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The 3rd Australian Division was to follow the 27th American Division on the left of the advance and to pass through the latter's objective of GOUY at 11 o'clock on the morning of the attack. The 11th A.I. Brigade was to attack on the right and the 10th A.I. Brigade on the left, with the 9th A..I. Brigade in reserve. For the move from the concentration area forward, one road was allotted to each of the attacking brigades, the 9th A.I.Brigade following in the rear of the 10th A.I. Brigade. The objective of the Division was to capture and consolidate a line in the vicinity of BEAUREVOIR and PROSPECT HILL, to be known as the "RED LINE". The command and responsibility of the attack sector was to pass to the 3rd Australian Division on the troops of the latter crossing the American final objective.
Prior to this, the Division had been continuously engaged in active operations from the 22nd August to the 11th September, and the strain of continual watchfullness combined with the ever decreasing numbers had been a very severe strain on all ranks. When finally withdrawn, the situation and the nature of the fighting made it certain that the Division could expect little time in reserve. Every effort was therefore made to reorganise and rest troops and animals as much as possible. Every day parties of officers and N.C.O.s moved forward to reconnoitre as much of the country as could be seen from our present positions and to get in touch with whom they would be working. The country over which the Division was to operate was for the most part undulating, with a general line North and South, free from hedges, but broken by minor spurs and re-entrants. The forward slopes were open, devoid of cover and overlooked from the East. The shell shattered nature of the ground and the remains of trenches and wire made movement difficult. The HINDENBURG Line itself consisted of a series of deep and wide trenches, strongly protected by a succession of broad and thick bands of wire, the support line being about 150 yards in rear of the front line. Both lines were connected by numerous communication trenches, all well wired and sited so as to be used as fire trenches; in addition machine gun positions, both open and concrete redoubts were constructed everywhere, and in nearly every case were sited to deal with some particular length of wire. In places where accidents of the ground made them necessary, these positions were pushed out well into the wire and approached from camouflaged trenches. The remains of villages and farmhouses had been strongly fortified, while mined and concrete dugouts, as well as galleries running off the Tunnel, gave ample protection to the garrisons.
On the 27th, under cover of darkness, the Division was finally successfully concentrated in the forward area in the vicinity of TEMPLEUX-les-GUERARD and VILLERS-FAUCON. This concentration in itself was a very difficult operation. All movement had to be made clear of the roads as these were all required for the movement of guns, ammunition and stores. The 9th A.I. Brigade, being billeted in the vicinity of DOINGT and PERONNE, were forced to commence their approach march in daylight. The battalions had to move in parties of a platoon so that if they were observed by hostile aircrfaft no unusual movement would be suspected. However, during daylight,enemy aircraft for the most part were conspicuous by their absence, doubtless because of the numerous "flights" of our planes that continually patrolled the area. As soon as darkness gathered,the double beat of his bombers made itself evident and certain battalions had rather unpleasant experiences during the latter half of their march. The places chosen for concentration