German Army On The Somme: 1914-1916
by Jack Sheldon /
2007 / English / EPUB
6.5 MB Download
By drawing on a very large number of German sources, many of them
previously unpublished, Jack Sheldon throws new light on a familiar
story. In an account filled with graphic descriptions of life and
death in the trenches, the author demonstrates that the dreadful
losses of 1st July were a direct consequence of meticulous German
planning and preparation. Although the Battle of the Somme was
frequently a close-run affair, poor Allied co-ordination and
persistence in attacking weakly on narrow fronts played into the
hands of the German commanders, who were able to rush forward
reserves, maintain the overall integrity of their defenses and so
continue a successful delaying battle until the onset of winter
ultimately neutralized the considerable Allied superiority in men
and material.
By drawing on a very large number of German sources, many of them
previously unpublished, Jack Sheldon throws new light on a familiar
story. In an account filled with graphic descriptions of life and
death in the trenches, the author demonstrates that the dreadful
losses of 1st July were a direct consequence of meticulous German
planning and preparation. Although the Battle of the Somme was
frequently a close-run affair, poor Allied co-ordination and
persistence in attacking weakly on narrow fronts played into the
hands of the German commanders, who were able to rush forward
reserves, maintain the overall integrity of their defenses and so
continue a successful delaying battle until the onset of winter
ultimately neutralized the considerable Allied superiority in men
and material.