First World War – Hundred Days Offensive

The battle of the Ailette marked a strategic turning point in reconquest of the Aisne. General Mangin's Tenth Army, after the capture of Noyon, attacked German positions entrenched along the Ailette Canal. This strongly defended sector formed the junction between German lines north of Soissons and the Aisne ridge. The French engaged powerful assaults supported by artillery, aviation, and light tanks. After four days of very hard fighting, German positions were broken and the enemy fell back toward the Chemin des Dames.

The battle of Amiens marked the beginning of the massive Allied offensive that would lead to the armistice. Coordinated between French, British, Canadian, and Australian forces, it totally surprised the Germans through its effectiveness, speed, and combined use of infantry, artillery, tanks, and aviation. 8 August was called by Ludendorff the 'black day of the German army'. This offensive broke German morale and initiated their strategic withdrawal.

The battle of Épehy marked another major Allied advance, notably by French and British forces, in their progress toward the Hindenburg Line. The operation, well prepared and coordinated, allowed breaking several advanced German positions and approaching central defences of the enemy dispositions.

Two days after the opening of the Amiens offensive, French forces engaged in fierce fighting for the recapture of Lihons, a strategic village on the ridge line. The Germans, well entrenched in the ruins of the village and the surrounding woods, resisted fiercely against the attacks. The battle was marked by violent hand-to-hand fighting, notably around the positions of Lihons château and the Bois de la Garenne. After 36 hours of bitter combat, French troops succeeded in seizing the locality.

The battle of Noyon constituted a key stage in the French breakthrough of the Hindenburg Line. French forces under General Mangin, supported by British and American units, launched a series of coordinated assaults aimed at retaking the strategic town of Noyon. Situated on the north bank of the Oise, Noyon was heavily fortified by the Germans, who concentrated their reserves there. After four days of bitter fighting, the town was entirely recaptured, marking a decisive advance toward the north.

The battle of Roye marked a new phase of the French offensive after the capture of Lihons. Situated on an essential logistical axis, the town of Roye was defended by determined German troops. The assault launched by the French Third Army combined heavy artillery, infantry, and tanks in a methodical progression through enemy lines. After three days of violent fighting, the town fell to the French, who consolidated their advance toward the north-east.

The battle of Savy-Dallon was a French offensive action directed by General Mangin within the framework of operations for the progressive reconquest of the Aisne. The objective was to break the German defensive line south of Laon, notably by seizing the heights around Savy-Dallon, which dominated the communication routes leading to the town.