TIMELINE
NOVEMBER 1916 – The Battle of the Somme officially ends, although fighting continues into 1917. Gommecourt, an objective for 1st July 1916 finally falls in February 1917 as the Germans retire to the Hindenburg Line. British casualties’ on the Somme amount to some 600,000 killed and wounded.
The Chantilly Conference – PM Asquith and Haig attend the Allied Conference which agrees that the main thrust of the war is to be on the Western Front, although simultaneous offensives in Russia and Italy should be launched to tie the Germans down. Following the conference, Haig asks General Plumer (II Army) to draw up plans for an offensive east of Ypres for 1917. (Tunnelling had been going on since 1915) – this has always been Haig’s preferred location, and the Somme in 1916 was not Haig’s first choice but he was forced to comply to reduce the burden on the French army at Verdun.
DECEMBER 1916 – Plumer’s cautious plans to capture the Messines and Pilckem Ridges disappoint Haig who has always envisaged a breakout which would drive the Germans back beyond Roulers and clear them from the occupied Belgian ports, thus stopping their U-Boats from having easy access to the Channel and North Sea. Haig asks General Rawlinson (IV Army) to look afresh at the plans.
Political events on both side of the channel then intervene. In France, Joffre is sacked and replaced by Nivelle as C-in-C. In Britain, Asquith’s government falls, he resigns and is replaced as PM by David Lloyd George (DLG), a Liberal who is heavily supported by the Conservatives as he promises a more vigorous approach to the war. To gain Conservative support he promises to give the generals everything they need to win the war but privately he is horrified by the toll on the Somme and so favours more action by Britain’s allies, particularly on the eastern fronts. This immediately sets him at odds with Haig and Robertson who are convinced that the war has to be won on the Western Front.
JANUARY 1917 – The allies hold another conference in Rome. DLG suggests a new offensive in Italy, the Italians refuse and the French and British military staffs agree with them. DLG has to back down but accepts Nivelle’s plans for an offensive on the Chemin Des Dames in the spring of 1917. Haig is unsure but accepts that a French offensive will further wear down the German strength on the WF.
Plumer’s amended plan for the attack at Ypres is still too cautious for Haig’s liking. However, Rawlinson concurs with Plumer and they state the logistical constraints of working within a narrow salient. Haig backs down but starts talking with Gough (V Army) whose reputation as a ‘Thruster’ is more to Haig’s liking.
FEBRUARY 1917 – On the 1st, the Germans restart their policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
The allies meet again at Calais in late February. DLG commits the BEF to take over more of the front line from the French (the BEF is now manning 110 miles) and to launch a diversionary attack at Arras in support of Nivelle’s offensive further south. Haig is appalled and even more so when DLG subordinates Haig’s command to Nivelle for the duration of the offensive. Haig takes major umbrage and petitions his friends in high places and the Royal Family – DLG considers sacking Haig but finds that public and governmental opinion is against this. Haig remains as C-in-C and as a sop, DLG and the war cabinet approves his offensive in Flanders should the Nivelle offensive fail.
MARCH 1917- The British plans for the attack at Arras in support of Nivelle are partially compromised by the German’s tactical withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. Thus shortening and straightening the line by some 25 miles. They now require 14 less divisions on the WF to defend the front line following their losses at Verdun and on the Somme in 1916.
The first Russian Revolution of 1917 occurs. The Tsar, Nicholas II, abdicates on the 15th and a provisional government is formed under Alexander Kerensky. Although still in the war, the possibility of a Russian collapse looms.
APRIL 1917 – The battle of Arras commences on the 9th culminating in the capture of Vimy Ridge and first day gains. However, in poor weather, the advance bogs down and gains little but with ever increasing casualties. On the 16th, Nivelle launches his offensive. The Germans, forewarned, stop the French immediately and they suffer 115,000 casualties in 10 days. French morale collapses and many units within the army mutiny and disobey orders.
Nivelle is sacked and replaced by Petain, who attempts to quell the mutinies.
The German policy of sinking neutral shipping including American prompts America to enter the war on April 6th.
MAY 1917- Nivelle’s failure is an embarrassment to DLG and leaves Haig with the upper hand. A further conference held in Paris on the 5th and 6th agrees that the Germans must be attacked in small bite size portions where the allies have overwhelming artillery dominance. This will wear the Germans down until a new fresh million troops from the USA can arrive to settle the war in 1918.
On 7th May Haig meets with his commanders at Doullens and presents his Flanders plan. Plumer’s II Army will capture the Messines Ridge, Rawlinson’s IV Army will operate on the coast to capture the ports and Gough’s V Army will attack the Pilckem and Gheluvelt Plateaus with the ‘eventual object of securing the Belgian coast and connecting with the Dutch frontier.’
It is agreed that Plumer will attack at Messines on 7th June, with Gough’s attack to follow some time later. In the interval, it was agreed that the French, Italians and Russians would launch limited offensives to stop the Germans sending reinforcements to the WF.
DLG’s War Cabinet approves the plan on 16th May with the caveat that the French play a substantial role in the scheme. However, the French mutinies by the end of May are so severe that Petain cannot guarantee French support. Haig is concerned that if the attack in Flanders is cancelled, the Germans will uncover the dire state of the French army and launch their own major offensive.
Haig meets with Petain on 18th May to ascertain what the French were capable of. Petain promised some summer attacks but felt that Haig’s grand breakout plan in Flanders was not what had been agreed at the Paris conference – i.e. small limited wearing down offensives. Haig, somewhat disingenuously, noted that his grand plan at Ypres was in fact a series of successive smaller battles and therefore was what had been agreed! – Petain, in reality, was only too pleased to see the BEF take the lead in summer 1917 so as to take the pressure off the French whilst order was restored. He therefore offered Haig 6 Divisions for the main assault east of Ypres. This was sufficient to convince the British Government and Haig that the French would ‘do their bit.’
The scene was now set for the Battle of Messines which would become the precursor for the Flanders battles that would carry the name – Passchendaele.
JUNE 1917 – The Battle of Messines opens on the 7th. Plumer’s II Army advances to victory following the detonation of 19 underground mines and massive superiority in artillery numbers, artillery tactics, tanks and dominance in the air. When the planned objectives are reached, Haig can’t resist one more bite to the Oostaverne Line, which ultimately increases the casualties to 24,000.
Haig is impatient and wants an immediate resumption by II Army on the Gheluvelt Plateau. Plumer asks for a delay to move the artillery forward and Haig responds by placing Plumer’s II and VIII Corps under Gough’s V Army command. Gough also deliberates and a flickering opportunity to break the Germans is lost.
The British Government convenes a Cabinet War Policy Committee during June. Haig informs them that in his opinion the German army is close to collapse and one more push will do the job! However, intelligence suggests that as Russia collapses, the Germans will be able to release fresh troops from the east and actually gain superiority on the WF during 1917. Admiral Jellicoe informs the committee that in his opinion unrestricted submarine warfare by the Germans will cripple the British economy by the end of 1917 and make it impossible for Britain to carry on fighting in 1918.
The first 14,000 American troops arrive in France.
JULY 1917 – The Germans, knowing that an offensive is in the offing, launch a short sharp attack across the Yser Canal forcing Rawlinson’s IV Army back and improving their defences in front of the Channel ports.
Eventually, on 20th July the full Flanders offensive is given official approval by the cabinet but only on the condition that it would be called off if the first stages do not go to plan. If this should happen, Haig agreed to look at a full attack on the Italian Front – a scenario that he was never going to adhere to.
On 31st July, after months of planning and weeks of preparation the attack on Pilckem Ridge is launched by British V Army supported by the II Army in the south and two divisions of the French in the north or left flank. As the attack commenced, so did the rain. Initial advances are stopped by German defensive strong points and counter attack units, and the disorganised attackers are left floundering in the mud alongside their tanks.
The Bolsheviks try to take power in Russia but fail. The Vatican produce a peace plan which is rejected by the Allies.
AUGUST 1917 – Only two of the four lines of objective had been captured on 31st July and Haig wanted to continue the advance asap. The necessity to bring the artillery forward to support the advance led to further delays as the rain poured down day after day. The streams and natural drainage were all smashed by the bombardment and the ground rapidly became a flooded marsh of water filled shell holes.
Localised fighting continued on a daily basis but the next phase of the main assault was launched at Langemarck on the 16th. The French and British in the north made some gains but were forced back by strong counter attacks in the south on the Gheluvelt Plateau throughout August.
SEPTEMBER 1917 – The weather improved and the battlefield started to dry out. The British halted for three weeks and Gough was replaced by Plumer with his more limited ‘Bite and Hold’ plans.
On 20th September the first Bite and Hold offensive was launched successfully astride the Menin Road. New British tactics of grabbing a small area of advance and then consolidating the gain against counter attacks proved successful.
This was followed by a similar limited advance at Polygon Wood on 26th September.
Despite the hardships and setbacks encountered and the mounting casualties, DLG’s War Policy Committee did not meet between June and September, therefore, Haig was allowed to carry on regardless.
Further civil in fighting occurs in Russia.
OCTOBER 1917 – On the 4th October, the next small advance is made at Broodseinde. Again, the British adopt the tactic of making a small tactical gain and then digging in ready to repel the counter attack.
Before the next attack on the 9th at Poelcappelle, the rain returned with a vengeance and once again the attackers floundered in the mud.
If Haig had stopped at this point or the politicians had intervened, then the Battle of 3rd Ypres may have been looked upon as a success, however……………..
The first attempt to take the village of Passchendaele and the ridge on which it sat was a complete failure on 12th October – the wet, mud and conditions made any advance impossible.
The Canadian Corps fresh from its capture of Vimy Ridge in April arrives in the salient against Currie’s wishes. The first Canadian assaults on the village on the 26th and 30th fail.
Further infighting continues in Russia and the first American troops go into action in France.
NOVEMBER 1917 – Between the 6th and the 10th the Canadians capture the village of Passchendaele at a cost of 16,000 casualties.
The Bolsheviks seize power in Russia and the Allies agree to form a Supreme War Council to co-ordinate the conduct of the war – Foch is appointed C –in – C in early 1918. Robertson walks out on the talks and Haig has to accept that he may not now act without permission from Foch.
November 20th the Battle of Cambrai launches – 400 tanks on good ground break the German front but no reserves are available to exploit the initial success.
Ramsay MacDonald moves in the House of Commons a motion for a negotiated peace but is only supported by 21 MPs.
DECEMBER 1917- The Bolsheviks and the Germans conclude an Armistice which leads to the Treaty of Brest – Litovsk in February 1918, thus freeing up additional German troops for the Western Front.
Sporadic fighting continues on the Passchendaele Ridge as The Germans still control the eastern portion of the ridge.
German counter attacks at Cambrai win back much of the ground lost and the battle ends as a stalemate with about 45,000 casualties each side.
The BEF holds a commander’s conference at Doullens on the 7th, DLG is now holding back new troops in the UK which makes it more difficult to withstand the German attacks in March 1918. Plumer is sent to Italy to command the 6 British Divisions sent there to bolster the Italians.
Gough takes most of the blame for 450,000 British casualties (1:3 dead) and is reduced to commanding one Corps.
February 1918, William Robertson is sacked as CIGS and replaced by Henry Wilson.
On March 21st The German Spring Offensive commences south of the Somme, on April 9th The Germans attack at Passchendaele and within a matter of hours all of the ground won in 1917 is lost.
But that is for next year………………….
Jonathan D’Hooghe.