The Fighting around Thiepval

[Olham 164]

I must say, that I never knew much about the Great War. Now I just watched a documentary

about the battle for Thiepval, Somme, beginning on 1 July 1916, when the British tried to take

the German fortified trench lines of that sector.

I saw, how British artiller pounded the German lines for several days and nights without any

break, to eliminate every soldier, to wipe out the German lines.

I saw, how badly trained soldiers, incapable commanders and overcome tactics led to the

terrible losses on the British side, when "Kitchener's Boys", as they were called, walked in

tight formations upright into the German machine gun fire - cause the Germans were still

there - no idea how they could have survived that.

I admit, that my pulse began to rush, that I felt a thick knot in my throat, and sick in the belly,

when I saw the scenes - partly original B/W material, partly re-enacted today - and that I was

very, very glad, that we never had to be part of that "Stahlgewitter"*.

When I was 19 years old, I visited England on my motorbike and met wonderful people.

Boys, are we lucky!

 

(* Tempest of Steel)

[Rugbyfan1972 1]

I must say, that I never knew much about the Great War. Now I just watched a documentary

about the battle for Thiepval, Somme, beginning on 1 July 1916, when the British tried to take

the German fortified trench lines of that sector.

I saw, how British artiller pounded the German lines for several days and nights without any

break, to eliminate every soldier, to wipe out the German lines.

I saw, how badly trained soldiers, incapable commanders and overcome tactics led to the

terrible losses on the British side, when "Kitchener's Boys", as they were called, walked in

tight formations upright into the German machine gun fire - cause the Germans were still

there - no idea how they could have survived that.

I admit, that my pulse began to rush, that I felt a thick knot in my throat, and sick in the belly,

when I saw the scenes - partly original B/W material, partly re-enacted today - and that I was

very, very glad, that we never had to be part of that "Stahlgewitter"*.

When I was 19 years old, I visited England on my motorbike and met wonderful people.

Boys, are we lucky!

 

(* Tempest of Steel)

 

Olham,

 

Part of the reason that the germans survived that bombardment was that they were in dugouts that were 20-30 metres underground and in at least some cases lined with concrete, only a direct hit could have destroyed them. Also those parts of the wire that were cut by special teams of troops during the nights preceding the attack were marked with white tape so the attacking british troops could see them easily - well guess what so could the german machine gun teams who promptly targetted these bottlenecks when the attack started.

 

Another reason is that the british were using an early form of airburst shell to destroy the wire, not only was it ineffectual but also a high proportion of the shells fired failed to detonate. In fact the shelling was so intense that the rats living off the dead bodies actually fled the german positions.

 

Also if you can find it a book called the first day of the somme written by Martin Middlebrook gives a detailed account of what the frontline troops faced and which "first day" objectives they took - if any. Apologies for not remembering which objectives they achieved on the first day but it is a couple of years since I read the book.

 

Thanks

Rugbyfan1972

[Von Paulus 8]

Yes , Middlebrook's "First Day on the Somme", is a great account of the Battle of the Somme.

I'm sure you'd like it, Olham.

And for the Battle of Verdun, you've another great classic book. Alistair Horne "The Price of Glory".

Both depicts well the madness of how those battles were fought.

An essential read for understanding WWI. No WWI's bibliography is complete without these two.

[Olham 164]

Thank you, Rugbyfan and von Paulus - but I think I had enough just from this one documentation.

It "eats my heart and body" away, while I'm watching this.

I am just now reading your recommendation, von Paulus: "Lions of July", as an attempt to

understand, how it could come to all this.