Key Facts
- Dates
- 21 August – 3 September 1918
- Duration
- ~14 days
- Bapaume occupied
- 29 August 1918 by New Zealand Division
- British divisions involved
- 5th, 37th, 42nd, 63rd, New Zealand
- Corps
- IV Corps
Strategic Narrative Overview
Beginning on 21 August 1918, British and Dominion divisions of IV Corps — including the 5th, 37th, 42nd, and 63rd British Divisions alongside the New Zealand Division — engaged German defenders in sustained fighting. After heavy combat over several days, elements of the New Zealand Division entered and occupied Bapaume on 29 August as German forces withdrew. Allied troops then advanced to the Bancourt Ridge, east of the town, extending the gains made during the battle.
01 / The Origins
By mid-1918, the Allied forces on the Western Front had launched the Hundred Days Offensive following the success at the Battle of Amiens in August. The Second Battle of Bapaume was a direct continuation of the Battle of Albert, aimed at driving German forces from their positions around the strategically important town of Bapaume in northern France, pushing the front line further east and maintaining momentum against a retreating German army.
03 / The Outcome
The capture of Bapaume and the advance to Bancourt Ridge represented a significant local success within the wider Hundred Days Offensive. German forces withdrew under Allied pressure, ceding ground taken during their earlier Spring Offensives. The battle reinforced Allied momentum and contributed to the progressive disintegration of German defensive lines in the region, setting conditions for further advances toward the armistice of 11 November 1918.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.