The Hundred Days Offensive: World War One’s Advance to Victory

With the Hundred Days Offensive, the tide finally turned on the Western Front. 105 years on, we tell the tale of this momentous campaign through the stories of the men who fought it.

The Hundred Days Offensive

What was the Hundred Days Offensive?

8 August 1918, Will Longstaff (Wikimedia Commons)

The period known as the Hundred Days Offensive spanned from 8th August to 11th November 1918.

Also known as the Advance to Victory, the Hundred Days Offensive was a series of Allied advances and victories that pushed the Imperial German Army back to the battlefields of 1914.

The advance, while gruelling and casualty-heavy, essentially broke the German Army’s will to fight, leading to the Armistice and end of the fighting on the Western Front in November 1918.

The Hundred Days drew in forces from across the British Empire. In addition to UK units, troops from Canada, India, South Africa, and Australia took part in the myriad battles of the campaign.

It was a truly cooperative effort, however, with the British Empire fighting alongside comrades from France, Belgium, and the United States.

The state of the Western Front in August 1918

Image: A British patrol moves through the barbed wire on the Western Front (© IWM Q 103705)

Early in 1918, German High Command had gambled on the Spring Offensive: one role of the dice aimed at breaking Allied lines and winning the war.

Operation Michael saw major temporary territorial gains for the advancing Germans, in some cases 40 miles deep.

However, no knockout blow was achieved. 

What’s more, in 1917, the United States entered the war. An influx of hundreds of thousands of fresh American troops was pouring into the Western Front week by week, putting the numerical advantage firmly in the Allies’ favour.

German High Command ordered an attack on the Marne River in northern France in an attempt to break the status quo in mid-July 1918. 

The Second Battle of the Marne failed to deliver the victory German commanders so desperately craved. The Allies held firm.

Following a post-Marne French-led counterattack, momentum had shifted to the Allies of France, the British Empire, Belgium and the United States.

In the skies above the Western Front, Allied aircraft dominated. French, US and British Aircraft outnumbered their Imperial German counterparts five to one.

On the ground, the Allies were beginning to deploy larger numbers of tanks and continued to develop combined arms warfare.

Soon, Allied High Command realised the German Army of 1918 was not the same formidable fighting force it had been throughout the rest of the war. The feeling in the air was now was the time for a major attacking campaign. 

This was the Hundred Days Offensive.

What were the key Battles of the Hundred Days Offensive?

The Battle of Amiens

Image: An Australian Lieutenant addresses his unit before the Battle of Amiens, the opening engagement of the Hundred Days Offensive (Australian War Memorial)

4.20 am on the morning of August 8th, 1918. A thick fog cloaks the battlefields around Amiens, obscuring vision with a quite literal fog of war. Perfect conditions, then, for a surprise attack.

The Battle of Amiens opened the Hundred Days Offensive with an attack led by ten Allied Divisions composed of Australians, Canadians, British, and French, and some 500 tanks.

The Imperial Germans facing Amiens were taken completely unaware. Some reports suggest German officers were captured while eating breakfast.

British Fourth Army led the assault, punching a 15-mile hole in German lines. Allied tanks were able to exploit the breach and fall on German positions from the rear, sowing confusion and crushing morale.

By the end of the 8th, the Allies had taken 17,000 prisoners and captured 339 German guns.

Total German losses were estimated at 30,000 men killed, captured, or wounded. German commander Erich Ludendorff dubbed the first day of the Battle of Amiens “the Black Day of the German Army”.

Allied casualties were comparatively light, at 6,500 killed, captured, wounded, or missing.

The Second Battle of the Somme

Image: A British Gun Carrier Mk1 Tank on the move during the August 1918 Somme offensive (Wikimedia Commons)

The advance at Amiens began to falter after three days. The Allied soldiers had outstripped their supply lines and German reinforcements were hastily moved to the sector.

On 15th August, French General and overall Supreme Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch demanded Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, commander of the British forces, continue the Amiens offensive.

Haig refused, instead preparing for an advance further along the Somme sector at Albert.

On 21st August, Albert was assaulted by elements of the Australian Corps. By the 22nd, the Allies had taken Albert.

The offensive along the Somme continued across August. Unlike the more famous Battle of the Somme of July 1916, the advance did not bog down into a gruelling stalemate. Instead, when it appeared attacks would falter, the locus was shifted elsewhere along the front.

Following the capture of Albert, attacks continued as August rolled on. The ANZACS were in action once more. At the Second Battle of Bapaume, the New Zealanders captured the town on the 29th of August.

This paved the way for the Australian Corps under Melbourne-born General John Monash to advance across the Somme River with the high ground of Mont Saint-Quentin in its sights.

Mont Saint-Quentin was used as an observation post, commanding views of the surrounding area, especially the passages towards the town of Péronne. At a cost of 3,000 casualties, the Aussies dislodged their opponents from the hilltop and broke through the German line.

British General Sir Henry Rawlinson, commander of British Third Army, described the Australian’s advance from the 31st of August as the “greatest military achievement of the war”.

The Battles on the Hindenburg Line

Image: A German map showing the Imperial German Army's defensive positions between July-November 1918 (Wikimedia Commons)

The Hindenburg Line, named for Imperial German Chief of Staff Paul von Hindenburg, was a defensive position built by the German Army between 1916-1917.

It ran around 90 miles, from Arras in the west to Laffaux, near Soissons, in the east. Featuring strong points, trenches, reverse-slope positions, and camouflaged sections, The Hindenburg Line was a formidable obstacle upon its completion.

The Imperial German Army had pulled back to the defensible position in 1917 and had remained there until the Spring Offensive of early 1918.

Now, the Hundred Days Offensive was rolling up the German positions taken in the spring pushing the Germans back to the Hindenburg Line.

Across September, the Allies had been steadily advancing to the Hindenburg positions.

French Armies pushed onward, reaching the line by the 10th and 14th of September.

British Fourth Army approached the Hindenburg Line along the St. Quentin Canal.

The Battle of St. Quentin Canal

Image: Australian and American troops meet at the captured canal tunnel near Riqueval (IWM)

On the 29th of September 1918, the central attack on the Hindenburg Line was launched on the St. Quentin Canal.

The offensive was given to British Fourth Army under the command of General Rawlinson, although the on-the-ground operations were run by Australian Lieutenant-General John Monash. The attacking force was comprised of British, Australian, and American units.

A series of bridges and tunnels needed to be captured and traversed to capture the canal.

Before Fourth Army advanced, the skies over St. Quentin were rent asunder by the largest British artillery bombardment of the war.

1,600 guns fired one million shells in a short but shocking fusillade, striking German command outposts, fortified positions and trenches, and splitting barbed wire.

The first phase of the attack took place over the Bellicourt Tunnel and was led by the US 27th and 30th Divisions, supported by 150 tanks of the 4th and 5th Battalion of the British Tank Corps. 

Monash’s plan was for the US troops to pass over the Bellicourt Tunnel and capture the fortified Le Catalet-Nauroy Line. They would then be leapfrogged by the Australian 3rd and 5th Divisions to take the final Beaurevoir Line. 

The initial American advance showed that, while enthusiastic, the US soldiers were inexperienced. Heavy fog and low visibility hindered their advance, turning American units into scattered and sometimes leaderless bands. They suffered heavy casualties.

The Australian 3rd Division was called in to bring the attack home. The assault ended up in a desperate fight to capture positions that were meant to be taken early on as per General Monash’s timetable.

The fight to the Catalet-Nauroy Line would take another three days of close-quarter combat.

Despite these setbacks in the north of the American/Australian sector, the US 30th Division performed well and managed to cross the canal and breach the Hindenburg line.

Buoyed by 30th Division’s success, the Australian 5th Division swept past their American comrades and captured the village of Bellicourt.

British success at the St. Quentin Canal

Further to the South, British troops of IX Corps faced stiff opposition crossing the canal banks, bridges, and cuttings to the right of the American and Australian lines at Riqueval and Bellenglise.

In the British sector, the German Army had prepared several major obstacles and defences. In addition to the canal itself, IX Corps was facing an extensive trench network, defended by machine guns and tank traps.

The St. Quentin Canal also acted as a ready-made anti-tank ditch too.

The attack on the British section was led by the 46th Division. Their job was to cross the cutting and canal itself before pushing onto the high ground behind the nearby villages of Lehaucourt and Magny-la-Fosse. 

Once their attack was completed, the 36th Division would leapfrog their comrades and continue the advance.

On the morning of the 29th, a huge creeping artillery barrage provided the 46th Division with sufficient cover, keeping the German units pinned in their dugouts.

The 137th (Staffordshire) Brigade formed the vanguard and started the assault.

Interestingly, the Royal Engineers provided the advancing troops with a number of flotation devices to aid the canal crossing. Some 3,000 lifebelts from cross-channel ships were supplied alongside improvised floating piers.

Image: Brigadier General J V Campbell addressing troops of the 137th Brigade (46th Division) from the Riqueval Bridge over the St Quentin Canal (IWM)

Under Captain A.H. Charlton, the men of the 1/6th Battalion of the North Staffordshire Regiment managed to seize the Riqueval Bridge completely intact. It had been rigged to blow by its defenders, but the speed of the assault took the Germans by surprise. This spot of luck greatly aided the canal crossing.

Image: Thousands of German prisoners of war were captured during the Advance to Victory (© IWM Q 9341)

By the end of the day, the 46th Division had captured Bellenglise, taken 4,200 prisoners and captured 70 guns. All this for a cost of just 800 casualties. Given the scale of Great War assaults, this was very light.

Later on the 29th, the 32nd Division crossed the canal and moved passed the men of the 46th. By nightfall, the entire unit had crossed the St. Quentin Canal. 

On the right, the British 1st Division met stiff resistance protecting 46th Division’s flank. However, on the following day of the 30th, 1st Division had captured the Le Tronquoy Tunnel and was able to link up with 32nd Division, effectively giving them control of the St. Quentin Canal.

Prior to the assault on the St. Quentin Canal, civilian leaders in London had voiced concerns over the potential success of the operation. They felt the forces assembled would be too few to crack the Hindenburg Line here. However, the attack on the St. Quentin Canal had been a major success, despite the setbacks in the American/Australian sector.

The capture of the St. Quentin Canal had major ramifications for German morale. As October approached, it became clear to German High Command the war could not be won. A ceasefire was on the agenda, but it would still be a while until the fighting stopped on the Western Front.

Further Operations

The Allies continued to pile on the pressure across the Western Front throughout October. Indeed, other attacks spearheaded by the French and Belgian armies had taken place across the wider front in September, such as the Fifth Battle of Ypres in Belgium.

A total break of the Hindenburg line occurred midway in October 1918.

The Australian Second Division captured Montbrehain on the 5th while the British 25th Division captured the village of Beaurevoir on the 6th.

After being in the vanguard of some of the Hundred Days Offensive’s key battles, the Australian Corps was removed from frontline duties for a month of rest and recuperation.

As the Allied advance ground on, the German Army was forced to abandon increasing levels of heavy equipment and supplies. Morale was already thin after the failures of the Spring Offensive and was now reaching breaking point.

One by one, formerly German-held towns and villages fell into Allied hands. Cambrai was captured by the Canadians on the 10th of October. 

Later operations of the Hundred Days Offensive include:

• Pursuit to the Selle – 9th October
• Battle of Courtai – 14th October
• Battle of Mont-d’Origny – 15th October
• Battle of the Selle – 17th October
• Battles of Lys & Escaut – 20th October
• Battle of the Serre – 20th October
• Battle of Valenciennes – 1st November
• Battle of the Sambre – 4th November
• Battle of Thiérache – 4th November
• Passage of Grande Honelle – 5th November

The Canadians arrive in Mons

Image: Canadian soldiers flanked by Belgian civilians march victoriously through the cobbled streets of Mons (Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-003547. Colourization by Canadian Colour.)

Fighting continued along the Western Front as the Hundred Days came to an end. 

The Canadian Corps had been pushing onward after fighting at Amiens, Cambrai, and Valenciennes. By the 9th of October, it had crossed the French-Belgian border and was outside the town of Mons.

Mons held symbolic value for the men fighting under British Command. It was here in 1914 that the British Expeditionary Force put up a terrific resistance against the invading Imperial German Army to halt their advance on Paris.

It seemed fitting that the capture of Mons should break German morale and effectively end the war. At 4.20 am on the morning of the 11th of November, Canadian soldiers marched into the town, having managed to avoid heavy shelling and destruction of Mons.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th Month, the Armistice ending the fighting on the Western Front was signed. The war was essentially over.

The capture of Mons was still tinged with tragedy.

Canadian General Arthur Currie and his command staff were informed at 6.30 on the morning of the 11th that the Armistice would take place later in the day. Many questioned why, if he had this knowledge, Currie still ordered his men into Mons.

At 10:58 am, Private George Price was struck by a sniper’s bullet and killed, aged 25. 

George is traditionally recognised as the last soldier of the British Empire to be killed in World War One.

Casualties of the Hundred Days

While some of the victories of the Hundred Days were stunning and drew relatively few casualties for Great War assaults, they do not tell the whole story.

The Advance to Victory was spread over a wide front, across multiple actions, skirmishes, and battles. Even with morale dwindling and supplies running low, the German defence was still spirited.

Casualties, including men killed, going missing, captured, or wounded, were major on both sides. 

Estimates suggest the forces of the British Empire had taken 412,000 casualties across the Hundred Days Offensive. Their French and American allies suffered approximately 531,000 and 127,000 casualties respectively.

Imperial German combat losses are estimated to have exceeded one million men, with over 100,000 killed, 686,000 wounded, and 386,000 taken prisoner.

At the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, we commemorate some 91,000 men and women who were killed or went missing during the Hundred Days Offensive. Below are some of the stories of those in our care.

Private Henry Norwest

Image: Private Henry Norwest (Wikimedia Commons)

Henry Norwest, nicknamed Ducky, was born in 1881 in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, in Northwest Canada. He was the son of Métis First Nation parents and was used to a rugged life. 

Before enlisting with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1915, Henry worked as a ranch hand, and a rodeo performer, and served for a short while with the Royal North-West Mounted Police.

Interestingly, when Henry signed up he listed his trade as “Cow Puncher”.

During his military service, it soon became clear Henry was a gifted marksman. He was quickly assigned as a sniper.

Henry was also an enthusiastic woodsman and hunter in his youth and his superiors drew on his skillset to send the sniper on scouting and reconnaissance missions in No Man’s Land. Henry earned the Military Medal in 1917 during the Battle of Vimy Ridge with his sharpshooting aiding the capture of significant swathes of the ridge.

Henry was noted for his camouflage and stealth abilities. He was able to out-snipe his German opponents and often emerged victorious in these deadly shooting matches. 

While his skill was unquestionable, Henry’s luck would eventually run out in the fighting around Amiens in August 1918. 

On the 18th of August, Henry was on a mission to find a German sniper’s lair who had been threatening Canadian forward command posts. 

Despite his significant scouting and concealment abilities Henry unfortunately found himself in his opponent’s crosshairs he was struck in the head by a sniper’s bullet and killed instantly.

Henry was posthumously awarded a bar to his Military Medal, one of 90 men in the Canadian Expeditionary Force to receive such an honour.

Henry Norwest is buried in Warvillers Churchyard Extension alongside 47 of his Great War comrades.

Major Thomas Breen

Image: Major Thomas Breen (IWM)

Major Thomas Francis Pennefather Breen of the 142nd Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps died on the 18th of September on the Western Front. 

He is buried at CWGC Morchies Australian Cemetery.

The son of Inspector General Breen, and Mrs. Breen, of 19, St. George's Court, Gloucester Rd., Kensington, London, was born on 8th June 1889 in Dublin. He attended Trinity College, Dublin, where he took his B.A and M.B degrees. He was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Army Medical Corps in February 1914. 

On the outbreak of the war, he served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from August 1914 and promoted to Captain. He was attached to the 11th Field Ambulance, taking part in the Retreat from Mons, and in the operations on the Aisne. 

Thomas was subsequently attached to the 1st Rifle Brigade as Regimental Medical Officer and later twice appointed D.A.D.M.S. (Deputy Assistant Director Medical Services). 

In 1918, Thomas was promoted to Major in March 1918 was attached to the 142nd Field Ambulance which he commanded during some of the severest fighting in the final push, and was killed in action on the 18th of September, while gallantly rescuing the wounded under heavy shell fire. 

Thomas is mentioned in De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour, Volume 5, where it states “his coolness and bravery were known to all. It was, in fact, his zeal and unselfish devotion to duty that cost him his life…He was very popular with everyone, and such a splendid soldier, his men would follow him everywhere.”

Thomas was 28 when he died and his headstone inscription reads: 

“HE LIVED NOBLY AND DIED GLORIOUSLY R.I.P”

Brigadier-General Sir William Kay

Image: Brigadier-General Sir William Kay (IWM)

When we think of the dad of the Hundred Days Offensive, the focus often falls on the enlisted men but those in command were just as vulnerable to injury and death.

The British Army lost 18% of men of Brigadier-General rank or higher across the course of the war: a rate of attrition comparable to the whole army.

One of those that fell was Brigadier-General Sir William Kay of the Second Battalion, King Royal’s Rifle Corps.

Sir William was commanding the 3rd Brigade when he was killed in the October phase of the Hundred Days Offensive.

Sir William went to France with the First Expeditionary Force in August 1914 but was badly wounded in October. Soon after, Sir William’s father, Baron William Algernon Kay, died the younger William ascended to the Baronetcy of East Sheen.

Throughout his military career, Sir William received many military honours. He received the CMG (Order of St Michael and St George – Companion), the DSO (Distinguished Service Order) and is six times mentioned in dispatches.

Following the assumption of his baronial position, Sir William returned to the front and continued to command and see action. He received his brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel in June 1916, finally being given brigade command in March 1918. 

Sir William only served as a Brigadier-General for seven months before he was killed in action during the advance around Magny-la-Fosse in October 1918, aged 42.

Brigadier-General Sir William Kay is today buried at Vadencourt British Cemetery. Upon his death, the Baronetcy of East Sheen became extinct. 

Where are the dead of the Hundred Days Offensive Commemorated?

The Commonwealth dead of the Hundred Days Offensive are commemorated or buried in Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries and memorials across France and Belgium.

Some of the most notable sites are:

Discover more stories with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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