Slaughter and Stalemate in 1917 by Alan Warren

Author:Alan Warren
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD
Published: 2020-10-10T00:00:00+00:00

All doors were open to Repington; after his interview with Charteris, he motored to Cassel—past horse lines, convoys of transport, and camps of white-stained tents—to speak with Plumer. Repington was informed that inclement weather had imposed a ten-day delay on further offensive operations. “I found Plumer,” wrote Repington, “heart and soul for the Flanders offensive.”33

On October 15, Repington visited GHQ. “I found Haig as firmly set upon the Flanders offensive as possible.” Repington spoke at length with Kiggell, GHQ’s chief of staff, who was of one strategic mind with Haig. “He [Kiggell] was convinced that the Huns must stand in Flanders and could not retreat elastically on the Hindenburg plan in this district. We should, therefore, be sure to find him, and, having gained the tactical mastery of him, should beat him.” Kiggell brimmed with confidence:

We [said Kiggell] should take the rest of the [Passchendaele] ridge and then continue next April, threatening the Hun coast defences on our left and Lille on our right…. The loss of the Belgian coastline would be a heavy blow to Germany, and no excuses could palliate it. He was prepared to stake his reputation that the Germans could not retreat without fighting foot by foot on the Flanders front, and that next year in from one or two months the operation would be concluded. Every attack which we made next year would draw more Hun divisions towards us and make the French task easier, so we must be ready to go on with blow upon blow as we are doing now, and for this strategy an assured supply of 500,000 drafts would be needed.34

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