100 years on: Australians and British recapture Villers-Bretonneux

Mr. Percival Phillips, describing the carnage among the Germans, says English and Australian officers agree that they have never seen the dead so thick on any battlefield.

The battle, eastward of Amiens still continues, and the Germans have taken Hangard from the French.

The official reports

Sir Douglas Haig reporting on Thursday afternoon stated: Heavy fighting occurred all last night in and around Villers-Bretonneux, and continues. We regained ground by counter-attacks, and captured a number of prisoners.

The fighting yesterday on the whole of this front was most severe, heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy by our infantry and tanks.

The enemy was thrice repulsed with logs north of the Vlllers-Bretonneux-St. Quentin road. He used a few tanks in this fighting, also late last evening when he attacked the French north-east of Bailleul, and was repulsed.

The enemy early this morning renewed his attacks in this sector and on the British positions farther east after an intense bombardment. Fighting continues in this sector on a wide front.

The enemy during the night attempted a raid in the neighbourhood of Beuchy, but was repulsed.

English and Australian officers agree that they have never seen the dead so thick on any battlefield.

Hostile artillery was active last night in the Festubert and Robecq sectors.

Sir Douglas Haig on Thursday night reported: The Australians and English recaptured Villers-Bretonneux, taking 600 prisoners.

Sir Douglas Haig's report dealing with aviation stated: Despite the mist yesterday, our aviators attacked troops in the neighbourhood of Villers-Bretonneux from a low height.

We brought down three enemy machines. Two of ours are missing.

Our night-fliers dropped five and a half tons of explosives on Estaires, Armentieres, and Roulers, also on railway stations at Courtrai and Thourout. All returned.

Skillful British generalship

Mr. Philip Gibbs telegraphs: The Australian attack on Villers-Bretonneux was made at 10 o'clock at night. It was a piece of skillful, daring generalship. The Australians were sent in the darkness, without artillery, and relied on their rifles and bayonets. They have recaptured a most important position.

Great heaps of German dead now lie around Villers-Bretonneux.

​Mr. Philip Gibbs, describing the previous taking of the village by Germans, stated that two divisions attacked Villers-Bretonneux. The Germans advanced a small distance and hold the outskirts of the village. It is a place of some size, on the ridge of south-east of Amiens, perched above the Somme. As it is a tactical position of some importance its possession would enable the enemy to advance four or five kilometres.

The German bombardment commenced at 3 in the morning, and was continued furiously for four hours. Then the Fourth Guards Division, who already had twice been in action in recent battles, attacked with the 77th Division, just from Russia. At the same time the13th Division, comprising Westphalian troops, attacked the French at Kastel. They gained a footing on the rising ground.

The Germans used tanks for the first time.

When tank meets tank

The correspondent of the United Press, telegraphing on Thursday, stated: Terrific fighting occurred throughout Wednesday night in the heights east of Amiens. Tanks were used by both sides for the first time in history. The situation in the Villers-Bretonneux Ridge looks better today. Our counter-attack made progress, driving out the Germans from Aquenne Wood, west of Villlers-Bretonneux. The situation in the towns is uncertain, the fighting being touch-and-go, and is impossible at the present moment to tell their respective positions: but I definitely know that British advanced fighting began in this region at 6.30 yesterday morning after a hurricane-like bombardment of gas and high explosive shells lasting over two hours.

The first attack was hurled back, but a subsequent one took Villers-Bretonneux by storm and reached the wood to the westward. The British, successfully countering at noon, used several tanks against the German tanks. The latter were driven off, whereupon two British tanks crawled up and down the enemy lines, mowing down the exposed infantry in straight lines.

Eye-witnesses describe the battle between the tanks as the weirdest spectacle. About five aside participated. Three bulky, turreted German "male" tanks charged two "female" British tanks, crippling one and surrounding the other; whereupon the solitary "male" British tank attacked the German trio, smashing one and driving off the others.

The enemy poured out of Vaire Wood at dawn today, but were stopped with heavy losses.

The French are holding Kemmel village and the hill, while the British hold Grand Bois.

The Franco-British are fighting brilliantly side by side. The British apparently hold Villers-Bretonneux.

This is an edited version of a story first published in The Sydney Morning Herald on April 27, 1918