 9,529, French losses were c. 3,500 and German losses were 8,000–10,400.

Memorial
In the 1930s an impressively towering memorial was established at the top of the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery to honour the Australian soldiers who fell in France in the Great War. The cemetery is located between Villers-Bretonneux and Fouilloy on the hill (belonging to the latter but overlooking the former) from which the famous night attack was launched. Some 10 mi east of Amiens and north of the straight main (Roman) road to St-Quentin, it rises gently to a plateau overlooking Amiens, the Somme Valley and the town from which it has its name. The cemetery contains 2,000 graves, of which 779 are Australian. A further ten Australian casualties of the battle are buried in the Villers-Bretonneux Communal Cemetery. The smaller Crucifix Corner British Military Cemetery just east of the town, in the shadow of a motorway embankment, contains the graves of British and French home and colonial (Moroccan) troops, the former including many Australians, who fell in the area in subsequent fighting which moved further to the east only on 8 August 1918 (but from then on rapidly). The victory gained at Villers-Bretonneux on the third anniversary of the Gallipoli landings is yearly commemorated by Australians. In 2008, to mark the battle’s ninetieth anniversary, the Australian and New Zealand ANZAC Day dawn service was held for the first time on the Fouilloy hill instead of on the Gallipoli peninsula.