The German Army at Cambrai

by Jack Sheldon, Brian Bond (Foreword by)

Overview

This latest German Army book by Jack Sheldon covers a shorter (three week) timeframe than his earlier works. After an introductory chapter tracing the development of the Hindenburg Line, the author concentrates on German aspects of the bitterly fought battle of Cambrai from 20 November to 6 December 1917.The narrative splits easily into two parts. First the defensive battle 20 29 November followed by the counter-attack which saw the German Army regain not only most of the ground lost in the opening phase but more besides. Detailed descriptions are given of the struggle for Flesquires Ridge and the see-saw battles for key terrain, including Bourlon Wood, as the German Army rushed reinforcements to the sectors under attack before we witness the German offensive.As with his other books full use is made of primary source material from the Munich Kriegsarchiv, the Hauptstaatsarchiv in Stuttgart, regimental histories and personal accounts. Of particular interest are the controversial interventions in operational matters of Ludendorf which were sharply criticized by Crown Prince Rupprecht. But for many the most fascinating aspect will be the experiences of the front line soldiers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781844685042
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	01/31/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Educated at Inverness Royal Academy, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the Universities of Lancaster and Westminster, Jack Sheldon completed a thirty-five year career as a member of the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment.

In 1982 he graduated from the German General Staff course at the Führungsakademie, Hamburg and went on to fill international staff appointments and to command an infantry training battalion. His final post before retirement in 2003 was as Military Attaché Berlin.

He now lives in France and has rapidly established himself as an expert in German First World War history. He was an honorary researcher for the Thiepval Visitor Centre Project, is a member of the British Commission for Military History and is the author of the highly acclaimed The German Army on the Somme 1914 – 1916, The German Army at Passchendaele and a number of Battleground Europe titles.

Table of Contents

Foreword vi

Introduction viii

Author's Note xii

Acknowledgements xiv

Chapter 1 The Flanders Sanatorium 1

Chapter 2 20 November 1917: First Clash 44

Chapter 3 20 November 1917: The Attack Continues 91

Chapter 4 The Battle for Bourlon Ridge 137

Chapter 5 A Counter-Attack is Planned 188

Chapter 6 30 November 1917: Hopes Raised 227

Chapter 7 December 1917: Hopes Dashed 273

Maps

Alberich Movement 317

The Cambrai Battlefield 318

Havrincourt Defences 319

Flesquières Defences 320

Bourlon Area 321

Area North 322

Area South 323

Appendix I German-British Comparison of Ranks 324

Bibliography 327

Index 333