Lesson 6

WW I: 1915 - Search for New Solutions

Lesson Objectives

•  Understand the tactics employed in the opening months of the war and their incompatibility with the weapon technology of the period.

•  Understand and be able to discuss the efforts to break the stalemate on the Western Front.

•  Be able to list and discuss the impact of the new technology employed during the war.

2

Phases of World War I

1914 - Maneuver and Frustration

1915 - Search for New Solutions

1916 - Attrition

1917 - Desperation and Anticipation

1918 - Dénouement

Preview

Review of the War

August 3, 1914 Germany invades Belgium; war begins

“Miracle of the Marne”; German invasion haltedSept 5-10, 1914

October 1914 Race to the Sea ends; Stalemate on Western Front

1

Western Front

September – October 1914

BBC

Stalemate!Stalemate!

Western FrontThey Dug In

Excavating Machine

… and they got good at it

Western Front

Trench System, Loos, 1917

Phases of World War I

1914 - Maneuver and Frustration

Western Front

What caused the stalemate?

Machine gun

Heavy artillery

Firepower

Western Front

What caused the stalemate?

Machine gun

Heavy artillery

Firepower

Outmoded Tactics

Outmoded Tactics

Meanwhile …

Muskets were replaced by machine guns!

Western Front

What caused the stalemate?

Machine gun

Heavy artillery

Inability to Innovate

Firepower

Outmoded Tactics

Phases of World War I

1914 - Maneuver and Frustration

1915 - Search for New Solutions

Breaking the Stalemate

What attempts were made to break the impasse?

Technology

• Poison gas

• Tank

• Light Machine Gun

Poison Gas

First used by the Germans (Ypres, April 1915)

• Initially chlorine gas

• Later mustard, phosgene

• Violated Geneva Conventions of 1899 and 1907

Total War: A war that is unrestricted in terms of the weapons used, the territory or combatants involved, or the objectives pursued, especially one in which the laws of war are disregarded.

US Military Dictionary

Poison Gas

First used by the Germans (Ypres, April 1915)

• Initially chlorine gas

• Later mustard, phosgene

• Violated Geneva Conventions of 1899 and 1907

Total War: A war that is unrestricted in terms of the weapons used, the territory or combatants involved, or the objectives pursued, especially one in which the laws of war are disregarded.

US Military Dictionary

Poison Gas

Poison Gas

Dispensed directly from cylinders

Poison Gas

British Livens bomb projectors (mortars)(12 gal.oil cans buried in the ground)

Loading Livens projectors(chlorine gas canisters)

Poison Gas

Poison Gas

Poison Gas

First use by Germans had a devastating effect

• Significant gap in British line

Germans not prepared to exploit breakthrough

Poison Gas

Early French gas mask

Poison Gas

Gas mask drill

Poison Gas

Gas mask for horses

Poison Gas

Soldiers in full chemical gear

Poison Gas

Casualties

In perspective: Total Casualties (both sides): 30,900,000

Wounded: 21,200,000 Dead: 9,700,000

4.2% due to poison gas

Tanks

Attempt to create a mobile “pill box”

• Initially carried machine guns

• Later small cannon

British Mk IV “Male” tank

Tanks

First significant use at Cambrai (November 1917)

400+ tanks

Breakthrough achieved

but …

No exploitation !

Tanks

Imperial War Museum, Art 3539Learning Curvehttp://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/g3/cs1/g3cs1s6b.htm

British Tanks

Mk V Tank

Female (machine guns)

Male (6-pdr cannon)Battlefield 1918http://ww.battlefield1918.de/history/sct/hisdbfahr/

British Tanks

Mk I TankMale (6-pdr cannon) BBC

British Tanks

Whippet Medium Tank

French Tank

Schneider CA1 Tank

French Tank

Renault FT-17

First tank with a traversing turret(AEF markings)

German Tanks

German A7V Tank

Anti-Tank Weapons

3.7 cm TAK Rheinmetall AT gun

1918

Anti-Tank Weapons

13 mm (top) vs. .50 cal8 mm vs. 13 mm

Mauser Tankgewehr 1918 13 mm AT Rifle

Light Machine Guns

First light machine gun?

Danish Madsen LMG

First produced in 1897

Probert Encyclopediahttp://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/FMJ.HTM

Light Machine Gun

French Chaucet

British Lewis Gun

Light Machine Guns

U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle – BAR – M1918

Breaking the Stalemate

What attempts were made to break the impasse?

Technology

Tactics

• Strumtruppen (Stormtroopers)

(late in war)

StrumtruppenStormtroopers

Lightly equipped, specially trained shock troops

• Special weapons & tactics

Used small units, bursts of movement to overwhelm objectives

Bypassed strong points to attack from rear

StrumtruppenStormtroopers

Bypassed strong points to attack from rear

Blitzkrieghttp://www.bellum.nu/basics/concepts/blitzkrieg.htm

Strumtruppenhttp://www.worldwar1.com/arm011.htm

StrumtruppenStormtroopers

Special weapons & equipment

Body Armor

Machinegewehr 18 MG18 Schmeiser

StrumtruppenStormtroopers

Major impact during Offensive of 1918

but …

Too little, too late!

A

Breaking the Stalemate

What attempts were made to break the impasse?

Technology

Strategy

• Dardanelles Campaign ( Gallipoli )

Tactics

Breaking the Stalemate

A Strategic Flanking

48

48

(attempt)

Dardanelles CampaignGallipoli

Dardanelles CampaignGallipoli

Dardanelles CampaignGallipoli

Dardanelles CampaignGallipoli

Dardanelles CampaignGallipoli

1915-1916

British Commonwealth Operation

Amphibious landings

Attempted to force the Dardanelles, open passage to reinforce Russia

Dardanelles CampaignGallipoli

Landing operations, Sulva Bay

Dardanelles CampaignGallipoli

British force

Achieved tactical surprise (April 1915)

• Allowed Turks to reinforce

Stalemate developed on the beaches

British withdrew (Dec 1915 - Jan 1916)

Heavy casualties

• Allies: 180,000 • Turks: 220,000

• Predominantly Australian & New Zealand (ANZAC)

Dardanelles Campaign 1915-16

"The Circle of Modern War" and logo© Thomas D. Pilsch 2007-2013

Living & Dying in WW I -YouTube: 0-2:48

Breaking the Stalemate

What attempts were made to break the impasse?

Technology

Strategy• Dardanelles Campaign ( Gallipoli )

Tactics

• Maritime Blockade

• Strategic Distraction

( both sides ) *

( Germany ) *

* Future Lessons

Breaking the Stalemate

What attempts were made to break the impasse?

Technology

Tactics

Strategy

Review of the War

August 3, 1914 Germany invades Belgium; war begins

“Miracle of the Marne”; German invasion haltedSept 5-10, 1914

October 1914 Race to the Sea ends; Stalemate on Western Front

1915 Sea blockades established around UK and Germany

Feb 1915-Jan 1916 Dardanelles Campaign (Gallipoli)

Beginning of 1916 Germans accept futility of breakthrough on Western Front, adopt attrition strategy against French at Verdun

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Lesson 7

WW I: 1916 – Attrition Warfare

Lesson Objectives

•  Understand the issues involved with the shift in prospects from a short war to a long war.

•  Understand the rationale for each side to move to attrition warfare on the Western Front.

• Describe the outlooks for each of the Allied and Central powers as a consequences of the 1916 Western Front battles of attrition.

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End

Video Title

"The Circle of Modern War" and logo© Thomas D. Pilsch 2007-2013

Artillery in WW I

"The Circle of Modern War" and logo© Thomas D. Pilsch 2007-2013

(6:50)

Tanks

Video Clip

British Mark V tank