Why Battle Is Fought Essay

When and why the Battle was Fought:

Infamously known as the ‘Worst Day in Australian Military History’ (Burness, P. 2008), the Battle of Fromelles is notorious for the bloody initiation of Australian soldiers to warfare. Began on the 19th of July 1916 and ended on the 20th of July 1916, Fromelles was a British military operation during World War 1 and is recorded as the first significant battle in which Australian troops fought on the Western Front. The battle was fought in order to prevent the strong reinforcement of German troops near the Aubers Ridge in French Flanders, the attack was designed as a feint to distract the Germans from moving to the Battle of the Somme that was being fought fifty miles to the south of Fromelles. As Fromelles was seen as a ‘quiet’ area, German troops would move with ease around this area; therefore this battle aimed to cause disruption and hence require Germans to start building more troops around

The British and Australians were conflicting against the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division. The Germans had 15 months to strengthen their artillery and placed them on higher grounds of Aubers Ridge - holding an advantageous position with barbed wire and concrete bunkers and providing them a clear view of every move the Australian infantry made, from positioning their ammunition to drinking water. In contrast, the Australians having arrived 29th of June and the British a month earlier, the Australian artillery only began to organise their attack on 9th of July. Hence, the preparation was hurried and inadequate, thus unsuccessful in its aim. Both the British and the Australian forces had insufficient time to familiarise themselves of the battlefield in comparison to the