The Somme -- 1.2 million casualties -- 5 miles, 5 months.
BBC: Somme horror marked 90 years on:
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41835000/jpg/_41835912_allingham_apbody.jpg
Prince Charles greeted 110-year
-old war veteran Henry Allingham (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5135878.stm)
BBC: Somme losses marked 90 years on (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5136064.stm)
BBC: Somme wood 'dedicated to heroism' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/5134766.stm)
"On Saturday, July 1, 1916, the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, the 1st Newfoundland Regiment was virtually annihilated at Beaumont Hamel. .... [They] had already fought with distinction in Gallipoli (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gallipoli). .... By 10 a.m., little remained of the 1st Newfoundland Regiment. Their casualties numbered more than 700, one-third of which were fatal. Every officer who went into battle that day was either killed or wounded. Only 68 of the regiment escaped serious injury. .... At its fullest strength, [it] had boasted 1,000."
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It is my pure and virtuous heart that
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Well done site. Photos. Galleries. Personal stories. Etc.
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It is my pure and virtuous heart that
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El_Squid
July 3rd, 2006, 10:24 AM
The mind-boggling slaughter of the Somme, Gallipoli and Verdun never fail to leave me amazed at the unbelievable courage of those soldiers ready to face certain death and the equally unbelievable incompetence of the generals in charge.
At the risk of being accused of making light of the horrifc carnage, which was WWI, I qoute Rowan Atkinson, as the Black Adder from the Black Adder Goes Forth:
Blackadder's succinct summary of British battle plans: 'to continue with total slaughter until everybody's dead except Field Marshall Haig and Lady Haig and their tortoise, Alan.'
The troops are about to go over the top, or, as Blackadder more accurately puts it, "Field Marshal Haig (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwone/lions_donkeys_02.shtml) is about to make yet another gargantuan effort to move his drinks cabinet six inches closer to Berlin."
May we never forget the courage, sacrifice and dedication of our ancestors.
houseisland
July 3rd, 2006, 04:26 PM
The Imperial War Museum site has lots of interesting stuff. For example:
http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/img_400/FIR_011492.jpg
Webley .455 Mark VI revolver carried by Second Lieutenant
JRR Tolkien during his service with the 11th Battalion,
The Lancashire Fusiliers on the Somme (http://www.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConMediaFile.7422)
"John Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings, endured life in the front line trenches of the Somme throughout the summer and autumn of 1916. The impact of the Battle remained with him for the rest of his life and its influence can be clearly seen in his unique mythological world and stories."
____________________________________________
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It is my pure and virtuous heart that
gives me the strength of ten!
houseisland
July 3rd, 2006, 04:29 PM
The mind-boggling slaughter of the Somme, Gallipoli and Verdun never fail to leave me amazed at the unbelievable courage of those soldiers ready to face certain death and the equally unbelievable incompetence of the generals in charge.
At the risk of being accused of making light of the horrifc carnage, which was WWI, I qoute Rowan Atkinson, as the Black Adder from the Black Adder Goes Forth:
Blackadder's succinct summary of British battle plans: 'to continue with total slaughter until everybody's dead except Field Marshall Haig and Lady Haig and their tortoise, Alan.'
The troops are about to go over the top, or, as Blackadder more accurately puts it, "Field Marshal Haig (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwone/lions_donkeys_02.shtml) is about to make yet another gargantuan effort to move his drinks cabinet six inches closer to Berlin."
May we never forget the courage, sacrifice and dedication of our ancestors.
Hi Squid,
There has been a lot of debate over the role that stupidity played in the casualties of the Somme.
Much of the finger-pointing at the British commanding officers is the result of post-WWII socialist antagonism towards the British upper classes, whence came most of the senior officers. There is undoubtedly some validity to the criticism of the senior officers; a military cannot function well when merit runs a distant second behind social class in the criteria for awarding officers' commissions. A military requires well-trained, professional career officers who are awarded their commissions because they have demonstrated that they are capable of fulfilling the associated duties.
However, there is some need for re-evaluation.
Unlike the Americans, who with the Civil War had experienced the horrors of large scale "modern" warfare with repeating rifles, machine guns, accurate artillery, steam powered engines of destruction, etc., the British had no similar-scale experience on which to base strategy. Technological advances such as repeating rifles that were accurate to 400 yards, heavy and light water-cooled machine guns, the telephone, canned meats and vegetables (produced on an industrial scale), aircraft, larger and even more accurate artillery, chemical weapons, barbed-wire (produced on a large industrial scale), etc. changed all the rules of engagement. Once the two sides were entrenched, it was trial and error and error and error for both.
There is also the blunt fact that the Battle of The Somme was a necessary step towards defeating the Germans. They were not going to pack up and leave. There was probably no other way to move them other than a ground assault. Aircraft were not particularly effective as bombers yet. The choices were to stay put and keep sustaining casualties, to move forward and sustain even more casualties, or to quit.
Still, even with re-evaluation, there is no doubt that stupidity reigned supreme at The Somme. 1.2 million casualties in the space of 5 miles and the space of 5 months tell the tale quite dammingly. The evidence speaks for itself. But the stupidity existed on both sides. It is easy to forget that The Somme was the graveyard of the German army, as well.
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El_Squid
July 5th, 2006, 03:06 PM
Aye, the Germans suffered many casualties at the Somme. All parties involved kept shoving their armies into these horrific meat grinders, for any number of reasons, including inexperience, pride, stupidity and so for. These were the final days of Elan and the supremacy of "Audacity, always audacity". Courage and boldness will not save you, if you step in front of a machine gun.
I think the stupidity angle comes in when we realize that diplomatic efforts were still complete failures, even after years of this unbelievable slaughter. And, you are right, for as it said, "Generals train to fight the last war." not the current one. Post-Napoleonic strategy and tactics in a modern war. :eek:
Edit: Besides, I really like the Balckaddder series. :p
Thought: Hitler and Tolkein face off in the trenches of the Somme. :guns:
houseisland
July 5th, 2006, 09:32 PM
Edit: Besides, I really like the Balckaddder series. :p
Me too.
:cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:
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