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Operational Art and the German 1918 Offensives
Get PDFAt the tactical level of war the Germans are widely regarded as having had the most
innovative and proficient army of World War I. Likewise, many historians would agree that
the Germans suffered from serious, if not fatal, shortcomings at the strategic level of war. It is
at the middle level of warfare, the operational level, that the Germans seem to be the most
difficult to evaluate.
Although the operational was only fully accepted in the 1980s by many Western
militaries as a distinct level of warfare, German military thinking well before the start of
World War I clearly recognized the Operativ, as a realm of warfighting activity between the
tactical and the strategic. But the German concept of the operational art was flawed at best,
and actually came closer to tactics on a grand scale. The flaws in their approach to operations
cost the Germans dearly in both World Wars.
Through a thorough review of the surviving original operational plans and orders, this
study evaluates the German approach to the operational art by analyzing the Ludendorff
Offensives of 1918. Taken as a whole, the five actually executed and two planned but never
executed major attacks produced stunning tactical results, but ultimately left Germany in a far
worse strategic position by August 1918. Among the most serious operational errors made by
the German planners were their blindness to the power of sequential operations and
cumulative effects, and their insistence in mounting force-on-force attacks.
The Allies, and especially the British, were exceptionally vulnerable in certain
elements of their warfighting system. By attacking those vulnerabilities the Germans might
well have achieved far better results than by attacking directly into the Allied strength.
Specifically, the British logistics system was extremely fragile, and their rail system had two
key choke points, Amiens and Hazebrouck. During Operations MICHAEL and GEORGETTE, the Germans came close to capturing both rail centers, but never seemed to
grasp fully their operational significance. The British and French certainly did. After the
Germans attacked south to the Marne during Operation BLUCHER, they fell victims
themselves to an inadequate rail network behind their newly acquired lines. At the
operational level, then, the respective enemy and friendly rail networks had a decisive
influence on the campaign of March-August 1918
'BROTHERS IN ARMS'?: The American and British Coalition on the Western Front, 1918
Get PDFThis dissertation examines in detail, the organisation, training and operations of
the 27 th and 30th American Divisions during the period of Summer 1917 to the
announcement of an armistice in November 1918. Particular emphasis is placed
on the two divisions after they were attached to the 11 American Corps. especiallý
their experience with the British Expeditionary Force in 1918, and the training
received under the supervision of British officers.
The 11 American Corps was unique in that it spent its entire service in France in
the British sector. Originally it was composed of 10 divisions, but eight of these
were removed by the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, Gen.
John. J. Pershing. The divisions were transferred to the First American Army and
operated entirely independent of 11 American Corps. The týýo American divisions
that h, oth remained with the British, the 27t and -3 , relied heavily upon their coalition
partners for advice in training, supplies, equipment, food and more importantly,
tactical leadership. Although General Pershing forbade American divisions from
being th -, oth amalgamated into Allied armies, in reality, the 27 and -)
Divisions
became part of the BEF, especially the Fourth Arrný during the final campaigns of
the war. Despite its attachment to arguably the best fighting force on the Western
Front in 1918, the 11 American Corps suffered heavý casualties during its limited
operational experience and. in many ways. failed to take advantage of lessons
learned by the British Army during its campaigns of 1916-1917.
This dissertation concludes that the relationship between the two American
divisions and their British ally was in the end result a success. By allowing the
27 th and 30'hDivisions to remain behind with the BEF, Pershing provided the
British with more than 50,000 able American troops to use at the front. Thus the
tNNo ,a llies became Brothers-in-Arms
If Germany should win! /
No full textCaption title.; Reprinted from The Forum, April, 1918.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.gen-vn428263; FERG copy from Ferguson First World War, 1914-1919 pamphlet collection
Elementary education in south-east Northumberland 1918-1939: progress and change with particular reference to the Bothal and Woodhorn areas
Get PDFThe study aims to examine and discuss the extent to which, if at all, the organisation of elementary education changed and progressed between 1918 and 1939, with particular reference to schools situated within the boundaries of the ancient parishes of Bothal and Woodhorn, Northumberland. The investigation gives particular attention to school organisation and re-organisation, class-size, staffing and the provision of new buildings. Having reviewed the existing literature and identified questions for further study, the methodology and procedures to be adopted for the study are formulated. The policy and work of the Northumberland Local Education Authority and the experience of two contrasting schools, Pegswood Mixed School and Longhirst School are then discussed, with reference to the initial question and in the light of material drawn from surviving documentary evidence. The conclusion is reached that there is evidence to show that between 1918 and 1939 Northumberland Local Education Authority pursued a policy of change and progress in elementary school organisation and did much to implement that policy in the area addressed by the study, despite several set-backs which were largely the result of financial difficulties
A church destroyed by heavy shelling at Villers-Bretonneaux, France, May 1918 [picture] /
No full textTitle devised by cataloguer based on caption.; In: World War 1914-1918 campaigns in France and Belgium.; "The church of Villers-Bretonneaux, France, in May 1918."--Printed caption.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an10885587-s31
Strips of camouflage hung across a street in Bonnay, France, April 1918 [picture] /
No full textTitle devised by cataloguer based on caption.; In: World War 1914-1918 campaigns in France and Belgium.; "Strips of camouflage hung across a street in Bonnay, in France, in April, 1918, to prevent enemy observation from balloons. Bonnay and other villages in the vicinity were heavily shelled, mostly with gas, on 24th April, 1918, during the German attack on Villers-Bretonneaux."--Printed caption.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an10885587-s23
German prisoners bringing in the wounded from the battlefield near Jeancourt, France, 18 September 1918 [picture] /
No full textTitle devised by cataloguer based on caption.; In: World War 1914-1918 campaigns in France and Belgium.; "German prisoners bringing in the wounded from the battlefield near Jeancourt, in France, 18 September 1918. The bodies of two men killed in the attack are seen in the foreground."--Printed caption.; Condition: Faded.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an10885587-s62
Australian Engineers on horseback and carriage passing along the road near Beaucourt, France, April 1918 [picture] /
No full textTitle devised by cataloguer based on caption.; In: World War 1914-1918 campaigns in France and Belgium.; "The 2nd divisional Engineers passing along the road near Beaucourt, in France on 6th April, 1918, on their way to the forward zone."--Printed caption.; Condition: Faded.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an10885587-s17
Australian Infantry passing along a sap towards Guillemont Farm, near Ronssoy, France, 1 October 1918 [picture] /
No full textTitle devised by cataloguer based on caption.; In: World War 1914-1918 campaigns in France and Belgium.; "Australian Infantry passing along a sap towards Gillemont [i.e Guillemont] Farm, near Ronssoy, in France, to reinforce the troops engaged in the struggle for this section of the Hindenburg Defence System, on 1st October, 1918."--Printed caption.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an10885587-s69
Scout planes preparing a bombing trip over the enemy lines, France, 24 March 1918 [picture] /
No full textTitle devised by cataloguer based on caption.; In: World War 1914-1918 campaigns in France and Belgium.; "A flight of Australian Scouting machines at Bruay, in France, on 24th March 1918, ready to start on a bombing trip over the enemy lines. At this time the German advance was in progress, and the Australian airmen assisted the Royal Air Force in bombing German transports and troops."--Printed caption.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an10885587-s19
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