Extrait du canevas de tir britannique France Sheet 62C N

Mont Saint-Quentin overlooks the

Somme River The Somme ( , ; ) is a river in Picardy, northern France. The river is in length, from its source in the high ground of the former at Fonsomme near Saint-Quentin, to the Bay of the Somme, in the English Channel. It lies in the geologica ...

in the region of

Picardie Picardy (; Picard and , , ) is a historical and cultural territory and a former administrative region located in northern France. The first mentions of this province date back to the Middle Ages: it gained its first official recognition in the ...

approximately 1.5 km north of the town of

Péronne, Somme Péronne () is a Commune in France, commune of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. It is the former site of the Péronne monastery, founded by the Anglo-Saxon Eorcenwald. Its site ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The hill is about 100 metres high but as it is situated in a bend of the river it dominates the whole position and is of strategic significance. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, it was a key to the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

defence of the Somme line and was the last German stronghold. Its location made it an ideal observation point, and strategically, the hill's defences guarded the north and western approaches to the town of Péronne. It was the site of the

Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin The Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin was a battle on the Western Front during World War I. As part of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive on the Western Front in the late summer of 1918, the Australian Corps crossed the Somme River on the night of ...

from 31 August to 2 September 1918.

Australian war memorial

The Australian Second Division has a war memorial on the road from Bapaume to Péronne. It is the only one of the five Australian division memorials initiated by members of the division. It was unveiled by Marshal

Ferdinand Foch Ferdinand Foch ( , ; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general, Marshal of France and a member of the Académie Française and French Academy of Sciences, Académie des Sciences. He distinguished himself as Supreme Allied Commander ...

on the 30th of August 1925. The statue was demolished by German soldiers in 1940 and a more somber replacement by

Stanley James Hammond Stanley James Hammond (1 August 1913 – 2000) was an Australian sculptor. He was responsible for some of Australia's most enduring monuments. History Hammond was born in Trentham, Victoria He studied art at Daylesford Technical School and the Ro ...

unveiled in 1971.

References

External links

Google satellite map hybrid of the area
{{coord, 49, 56, 50, N, 2, 55, 57, E, type:landmark_region:FR, display=title Landforms of Somme (department)

Saint-Quentin Saint-Quentin may refer to: Places Canada *Saint-Quentin, New Brunswick * Saint-Quentin Parish, New Brunswick * Saint-Quentin Island, in Trois-Rivières, in Québec France * Saint-Quentin, Aisne, in the Aisne department * Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines ...