page_title: Attack at Fromelles
section_title: Offensive preparations
hierarchical_section_title: Attack at Fromelles / Prelude / Offensive preparations
caption_attribution_description: Title: Rundbild von Frommelles&#160; Extra information: 1. Weltkrieg, Teil eines Rundbildes von Frommelles Additional information: Français&#160;: Vue panoramique des alentours du village de Fromelles (situé en France, dans le département du Nord, entre Lille et Béthune). Photographies prises en 1914 à partir de l'observatoire installé par l'armée allemande occupante, dans l'école du village. Le panoramique est centré (point zéro de l'échelle graduée) sur le clocher de l'église du village proche de Laventie. (Photo&#160;: Kluck, topographe de de l'escouade de métrologie AOK6). Informations complémentaires&#160;: En juillet 1916, en marge de la bataille de la Somme, Fromelles fut le théâtre de violents combats entre soldats du Commonwealth (Australiens notamment) et de l'Allemagne qui ont fait quelque 7.000 morts et blessés dans les rangs alliés. Du 19 au 20 juillet 1916, 2.000 Australiens sont morts, 3.500 ont été blessés et 1.500 Britanniques y ont été tués ou blessés. En juin 2008, des archéologues de la Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD, Glasgow, Écosse) ont mis à jour des fosses communes où reposeraient quelque 400 soldats australiens et britanniques disparus lors de la bataille de juillet 1916. For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Factual corrections and alternative descriptions are encouraged separately from the original description. Additionally errors can be reported at this page to inform the Bundesarchiv. Alemannisch&#160;| Boarisch&#160;| Беларуская&#160;| Беларуская (тарашкевіца)‎&#160;| Català&#160;| Česky&#160;| Deutsch&#160;| English&#160;| Esperanto&#160;| Español&#160;| Suomi&#160;| Français&#160;| हिन्दी&#160;| Hrvatski&#160;| Magyar&#160;| Italiano&#160;| 한국어&#160;| Македонски&#160;| Plattdüütsch&#160;| Polski&#160;| Português&#160;| Română&#160;| Русский&#160;| Slovenčina&#160;| Slovenščina&#160;| Svenska&#160;| Українська&#160;| 中文（简体）&#160;| 中文（繁體）&#160;| +/− Original historic description:&#160; Rundbild aufgenommen von der Beobachtungsstelle im Schulhaus Frommelles. aufgenommen: Kluck, Topograph beim Vermessungs-Trupp A.O.K.6
context_page_description: The Attack at Fromelles 19–20 July 1916, was a military operation on the Western Front during the First World War. The attack was carried out by British and Australian troops and was subsidiary to the Battle of the Somme. General Headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force had ordered the First and Second armies to prepare attacks to support the Fourth Army on the Somme, 50 mi to the south, to exploit any weakening of the German defences opposite. The attack took place 9.9 mi from Lille, between the Fauquissart–Trivelet road and Cordonnerie Farm, an area overlooked from Aubers Ridge to the south. The ground was low-lying and much of the defensive fortification by both sides consisted of building breastworks, rather than trenches.
  The operation was conducted by XI Corps of the First Army with the 61st Division and the 5th Australian Division, Australian Imperial Force against the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division, supported by the two flanking divisions of the German 6th Army. Preparations for the attack were rushed, the troops involved lacked experience in trench warfare and the power of the German defence was significantly underestimated, the attackers being outnumbered 2:1.
context_section_description: The Second Army provided the 5th Australian Division, the artillery of the 4th Australian Division and heavy guns and trench mortars to XI Corps, for an attack from the Fauquissart–Trivelet road to La Boutillerie, with the 31st Division and 61st (2nd South Midland) Division. Lack of artillery, training and experience in the Australian divisional artilleries and some of the heavy batteries, led to the attack front being reduced to 4,000 yd (2.3 mi; 3.7 km) between the Fauquissart–Trivelet road and Delangre Farm. The ground was waterlogged, flat and visible from Aubers Ridge, behind the German front to the south. The 39th Division and 31st Division moved their boundaries north as the 61st (2nd South Midland) Division concentrated along the Fauquissart–Trivelet road to Bond Street. The 20th (Light) Division moved its boundary south to Cordonnerie Farm on the left of the 5th Australian Division, which concentrated from Bond Street to Cordonnerie Farm. The twelve attacking battalions were supported by more artillery than the Battle of Aubers Ridge in May 1915, more ammunition was available and there were trench mortars for wire cutting. With support from First Army artillery to the south, 296 field guns and 78 heavy guns were ready, which gave a greater concentration of heavy artillery than that of the Fourth Army on the first day of the Somme. After several postponements for rain, visibility was better on 18 July and the artillery bombardment proceeded. The shelling of the German front at La Bassée was repeated and the German artillery retaliated.
caption: Panorama of Fromelles, 1914.
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