Lâchez les tanks ! - Bataille de la somme 1918

The Somme region is famous for the 1916 Battle of the Somme, which caused one million casualties and remains engraved in British memory. However, this episode focuses on the battles that followed from 1918 onwards.

• French and British forces could now count on American troops and resources • American participation provided military and economic advantages in the war effort

• The Brest-Litovsk Treaty signed on 3rd March 1918 ended fighting on the Eastern Front • Germans were able to move whole divisions to the Western Front • This concentration allowed Germans to focus all efforts westward

General Ludendorff's Kaiserschlacht offensive began on 21st March 1918 with the goal of cutting Allied lines at their junction in Picardy, taking Amiens, and surrounding British troops while advancing toward Paris.

Manfred von Richthofen was a young Prussian aristocrat who left cavalry to join the air force. He painted his plane bright red to act as bait and attract enemy fighters while his squadron waited above to attack. He collected 80 silver cups from his silversmiths, each engraved with the date and type of plane shot down.

• Von Richthofen sustained a serious head injury on 6th July 1917 while on a mission • Although he recovered, he suffered from migraines and fits of rage afterwards • German High Command feared his death would damage morale and asked him to withdraw, but he refused

On 21st April 1918, Von Richthofen took off from Cappy to pursue Allied airmen. While engaged in combat with N° 209 Squadron Royal Air Force, he was shot down not by another pilot but by ground fire while pursuing an aircraft over Australian lines.

• Initially credited to Canadian pilot Roy Brown, this version was later contested • For nearly a century, the shooter's identity remained unknown • It is now believed that Australian fusilier 'Snowy' Evans fired the fatal shot • Von Richthofen landed his plane near Vaux-sur-Somme and died in the cockpit • He received a full military funeral on 22nd April 1918 in Bertangles, near Amiens, and was later moved to a family vault in Wiesbaden

• 422,000 Australian volunteers enlisted to join the Australian Imperial Force during the war • Australia had less than 5 million inhabitants, meaning almost 10% of the whole population took part in the war • Around 300,000 Australians served in Europe

The German offensive, launched in March, continued pushing Allied lines back. On 24th April, Germans took the village of Villers-Bretonneux using tanks supported by the 222nd Division after five days of bombardment with conventional artillery and gas shells. This battle marked the first ever tank-versus-tank engagement.

Commanders William Glasgow and Harold Elliot devised an unusual strategy: instead of artillery preparation followed by infantry charge, they launched an assault without artillery and at night to achieve surprise. The assault began on 24th April at 10pm, breaking through German lines on 25th April 1918 and retaking the village after terrible hand-grenade fighting on 26th April.

• The victory occurred exactly three years after Australian landing at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915 • 25th April became ANZAC Day, originally commemorating the 1915 Gallipoli landing but now also marking this crucial 1918 victory • The Australian National Memorial was built in 1938 with 10,773 names of Australian soldiers with no known grave • Annual dawn ceremonies are held at the memorial and worldwide to remember the sacrifice

Major General Sir John Monash changed warfare tactics by moving away from mass assaults. He insisted that each unit know their objectives and how to move depending on battle developments, rejecting the practice of throwing troops blindly into combat.

• Monash heavily emphasized communication between forces using telephones, light signals, flags, and pigeons • Coordination was essential to react quickly and effectively to battlefield developments

• Mark V tanks carried medicines and munitions so soldiers could obtain supplies without going to the rear • In a revolutionary technique, planes sent equipment down by parachute • Tank units and infantry trained together and shared living quarters • Colored signals painted on tanks helped disorientated soldiers find their assigned tank during assault

On 4th July 1918 at 3am, Monash sent smoke bombs after weeks of conditioning Germans to expect gas shells. The Germans donned gas masks, reducing their ability to see and hear, while Australian troops advanced mask-free. Tank assault began under artillery cover. All objectives were reached in just 93 minutes. Casualties included 1,400 Allied soldiers killed, 2,000 Germans killed, and 1,600 German prisoners captured.

• In Spring 1918, Germans came very close to winning the war on the Western Front • Multiple battles on the Somme decided the fate of the Western Front in both July 1916 and 1918 • The German breakthrough threatened Amiens and caused significant population displacement

• The Battle of Amiens began shortly after 4am on 8th August 1918 • Nearly 400 tanks cleared the way with 11 British divisions coordinating with a huge fleet of planes and terrific artillery fire • Ludendorff declared 8th August a day of mourning for the German army • This battle was the turning point where the German army lost the last hope of victory

• The Australians advanced 11 kilometers into enemy lines • The Canadians advanced 13 kilometers • The French advanced 8 kilometers • The British advanced 3 kilometers, all accomplished in just one day

• The Allies lost 46,000 men in the fighting • The Germans lost 40,000 men plus 33,000 prisoners • Whole German units surrendered without a fight when faced with artillery, tanks, and advancing troops • Amiens was saved and the Germans could not threaten the town for the rest of the war • By 12th August, Germans formed a new defensive line, but it was too late—the war was already lost

Mont Saint-Quentin was a highly strategic German position held in 1918, providing a commanding view of the entire area and particularly over the town of Péronne, which was key to the German military setup.

Sir John Monash, commanding Australian troops, decided not to give Germans time to dig in. On 31st August, the Australians crossed the River Somme and assaulted the Mont. Although they forced Germans back, their own speed left reserve troops unable to reach them quickly, and a German counter-attack pushed them back to the foot of the Mont.

On 1st September, Monash ordered his men to retake the Mont Saint-Quentin. After artillery preparation, the Australians launched a furious assault and successfully retook the Mont. With the clear view of the area, the whole German setup was in danger of artillery fire.

• The Australians retook Péronne on 2nd September 1918, straight after capturing the Mont • The town was completely ravaged from changing hands several times and was reduced to rubble from Allied shelling and German scorched earth tactics • 3,000 Australians fell at the Battles of Mont Saint-Quentin and Péronne • 2,600 German prisoners were captured • The taking of the Mont and liberation of Péronne are still celebrated in Australia and Anglo-Saxon countries with commemorative ceremonies