 The battle was a disaster, with over 3,000 casualties and 1,170 taken prisoner by the Germans.On 15 April the 1st and 2nd Divisions were struck by a German counterattack at dawn near the town of Lagnicourt, by a force of up to 23 battalions as the Germans attempted to take advantage of the weakness that had developed in the Allied line following the British offensive at Arras.The Australians were initially forced to abandon the town to the Germans and in the process several artillery batteries were lost, however, at 7