Editing 3rd Division (Australia) (section)

====Battle of Amiens, 1918====
[[File:Australian108thHowitzerBatteryBray26August1918.jpeg|thumb|right|The 108th Howitzer Battery in action around Bray, August 1918]]
On 8 August 1918, the Allies launched their [[Hundred Days Offensive]] around Amiens and the 3rd Division was tasked with leading the Australian Corps part in the attack.<ref name=Palazzo47>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=47}}</ref> By this stage, the divisional artillery consisted of three field brigades,<ref>{{harvnb|Horner|1995|p=173}}</ref> and under the cover of a heavy artillery bombardment provided by nine field brigades that were organised in three supporting sub-groups,<ref>{{harvnb|Horner|1995|p=187}}</ref> and supported by tanks and gas, the attack began at 4:20&nbsp;am.<ref name=Palazzo47/> The weight of the Allied fire support was intense as over 2,000 artillery pieces opened up on the German defences.<ref>{{harvnb|Bean|1942|p=529}}</ref> The assaulting infantry battalions were each assigned a frontage of about {{convert|1000|yd|m}} which they assaulted with two companies forward and two in support. Thick smoke meant that the attackers found it difficult to maintain their spacing and some of the supporting armour was also delayed.<ref>{{harvnb|Bean|1942|p=530}}</ref> Nevertheless, the attack proved successful, as the Australians overwhelmed the German defenders and by the end of the day the division had achieved all of its objectives.<ref name=Palazzo49>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=49}}</ref>

Throughout the rest of August, they continued offensive operations, even launching daylight raids upon the German positions.<ref name=Palazzo49/> On 22 August they attacked once more, advancing through the village of Bray, capturing a number of German prisoners. After a brief lull in the fighting, they continued the advance again on 25 August capturing Clery at the end of the week before taking Allaines on 2 September. Throughout September the Germans began to withdraw back towards the [[Hindenburg Line]] and the 3rd Division took part in the operations undertaken to follow them up and harass the [[rearguard]]. Casualties during this phase had been high, however, and as a result the division's [[Assault pioneer|pioneers]] were used as infantry and even led the advance towards Buire on 6 September.<ref name=Palazzo50>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=50}}</ref>

As operations continued throughout the month, casualties amongst the Australian Corps became critical and the decision was made to disband some of the 3rd Division's battalions and use them to reinforce the remaining units.<ref name=Palazzo50/> This decision saw the reduction of the strength of division's infantry brigades from four battalions to three, bringing the Australians into line with the British, who had made a similar decision earlier in the war.<ref>{{harvnb|Tucker|2005|p=150}}</ref> Nevertheless, the decision was not popular amongst the soldiers and when the [[42nd Battalion (Australia)|42nd Battalion]] received the order to disband, the attempt was rejected by its personnel and the order disobeyed. As a result, the proposed reorganisation was postponed until after the division's final offensive actions were fought in early October 1918.<ref>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|pp=50–51}}</ref> These came around the [[Battle of the St Quentin Canal|St Quentin Canal]] when the division attacked the [[Battle of Beaurevoir|Beaurevoir Line]] in concert with American troops from the [[27th Infantry Division (United States)|US 27th Division]], who would lead the assault in. The attack went awry, however, when the lead assault units failed to adequately clear the forward positions and subsequently when the 3rd Division was committed they came under fire almost immediately and instead of passing through the American positions, they had to complete the mopping up process before they could advance. Nevertheless, by nightfall on 1 October, the division had captured the northern end of the tunnel that ran under the canal.<ref>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=53}}</ref>

On 2 October the majority of the 3rd Division was removed from the line for rest and reorganisation, although a number of its artillery batteries would continue to support the operations of the II American Corps until they were withdrawn.<ref name=Palazzo54>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=54}}</ref> Following this they continued to participate in the fighting in support of the British 6th Division.<ref>{{harvnb|Horner|1995|p=186}}</ref> The 27th Battery fired the division's last shot of the war on 4 November at Wassigny.<ref name=Palazzo54/> Nevertheless, the division was out of the line when news of the [[Armistice with Germany|Armistice]] came on 11 November 1918. Following the end of hostilities the [[demobilisation]] process began and as men were repatriated back to Australia, the division was eventually disbanded on 28 May 1919.<ref name=Palazzo54/>