Pillars of Fire; The Battle of Messines Ridge June 1917

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9780750925402
• ISBN10: 075092540X
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2000-08-01
• Publisher: The History Press

Summary

'Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography.' So said General Plumer the day before 600 tons of explosives were detonated under the German positions on Messines Ridge. The explosion was heard by Lloyd George in Downing Street, and as far away as Dublin. Until 1918, Messines was the only clear cut Allied victory on the Western Front, coming at a time when Britain and her allies needed it most: boosting Allied morale and shattering that of the Germans. Precisely orchestrated, Messines was the first true all-arms modern battle which brought together artillery, engineers, infantry, tanks, aircraft and administrative units from a commonwealth of nations to defeat the common enemy. So why is its name not as familiar as the Somme, Passchendaele or Verdun? General Sir Herbert Plumer, perhaps the most meticulous, resourceful and respected British general of WW1, is also unfamiliar to many. This book examines the battle for the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge from the British, ANZAC and German perspectives. It reassesses the reasons for Plumer's success on that day, the implications of Haig's failure to exploit that success, and finally, the legacy of the battle for the maturing of the BEF in 1918. Illustrated with archive photographs and maps, it is a major contribution to our understanding of one of the seminal battles of WW1.

Table of Contents

List of Photographs and Plates	vii
Maps/Diagrams	xi
Acknowledgements	xiii
Glossary and Introductory Notes	xv
Foreword	xxv
Preface	xxvii
Prelude	1	(22)
An Orchestra of War	23	(16)
Instruments of War	39	(34)
Across the Wire: Towards `Soldatendammerung'	73	(16)
Overture: 1-6 June	89	(5)
`The Messines Symphony'-First Movement and Phase One: `Soldatendammerung': a.m. 7 June	94	(40)
Second Movement and Phase Two: `Strike the Chord': p.m. 7 June	134	(20)
Third Movement: `Not a Retreat, merely a Withdrawal': 8-14 June	154	(12)
Fourth Movement: `Opportunity Gained. . .and Lost'	166	(5)
Finale: Repercussions-Third Ypres, Cambrai and Crisis	171	(16)
Coda: The Legacy of Messines	187	(3)
Postscript: `To my chum'	190	(2)
Appendices	192	(11)
Bibliography	203	(13)
Index	216