ECHOES OF WAR 1915-1918 (PART 4)

dc.creator	G.G.J. Lawrence
dc.date	2012-02-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T20:07:58Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T20:07:58Z
dc.identifier	10.5787/8-4-764
dc.identifier	2224-0020
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/ed3f5c82174c4d92b8f6e0c6210e0539
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/7920
dc.identifier.uri	https://doaj.org/article/ed3f5c82174c4d92b8f6e0c6210e0539
dc.description	Dudng the summer months of 1917- 1918 there was a strange quiet on the Eastern front. The downfall of Russia afforded General E Ludendorff, who became the first quartermaster general of the German armies when Field Marshal von Hindenburg assumed the office of chief of the German general staff of the armies in the field, the opportunity to deal the Allies in the west a decisive blow. Instead he decided to work to perfect his preparations for his final coup. His plan was based on the highly specialized training of certain units, and was a legitimate conclusion from the German use of 'storm troops'. The first point was the absence of any preliminary massing near the front of attack. Men were brought up by night marches just before zero hour, and secrecy was thus obtained for the assembly. Again, there was no long bombardment to alarm the enemy, and the guns began at the moment when the infantry advanced, the enemy's back areas being confused by a deluge of gas shells. The assault was made by picked troops in open order, or rather in small clusters, carrying light trench mortars and many machine guns, with the field batteries close behind them in support. The actual mode of attack, which the French called 'infiltration: may be likened to a hand, of which the fingertips are shod with steel, and which is pushed into a soft substance. The picked troops at the finger-ends made gaps through which others poured, till each section of the defence found itself outflanked and encircled. A system of flares and rockets enabled the following troops to learn where the picked troops had made the breach, and the artillery came close behind the infantry. The men had unlimifed objectives, and carded iron rations for several days. When one division had reached the end of its strength, another took its place, so that the advance resembled a continuous game of leap-frog.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Military Science (Military Academy)
dc.relation	http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/764
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/2224-0020
dc.source	Scientia Militaria : South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 8, Iss 4 (2012)
dc.subject	South African Brigade
dc.subject	The downfall of Russia
dc.subject	German armies
dc.subject	Brigadier General F S. Dawson
dc.subject	Captain Hallack
dc.subject	Retreat of the South African Brigade
dc.subject	Lieutenant Colonel Young
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	DOAJ:Military Science
dc.subject	DOAJ:Technology and Engineering
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	DOAJ:Military Science
dc.subject	DOAJ:Technology and Engineering
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.title	ECHOES OF WAR 1915-1918 (PART 4)
dc.type	Article