Strategies and tactics to break stalemate Flashcards
When was Verdun?
February to December 1916
Casualties at Verdun?
360,000 French
330,000 German
Which weapon was first used at Verdun?
Flamethrowers and phosgene gas
What was the strategy at Verdun?
‘Bleed the French white’-strategy of attrition. Deliberate selection of location-great symbolic importance; Falkenhayn correctly predicted French would defend at almost any cost
How did Verdun end?
Following capture of Fort Vaux in June, German attempts to gain more ground were unsuccessful; ammunition shortages, artillery unable to stay within range of retreating French. Called off in December
When was the Somme?
1st July to November 1916
Casualties at the Somme?
620,000 Allied
500,000 German
Aim of the Somme?
To relieve pressure on French at Verdun and to achieve breakthrough
Gains at the Somme?
8km in some places, less in others
How did the Somme commence?
Week long artillery bombardment, 1.7 million shells fired (but many failed to penetrate chalky ground surrounding heavily fortified German trenches, failed to explode)
Death toll on the first day of the Somme?
60,000 casualties, 20,000 dead, 60% of officers involved on the first day dead
What were British forces ordered to do on the first day of the Somme?
Walk across no man’s land. They were met by machine gun fire
When was the first use of tanks?
15th September, Battle of Flers-Courcelette
When was Passchendaele?
July-November 1917
Casualties at Passchendale?
400,000 British casualties
380,000 German casualties
Aim of Passchendaele?
Decisive breakthrough, capture Passchendaele Ridge, then advance to occupied channel ports of Zebrugge and Ostend, from which u-boats were operating
How did Passchendaele begin?
Heavy artillery and shelling-4.5 million. Created holes which filled with water due to heavy rain–>mud; extremely difficult for soldiers to advance
What happened in early October at Passchendaele?
Heavy rain–>ground became impassable
When did Haig call off Passchendaele?
November, after Passchendaele Ridge had been captured
What were 4 types of gas commonly used?
Chlorine, mustard, phosgene, prussic acid
When was gas first used, and which type?
Chlorine-2nd Battle of Ypres (April 1915)
Was the first use of gas successful?
Highly-8k gap opened but gains not exploited
What were the casualties due to gas?
91,000 deaths; 1.2 million injured
What inhibited the effectiveness of gas as a weapon?
- Changing wind direction
2. Improvised–>effective gas masks (urine-soaked handkerchief–>rubber gas masks, charcoal filled box respirators)
When were tanks first used?
Battle of Flers-Courelette (Somme)
What were issues with early tanks?
Slow (6kph), prone to mechanical failure
When were tanks first successfully used?
Battle of Cambrai, November 1917 (Mark IV)
How were tanks effective as assault weapons by 1918?
Could cross NML, crush barbed wire, carry same amount of equipment as 1000 men
What was the creeping barrage, and who was it used by?
British-attempts to protect troops by providing artillery fire as a screen of cover while troops advanced
How was the creeping barrage further developed by late 1918?
Brits combined creeping barrage with tanks, planes
What was the box barrage, and who was it used by?
British-artillery fire would surround an area creating a safe area where advancing troops could move and retire after raiding a section of enemy trenches
What were stormtrooper tactics, and who were they used by?
Germans-elite formations of shock troops armed with light artillery, machine guns
When were stormtrooper tactics used?
first used 1916; further developed late in war
What were Bruchmuller tactics, and who were they used by?
Germans-adapted version of the box barrage, combining artillery and gas shells
When were Bruchmuller tactics used?
1916
What were strategies to break the stalemate beyond the Western front?
Naval warfare (Battle of Jutland 1916), blockade (attempting to lead to collapse of German home front), propaganda (sustain home front, attempt to influence US position on war)
