Second Battle of Morlancourt | |||||||
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Part of Operation Michael (German spring offensive) | |||||||
Headquarters troops from the 35th Battalion near Morlancourt, 9 May 1918 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
John Monash Charles Rosenthal | |||||||
Units involved | |||||||
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Casualties and losses | |||||||
324 killed and wounded |
218 captured Unknown killed and wounded | ||||||
The Second Battle of Morlancourt was fought over the period 4–14 May 1918, on the Western Front during World War I. The battle took place during the final stages of the German spring offensive. The battle began as a peaceful penetration action launched over several days by troops from the Australian 9th Brigade, to advance their lines around Morlancourt through a series of small raids against the opposing German 199th Division. Afterwards, both sides rotated their forces in the area and the Germans subsequently launched a counter-attack against the Australian 5th Brigade. This attack was eventually repulsed and the line held until June, when the Third Battle of Morlancourt took place around Morlancourt as the Australians secured the Morlancourt spur to consolidate their positions on the Somme before the Allied Hundred Days Offensive.