The Battle of Fromelles

The attack on Fleurbaix and Fromelles was planned by the British High Command as a diversion in support of the Battle of the Somme, which was raging 80km to the south.
The 61st British Division and the 5thAustralian Division were deployed in the battle, but both were inexperienced. The 5thAustralian Division had just arrived from Egypt and had not yet seen action. The offensive was against Bavarian soldiers of the 6th German Army, heavily armed and dug in.
The first assault was launched at 06:00 hours on the morning of 19 July. The attacking waves were mown down by machine gun fire. The second assault was nevertheless launched at 09:00 hours, in spite of the failure of the first waves. On 20 July, the few soldiers who succeeded in reaching the German lines were forced to pull back.
The losses were heavy: 5,533 Australians and 1,400 British had fallen. For Australia, the Battle of Fromelles was an important milestone in the development of a national awareness.