The Second Battle of Morlancourt was fought over the period 4–14 May 1918, on the Western Front during World War I. The battle took place during the final stages of the German spring offensive. The battle began as a peaceful penetration action launched over several days by troops from the Australian 9th Brigade, to advance their lines around Morlancourt through a series of small raids against the opposing German 199th Division. Afterwards, both sides rotated their forces in the area and the Germans subsequently launched a counter-attack against the Australian 5th Brigade. This attack was eventually repulsed and the line held until June, when the Third Battle of Morlancourt took place around Morlancourt as the Australians secured the Morlancourt spur to consolidate their positions on the Somme before the Allied Hundred Days Offensive.
Background
Situated on the northern bank of the River Somme, Morlancourt is about north-east of Amiens, in the Somme department of northern France. The battle took place against the backdrop of the German spring offensive, which saw the Germans launch an offensive on the Western Front that had rapidly gained ground through the Somme after it had commenced on 21 March. In late March, troops from the Australian 3rd Division had clashed with the German 18th Division in the First Battle of Morlancourt, when the Australians advanced to fill a gap in the Allied line that had formed north of the River Somme as the Germans had continued their advance towards the railhead at Amiens. The Australian advance was checked just short of their objective, the cross spur overlooking Morlancourt. In April, the Germans had launched a thrust south of Ypres towards the railhead at Hazebrouck and the channel coast during the Battle of the Lys.
By April, the Australian 3rd Division's line between the Somme and the Ancre, representing a frontage of around had advanced very little since the First Battle of Morlancourt. To improve command and control along the front, on 22 April the two Australian divisions holding the line in the area – the 3rd and the 5th – were reorganised, pushing their boundaries further north, so that the two rivers were incorporated inside the lines of the same formation, rather than being sitting astride them. The 10th Brigade (Brigadier General Walter McNicoll) of the 3rd Division took over some of the line previously held by the 7th Brigade, 2nd Division. They began working to advance their line forward north of the Ancre as the line in this sector was nearly behind the line on the south side.
Battle
In late April, the 11th Brigade (Brigadier General James Cannan), which held the line south of the 10th Brigade, was relieved. Their replacements were the 9th Brigade (Brigadier General Charles Rosenthal). This brigade had been detached from the 3rd Division earlier and had taken part in the fighting during the First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. Due to heavy casualties, the 9th Brigade had been reduced to three battalions: 33rd, 34th and 35th Battalions. Its fourth battalion, the 36th had been disbanded to provide reinforcements to the other battalions in the brigade. It had been given two weeks' rest before being rotated into the line, where they assumed a position between the 10th Brigade on their left and the 5th Division's 8th Brigade on their right.
On 29 April, while touring the front, it had become apparent to Rosenthal that his brigade's outpost positions on his right were isolated and vulnerable due to a series of sunken roads, vegetation and other terrain features that provide cover for a German surprise attack. Rosenthal decided it was necessary to push his line forward across the valley to the next slope. The 34th Battalion, holding the southern part of the 9th Brigade area, was detailed for the task. They would be supported by the 3rd Pioneers and fatigue parties from the 33rd Battalion, to dig trenches and lay out wire obstacles. The 35th Battalion, holding the northern part of the brigade front, would clear several German positions in front of its line to the protect the flank of the 34th Battalion. Direct fire support was provided by the 10th Machine Gun Company, while the 9th Light Trench Mortar Battery provided indirect fire support.