Australian soldier with a captured Pickelhaube chatting with a French stretcher-bearer near Pozières, July 23, 1916

Australian soldier with a captured Pickelhaube chatting with a French stretcher-bearer near Pozières, July 23, 1916

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Today 108 years ago, on July 23, 1916, the Battle of Pozières began as part of the Battle of the Somme, as Australian and British units stormed the village of Pozières following a several day-long artillery bombardment including phosgene and tear gas shells.

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The Australian 1st Division successfully captured Pozières on July 23, but their British counterparts on their flanks struggled to advance against stiff German resisitance.

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The Germans then went on the counter-attack for the recapture of Pozières with intense artillery bombardments, which at their peak were equal to the highest concentration of artillery seen on the Western Front thus far.

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The first German counter-attacks were repulsed but, combined with the artillery, severe losses had been inflicted on the Australian defenders, forcing the Australian 1st Division to be relieved by the Australian 2nd Division on July 27, having suffered 5,285 casualties in 5 days of battle. One observer remarked:

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"They looked like men who had been in Hell...drawn and haggard and so dazed that they appeared to be walking in a dream and their eyes looked glassy and starey..."

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On July 29, the 2nd Division attacked to extend the advance from Pozières. However, an ineffective preliminary artillery bombardment saw the Australian 2nd Division suffer a staggering 3,500 casualties to German machine-guns and artillery, with the attack being near a complete failure. 

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The Australian 2nd Division launched a renewed attack on August 4 which met their objectives following some thorough preparation. On August 6, the 2nd Division was relieved by the Australian 4th Division, having suffered 6,848 casualties in 12 days of battle.

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The Germans launched a final counter-attack on Pozières on August 7 and briefly overran the Australian lines before a desperate Australian charge with hand-to-hand combat repulsed the Germans.