The German Army on the Somme, 1914–1916 by Jack Sheldon

Author:Jack Sheldon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: German Army on the Somme 1914-1916
ISBN: 9781844155132
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books
Published: 2007-03-28T00:00:00+00:00

1. The opinion of General von Falkenhayn concerning rigid retention of terrain, is quoted in the German Official History: Der Weltkrieg 1914 bis 1918,10. Band. Die Operationen des Jahres 1916 p 355 as follows: ‘The first principle of positional warfare has to be not to yield a single foot of ground and if a foot of ground is lost, to launch an immediate counter-attack with all forces, down to the last man’. There are those, including Ernst Junger, (Storm of Steel p 110) who attribute this to ‘...Prussian obstinacy with which the tactics of the line were pursued to their logical conclusion’. Writing in General Headquarters 1914-1916 and its Critical Decisions (passim, but see especially pp 35-38), Falkenhayn repeatedly implies that the psychology of the average German soldier, shortage of manpower and consequent lack of reserves forced this policy on the German army; there being a constant concern that if lines were allowed to crumble and ground were to be yielded too easily, it could be extremely difficult to seal off and counter the inevitable breakthroughs. Despite the consequent high loss rate, there is something to this argument. Certainly it is easier to drum a policy of ‘no retreat’ into the minds of defending soldiers, than to allow the idea to spread that there is some discretion in the matter. Even when, later in the battle, flexible defence in depth was introduced as a tactic, the decision to relinquish ground voluntarily was retained at Army level.

2. Kronprinz Rupprecht Mein Kriegstagebuch Vol 1 p 495

3. Kriegsarchiv München 8 RIR Bd 21

4. Pfeffer: History IR 186 pp 67-8

5. Bachelin: HistoryRIR 111 pp 295-6

6. Bezzel: History BRIR 6pp 102-3

7. Anon: History FAR 6 pp 138-139

8. Soden: History 26th Res Div p 113

9. Vischer: History 10. Württ. IR 180 in derSomme-Schlachtp 21

10. Mülmann: History Lehr-IR pp 289 - 290

11. Fasse Collection: Bericht an das I. und III. Bataillon IR 190 5Aug 16

12. Wurmb: History BRIR 8 p 77

13. Forstner: History RIR 15 pp 313-14

14. ibid. p 333

15. ibid. pp 316-17

16. Maikäfer, literally May beetles = Cockchafers, was the nickname of the Fusilier Guards.

17. Zipfel: History IR 89 p 246-47

18. ibid. p 249

19. Kümmel: History RIR 91 p 216

20. Wohlenberg: History RIR 77 pp 204-06

21. This represents an interesting change of tactics from those used only two weeks earlier during the first day of the battle. It is, perhaps, a further example of the innovative skill of the Kitchener divisions.

22. Kümmel: op.cit. pp 216 - 217

23. Wohlenberg: History BIR 16 p 44

24. Kriegsarchiv München HS 2105

25. Kriegsarchiv München HS 2105

26. Kriegsarchiv München HS 2106

27. Gareis does not provide any more details about the prisoners, but the implication must surely be that they were shot by the Prussians and that Gareis got to hear about it later.

28. Lutz: History BIR 16 p 47

29. Kriegsarchiv München IR 16 Bund 3

30. Forstner: op.cit. pp 335-6

31. Möller: ‘Fritz von Below’p 5 3

32. Kronprinz Rupprecht ‘Mein Kriegstagebuch Bd1 p 503

33. Kümmel: op.cit. p 227

34. Wohlenberg: History RIR 77 p 199

35. ibid.

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