alternatehistory.com

Some days ago i've started TL (https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=140834)... doesn't mind. It did not really started this story. But the skeleton is still there and I want to go back, perhaps in another form
The overall goal, for now is defeat of Germany in WWI, but the "honorable", with keeping the monarchy, and few colonies (temporarily occupied after the war by the Entente). The starting point would be the Battle of Verdun, to minimize the loss of German.
Currently, POD is around 1914, after the Battle of the Marne, Konprinz insists on the supreme command to let him cut off Verdun. His army encounter resistance, but after the withdrawal of the Aisne, 3,4 and 5 Armies "withdraw less" than OTL: to a line Remis; Sainte-Menehould; Avoucourt pn north and on the south, Germans held bank of the Meuse from Troyon to Saint-Mihiel. By mid-1915 this would have no relevance to the war, only to keeping more of the crew of the fortress.
And now the point: originally I was going to just change the plan of operations Geriht: the attack was not to be postponed just before, because of weather changes, but earlier, for example, by problems in the collection of stocks, larger than in reality. This would allow greater surprise in first strikes. After winning the first operational targets, Germany has not still goes ahead, generating more losses on their side, but their entrenched and let the French bleed in the next counterattacks, while shelling the city with heavy artillery, reducing the possibility of replacments and supplies. Army zeppelins not participate in raids on England, but in the first phase of the battle, as night raiders. One of them would discover Sacred Way. I had an idea to bomb it by the airships, or aircrafts by hurriedly modified gas shells. Although the battle does not bring resolution, but Falkenhayn stay in OHL, and the loss ratio is much better than it was. In the meantime, a sharp dispute between the commanders (mainly Falkenhayn and Luddendorf) change tactic the German Army, to a more flexible, with deep defense and the principle that 'blood is more precious than mud ".
Somma: Germany withdraw to further and further lines of defense, suffering fewer losses. Finally front reaches in September: Miraumont-Le Sars-Flers-Rancourt-Bouchavesnes-Olery-Barleux-Fresnes-Chaulnes. during one of the September attacks, Brits usetanks first time: their take some German pillboxes, but after heavy artillery barrage, leaves, one damaged tank and 3 wrecks: the Germans manage to take and renovate as much as 3 of them which wer transferred to the tests. In October, Germans strike in the north of bulge, with flexible tactics. They come almost to Bazentin, forcing the British to shorten the front line, in fact, achieved around 15 September. And clue for today: two of captured tanks are used in experiment by Germans in december during one of the last french counterattacks near Verdun as movable elements on defence.
Any ideas, and comment for that? Plausibility, or not?
Top