The Fighting for Mouquet Farm (the Battle of Mouquet Farm) took place between the British Reserve Army and the German Army during the Battle of the Somme (1916). The fighting began on 23 July. The farm was captured by the 3rd Canadian Division of the Canadian Corps on 16 September, then lost to a German counter-attack, before being re-captured on 26 September by the 11th (Northern) Division during the Battle of Thiepval Ridge (26–28 September). Number 16 Section of the 6th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment (Pioneers) smoked out the last German defenders.
Background
1916
Mouquet Farm was to the right of the modern D 73 Pozières–Thiepval road, south of Grandcourt and to the south-west of Courcelette, about 1.1 mi (1.7 km) north-west of the high ground near Pozières. Following the fighting that had occurred around the village earlier in the year, a decision was made by the British to gain control of the ridge beyond the village to create a gap in the German lines, behind the salient that had developed around the German-held fortress of Thiepval. By capturing Mouquet Farm, the British hoped that it would destabilise the German position and enable subsequent gains.
Battle
10 August – 3 September
During the night of 10 August, parties of the 4th Australian Division of the I Anzac Corps, attacked towards the farm and managed to establish advanced posts in the valley south of the farm and to the east. Attacks were then made from a foothold in Fabeck Graben (Fabeck Trench) to the north-east and to deepen the salient near the farm. By 22 August, the 2nd Australian Division had made several more attempts on the farm and realised that the main defensive position was underground, where the Germans had excavated the cellars to create linked dug-outs. On 3 September, the 4th Australian Division attacked again with the 13th Brigade and captured much of the surface remains of the farm and trenches nearby, with hand-to-hand fighting in the ruins and underground. German counter-attacks repulsed the Australians except from a small part of Fabeck Graben, the fighting costing the Australians 2,049 casualties.
16–26 September
During the battle, the divisions of I Anzac Corps advanced north-west along Pozières ridge, towards Mouquet Farm, with British divisions supporting on the left. The approaches to the farm were watched by German artillery observers, who directed artillery-fire on the attackers from three sides of the salient that had developed in the lines. Many casualties were caused to the attackers as they approached the farm; in August and into September, the Australians were repulsed three times.
The Canadian Corps relieved the I Anzac Corps on 5 September. The Canadians captured part of the farm on 16 September and were then repulsed by a counter-attack. By 25 September, further attacks had captured part of the farm on the surface but the Germans still held the cellars, dug-outs and tunnels beneath. The farm was captured on 26 September by the 34th Brigade of the 11th (Northern) Division, in the general attack of the Battle of Thiepval Ridge. The 9th Lancashire Fusiliers bombed the exits of the underground positions and also managed to reach the second objective, at the west end of Zollern Trench, where German machine-gun nests had held up previous attacks. The 6th East Yorkshire (Pioneers) overwhelmed the last defenders with smoke grenades and took 56 prisoners.
Aftermath
Casualties
In the fighting around Pozières and Mouquet Farm, the I Anzac Corps suffered c. 6,300 casualties. During its second period on the Somme, the 1st Australian Division suffered 2,654 casualties, having already suffered 5,278 in August. The 2nd Australian Division incurred 6,846 casualties from 25 July to 7 August and another 1,267 from 23 to 29 August. From 29 July to 16 August the 4th Australian Division suffered 4,761 casualties and another 2,487 from 27 August to 4 September.