BlairWitch749
Banned
Its a damn desert (Chapter 4) Battle is an orgy of disorder-George S. Patton Jr (a special thanx to Rast for consulting on this update)
The Somme Feb 1918
The American XII corps certainly was in the decisive sector. Pershing had his command concentrated in and around the town of Albert, ready to drive down its crucial road towards Perrone and take the wind out of the German sails. Units of the British 5th Army came streaming back before his men shouting that the war was lost, casting away their weapons (although these incidents where much fewer than media reports made them out to be)
Pershing's plan of action was a basic frontal assault. The two tank battalions would take the lead in front of the big red one, whilst the 35th and 42nd filled in the left and right flanks respectively. Over 500 guns would support Pershing's initial assault. It opened up against units of the German Army under Von Marwitz. The Germans had already come far and overcome many obstacles.
Marwitz was delighted to hear that there where American's before him and saw this is a critical chance to wound their pride and once again display German dominance on the battlefield. His forward troops had no luck however. Despite intense complications with the French railway system, and the need to draw pistols in order to get fuel delivered, George Patton's two tank battalions where able to get at Marwitz's forward troops before they could retire to their old familiar ridgelines that dominated the old Somme battlefield's chalk plain. The St. Chamounds where able to make some progress, although suffered exceptional difficulty working around the myriad of shell holes. Patton delighted as he rode with one forward company which obliterated 200 Germans in the open with their cannons and machine guns, "watching those screaming Kraut bastards run to the rear was the most beautiful site in my life"
American infantry also made excellent progress as their artillery was well served in the first assault and a lethal creeping barrage allowed the three infantry divisions to march into the face of intense machine gun fire and over run the Germans; knocking out numerous nests and flat out kicking them off the higher ground (albeit as a cost in casualties that was unpleasant)
The Americans won the first segment of the battle for several reasons
1. The German troops where exhausted from their initial assault against the British
2. The Somme battlefield was difficult to move supplies through and the Germans had outrun their guns
3. American divisions where large and powerful, and their incredible morale as they sang and screamed running towards the machine gun posts was unnerving to even the most hardened German Landser
4. The hard work of Pershing's staff had seen the initial assault overcome numerous logistical roadblocks and get the men and equipment where they needed to be at the right time
At the same time as the American doughboys slapped themselves on the back for a job well done. They ran into a problem the British had the year before at Cambrai... namely they had a victory and had advanced, but they didn't know what to do with it. The hasty nature of their assault and the horrendous nature of the terrain they had chosen put them in a difficult position. It was damned near impossible to bring up their guns, and to resupply fuel and ammo. Worst of all was that the German high angle howitzer battalions farther to the rear where lobbing shells over the ridge lines which interdicted the Albert road and their supply lines.
Marwitz although disheartened by the initial failure regrouped his stormtrooper battalions and was able to clear his guns out of the tremendous traffic jams in the rear areas and immediately turn American lives around Peronne into a nightmare. 105 and 150mm fire rained down for hours at a time. Many disabled but still serviceable American tanks where lost when rounds landed on them. Troops occupying the ridgelines gained no advantage as expert German gunners where able to use high angle mortar and howitzer fire on them and drop shells right on their positions. American disinclination towards digging in cost them heavily as they where caught in the open with nowhere to hide and unable to bring their own guns to bear to counter battery.
After softening the Americans up for several hours, regrouped and resupplied storm trooper companies surged forward, employing base of fire, double envelopements, fire blocks on withdrawl routes and infiltrating soft spots and gaps in the American positions. The affect was devastating, especially since many of the storm troopers where intimately familiar with the ground and trench systems of the chosen battlefield; also of critical importance was the large numbers of MP-18 sub machine guns employed which German infantry used expertly to hose down Americans in the trench systems.
The 69th infantry regiment on the right flank under Douglas MacAurther was severely handled as they received almost no tank or artillery support. They gave as good as they got in some cases, however the Germans where able to overrun several companies and then flow around them creating an encirclement and compelling the surrender or destruction of the entire regiment (MacAurther himself would go into captivity when a reinforced company from a guards foot regiment surrounded his headquarters)
On the left flank things where no better. Morale was questionable in the 35th which had many ethnic Germans from the midwest. Initially they suffered heavily from German artillery and heavy weapons; but where rescued when a young Missouri captain, Harry Truman was able to force march several batteries of 75mm artillery into position to support his boys and immediately began covering the infantry and shooting up German gun positions farther to the rear (an action for which he was awarded the congressional medal of honor). Then disaster struck
The British third army on their left flank hadn't had time to laison with the American's and their commander Sir Julian Byng had received the same sort of desperate counterattack orders that Pershing did. Observation was impossible both due to a general fog that continued to hang in the air, and to the large numbers of smoke shells the Americans and Germans where employing. Byng's gunners last report was that the Germans where still all over the ridge lines (word hadn't gotten back that the 35th had pushed the Germans back and now urgently needed support) and they opened up with a withering barrage that inflicted tremendous casualties to Americans caught in the open. The Germans took advantage of this, regrouped, counterattacked and pushed the Americans off the ridgelines and captured large numbers of prisoners.
American commander Brig General William Wright was furious with the British for shooting up his men. He got into a blazing row with his neighboring division commander... pistols where drawn and took several heart pounding minutes for frightened and furious staff officers to talk the generals down
All in all it was a repeat of the second stage of Cambrai from the year before; although the Americans could afford the losses, especially since their forces further south had distinguished themselves fighting along side the French; however there was much bitterness to go around, and the feelings of wounded pride and distrust where not so easily forgotten in the XII corps
to be continued...
thoughts?
Chaos and confusion during the spring offensive
A grim symbol of the American sacrifice on the Somme
MacAurther just before being taken prisoner by the German 2nd army
Pattons tanks advance to cover the big red 1... they where successful, but suffered tremendous casualties to rough terrain and enemy high angle weapons
American POW's taken by the Germans. Members of the 35th where not as politically motivated for the war as their masters would have truly preferred
The Somme Feb 1918
The American XII corps certainly was in the decisive sector. Pershing had his command concentrated in and around the town of Albert, ready to drive down its crucial road towards Perrone and take the wind out of the German sails. Units of the British 5th Army came streaming back before his men shouting that the war was lost, casting away their weapons (although these incidents where much fewer than media reports made them out to be)
Pershing's plan of action was a basic frontal assault. The two tank battalions would take the lead in front of the big red one, whilst the 35th and 42nd filled in the left and right flanks respectively. Over 500 guns would support Pershing's initial assault. It opened up against units of the German Army under Von Marwitz. The Germans had already come far and overcome many obstacles.
Marwitz was delighted to hear that there where American's before him and saw this is a critical chance to wound their pride and once again display German dominance on the battlefield. His forward troops had no luck however. Despite intense complications with the French railway system, and the need to draw pistols in order to get fuel delivered, George Patton's two tank battalions where able to get at Marwitz's forward troops before they could retire to their old familiar ridgelines that dominated the old Somme battlefield's chalk plain. The St. Chamounds where able to make some progress, although suffered exceptional difficulty working around the myriad of shell holes. Patton delighted as he rode with one forward company which obliterated 200 Germans in the open with their cannons and machine guns, "watching those screaming Kraut bastards run to the rear was the most beautiful site in my life"
American infantry also made excellent progress as their artillery was well served in the first assault and a lethal creeping barrage allowed the three infantry divisions to march into the face of intense machine gun fire and over run the Germans; knocking out numerous nests and flat out kicking them off the higher ground (albeit as a cost in casualties that was unpleasant)
The Americans won the first segment of the battle for several reasons
1. The German troops where exhausted from their initial assault against the British
2. The Somme battlefield was difficult to move supplies through and the Germans had outrun their guns
3. American divisions where large and powerful, and their incredible morale as they sang and screamed running towards the machine gun posts was unnerving to even the most hardened German Landser
4. The hard work of Pershing's staff had seen the initial assault overcome numerous logistical roadblocks and get the men and equipment where they needed to be at the right time
At the same time as the American doughboys slapped themselves on the back for a job well done. They ran into a problem the British had the year before at Cambrai... namely they had a victory and had advanced, but they didn't know what to do with it. The hasty nature of their assault and the horrendous nature of the terrain they had chosen put them in a difficult position. It was damned near impossible to bring up their guns, and to resupply fuel and ammo. Worst of all was that the German high angle howitzer battalions farther to the rear where lobbing shells over the ridge lines which interdicted the Albert road and their supply lines.
Marwitz although disheartened by the initial failure regrouped his stormtrooper battalions and was able to clear his guns out of the tremendous traffic jams in the rear areas and immediately turn American lives around Peronne into a nightmare. 105 and 150mm fire rained down for hours at a time. Many disabled but still serviceable American tanks where lost when rounds landed on them. Troops occupying the ridgelines gained no advantage as expert German gunners where able to use high angle mortar and howitzer fire on them and drop shells right on their positions. American disinclination towards digging in cost them heavily as they where caught in the open with nowhere to hide and unable to bring their own guns to bear to counter battery.
After softening the Americans up for several hours, regrouped and resupplied storm trooper companies surged forward, employing base of fire, double envelopements, fire blocks on withdrawl routes and infiltrating soft spots and gaps in the American positions. The affect was devastating, especially since many of the storm troopers where intimately familiar with the ground and trench systems of the chosen battlefield; also of critical importance was the large numbers of MP-18 sub machine guns employed which German infantry used expertly to hose down Americans in the trench systems.
The 69th infantry regiment on the right flank under Douglas MacAurther was severely handled as they received almost no tank or artillery support. They gave as good as they got in some cases, however the Germans where able to overrun several companies and then flow around them creating an encirclement and compelling the surrender or destruction of the entire regiment (MacAurther himself would go into captivity when a reinforced company from a guards foot regiment surrounded his headquarters)
On the left flank things where no better. Morale was questionable in the 35th which had many ethnic Germans from the midwest. Initially they suffered heavily from German artillery and heavy weapons; but where rescued when a young Missouri captain, Harry Truman was able to force march several batteries of 75mm artillery into position to support his boys and immediately began covering the infantry and shooting up German gun positions farther to the rear (an action for which he was awarded the congressional medal of honor). Then disaster struck
The British third army on their left flank hadn't had time to laison with the American's and their commander Sir Julian Byng had received the same sort of desperate counterattack orders that Pershing did. Observation was impossible both due to a general fog that continued to hang in the air, and to the large numbers of smoke shells the Americans and Germans where employing. Byng's gunners last report was that the Germans where still all over the ridge lines (word hadn't gotten back that the 35th had pushed the Germans back and now urgently needed support) and they opened up with a withering barrage that inflicted tremendous casualties to Americans caught in the open. The Germans took advantage of this, regrouped, counterattacked and pushed the Americans off the ridgelines and captured large numbers of prisoners.
American commander Brig General William Wright was furious with the British for shooting up his men. He got into a blazing row with his neighboring division commander... pistols where drawn and took several heart pounding minutes for frightened and furious staff officers to talk the generals down
All in all it was a repeat of the second stage of Cambrai from the year before; although the Americans could afford the losses, especially since their forces further south had distinguished themselves fighting along side the French; however there was much bitterness to go around, and the feelings of wounded pride and distrust where not so easily forgotten in the XII corps
to be continued...
thoughts?
Chaos and confusion during the spring offensive
A grim symbol of the American sacrifice on the Somme
MacAurther just before being taken prisoner by the German 2nd army
Pattons tanks advance to cover the big red 1... they where successful, but suffered tremendous casualties to rough terrain and enemy high angle weapons
American POW's taken by the Germans. Members of the 35th where not as politically motivated for the war as their masters would have truly preferred
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