Essay: Conflict at Pozières

The small village of Pozières, a commune in the Somme department of Picardie in northern France, now lays in ruins due to the bitter and vicious attacks mounted by the German empire. Engaged in battle from 23 July – 7 August 1916, the 1st, 2nd and 4th Australian Divisions, along with the armies of the British and French empires, have courageously fought to return this area of French farmland to its rightful owners.
The fortified village of Pozières once served as an outpost to the German’s second defensive trench system, known to the British as the O.G. Lines. Rather than attempting a decisive break-through of enemy lines, the Franco-British armies aimed to capture this terrain as it is key to the successive lines of trenches that make up the German defensive position.
Once again, the Australian Infantry Forces demonstrated their military prowess, commencing the battle with the 1st Australian Division’s heroic capture of the village in early morning of 23rd July. The ANZACs also seized a German bunker known as ‘Gibraltar’, detained numerous Germans, and, with minimal effort, occupied more of the village. The rest of Pozières was secured on the night of 23rd July by the 8th Battalion of the Australian 2nd Brigade, which had previously been in reserve. The enemy responded to the capture of Pozières by concentrating the bulk of their artillery on Australian soldiers, but the Australians, with unwavering courage and steely resolve, triumphed over any ill-conceived German counter-attacks.
The 2nd Australian Division soon mounted further attacks. On 2nd August, these successful offensives resulted in seizure of German positions beyond the village. It appears the Germans were thoroughly surprised by the sheer determination of the ANZACs, who utilised heavy artillery to bombard the enemy lines. The Australian Battalions also applied creeping barrages, which involved following behind an advancing wave of artillery fire for protection against enemy defences. Months of the Triple Entente’s relentless bombardments (under the leadership of Field Marshalls Douglas Haig, Hubert Gough and William Birdwood) battered the defensive works of the German empire, caving in the deep ‘Stollen’ trenches which had served as their cowardly protection. The 4th Australian Division relieved the brave soldiers of the 2nd Division, and went on to defeat a German counter-attack on 7th August, which was the enemy’s last attempt to retake Pozières. The pure ferocity and duration of this Anglo-French offensive ended with the Allies taking the plateau east and north of Pozières, securing both the village and the neighbouring section of the O.G. Lines. The total Australian casualties at the Battle of Pozières remains unconfirmed.
Whilst the hard-fought conflict at Pozières has come to a victorious end, the Battle of the Somme continues with the launching of more crucial, long-planned attacks. Moreover, Generals of the Allies speak of the possibility of a new secret weapon – a type of armoured car that is claimed to cross enemy trenches and shell craters. The first use of said weapon is planned to be during battle in mid-September 1916.
The final Franco-British position achieved at Pozières poses a serious threat to the German bastion of Thiepval from the rear. General Gough’s current plan is to drive north towards the German Mouquet Farm, which protects the rear of Thiepval. These actions are all part of the High Command’s brilliantly designed tactics to destroy the German empire’s resources and reserves of manpower, gain the Allies territory, and ultimately decimate the ranks of spiteful enemy soldiers through a long battle of attrition. If the German empire’s strength is further worn down by the Somme Offensive, this may result in their inability to replace casualties like-for-like, reducing it to a militia. The battle at the Somme is also intended to force the enemy to abandon their offensive on Verdun.
High-ranking officers of the Franco-British armies believe that the copious amounts of experience and knowledge gained from recent events at the Somme, and in particular, at Pozières, will be one of the key pieces to finally triumph on the Western front.