The Battle of Hamel, fought near the quiet town of Le Hamel in northern France on July 4, 1918, is arguably the most important battle of World War I, yet it is still relatively unknown. At Hamel, American doughboys saw their first taste of action on foreign soil, fighting alongside their new Australian allies and using innovative combined arms tactics that were a precursor to the Blitzkrieg and modern military principles of attack. In this book, John Hughes-Wilson takes readers through the battle in detail, bringing this neglected event the prominence it deserves. The attack was planned by General Monash of the Australian Army, and the plan was incredibly effective: it led to a battle lasting only ninety minutes and resulting in very few casualties. This victory paved the way for future campaign successes--without Hamel, Hughes-Wilson argues, the later Allied victory at Amiens would not have been possible. This book thoroughly explores all aspects of the battle, bringing expert analysis together with 6 maps and 16 black-and-white images of the conflict.
