The Killing Ground by Tim Travers

Author:Tim Travers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2009-04-20T04:00:00+00:00

Notes

1

Haig, Diary, 30 July 1915, WO 256/5, PRO; see also entry for 25 June 1915, WO 256/4, PRO, where Haig spoke of a thirty-mile front, drawing in of enemy reserves, and then the decisive surprise attack.

2

Clive, Diary, 25 November 1915, Cab 45/201/1, PRO.

3

‘General Staff Note on the Situation’, 30 November 1915, p. 10, WO 106/308, PRO.

4

‘Note prepared for the War Committee by the CIGS on the Question of Offensive Operations on the Western Front’, 5 January 1916, pp. 7–9, WO 106/308, PRO.

5

GHQ, ‘Plans for Future Operations’, 10 February 1916, WO 158/19, PRO.

6

Haig, Diary, ‘Some thoughts on the Future’, no date, but mid-January 1916; Haig to Robertson, 16 January 1916; Diary, 18 January 1916; Haig to Kitchener, 19 January 1916, WO 256/7, PRO. See also the three-stage offensive in GHQ, ‘Allied Plan of Campaign’, 16 January 1916, WO 158/19, PRO.

7

Major General Clive reported on 2 February 1916 that Haig would not consent to an offensive d’usure alone, weeks before the general offensive, Clive, Diary, 2 February 1916, Cab 45/201/1, PRO; Haig, Diary, 28 January 1916, WO 256/7, PRO.

8

‘Questions from Commander-in-Chief’, no date, but mid-February 1916, WO 158/19, PRO.

9

Haig, Diary, 14 February 1916, 15 March 1916, Haig to Commander-in-Chief French Army, 10 April 1916, WO 256/9, PRO.

10

Davidson (BGGS), ‘Outline of Offensive Operations’, May 1916, WO 158/19, PRO.

11

Rawlinson, Diary, 1 April 1916, Rawlinson Papers, CCC.

12

Haig, Diary, 5 April 1916, WO 256/9, PRO.

13

Haig, Diary, Army Commanders Conference at Third Army HQ, St Pol, 27 May 1916, WO 256/10, PRO.

14

Liddell Hart, First World War, p. 236.

15

Edmonds, comments on The Real War (ch. 5, 1916), pp. 15–16, in 9/8/2, Liddell Hart Papers; Liddell Hart, Talk with Edmonds, 31 October 1929, 11/1929/17, Liddell Hart Papers, KCL.

16

Haig, Diary, Robertson to Haig, 28 May 1916, WO 256/10, PRO; Rawlinson, Diary, 23 May 1916, Rawlinson Papers, CCC.

17

Haig, Diary, 29 May 1916, WO 256/10, PRO; and Haig to Robertson, 29 May 1916, 1–22–41, Robertson Papers, NAM.

18

It is not quite correct to argue, as Graham and Bidwell have done, that Haig normally attempted both a breakthrough and an attrition battle at the same time and place (in this case, the Somme). In fact, Haig initially wanted preparatory attrition followed by a breakthrough, and then by May and June 1916, hoped for a simple breakthrough only, Bidwell and Graham, Fire-Power, p. 71.

19

Haig, Diary, Kiggell to all Armies, 16 June 1916, Diary, 21 June 1916, WO 256/10, PRO; Rawlinson, Diary, 18 June 1916, 21 June 1916, Rawlinson Papers, CCC; Kiggell to Edmonds, 2 December 1937 and 25 January 1938, Cab 45/135, PRO.

20

Rawlinson to Wigram, 26 June 1916, 5201–33–18, Rawlinson Papers, NAM; Rawlinson, Diary, 29 June 1916, 2 July 1916, Rawlinson Papers, CCC; ‘Report of the Army Commander’s Remarks at the Conference held at Fourth Army HQ, 22 June 1916’, Fourth Army, WO 158/234, PRO.

21

Kiggell to Rawlinson and Gough, 2 August 1916, Fourth Army, WO 158/235; Kiggell to Rawlinson and Gough, 12 July 1916, Fourth Army, WO 158/234, PRO.

22

Major General Milward, Diary, 2 July 1916, 6510–143–5, Milward Papers, NAM.

23

Rawlinson, ‘Appreciation’, 21 January 1915, pp. 9–10,

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