Cardboard castles
November 21st: In the morning, the 4th and 5th cavalry divisions, supported by the 7th and 23rd infantry divisions, push North and reach the South bank of the Sensée river. Their way was barred by the German 20th division, while the German 240th division was cut off from action, closed between the Canal du Nord and the advancing British units. The day closed with a stalemate: British don’t break the German defenses on the Sensée river, the German 240th division doesn’t break the British choke. North to the battlefield, Germans begin the rapid retreat from the La Bassée-Lens salient. While a light screen, provided by first-line units, hold the defenses, repulsing some British diversionary attacks, the main force and the logistical train of the German Sixth Army begin the evacuation.
The political consequences of the German defeat are immediate and stunning. In Vienna, Emperor Karl realizes once again that this defeat gives him the right to disengage immediately from a losing war. Any territorial sacrifice asked by the Entente is now acceptable. He resumed immediately the secret contacts with the Entente, through Prince Sixte in France. He writes to president Poincaré, accepting all the Entente conditions for a separate peace. As a demonstration of good intent, the Emperor realizes one of his long-term project: he released the Proclamation, or “Manifesto of the Peoples”. This reform transforms completely the structure of Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The Poles were granted full independence in order to join the newly recognized Polish state. The rest of the Cislethania (austrian) lands were transformed into a federal union composed of four parts: German, Czech, Slovene and Ukrainian. Each of the four parts has to be governed by a Federal Council and has the right to secede. The future of the Rumanian minority in Bukovina has to be determined by a post-war referendum. Transleithania (Hungary and its dominions) is not included in the reform. Until now.
November 22nd: While the German Sixth Army is managing to retreat from La Bassée salient, the British Fifth Army (gen. Gough) slowly advances in Arras and Loos sectors. The British Third Army is pushing from Sensée river to cut the German retreat. The defences of German Sixth Army left flank are hold by the 20th regular and 20th territorial (Landwehr) division, while the 240th division is cut from the action. By the end of the day, thanks to massive artillery support, the British XIV Corps cross the Sensée, breaking the German field defences. The British tank corps is now almost completely incapacitated, because of German anti-tank fire and hundreds of mechanical failures. Since now, British can rely on barely 100 tanks. But now they have not to break other fortified lines. They are in open fields, for the first time since 1914 and they are ready to move to Valenciennes, as fast as possible, with their Cavalry Corps.
November 23rd: in order to speed up the retreat from la Bassée salient, general Rupprecht orders the Sixth Army to completely abandon all the advanced defences in front of the British Fifth Army. Bad weather (snow begins to fall early in the morning) and rough terrain (the old Somme battlefield) provide a very good screen, while the Germans can rely on quite good road system. As predicted, the Fifth Army follows on very slowly because of disastrous logistic conditions and Germans can evacuate the salient almost completely. Not all the units can escape the British manoeuvre. The 20th and 20th Landwehr divisions, the 240th division and also two first-line Bavarian divisions of the Sixth Army are completely cut off from the rest of the German Army. Before the evening, the British 1st cavalry division enters Valenciennes without fighting, capturing thousands and thousands tons of German ammos and materiel. The mission of the Third Army is accomplished.
In the evening, Emperor Karl I announces openly to German Emperor William II that the Austro-Hungarian Empire will ask for a separate peace in the next 24 hours. A copy of the letter is sent to the OHL’s HQ at Spa, along with all the necessary informations for a quick replacement of A-H units on all fronts with German divisions. The news from the Western front and the announcement of Austro-Hungarian sudden retreat from the war provoke the mental collapse of Ludendorff. After a violent crisis, the German commander in chief has to abandon Spa. He is temporarily relieved by Rupprecht, whose theatre of operation (Army Group North) is fundamental for the defence of the entire Western Front.
November 24th: the Austro-Hungarian armistice commission signs the separate peace at Trieste. All conditions accepted days before by Prince Sixte are formally validated in the armistice. Now the Austro-Hungarian army and navy have to demobilize. Six German divisions seizes immediately the control of Brennero Pass and begin the occupation of all the Tyrol. Mackensen Army Group and German Eleventh Army relieves the Austro-Hungarian troops in the Balkans, along with Bulgarian troops. But the Balkan front is becoming indefensible, Mackensen plans for a general retreat beyond the Danube-Sava line, while the Bulgarian government begins secret negotiations with general Sarrail, commander in chief of the Entente Eastern Army. Germans have not enough troops to relieve A-H units along all the Eastern front. OberOst (general Hoffman) has to order an overstretching deployment of the German Southern Army Group and Ninth Army in order to cover Galicia and Moldovan sectors.
On the Western Front, all the German units of the Second and Sixth Army completes their retreat beyond a new defensive line. All the divisions cut out from the action surrender to British forces, one by one. Basically, the British advance to the North is finished and the new front is stabilized. New attacks with tanks against the new German line fails. Tanks are very few, their crews exhausted and artillery support is now insufficient. The logistical train is too slow to follow the advance in a devastated terrain. British Third and Fifth Armies have created a new salient, with Valenciennes at its apex, 80 km wide and 60 km deep. More important: they have captured more than 100.000 German prisoners, nearly 1000 guns and thousands of tons of materiel.
Emperor William II breaks his long held silence and indicts a strategic conference at Spa, with generals Hindemburg, Hoffman and Rupprecht. In the same time, British Admiralty decides to hit again and hard the morale of the enemy and orders the Baltic naval expedition to leave the Gulf of Finland.
November 25th: early in the morning, Bulgaria signs an armistice with the Entente Eastern Army at Salonika. Mackensen orders immediately a general retreat of all German forces in the Balkans beyond the Danube-Sava line.
The strategic conference at Spa opens with the sad news from the Balkans. Rupprecht briefed on the Western Front: the lines can be held very well, now. The incoming Winter will prevent a new Entente offensive and for Spring a new fortified line can be completed in order to block further enemy assaults. An offensive (which can prevent the arrival of American forces) is impossible without the necessary help from Eastern front units. But Hoffman cannot give divisions. He needs desperately reinforces, indeed, because of Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian defections. The gap opened in the South is too wide to be covered. And Hoffman is sure that the Russians can launch a new offensive for the next Spring.
Shocking news arrives from the North: British battlecruisers Repulse, Renown, Glorious and Courageous are shelling Danzig. Firing at long range with their 15inch guns, helped by the aerial observations provided by the HMS Furious, the British capital ships silenced the coastal batteries of the German city in a 30 minute action. When the German Hochseeflotte leaves Kiel, the battlecruisers are already gone. The fleet is incapacitated, the German coast is exposed to naval attacks, by Spring 1918 the Russian can attack from the East, Entente and new American forces can attack from the West, the Entente Eastern Army and the Italian Army can attack from the South. Germany is isolated. That night, at Spa, after the end of the strategic conference, William II calls field marshal Hindemburg and communicates him his intention to open negotiations with Entente.
To be continued...
November 21st: In the morning, the 4th and 5th cavalry divisions, supported by the 7th and 23rd infantry divisions, push North and reach the South bank of the Sensée river. Their way was barred by the German 20th division, while the German 240th division was cut off from action, closed between the Canal du Nord and the advancing British units. The day closed with a stalemate: British don’t break the German defenses on the Sensée river, the German 240th division doesn’t break the British choke. North to the battlefield, Germans begin the rapid retreat from the La Bassée-Lens salient. While a light screen, provided by first-line units, hold the defenses, repulsing some British diversionary attacks, the main force and the logistical train of the German Sixth Army begin the evacuation.
The political consequences of the German defeat are immediate and stunning. In Vienna, Emperor Karl realizes once again that this defeat gives him the right to disengage immediately from a losing war. Any territorial sacrifice asked by the Entente is now acceptable. He resumed immediately the secret contacts with the Entente, through Prince Sixte in France. He writes to president Poincaré, accepting all the Entente conditions for a separate peace. As a demonstration of good intent, the Emperor realizes one of his long-term project: he released the Proclamation, or “Manifesto of the Peoples”. This reform transforms completely the structure of Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The Poles were granted full independence in order to join the newly recognized Polish state. The rest of the Cislethania (austrian) lands were transformed into a federal union composed of four parts: German, Czech, Slovene and Ukrainian. Each of the four parts has to be governed by a Federal Council and has the right to secede. The future of the Rumanian minority in Bukovina has to be determined by a post-war referendum. Transleithania (Hungary and its dominions) is not included in the reform. Until now.
November 22nd: While the German Sixth Army is managing to retreat from La Bassée salient, the British Fifth Army (gen. Gough) slowly advances in Arras and Loos sectors. The British Third Army is pushing from Sensée river to cut the German retreat. The defences of German Sixth Army left flank are hold by the 20th regular and 20th territorial (Landwehr) division, while the 240th division is cut from the action. By the end of the day, thanks to massive artillery support, the British XIV Corps cross the Sensée, breaking the German field defences. The British tank corps is now almost completely incapacitated, because of German anti-tank fire and hundreds of mechanical failures. Since now, British can rely on barely 100 tanks. But now they have not to break other fortified lines. They are in open fields, for the first time since 1914 and they are ready to move to Valenciennes, as fast as possible, with their Cavalry Corps.
November 23rd: in order to speed up the retreat from la Bassée salient, general Rupprecht orders the Sixth Army to completely abandon all the advanced defences in front of the British Fifth Army. Bad weather (snow begins to fall early in the morning) and rough terrain (the old Somme battlefield) provide a very good screen, while the Germans can rely on quite good road system. As predicted, the Fifth Army follows on very slowly because of disastrous logistic conditions and Germans can evacuate the salient almost completely. Not all the units can escape the British manoeuvre. The 20th and 20th Landwehr divisions, the 240th division and also two first-line Bavarian divisions of the Sixth Army are completely cut off from the rest of the German Army. Before the evening, the British 1st cavalry division enters Valenciennes without fighting, capturing thousands and thousands tons of German ammos and materiel. The mission of the Third Army is accomplished.
In the evening, Emperor Karl I announces openly to German Emperor William II that the Austro-Hungarian Empire will ask for a separate peace in the next 24 hours. A copy of the letter is sent to the OHL’s HQ at Spa, along with all the necessary informations for a quick replacement of A-H units on all fronts with German divisions. The news from the Western front and the announcement of Austro-Hungarian sudden retreat from the war provoke the mental collapse of Ludendorff. After a violent crisis, the German commander in chief has to abandon Spa. He is temporarily relieved by Rupprecht, whose theatre of operation (Army Group North) is fundamental for the defence of the entire Western Front.
November 24th: the Austro-Hungarian armistice commission signs the separate peace at Trieste. All conditions accepted days before by Prince Sixte are formally validated in the armistice. Now the Austro-Hungarian army and navy have to demobilize. Six German divisions seizes immediately the control of Brennero Pass and begin the occupation of all the Tyrol. Mackensen Army Group and German Eleventh Army relieves the Austro-Hungarian troops in the Balkans, along with Bulgarian troops. But the Balkan front is becoming indefensible, Mackensen plans for a general retreat beyond the Danube-Sava line, while the Bulgarian government begins secret negotiations with general Sarrail, commander in chief of the Entente Eastern Army. Germans have not enough troops to relieve A-H units along all the Eastern front. OberOst (general Hoffman) has to order an overstretching deployment of the German Southern Army Group and Ninth Army in order to cover Galicia and Moldovan sectors.
On the Western Front, all the German units of the Second and Sixth Army completes their retreat beyond a new defensive line. All the divisions cut out from the action surrender to British forces, one by one. Basically, the British advance to the North is finished and the new front is stabilized. New attacks with tanks against the new German line fails. Tanks are very few, their crews exhausted and artillery support is now insufficient. The logistical train is too slow to follow the advance in a devastated terrain. British Third and Fifth Armies have created a new salient, with Valenciennes at its apex, 80 km wide and 60 km deep. More important: they have captured more than 100.000 German prisoners, nearly 1000 guns and thousands of tons of materiel.
Emperor William II breaks his long held silence and indicts a strategic conference at Spa, with generals Hindemburg, Hoffman and Rupprecht. In the same time, British Admiralty decides to hit again and hard the morale of the enemy and orders the Baltic naval expedition to leave the Gulf of Finland.
November 25th: early in the morning, Bulgaria signs an armistice with the Entente Eastern Army at Salonika. Mackensen orders immediately a general retreat of all German forces in the Balkans beyond the Danube-Sava line.
The strategic conference at Spa opens with the sad news from the Balkans. Rupprecht briefed on the Western Front: the lines can be held very well, now. The incoming Winter will prevent a new Entente offensive and for Spring a new fortified line can be completed in order to block further enemy assaults. An offensive (which can prevent the arrival of American forces) is impossible without the necessary help from Eastern front units. But Hoffman cannot give divisions. He needs desperately reinforces, indeed, because of Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian defections. The gap opened in the South is too wide to be covered. And Hoffman is sure that the Russians can launch a new offensive for the next Spring.
Shocking news arrives from the North: British battlecruisers Repulse, Renown, Glorious and Courageous are shelling Danzig. Firing at long range with their 15inch guns, helped by the aerial observations provided by the HMS Furious, the British capital ships silenced the coastal batteries of the German city in a 30 minute action. When the German Hochseeflotte leaves Kiel, the battlecruisers are already gone. The fleet is incapacitated, the German coast is exposed to naval attacks, by Spring 1918 the Russian can attack from the East, Entente and new American forces can attack from the West, the Entente Eastern Army and the Italian Army can attack from the South. Germany is isolated. That night, at Spa, after the end of the strategic conference, William II calls field marshal Hindemburg and communicates him his intention to open negotiations with Entente.
To be continued...
