Ministerial Statement

Battle of Hamel

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:01): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: While the Fourth of July marks American Independence Day, for Australia and the United States it marks a century of mateship—mateship forged on the Western Front during the Battle of Hamel in the First World War. The United States Army entered the war as a fighting force on the Fourth of July 1918, which led to an unbreakable bond between the Australians and the Americans, where our two great nations have fought side by side in every major conflict since.

The capture of the town of Hamel and its surrounding areas was a significant and strategic objective for the allied cause in mid-1918. It provided an important foothold around the Somme as well as adding depth to defences on Hill 104, a vital location close to the eastern outskirts of Villers-Bretonneux. The Hamel operation was under the command of Lieutenant General Sir John Monash, his first as commander of the Australian Army Corps, who stated:

It was high time that the anxiety and nervousness of the public, at the sinister encroachments of the enemy upon regions which he had never previously trodden, should be allayed by a demonstration that there was still some kick left in the British Army.

I was ambitious that any such kick should be administered, first, at any rate, by the Australians.

Monash's plan was pioneering. It was a battle that was short and sweet because of Monash's extensive planning. The first of these was the detailed and democratic planning approach to discuss ideas for the battle, which drew on the expertise of individual commanders and subordinates—something British commanders would not entertain. The second was the concept of a fast strike on the enemy utilising a combination of aircraft, tanks, heavy artillery and Lewis guns.

The Battle of Hamel is also significant for Monash's use of four companies from the newly arrived American troops of the US 33^rd Division. Monash decided to fight the battle on the Fourth of July—US Independence Day—in the knowledge that this would inspire the 800 Americans attached to his battalions. The attack was primarily an infantry assault with significant tank and artillery support. Monash attacked at 3am to avoid the light, decreasing enemy visibility and protecting the troops from fire for as long as possible. The Battle of Hamel was a spectacular success. The capture of the village took just 93 minutes—three minutes more than Monash had anticipated in his planning.

The Germans suffered approximately 2,000 casualties and the loss of many machine guns, trench mortars and antitank weapons. There were 1,062 Australian and 176 American casualties. Over 1,500 Germans were taken prisoner. Infantry, artillery, tanks and planes worked together to move the front line forward by 2½ kilometres across an eight-kilometre front with relatively few losses. Australian and American troops dug in together at Hamel on 4 July 1918. The French president at the time of the war, Georges Clemenceau, visited Australian troops who had fought at Hamel and said:

I shall go back tomorrow and say to my countrymen: 'I have seen the Australians, I have looked into their eyes. I know that they, men who have fought great battles in the cause of freedom, will fight on alongside us, till the freedom for which we are all fighting is guaranteed for us and our children.'

We will remember them.