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Post by evolution on Jun 24, 2007 11:16:39 GMT -5
cor blimey check out the pics on ere, some brill desktops.
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Post by RaVeN on Jun 24, 2007 15:05:18 GMT -5
good stuff sir thanks
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evolution
ACE PILOT
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Post by evolution on Jul 5, 2007 4:39:41 GMT -5
To the south the battle of the somme raged, Plumbers second army had the unenviable task of holding the saliant. Through 1916 no major offensives took place here, but the fighting and dieing never stopped the guns were never silent, the stage took on a new phase the crater fighting, where the trenchlines were connecting shell holes, fritz started to build concrete blockhouses as part of the defensiveline, the british also began to build some of these but not on the scale as fritz, after all the highcommand reasoned we have no intention of going on the defensive and have no intention of staying in this place. the crater fighting was deadly, gas flametrowers, mines dug under, as a new large crater appeared, wether from a large calibyr shell, a mine or camoflet a large crater would appear and create a peice of high ground both sides would rush in to capture it, then each side would counter atack over and over.
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evolution
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Post by evolution on Sept 17, 2007 8:46:05 GMT -5
On the night of 1/2 oct 1914 the BEF left the line on the Aisne and began to move north, in great secrecy, with the germans not knowing that they were moving. First to move was Goughs 2nd cavalry Div by road, then Smith-Dorriens II corp which moved from Compiegne to Flanders on the 5th, next was pulteney's III corp, followed by Haigs I corp which concentrated at Hazebrouck on 19th oct and 2 days later was in position near Ypres. as these units came into the line in the north, so German units arrived in line to the east, just in time to oppose them, this was the last chance for open warfare, the last gap in the long line of trenches that were begining to appear. The stage was now set for the first engagements of what became to be known as the First Battle of Ypres.
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evolution
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Post by evolution on Sept 17, 2007 9:02:33 GMT -5
In july 1920 the war offices battles nomenclature Committee identified 4 battles separate battles as having taken place in flanders in oct-nov 1914. These were Battle of La Bassee 10 oct-2 nov, Armentieres 13 oct-2 nov, Messines 12 Oct -2 nov and the battle of Ypres 19oct-22 nov. The latter was capable of being sub divided into 3 significant battles Langemark 21-24 Oct (the Germans called this battle the Kindermorde, the slaughter of the innocents, and the Nazis put a special significnce on this battle) Gheluvelt 29-31 Oct and Nonnebosschen on 11 nov. It is good also to divide the operations at this time into 2 parts, the advance of the BEF from 12-18 of october and the defence of the line against the massive German flanders Offensive 19 oct-22 nov. The germans named 3 battles Lille 15-28 oct, the Yser 18-30 oct and Ypres 30-oct-nov24. What ever the chosen definition, the actions in flanders at this time were of great significance in closing the last oppertuninty of open mobile warfare on the western front
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evolution
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Post by evolution on Sept 17, 2007 9:12:38 GMT -5
First Ypres would see the almost total destruction of the old British Army, regiments of the line, with long historys would simply cease to exist in the desparate battle to stop the Germans braking through. Ground held at such cost could not thereafter be surrenderd lightly. While 2 further battles would take place in 1915-1917 which would add even more British blood to the saliant, it was this first battle, whith its association to the old army that did most to establish the concept of the "Immortal Salient" Indeed the myth of the BEFs struggle to defend Ypres has obscured the major French role let alone that of Belguim whose own desparte battle on the Yser was equally dramatic.
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Post by evolution on Sept 17, 2007 9:26:38 GMT -5
Two actions that happened on the 20th oct at le pilley and Ennetieres were to typify much of what was going to happen in the coming weeks. On II corps front the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles of 8 brigade 3rd Div were cut off at Le Pilly, the survivors fell back into a orchard to make there last stand, again refusing to surrender the Germans dragged up feild guns and over open sights, and forced the remaining men to surrender, in the coarse of its doomed defence, a battalion that musterd 578 all ranks, lost 257 dead including the CO major E H Daniel, and 290 captured. The Battalion had recieved it last draft of 6 officers and 353 men only 5 days earlier, the seventh draft since the retreat from Mons.
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Post by evolution on Sept 17, 2007 9:34:26 GMT -5
At Ennetieres the 2nd Sherwood Foresters (the robin hoods) 18th brig 6th Div was assaulted by the German 26th Div of XIII corps, then, in the gathering dusk by the 25th reserve Div. In exposed trenches unable to see sufficantly clearly to fire at long range and after 2 days and 2 nights of no rest and constant fighting theywere over whelmed in a running battle back towards La Vallee. There the survivors found themselves intercepted by more Germans, at first these were thought to be British reinforcements. Virtualy the whole Battalion and been killed or captured. And this was just the begining.
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Post by evolution on Oct 19, 2007 5:16:52 GMT -5
Before I move into the First Battle of Ypres (Wipers as Tommy called it) I need to tell of what went on to the north and south of the saliant, as it had a direct bearing on what happened. As the Armys moved north away from the now appearing trenchlines on the Aisne, trying to get around each other. Antwerp fell on the 10th of October, the remains of the Belgian army, under direct command of there king, moved across to the west bank of the Yser, on the line Dixmund - Furnes here they would remain untill the battles of the last 100 days, the British 7th Div fell back to Ghent then moved south towards Ypres, the French taking up positions between the British and Belgians. by the 20th the germans started to get across the yser south of the belgian positions and the decision was made to open the dyke gates at neuport, on 3 succesive nights at high tide they were opened and the sea came in, on the ebb tide they were closed, and the flat land scape was flooded, the german advance here was stopped, there was no wat through except were the belguims were, nad they fought here for 4 years, the belgians refusing to mount any offencive actions untill the british had fritz on the run, this trenchline the Belgians called the trench of death and you can still see it as it has all been preserved. but what this created was a lot of extra troops for the germans who were moved south, as we will see and throwen against the british 1st div.
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Post by evolution on Oct 19, 2007 5:44:52 GMT -5
The british II Corp under the command of Horrace Smith-Dorrien were the first british troops to reach this area and took up positions south of Ypres, I corp as they arrived would move t09o the east of ypres with the cavalary then 3rd Corp in between.
II corp were in between La Bassee and Amentaries, and were as at Mons ordered to advance, being told by the C inC Sir john French that what german forces in front were of little consiquence, but unknowen to the Allies the Germans had done the exact same thing by moving there 6th Army north, they had the same idea, outflank! II corp actualy managed to reach in some places the Aubers Ridge, (which they would'nt do again untill the end of 1918) but by now they were getting into severe difficultys as the German resistance got heavier, Smith-Dorrien felt un easy and built a position that his forces could fall back to, it became knowen as the Smith-Dorrien line, (and if you ever go there you can still find a lot of it as it was dug in hedge rows and woods, and you find many mentions of it in the fighting that went on here over the years) under severe pressure II Corp fell back on the night of 22nd to this line between Le Bassee - Fauquissart, the Germans not expecting this were unable to mount attack against Ii corp the next day. In some respects this area was not stategicly important as around Ypres, but the Germans repeatedly tryed to break through untill the 29th. This area was largly flat and water logged, so the trenchs were very shallow, so they had to be built up into brestworks with sandbags, which were in very short supply, and the Royal engineers had to scour the countryside for fence posts and barbwire. In the case of the 2nd Batt royal Welsh Fusiliers at frommeles, german snipers were a particular problem,"the want of communication trenches which there had been no time to build, and where they had they did not reach the sections in the frontlines, caused many of the casualtyies. The live stock still roaming everywhere were another problem, and strands of barbwire were strung up more to keep the cattle and horses out of the trenches than fritz". 1 old soldier of the RWF remarked "The British Goverment must be terrably hard up, what with short rations, no rifle oil, no shells, and now sending engineers up to the frontline to streach one bloody strand of barbwire out, which he had no doubt was the only single bloody strand in the whole of france and which a bloody giraffe could rise up and walk under.
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Post by evolution on Oct 23, 2007 8:22:01 GMT -5
by mid-oct II cord had been in continuel action, fromthe 23 Aug with battalions mere skelitons of what they were ment to be, the indian army was now begining to arrive with the jullunder brigade and lahore div joining II corp, but the germans were determined to find a way through, both lost very heavy being totaly inexperenced in this kind of fighting. by the 24th II corp started to come apart,, some battalions and even Brgades in 5th Div were no longer reliable Smith-Dorrien after a meeting with 2 of his commanders decided to go to the C in C Sir John French to put him in the picture, (if you believe ur history books french was a man who held a grudge, and he had a big one with Smith-Dorrien that went back to 1907, he had tryed to block him taking over command of II corp in Aug 1914 after the original commander had died, and after Dorriens decision to stand and fight at Le Catau during the retreat, in direct defience of French'es order to continue to retreat the relationship deteroated even more, and at 2nd ypres in march 1915 would see the removal of Smith-Dorrein) On the evening of the 25th Smith-dorrein put French in the picture about the state of II corp, french was "rather short with him" believing the II corp commander was over exaggerating, the relationship between them got even worse. But with the hindsight of history we can see that II corp was in a very bad way. French made more men available with a cavalary brigade a armoured train, he also allowed Smith-Dorrien to excide the limits set on the 18 pounders, but French now had even more evidence of Dorriens potential to become discoureged. The French also moved troops to aid II corp, enabling 5the div to move 3 Batt to a reserve position. The germans now brought up the massive artillary they had used to batter the Belguim forts into submision and turned them onto II corp. On the 26th things got worse as the Germans launched attack after attack, actualy breaking the line at Neuve Chappel, using all that he had left in reserve he attacked the gap with technical troops miners and sappers, but the line was regained, it could not go on, what was left of II corp was taken out of the line for rest, and Willcocks and the Indian Army took over. The genral feeling in II corp though was this was a mistake as the Indian Army had been severly tryed so far and too many units of unknowen quality had been chosen for over seas duty, and with a european winter approcing, they were going to find it very hard. Smith- Dorrein expected his men to get 10 days rest and have large in takes of reinforcements, between 12-31st oct had sufferd heavly, the casualtys of 3rd div were 5835, with all its brigades severly depleated, 8th+9th brigades could barely raise a brigade between them! In any event there would be no rest for II corp, as the battle of 1st Ypres moved up a gear the only reserves were II corp and its battalions were detached and sent to support both I + III Corps.
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Post by evolution on Nov 16, 2007 6:02:31 GMT -5
Death of an Army With the french holding the front as far North as La Bassee, the Belguins on the coast, with some French 2nd line cavalary detachments on there right wing, there was now a gap of 25miles, around the Flemish market town of Ypres. (To go to the Saliant today is to see it as the BEF did in1914, very flat and wet, observation very poor, and any slight rise was very important, but this was good in reality for the British, cos they could'nt see what fritz was up to, it meant he could'nt see what they were upto, and just how weak the British line was!) This was the last chance of open warfare, and both sides went for it. German Uhlan detachments entered Ypres around the 8-10th of oct, taking the mayor hostage they demanded money(!), which they recieved and left, the towns people rushed to the 2 lions that stood where the Menin gate now stands and stuffed straw into there mouths saying the Germans will not enter Ypres untill the lions have eaten the straw, they never entered again!(The 2 Lions are now in Canbara Australia)
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Post by evolution on Nov 16, 2007 6:34:00 GMT -5
The German Army in the fullness of its chosen hour, had struck and missed the blow. That Army, overwhelming in numbers, prepared and organised through 40 years to the last bullet and button, had been staggered by the british at Mons and Le Cateau, turned back by French and British from Paris, defeated in the open battle of the Marne, and now lay across france from switzerland to the Aisne, entrenched in previusly positions. From the Aisne, Allies and germans raced to the north, each trying to outflank the other, and the fall of Antwerp gave the whip hand to fritz. With the flooding by the belgians of the low lieing land released a German army 90,000 strong, The british 7th Div falling back from Antwerp, and then turned at bay in front of Ypres, the British I,II,III and cavalary corp then began to arrive, and the 1st battle of Ypres started on the 11th Oct. SOLDIERS OF 14: "Who comes? Who gives our password, with the right to join our ranks? SOLDIERS OF 17: "Soldiers of England_!" SOLDIERS OF 14: "Nay, Not these, we know our own. No host like this Bore arms for England." SOLDIER OF 17: "Yet we are her sons_" SOLDIER OF 14: "Whence come you" SOLDIER OF 17: "From your Calvary of Ypres, That holy spot where valour reached a height, And unsupported, held, and saved the world. You came more nearly to the high ideal of one who died for men, than e'er you dreamed there, where for god and right-naught else-you raised The standard in the face of awful odds One watch-word only, 'Duty' on your lips Your passion steadfastly endured, your faith. Your unconsidered sacrifice, have drawn A world of men aflame to serve the cause, We are of those who follow where you led We hold aloft the standard you bequethed We keep the gate to Britain that you barred So dare we fight, and when our task is done, So dare we follow where you serve today. SOLDIER OF 14: Now god be thanked, and be welcome-friends
Written during the battle
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Post by evolution on Nov 16, 2007 6:52:31 GMT -5
In the south II corp arrived first, the the III forming a line La Basse-Armintaries, &th Div arrived at Ypres and were orderd to advance east, with the cavalary arriving on there right wing, the advance did'nt last long, as very strong German forces began there advance west, and the 7th Div dug in and tryed to hold what they had, soon under extreme pressure they began to fall back towards ypres, Battalions again and again being cut off and wiped out, a new word appered, "puttying up" there were no reserves units were moved here there and every where trying to hold the line. By now the Germans were attacking the whole line, the idea to stop the british from moving around reserves, things looked bleak for the 7th when in the nik of time Haigs I corp arrived, among them in the 2nd div our old friends the 2nd battalion The Welsh regiment, little realising most off them had less the 2 weeks left of there lives! The Salient was now forming, in the exteme north a few detachments of french cavalary, then haigs I corp with 7th div attached, or what was left of it, then Allenby's cavalary Corp now fighting as infantry, this was the salient, with II+III corp in the south. As we have seen the non-clementures commitee gave each battle a distinct date and name, but make no mistake, there was no let up in the fighting any where night or day, Fritz wanted through and he was throwing everything he had at the britsh line. It is impossable to put here how desparate the fighting was but can only piont you at a few books. written in 1925 The Immortal salient by Beatrix Brice and General Sir William Pultney. The Battle Book of Ypres By Beatrix again, the first seven divisions, and a uptodate 1 Ypres the first battle 1914 by ian F W Becket.
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Post by evolution on Nov 16, 2007 7:41:29 GMT -5
It was on the 22nd of Oct that the german legend of Langemarck was born, here vast numbers of young German troops attacked the british line, many whad only 2 weeks training, and many were only cadets, as they advanced running as fast as they could in vast grey masses, shoulder to shoulder singing there heads off, stright onto the british rifles and machine guns,"Deutshland Deutschland uber Alles, uber allies in der welt" they were massacered, vast walls of dead, here and there jerking as wounded under neath tryed to get out, men crawling arms and legs shot off, and still they came, the Germans stated shelling Langemarck setting fire to buildings every where so that they could see as darkness fell and still they came on, the british could'nt believe what they were doing after what had been done to them ay mons they thought they would'nt do it again. Near by Adolf Hitler serving with the reserve infantry regiment of the 6th bavarian division later wrote in his book Mien Kampf " And from a distance the starins of a song reached our ears, coming closer and closer, leaping from company to company, and just as death plunged a busy hand into our ranks, the song reached us too and we passed it along Deushland Deushland uber alles. (It reached such a high signignificance to the Nazis, and the Hitler youth were brough up on it and summer camps set up there, such was its importance, that the Nazis were able to make 2 SS divisions from the belgians who lived in the area, and at the Normandy landins in 1944, these 2 divisions operated a take no prisoner policey makes u think dont it) Many of the attacking battalions lost over 70% of its effective fighting strengh. Captain james Patterson of the 1st South Wales borderers(bit of the cuff here, this battalion were the 24th of foot, and we all know about Roukes Drift and the Zulus, well in the morning the Zulus completely wiped this battalion out, only thgose officers who were on horse back were able to escape, funny enough, the CO of II corp was 1 of those officers, and the only Victoria cross that is unacounted for was lost this day in this battle) watched the Germans destroy Langemarck " The Germans went for the church spire untill the whole church was on fire and falling to pieces, they then turned there attention to the rest of the town and blew it to pieces" the town was full! HC Rees serving with the 2nd batt The Welch Reg also watched the destruction " It was a real splended spectacle. A number of field guns were employed , I saw a field gun shell strike the spire of the church just below the cross and send the cross some 20ft in the air", He had already had 2 houses blowen down around him ans remarked" Its safer in the frontline"! Captain harry Dillon of the 2nd OBLI looked over the parapit of his trench,"The firing had stopped and I had been strining my eyes so for a moment I could not believe them, but, fortunetly I did not hesatate for long. A great mass of humanity was charging, running for all god would let them straight at us not 590 yards off, everybodys nerves were pretty well on edge as I had warned them what to expect and as i fired my rifle the rest all went off simoltanuiosly." Dillon had never shot so much in such a short time his right hand left in one big bruise from banging the bolt up and down. " Under the wieght of fire the Germans veered off to the left and the attack died away, from the darkness all we could hear was a great moan". In Dillons grapic account " There were men with there arms and legs off trying to crawel away, others, who could not move gasping out there last moments with the cold night air bitting into there broken bodies and the lurid red glare of a farmhouse showing up great clumps of grey devels killed by the men on my left further down, a weired awful sight". Dillon the only captain left in the battalion was now acting 2nd in command, "the whole of this beutiful country is devistated, broken houses, broken bodies, blood, filth and ruin every where(and it was about to go on here for another 4 years) private H J Milters of the 2nd HLI and witnessed the same attack said,"The farm as far as i could make out had been set alight by the germans so that they could see to direct there fire, but 50yards from the HLI trenches they were simply running into death, they gave great yells as they started, but very few got back. The screams were terrable".
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