This is an account of the British Expeditionary Force’s defensive
battle in Flanders during April 1918. It begins with the planning for
Operation Georgette, the second German offensive of the year. The
attack on 9 April penetrated up to 6 miles on a 20 mile wide front
across the Lys plain but further attacks resulted in the evacuation of
the town of Armentières. For three weeks First Army and Second Army
fought to stem the onslaught as GHQ struggled to find reserves to help
them. The situation became so desperate that Field Marshal Sir Douglas
Haig had to issue his famous ‘backs to the walls’ order on 11
April. Reinforcements stopped the Germans reaching Hazebrouck rail
center but they could not stop them reaching Bailleul. The French
helped stem the tide but the battle climaxed with the loss of the
Kemmelberg and the Scherpenberg, the two highest hills in Flanders.
Each stage of the battle is given equal treatment, with detailed
insights into the most talked about side of the campaign, the British
side. Fifty maps chart the day by day progress of each corps on each
day. This is an insight into the BEF’s experience during this
campaign. The men who made a difference are mentioned; those who led
the advances, those who stopped the counterattacks and those who were
awarded the Victoria Cross. Discover the Cambrai campaign and learn
how the British Army’s brave soldiers fought and died fighting to
achieve their objectives.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781526723376
Publisert
2022
Utgiver
Casemate Publishers and Book Distributors, LLC
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter