Australian Military History

With the 15th Brigade all be annihilated, the 14th and 8th Brigades tried desperately to hold onto their gains. But with their right flank open and the left under intense counter attack, the scattered parties were in a desperate situation. Spirited defensive counter attacks held the Germans at bay for a while, but diminishing supplies and the strength of German attacks snuffed out the pockets one by one. And then, when the Germans reoccupied their own trenches behind the Australians, cutting them off from their own front lines, things started to fall apart.

With the initial attack halted, the men of the 5th Australian Division set about holding onto what they had managed to take. But confusion and lack of communication meant that the commanders back from the fighting didn't fully understand the situation. In ignorance of the true situation further attacks were ordered, then cancelled. But the battered 15th Brigade didn't get notified of the cancellation until it was too late. https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/patreon.com/user?u=46029761

As promised, something to break up the Fromelles episodes a bit. I present unto Thee an attempt to explain the structure of the Australian Army throughout the years. I shall unravel the mysteries that surround battalions, platoons and Brigades, what's the difference between Non Commissioned and Commissioned ranks and just how it all combines to make the whole thing work.

With all the planning done and dusted, there was nothing left to do except get going. The British 183rd and 184th Divisions, forming the right flank of the attack went forward and were almost immediately stopped in their tracks. The next in line was the Australian 15th Brigade, whose task was to attack the underside of the Sugarloaf. The preparatory bombardment had inflicted no serious damage on the Sugarloaf and the 15th would bear the brunt of the fire coming from that position. The 14th and then the 8th Brigades, further along to the left had some limited success, but time and manpower were wasted searching for the German second line trench. https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/patreon.com/user?u=46029761

On 1st July 1916, General Haig launched his now infamous Somme Offensive. The opening days had been disastrous and something needed to be done to assist the British troops currently struggling against the strong German defence. To the north of the Somme, a salient jutting into the British lines, just near the little village of Fromelles. It was decided that a strong demonstration here would prevent the Germans from moving troops to the south to reinforce on the Somme. And so a demonstration was planned, and then cancelled, and then reinstated but with a different objective, then back to the original plan, but not yet, to then suddenly be urgent. Such was the back and forth and changing of plans that became the Battle of Fromelles.Website - https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/Patreon - patreon.com/user?u=46029761

Taken on strength with the Royal Australian Navy between the wars and named for her sister ship who had sunk the German raider Emden during WW1, HMAS Sydney (II) gained fame as lucky ship during operations in the Mediterranean Theatre in World War 2. Involved in a number of actions in that theatre, including the sinking of the Bartolmeo Colleoni, while barely sustaining any damage herself, she came to be considered invincible. This reputation followed her into the waters off Western Australia and in action against a German raider, the Kormoran. The result would be the opposite of her sister ship's meeting with the Emden.

In this episode I am talking with Mal Murray, Peter Harrower and Jim Smith, veterans of the fighting at Fire Support Base Coral. No more needs to be said. Enjoy.https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/patreon.com/user?u=46029761

In January 1968, the North Vietnamese Forces launched the Tet Offensive. They suffered server casualties during the opening phases of this attack and to replenish their forces, they required uninterrupted infiltration routes. Obviously, Western Forces, including Australians, didn't want this to happen. So in May troops from 1RAR, with Australian and New Zealand artillery, were sent out to establish Fire Support Base Coral. The Vietnamese forces hit Coral before the defenders were properly prepared and an epic battle ensued. Shortly after that, 3RAR went further afield to establish Fire Support Base Balmoral. They also came under heavy attack. Between them, these twin battles would become Australia's most intense and most costly battle of the Vietnam War. https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/episodespatreon.com/user?u=46029761

After the evacuation of Greece, New Zealand, British and Australian troops prepared to defend the airfields of Crete. The Australians concentrated on the central area of the island, with the 2/1st and 2/11th Battalions responsible for the defence of the airfield at Retimo. When German paratroopers began to fall from the sky on the 20th May 1941, it signaled the beginning of several days of hard, bitter fighting as the Allied forces attempted to deprive Germany of yet another conquest. https://historyguild.org/https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/patreon.com/user?u=46029761