Battle of Epéhy, 18-19 September 1918

The battle of Epéhy was a short battle fought in preparation for the great Allied attack on the Hindenburg line. At the end of the battle of Amiens, the British had reached that line on the northern half of the line, but had fallen short to the south.

The attack was launched by the Fourth Army and one corps from the Third Army, on a seventeen mile front around Epéhy. The Germans were forced back three miles, losing 12,000 prisoners and 100 guns in the process. Once again the Australians played a major role in the fighting.

The battle achieved its main objective, putting the Fourth Army in place in preparation for the upcoming attack on the Hindenburg Line. German resistance was more determined than at Amiens, but not as stiff as it had been earlier in the war.  

The Hindenburg Line, Patrick Osborn & Marc Romanych. A good study of the full network of defences generally known in English as the Hindenburg Line, and which spread from the Channel coast to the St. Mihiel salient east of Verdun. Looks at the original purpose behind their construction, the actual shape they took on the ground, and how they performed under attack. Very useful to have a book that focuses on the entire length of this key German fortification [read full review]
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Books on the First World War | Subject Index: First World War

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (5 September 2007), Battle of Epéhy, 18-19 September 1918 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_epehy.html

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