Attacks on the Butte de Warlencourt

Attacks on the Butte de Warlencourt
Part of The Battle of the Somme, First World War
The Battle of the Somme 1 July – 18 November 1916
Date 7 October – 16 November 1916 Location Picardy, France 50°04′32″N 02°47′43″E / 50.07556°N 2.79528°E / 50.07556; 2.79528 Result German victory
Belligerents
British Empire	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Douglas Haig Henry Rawlinson	Crown Prince Rupprecht
Strength
Parts of 6 divisions
Butte de Warlencourt class=notpageimage| The Butte de Warlencourt is an ancient burial mound near the Albert–Bapaume road, north-east of Le Sars in the Somme département of northern France

The Attacks on the Butte de Warlencourt (7 October – 16 November 1916) describe a tactical incident during the Battle of the Somme. The Butte de Warlencourt is an ancient burial mound off the Albert–Bapaume road, north-east of Le Sars in the Somme département in northern France. It is located on the territory of the commune of Warlencourt-Eaucourt and slightly north of a minor road to Gueudecourt and Eaucourt l'Abbaye. During the First World War, German troops constructed deep dugouts in the Butte and surrounded it by several belts of barbed wire, making it a formidable defensive position in advance of Gallwitz Riegel (Gird Trenches to the British). After the Battle of Flers–Courcelette (15–22 September 1916), the view from the Butte dominated the new British front line and was used by the Germans for artillery observation.

During the Battle of Le Transloy (1–20 October 1916), the Butte de Warlencourt was the subject of several attacks by the British Fourth Army, which were costly failures; attacks in November were also defeated. The 2nd Australian Division occupied the Butte on 24 February 1917, during the German retirements made on the Somme front, preparatory to Operation Alberich (Unternehmen Alberich), the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. The Butte de Warlencourt was recaptured by the German 2nd Army on 24 March 1918, during the retreat of the 2nd Division in Operation Michael, the German spring offensive. The Butte was recaptured for the last time on 26 August, by the 21st Division, during the Second Battle of Bapaume. In 1990, the site was purchased for preservation by the Western Front Association with the help of donations from members. The Association announced in October 2018 its sale to its former chairman, Bob Paterson. Following concerns raised, Paterson offered to sell the site back to the Western Front Association.