AUSTRALIAN ARMY CORPS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 98, 20 January 1919, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN ARMY CORPS

REMARKABLE FIGHTING RECORD

THIRD OF GERMAN ARMY BEATEN

An account has,readied the Fcdeial Minister of Defence from General.Sir John Monashof the work that was accomplished by tho Australian Army Corps in France from March 26, 1918, to October 5, when the corps was withdrawn from the field for rest. The details supplied by Sir John Monasli have all been most carefully prepared and authenticated. They were personallv delivered to the Minister by Brigadier-General J. Stanley, who brought them direct from England, where they were handed to him by General Monash. , /

Sir John Monash/confines his report, which is not of ait official character, to a summary of the main achievements.of the five Australian, divisions from the date on which they first arrived opposite' Amiens-—March "26.

During the spring, summer, and autumn campaigns which followed the Australian Army Corps took 28,655 prisoners and captured 332 guns, also many thousands of machine-guns, trench mortars, vehicles, kitchens, etc., and millions of rounds of artillery ammunition. From March 27 to August 8 the 2nd, 3rd, and sth Australian divisions'alone captured 3500 prisoners, and during the advance on August 8 the iivo divisions took 7925 prisoners , ancS captured 173 gure. 'including two railway guns,'a 9-inch and an 11.2-inch. On August 23 the Ist Austmlinn Division took 3092 prisoners and 21 guns, including one of 15 inches, which was mounted; while on Veptember 18, whnn advancing up the HindenburE line, the Ist and 4th divisions took i!iQC> prisoners and captured 86 guns. From March 27 to October 4 the Australians recaptured from the Germans no fewer than 116 towns and villages, apart from-many fortified farms, mills, sugar refineries, woods, and copses, and in the same period tj\ev released 251 square- miles of French soil. During one advance of six days, from August 23 to 29, 80 miles of French territory ,was regained. _ .

The five Australian'divisions, numbering never nioro than 100,000 men all told, met and defeated tho equivalent of 73 German divisions, or more than one-third of tho total German army on the Western, front, •It is pointed out by Sir John Monash that it is usual to hat when a division has been engaged more than once it is to be taken as two or three divisions, as the case may be. ■On this basis the Australian Army Corps, as stated above, fought 73 German divisions. "Of these 'divisions," says Sir John Monash, "no fewer than six aro definitely known to have bpen disbanded as the result of the shalterinK losses suffered during their engagement by the Australians." Ho adds that there is very good reason to believe that i>. number of other divisions were also disbanded.

i The following is a list of the divisions which the Australian troops met and defeated from March to October of last year:—2i?<l Guard Division (twice), Alpine.Corps (once), Jaegar Division (once), Ist Division, 2nd Division, Bth Division- (onco each),- 13th Division (three times), 18th Division (once), 21st Division (twice), 25£h;Division (twice), 27th Division (once), 38th Division (twice), 41st Division (three times), 54th Division (twice), 107 th Division (three times), 108 th Division (twice), 109 th Division (once), 119 th Division (three times), 117 th Division (twice), 121 st Division (once), lS3rd Division (once), 185 th Division <U-\c(s), 199 th Division (once), 225 th Division (once), 232 nd Division (once), 233 rd Division (twice), 243 rd Division (twice), Ist Reserve Division (once), 24th Reserve Division (twice). 26th Reserve Division (once), 43rd Reserve Division (four times). 50th R-eserve Division (three times), 54th. Reserve Division (three times), 75th Reserve Division (once), 77th Reserve Division (twice), 79th Reserve Division (once), s»!h Bavarian Division (twice). 14th Bavarian Division (once), 9th Bavarian ltti-e:..-

Division (once),