Hundred Days Offensive

548

When:

July 18 – November 11, 1918

Where:

Western Front

Who:

Allied Powers – British Empire
Allied Powers – France
Allied Powers – Belgium
Allied Powers – Portugal
Associated Powers – USA
Central Powers – German Empire
Central Powers – Austria-Hungary

Summary:

The Hundred Days Offensive was a series of offensives launched by the Allied and Associated Powers toward the end of World War I.

Commencing with the Battle of Amiens, the Hundred Days Offensive ended with the signing of the armistice on November 11, 1918.

The Battle of Amiens:

The Hundred Days Offensive commenced with the Battle of Amiens on August 8, 1918. The Allied army was a medley of British, Australian, French, and Canadian troops. Capitalizing the advantage of a surprise attack, the Allied gained over fifteen miles of inroad between the enemy lines. Over 17,000 Germans were taken prisoner and the Germans recorded over 30,000 casualties. The Allied forces lost over 6,500 men. The offensive ended with a retreat of the Central troops toward the Hindenburg Line.

Second Battle of Somme:

In addition to the battle of Amiens, General Haig planned another series of offensives in and around Albert. The BEF attacked Albert on August 21, 1918 and captured the city the following day. The French Army engaged the German troops at Noyon and invaded the town on August 29, 1918. On the same day, BEF stormed and took Bapaume.

The Hindenburg Line Battles:

With these victories, the German troops were forced to retreat toward the Hindenburg Line. The Allied troops advanced and a number of battles were fought between August 30 and September 2, 1918. The French First and Tenth Armies moved towards the Hindenburg Line at Saint Quentin and Laon respectively. The BEF reached Saint Quentin Canal on September 18, 1918. French General Ferdinand Foch then launched a series of three offensives in France and Belgium. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, as it was known, raged through September 1918 at Somme, Saint-Thierry, Montfaucon, and Le Chesne. The main attack on the German troops stationed on the Hindenburg Line was the Battle of Saint Quentin, launched on September 29. In this battle and in the Battle of Cambrai the Allied troops were successful in breaching the German defenses at the Hindenburg Line.

End of World War I:

The retreating German army burnt bridges, delaying Allied progress, but they also abandoned supplies and arms to hasten their withdrawal. A number of minor battles through October and early November such as the Battle of Courtrai, the Battle of the Selle, the Battle of the Serre, the Battle of the Sambre, and the Battle of Thiérache sealed the Allied victory.

The Hundred Days Offensive lasted until armistice on November 11, 1918.

Major Battles of World War I

Battle of Mons – 1914	Hundred Days Offensive
Battle of Tannenberg – 1914	Battles of Gaza – 1917
Hundred Days Offensive	Second Battle of Aisne – 1917
First Battle of Marne – 1914	Second Battle of Arras – 1917
First Battle of the Masurian Lakes – 1914	Battle of Messines – 1917
First Battle of Aisne – 1914	Battle of Passchendaele – 1917
First Battle of Albert – 1914	Battle of Caporetto – 1917
First Battle of Arras – 1914	Battle of Cambrai – 1917
First Battle of Ypres – 1914	Hundred Days Offensive
Gallipoli Campaign – 1915	Hundred Days Offensive – 1918
Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes – 1915	Hundred Days Offensive
Battles of Isonzo – 1915	Second Battle of Somme – 1918
Loos-Artois Offensive – 1915	Second Battle of Marne – 1918
Battle of Verdun – 1916	Battle of St Mihiel – 1918
Hundred Days Offensive	Battle of Cambrai – 1917
First Battle of Somme – 1916	Battle of Vittori Veneto – 1918