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This book will be the first complete account of the operations of
the German army in the battles north of Lille in the late autumn of
1914\. The main emphasis will be placed on the battles around Ypres
against the Old Contemptibles of the BEF, but the fighting against
the French and Belgian armies will also be featured, thus providing
fresh, broader, insights into a campaign. There are those who
consider that the BEF was all that saved world civilisation as the
first year of the Great War drew to its end. The book uses the
comprehensive histories of the participating German regiments found
in the Kriegsarchiv in Munich and the Hauptstaatsarchiv in
Stuttgart. Their use adds authority and authenticity to the book.
The narrative adopts a chronological approach. The book focuses on
some of the most bitterly disputed battles of the first three
months of the war, when the Germans strained to achieve a
breakthrough and the BEF resisted heroically, at the price of its
own destruction. The book employs a similar format to the authors
previous works; that is to say the greater part of the text uses
the words of the German participants themselves and the primary
focus of the book covers the experiences of the fighting troops at
regimental level and below. Linking paragraphs provide historical
context and commentary and evidence from senior commanders will be
introduced as necessary.
After the great battles of 1916, the Allied Armies planned to
launch massive attacks North and South of the Somme. The German
withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 forced the new
French CinC General Nivelle to rethink and the French embarked on a
major attack in the Aisne area and along the Chemin des Dames, with
the British conducting large scale diversionary operations around
Arras. The French suffered disastrously and, rendered incapable of
further offensive operations, it fell to the British to step up the
pressure, which they did albeit at a terrible price. This latest
work by expert Jack Sheldon describes the event of Spring 1917 from
the defenders perspective. In particular it reveals the methods the
Germans used to smash the French attacks and Oberst Fritz von
Lossbergs transformation of the defences in the Arras front.
Actions described in detail are the bitter battles around Monchy Le
Preun, the Roeux Chemical works and Bullecourt as well as the
capture of Vimy Ridge.
These three Battleground Europe books on Ypres 1914 mark the
centenary of the final major battle of the 1914 campaign on the
Western Front. Although fought over a relatively small area and
short time span, the fighting was even more than usually chaotic
and the stakes were extremely high. Authors Nigel Cave and Jack
Sheldon combine their respective expertise to tell the story of the
men - British, French, Indian and German - who fought over the
unremarkable undulating ground that was to become firmly placed in
British national conscience ever afterwards. The most direct route
to Ypres for the advancing German columns in October 1914 was along
the axis of the Menin Road. It was here that the Old Contemptibles
of the BEF earned their legendary heroic status as they fought off
increasingly desperate German assaults day after day, whilst place
names such as Zandvoorde, Polygon Wood and Gheluvelt were first
etched into the British national consciousness. Bent and battered
by the German storm, dressed in rags and short of food, equipment
and ammunition, the regiments of the old professional army stood
their ground against huge odds.When, on 11th November, they finally
halted the Prussian Guards around Polygon Wood, virtually within
sight of Ypres, they were reduced to one thin firing line. The BEF
was at its last gasp, but it had inflicted a crushing defeat on the
German army.
This latest German Army book by Jack Sheldon covers a shorter
(three week) timeframe than his earlier works. After an
introductory chapter tracing the development of the Hindenburg
Line, the author concentrates on German aspects of the bitterly
fought battle of Cambrai from 20 November to 6 December 1917. The
narrative splits easily into two parts. First the defensive battle
20 29 November followed by the counter-attack which saw the German
Army regain not only most of the ground lost in the opening phase
but more besides. Detailed descriptions are given of the struggle
for Flesquires Ridge and the see-saw battles for key terrain,
including Bourlon Wood, as the German Army rushed reinforcements to
the sectors under attack before we witness the German offensive. As
with his other books full use is made of primary source material
from the Munich Kriegsarchiv, the Hauptstaatsarchiv in Stuttgart,
regimental histories and personal accounts. Of particular interest
are the controversial interventions in operational matters of
Ludendorf which were sharply criticised by Crown Prince Rupprecht.
But for many the most fascinating aspect will be the experiences of
the front line soldiers.
After the great battles of 1916, the Allied Armies planned to
launch massive attacks North and South of the Somme. The German
withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 forced the new
French CinC General Nivelle to rethink and the French embarked on a
major attack in the Aisne area and along the Chemin des Dames, with
the British conducting large scale diversionary operations around
Arras. The French suffered disastrously and, rendered incapable of
further offensive operations, it fell to the British to step up the
pressure, which they did albeit at a terrible price. This latest
work by expert Jack Sheldon describes the event of Spring 1917 from
the defenders' perspective. In particular it reveals the methods
the Germans used to smash the French attacks and Oberst Fritz von
Lossberg's transformation of the defences in the Arras front.
Actions described in detail are the bitter battles around Monchy Le
Preun, the Roeux Chemical works and Bullecourt as well as the
capture of Vimy Ridge.
Jack Sheldon examines the German mindset at the close of 1914 when
it became apparent that a quick victory was no longer a
possibility. Both sides were temporarily exhausted in static
positions from the Channel to the Swiss Border. In a reversal of
roles, the French launched major offensives in Champagne and
Artois, while the British Army, adapting to the demands of large
scale continental warfare, went on the offensive in support at
Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Ridge and Loos. Such was the Allied pressure
that the only German offensive in 1915 was at Ypres in April using
gas on a large scale for the first time. 1915 was a transitional
year on the Western Front with lessons being learned the hard way
by both sides prior to the massive attritional battles of 1916 and
1917. Using his skill at archival research, Sheldon describes how
the 1915 experience shaped the German approach to the cataclysmic
battles that lay ahead, leading to the ultimate, previously
unthinkable defeat of the Kaisers Germany.
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