The Battle of Polygon Wood was a joint military operation during the First World War between seven divisions of the British and Australian allied forces, collectively. The battle was part of a greater military operation during the third Battle of Ypres (later known as the Battle of Passchendaele). The battle was lead by the 4th and 5th divisions of the Australian army and its objective was to advance over one-thousand metres to seize a major portion of the German defensive line and to secure the remainder of Polygon Wood. The attack resulted in roughly thirteen-thousand German casualties and caused the injury and death of over 20,000 British and Australian soldiers combined. The following will discuss the objectives, events and significance of the Battle of Polygon Wood, and the extent to …show more content…
In his article, Bean stated the divisions combined captured more than 600 enemy soldiers and seized more than 20 machine guns by the afternoon. The Butte was soon surrounded by soldiers of the 4th Division, however, filled with German dugouts (defensive underground holes, usually able to hold up to ten men). Australian and British soldiers however, were able to force the Germans to surrender. German planes, from above, attempted to bomb the Butte. This caused many casualties but overall this proved to be unsuccessful. British planes were also used for reconnaissance missions, supporting the divisions’ success. Clear weather throughout the battle attributed to the success. According to McMullin, by the afternoon of the 26th September, the 4th Australian Division had taken hold of the Butte and the 5th division had achieved their planned objectives along the southern border. Over the following hours, the Australian and British Corps advanced forward, reaching the Germans defensive line. McMullin stated that German counter attacks were unsuccessful, thwarted by a barrage of heavy machine gun