Battle Depth Flashcards
Battle of the Somme?
The French requested that British forces attack the German forces along the river Somme to loosen pressure on Verdun.
The British forces were made up of the remnants of the BEF and the Territorial Army as well as a large number of volunteers for Kitcheners army.
Haig carried out a 7 day bombardment prior to the Battle in order to soften up the German defences however, the Germans hid in their dugouts.
The initial British casualties were 57’000 in the First day as the Germans emerged from their defences and gunned down the British soldiers as they got caught in wire.
The British tried to use tanks but many became asphyxiated inside and most broke down.
The British Army was only able to advance 6 miles and failed to reach their strategic objectives of Peronne and Bapaume.
Battle of Passchendaele?
The British army aimed to gain control of the ridges to the South and East of Ypres, as the main supply route for the German 4th Army travelled through here.
The British forces aimed to continue after taking the ride to the Dutch Frontier which seemed likely until the October of 1917.
Heavy rains occurred in October which made the battlefields flood and lead to soldiers drowning and tanks sinking into the mud.
The allied also had their resources diverted to Italy which left fewer supplies for further offensives in the region.
Canadian forces reached Passchendaele in the End of November and the offensive stopped at this point.
The Offensive was opposed by both Lloyd George and so did Ferdinand Foch, Haig did not receive approval until the 25th of July, Haig received heavy criticism for his decision to continue the offensive throughout October.
Battle of Amiens?
It was the opening phase of the Hundred Days Offensive which ultimately led to the end of the First World War.
The allied forces advanced over 7 miles in the first day alone the largest breakthrough since 1914.
The battle is notable for the number of German soldiers that surrendered which led to Ludendorff describing it as a black day for the German Army.
The battle was a display of combined arms as Haig mastered the techniques he had tested in earlier battles, tanks were utilised in Great numbers and infantry was able to effectively hold the ground that the tanks gained whilst planes were starting to be used for tactical bombing campaigns.
