Scan barcode
ericwelch's review
4.0
By 1917 and the third battle of Ypres, the philosophy of the general staffs had evolved to one of mutual slaughter. In early 1915, it was still assumed that rapid advance by large forces of cavalry to clear the way for infantry would overwhelm the opposition. Two years later, trench warfare had scuttled that view. It was replaced by one that maintained that the population of the Allies was higher than that of the foes, so the process of sending large forces at the Germans must inevitably end in victory. “The quicker the rate of mutual destruction, the military statisticians argued, the sooner the war would be over.”
Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson dissect the battle for Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres in a very scholarly fashion, with charts and tables , not to mention salient (J) details. Passchendaele, itself, was a hill or ridge that became the target for a massive attack out of the British salient at Ypres. A salient is like an exposed pimple on the front line. They are difficult to hold because of their exposed flanks and awkward to use as jump offs for strategic advances. The “breakthrough” that British general Gough hoped for of 5,000 _ 7,000 yards colored his planning. Had he planned an advance of less, say 1,500 _ 2,000 yards, more artillery could have been brought to bear on the impressive German fortifications that had been recently strengthened. Logistics again became crucial as the British did not have enough shells to provide both an intense shelling at one point and continuous bombardment over the twenty miles of front that would be engaged in the assault. The use of tanks, while more extensive than previous was not sanguine, as the terrain, best described as marshy and wooded, the precisely the kind of ground they were least suited for.
And then it had the audacity to rain. All August. There were, in fact, only three days during the month when it did not rain. The lucky ones died quickly. “Bringing the wounded down from the front line today. [wrote Sergeant McKay:] Conditions terrible. The ground between Weltje and where the infantry are is simply a quagmire, and shell holes filled with water. Every place is in full view of the enemy who are on the ridge. There is neither the appearance of a road or path and it requires six moen to every stretcher, two of those being constantly employed helping the others out of the holes; the mud in some cases is up to our waists. A couple of journeys. . . and the strongest men are ready to collapse.” The mud also made it extremely difficult for the artillery to move with the men in order to support their movement with a rolling barrage that cut wire and destroyed enemy fortifications.
One would have suspected that conditions such as these might have caused the brass to call off the attack. No such luck. The euphemistic charge continued.
Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson dissect the battle for Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres in a very scholarly fashion, with charts and tables , not to mention salient (J) details. Passchendaele, itself, was a hill or ridge that became the target for a massive attack out of the British salient at Ypres. A salient is like an exposed pimple on the front line. They are difficult to hold because of their exposed flanks and awkward to use as jump offs for strategic advances. The “breakthrough” that British general Gough hoped for of 5,000 _ 7,000 yards colored his planning. Had he planned an advance of less, say 1,500 _ 2,000 yards, more artillery could have been brought to bear on the impressive German fortifications that had been recently strengthened. Logistics again became crucial as the British did not have enough shells to provide both an intense shelling at one point and continuous bombardment over the twenty miles of front that would be engaged in the assault. The use of tanks, while more extensive than previous was not sanguine, as the terrain, best described as marshy and wooded, the precisely the kind of ground they were least suited for.
And then it had the audacity to rain. All August. There were, in fact, only three days during the month when it did not rain. The lucky ones died quickly. “Bringing the wounded down from the front line today. [wrote Sergeant McKay:] Conditions terrible. The ground between Weltje and where the infantry are is simply a quagmire, and shell holes filled with water. Every place is in full view of the enemy who are on the ridge. There is neither the appearance of a road or path and it requires six moen to every stretcher, two of those being constantly employed helping the others out of the holes; the mud in some cases is up to our waists. A couple of journeys. . . and the strongest men are ready to collapse.” The mud also made it extremely difficult for the artillery to move with the men in order to support their movement with a rolling barrage that cut wire and destroyed enemy fortifications.
One would have suspected that conditions such as these might have caused the brass to call off the attack. No such luck. The euphemistic charge continued.
More...