06 Jul 06
This is a question in my GCSE exam (less than a year from now) and basically i want to know what you think sure this was the bloodiest day in British Military History but this prevent the Germans from taking over Verdun......
What are your views on the Battle Of The Somme Tragedy or Success?
06 Jul 06
Originally posted by zeeblebotCross no-man's-land with fixed bayonets at walking pace. No breaking ranks! Pay no heed to the machine-guns.
make sure to examine it in the light of era it occurred in. it's easy to criticize with several decades of progress behind us, and knowledge of what did happen rather than what was going to happen or not.
06 Jul 06
Originally posted by Bosse de Nagesounds like a scene from Gallipoli (the film) ....
Cross no-man's-land with fixed bayonets at walking pace. No breaking ranks! Pay no heed to the machine-guns.
only found one mention here matching the description here, tho (one hit for machine gun, no hits for bayonet):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Somme_%281916%29
"British progress astride the Albert-Bapaume road was likewise a failure, despite the explosion of the two mines at La Boisselle. Here another tragic advance was made by the Tyneside Irish Brigade of the 34th Division which started nearly one mile from the German front line, in full view of the defenders' machine guns, and was effectively wiped out before it reached its own friendly forward trench line.
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06 Jul 06
1 edit
Originally posted by zeeblebot"Prior to the battle Rawlinson's staff published the Fourth Army Tactical Notes, an instruction pamphlet setting out the recommended assault tactics to be used by the infantry. The notes specified that battalions should advance in waves with two platoons per wave on a 400 yard front which left about 5 yards between each soldier. A battalion would therefore advance in eight waves (two per company) plus additional waves for the battalion HQ and stretcher bearers. The advance would be carried out at a steady walking pace of 50 yards per minute." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_day_on_the_Somme)
sounds like a scene from Gallipoli (the film) .... "
06 Jul 06
Originally posted by Howell123It was both. There was no actual reason for the first world war except for the fact that Germany became much more nationalistic after Napoleon, and much more powerful and modern after Bismark. The alliance system war was a tragedy waiting to happen after the alliance system. Although the French defended their land well, they lost hundreds of thousands.
This is a question in my GCSE exam (less than a year from now) and basically i want to know what you think sure this was the bloodiest day in British Military History but this prevent the Germans from taking over Verdun......
What are your views on the Battle Of The Somme Tragedy or Success?
07 Jul 06
Originally posted by Howell123It depends from which angle you're viewing the battle.
This is a question in my GCSE exam (less than a year from now) and basically i want to know what you think sure this was the bloodiest day in British Military History but this prevent the Germans from taking over Verdun......
What are your views on the Battle Of The Somme Tragedy or Success?
If you're looking at the tactics used in the battle (19th century tactics against machine guns), then you'd have to conclude that it was crap.
The same if you're looking at it from the amount of death vs. land captured ratio.
If you're looking at the political consequencies due to the slaughter of some many young men, then you might come to different conclusions.
07 Jul 06
1 edit
Originally posted by Howell123In truth, the Russian Brusilov offensive launched a month before the Battle of the Somme, diverted 15 German divisions from Verdun and ended any chance of a German breakthrough there (whether they could have acheived such a breakthrough is debateable). Any offensive anywhere no matter how disasterous can be justified by the claim "it diverted enemy troops". The Somme offensive cost 620,000 losses among the allies for the gain of virtually no ground. To consider it anything but a colossal, bloody failure is historical revisionism in the extreme.
What was the main objective was to try and hold off the Germans from Verdun which we did in the end which is on the success side on the tragedy side where do we start?.......