The British Army in France, Aug 1914-Dec 1917

LORD FRENCH REVIEWING THE VOLUNTEER TRAINING CORPS;· June 17, 1916:

The corps consisted of men above military age, or exempted for other 'reasons ·from active service,

who voluntarily placed themselves at the disposal of the military authorities for purposes of  home

defence.

IN THE SOMME BATTLE : THE ATTACK, UNDER HEAVY BOMBARDMENT, ON THE SCHWABEN REDOUBT,

OCTOBER 12, 1916.

THE WAY UP TO PASSCHENDAELE RIDGE, AND SOME OF THE GERMAN

DEFENCES.

TRENCH WARFARE: . ROUTING GERMANS FROM DUG-OUTS.


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The Battle of the Marne

The action of General Foch, who was handling the French centre, contributed greatly to the Allied victory

September 6, 1917

Today is by common consent regarded as the third anniversary of the battle of the Marne, which must always be one of the great landmarks in human history. In that mighty conflict civilization was saved, and German aspirations for the domination of the world were irretrievably shattered. The Marne decided the subsequent course of the war, for it stemmed the tide of invasion in the West, and imposed upon the Germans a defensive attitude which they have never since been able to change.
It is not surprising that the true facts about the Marne have been successfully disguised from the German nation, and that large numbers of Germans are still unaware of the irrevocable outcome of the encounter. Their rulers remain unwilling to let them know that from the moment issue was joined on the Marne it became clear that, whatever happened afterwards, Germany could not possibly win the war. The interest of France centres to a great extent upon the triumph of Verdun, but we think that when a true perspective is restored it will be seen that the Marne must always be France’s greatest glory. Caught unprepared, hurled back ruthlessly from their own frontier, unaided save by the small British Army, the troops of France won deathless fame by defeating the hosts which for forty years had been making ready for that great day.

The fullness of the achievement of the Army of France is revealed only as it recedes, and as we are able gradually to measure all the consequences which flowed from it. September 6 is chosen as the anniversary, for upon the morning of that day Marshal Joffre struck with his full force. As a matter of fact, the battle hung in the balance until the evening of September 9, when the order for the German retreat was issued.
The movements which led to the battle really began on September 3, when General von Kluck and the German First Army changed front before Paris. Von Kluck, as we now know, had lost touch with the Second Army on his left. He swerved south-eastward and crossed the Marne, leaving a single Reserve Corps to guard his flank on the line of the Ourcq. The German General Staff thought he could disregard the British Army on the left of the Allied line, and evidently believed it to be out of action. His object was to envelop the French flank and roll up the French armies eastward while the rest of the German forces fell upon their front, Paris and the British could afterwards be gobbled up at leisure. We know the sequel. Neglected by the German calculations, the French Sixth Army was forming afresh on Paris. Directed by the rapid foresight of General Gallieni, led brilliantly by General Maunoury, the Sixth Army swept upon the Ourcq, where the battle actually began on the afternoon of September 5. Von Kluck skilfully recrossed the Marne when he realized his danger, but the German plans were by that time dislocated, for at dawn on September 6 Marshal Joffre had set his entire line in motion. The action of General Foch, who was handling the French centre, contributed greatly to the Allied victory, as did also the remarkable battle of the Grand Couronne de Nancy, fought by General Castelnau, which was still in progress.
The British Army played an important, prompt, and honourable part in the battle of the Marne. but its supreme achievement came less than two months afterwards at the first battle of Ypres. The Marne broke the Kaiser’s aims, and the first battle of Ypres sealed his doom. He poured out his hordes against our thin lines in the vain hope of reaching the Channel ports. On one black day he all but succeeded, and had not the heroes of our old Army died in their tracks the result of the Marne might have been undone. Ypres was the complement and the seal of the Marne.

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The Fight for Passchendaele

The principal obstacles which confront our gallant troops, however, are not the Germans or their concrete shelters, but the mud and the floods

October 13, 1917

The operations north-east of Ypres were resumed yesterday morning almost before dawn in very unfavourable conditions and after a night of heavy rain. The present phase of the battle tends to develop more and more into a struggle for the village of Passchendaele, or for that portion of the ridge upon which the ruins of the village stand. Although yesterday’s attack was made upon a six-mile front, the heaviest fighting occurred in the area between Passchendaele and the village of Poelcappelle, which has been fully in our possession for some days. It was on this part of the front that the enemy were able to force our line back a short distance on Tuesday evening, after our advance earlier in the day.
The dispatch we publish today from our Special Correspondent indicates why the German resistance is so determined on the lower western slopes of the ridge. He says that north-east and east of Poelcappelle there are whole clusters of concrete positions, and at one point alone nineteen concrete buildings were counted. All these positions serve as shelters for “a multitude of machine-guns”, and there need be no wonder that our progress is deliberate.

The Germans are evidently determined to cling to Passchendaele and the western side of the ridge until the last gasp. If Passchendaele goes, the important portion of the ridge will be fairly won. The surprising thing is that, by one of those chances of battle which continually occur even in such solid hammering as our troops are now engaged in, a party of Lancashire Territorials actually entered Passchendaele on Tuesday. The latest reports were that for the last two or three days we have been within a thousand yards of the edge of the village. It may be noted that the ridge really extends northward for about four miles beyond Passchendaele, and outflanks the formidable strongholds in the forest of Houthulst. Complete possession of the ridge should therefore very quickly render the forest untenable; but meanwhile we are holding the better part of two miles of the crest, and the subjugation of the remaining portion should not be long delayed.. The strong defences beyond Poelcappelle are a serious obstacle, but worse positions have been carried in the earlier stages of these protracted and difficult operations, and the completion of the task may be awaited without anxiety.
The principal obstacles which confront our gallant troops, however, are not the Germans or their concrete shelters, but the mud and the floods. The very perfection and intensity of our artillery fire increases the disadvantages which the infantry have to face. Even in comparatively dry weather, advances over ground which has been subjected to a terrific primary bombardment tend to become more troublesome. When the shells have been falling on swampy ground, after many days of rain, the infantry have almost to wade through the mud.
The artillery preparation, which is both a protection and a help, nowadays produces conditions which are also a hindrance. It must have required very great determination to renew the attack yesterday, after an interval of only two days; and the rapidity with which the advance was recommended is a clear proof of the increasing efficiency of the British organization. Still more is it a proof of the indomitable spirit of our soldiers, who preserve their unfailing good-humour and courage in the most adverse circumstances.

The dispatches from the front dwell continually upon the astonishing exploits of the rank and file, because in a battle of this kind the work of the men in the ranks is a continual marvel. They go forward time after time with an eagerness which never flags, and every fresh attack yields additional successes. We must again point out that, in spite of the present bad weather, campaigning in Flanders should still be possible for another month. Although much of the high ground has now been won, a good deal remains to be done in order to round off the operations now in progress. The swiftness with which one hammer-stroke after another is being dealt at the Germans signifies that they are to be given no rest. They have never in any battle of the war had to confront so many organized blows as in the last three weeks. In this battle, as in the whole war, the final strokes will probably tell most, and with a recurrence of fine weather we may expect to see our front firmly established on a line which will be exceedingly favourable for the later phases of the deliverance of Belgium.

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The glorious Battle of Cambrai

Our airmen have never surpassed their exploits on Tuesday and Wednesday, when many of them were repeatedly flying at the astonishingly low level of fifty feet from the ground

November 23, 1917

The ground won in the first phase of the battle of Cambrai is being successfully consolidated, except that we have not been able to hold the village of Fontaine-Notre-Dame, which lies two-and-a-half miles west of the town of Cambrai. The big Bourlon wood, however, should soon be untenable for the enemy.
We are now able to estimate more carefully the results already achieved. The Germans say in their bulletin that we have gained “a little ground”. As a matter of fact, our progress has been so rapid that in two days the Third Army has gained at least half as much ground as was actually captured during the whole battle of the Somme; and we are inclined to think that the total is nearer three-fifths. It is not a very important point, but we note it in answer to the German remark. A more interesting reminiscence is that the right of our advance is only about five miles from Haucourt, where the left flank of our line was posted at the battle of Le Cateau, on August 26, 1914.

At the moment, however, the movement on the left of the advance is the one which will attract most attention. Its direction is roughly northwards, and its general tendency is to outflank the formidable positions about Queant and Bullecourt, which are the vital spots in the system of defences known as the Hindenburg Line. It must not be forgotten that the Germans have at their disposal four lines of railway which converge upon Cambrai and therefore enable them to concentrate reinforcements rapidly. The railway to St Quentin is probably commanded already, and the direct line to Douai should soon be in like case. Our left can hardly be more than a mile from the great main road which runs in the direction of Arras.
Should Cambrai fall, the results may be very far-reaching indeed. But enough has been accomplished already to warrant all the gratitude and congratulation which is pouring forth to Sir Douglas Haig and Sir Julian Byng upon a battle which has immensely heartened the Army, the country, and our Allies. No victory in the war has ever come at a more welcome moment. It has made a deep impression, not only by its magnitude, but because it contains, in a signal degree, the elements of prescience and imagination.
The enemy boast of casualties inflicted upon the Tanks. Casualties were expected, but it was the Tanks that made triumph possible. They levelled the wire, and thus obviated the necessity of a long artillery preparation. Without their aid we should not have taken ten thousand German prisoners, and we are entitled as a nation to feel fresh pride in this purely British development of the mechanical side of warfare. Of the work of the cavalry we have still to learn full details, but we believe their casualties have so far been very light. Our airmen have never surpassed their exploits on Tuesday and Wednesday, when many of them were repeatedly flying at the astonishingly low level of fifty feet from the ground.

The battle is not yet over, and its full fruits have still to be gathered. If it fulfils further justifiable expectations, it may materially alter the whole position on the Western front. Already it is imposing a heavy strain upon the German resources, in conjunction with the increasing pressure of our French Allies in the region of the Aisne. We await its later developments with confidence.