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Hundred Days : The Campaign That Ended World War I (9780465074907)

Page 41

by Lloyd, Nick


  Cambrai–Saint-Quentin line crucial 175

  Crown Prince Rupprecht comments on fighting 193

  falls on 9 October 208, 212, 214

  few tourists now xxxiii

  Gouzeaucourt repeatedly fought over xxv–xxvi

  great British objective 95, 135

  Haig comments on remarkable progress since 32–3

  heavy British attacks around 177

  and the Hindenburg Line 144, 170

  remained in German hands on 3 October 194

  trucks commandeered 55

  Cameron, Major-General George 153

  Camp, R. H. 231

  Canadian Corps

  in action on outskirts of Valenciennes 242

  at Amiens 31, 36–7

  and the Drocourt–Quéant Line 95, 98–101

  exhausted after breach of Hindenburg Line 188

  fighting at Framerville 53

  four miles inside the German lines 49

  and German destruction 263

  only 420 casualties at Mont Houy 243

  plan to cross Canal du Nord 168

  DIVISIONS

  1st 56, 101, 230–31

  2nd xxix, 56, 266

  3rd 56, 208

  4th 52, 60–61, 169

  BRIGADES

  11th 55

  REGIMENTS

  5th Mounted Rifles 37, 210

  BATTALIONS

  10th 44

  18th 54–5

  28th 266

  47th 232

  Canal du Nord

  attack across 169–71

  British decide to take advantage of 144

  Currie’s forces placed here 167–8

  heavy British attacks around 177

  Thomas Cotterill killed at xxix–xxx

  Carignan-Mézières rail link 152

  Carlepont 57

  Carlowitz, General von 175

  Carpenter, Lieutenant William 121

  Central Powers 141–2, 226

  Champagne fever see Flanders fever

  Charleroi 238

  Charleville 237

  Charlton, Captain A. H. 186

  Château de Bombon 24, 29–30, 62–3, 95, 141

  Château de la Fraineuse 180

  Château-Thierry 2, 25, 115

  Chaulnes 56

  Chauny 74

  Chemin des Dames 14

  Chenu, Lieutenant Charles 3–6, 119

  Cheppy 160

  Chipilly 30, 39

  Chipilly–Rosières–Roye line 57

  chlorine gas 102

  Churchill, Winston 191

  Clark, Brigadier-General J. A. 64–5

  Clarke, Miss C. W. 159–60

  Claudel, Major-General Henri 206

  Clausewitz, Carl Philipp von 61

  Clemenceau, Georges

  brings back Mangin 75

  conference on 16 October 216

  description 20

  Foch hands him Armistice conditions 270

  Foch to provide report on military terms of armistice 226, 228

  furious pronouncements of 14

  visit to Montfaucon 166

  and Wilson’s Fourteen Points 200

  Colt, Lieutenant-Colonel 81

  Comines 213, 221

  Composite Army C 128, 148

  Congressional Medal of Honor 120

  Cook, Tim 102

  Corbie (Somme) 134

  Cotterill, Florence xxx

  Cotterill, George Thomas xxvi–xxviii, xxx, xxxiii, 80, 172, 293n.4

  counter-battery fire 102, 105

  Courcelles 80

  Cox, Bertram Howard 48

  Crown Council meeting 72–4

  Crozat canal 57

  Crutchley, Corporal 186

  ‘culminating point’ 61

  Currie, Sir Arthur

  agreed to mount operation to secure Mont Houy 242–3

  and Andrew McNaughton 35

  breaks through Drocourt–Quéant Line 98–100

  Canadian troops exhausted 189

  deception plan worked perfectly 54

  description of 31–2

  and fall of Cambrai 208

  and the front 61, 64–5, 167–8, 170, 230–31

  ‘neglect nothing’ policy 31–2, 243

  petitioned for earlier date of attack 41

  Curtis, W. E. 44

  Cuts 74

  cyanosis 19

  Dallas, Gregor xxxi

  ‘Dead Man’s Corner’ 174

  Debeney, General Eugène

  attack on Montdidier 47

  battle at Amiens 40

  came to prominence under Pétain 77

  captures Hangest and gains ground 59

  convinced of the need to desist 66

  feeling increasingly queasy 65

  First Army criticized for hanging back 210–11

  First Army gained sixteen kilometres of ground 265

  forces did not attack on 29 September 191

  forces moved up 77

  and the Hindenburg Line 144

  noble fatalism of 78–9

  northern offensive 138

  ordered by Foch to capture Roye 63

  ordered to postpone attacks 67

  sent two tank battalions 33

  temporarily under orders of Haig 29–30

  ‘deep penetration’ 63

  Degelow, Major Carl 93–4, 176–7, 264

  Demicourt-Graincourt road 171

  Department of War Neurosis, Bonn 111

  desertion 9–10, 245

  Distinguished Service Order xxix

  Division Aérienne 36, 40

  Dixon, Lieutenant R. G. 118–19, 228

  Dominion corps 31–2

  Douai 99, 220

  ‘doughboys’ 120–21

  Doullens Town Hall 21

  Downing, Sergeant Walter 49, 86

  Drews, Dr 239–40

  Drocourt–Quéant Line 95, 99–101, 143, 167

  Drum, Hugh 154, 160–61

  dug-outs 184

  Duncan, G. S. 23

  Dunkirk 25

  Durrant, Colonel J. 85

  Ebert, Friedrich 266, 274, 330n.7

  Edwards, Major P. C. 174

  electro-shock therapy 111–12

  Elles, Hugh 38, 56

  Elser, Sergeant 222

  Erzberger, Matthias 252–5, 266

  Étain 155

  Éterpigny 107

  Faulkner, Corporal Frank 1

  Fayolle, General

  came to prominence under Pétain 77

  crushing blow to the German right flank 6

  no question of giving Mangin everything 76

  Fifth Army (Germany)

  at the front Apremon–Metz 128

  censor reported morale relatively bad 205

  could muster only 190,000 men 151

  could no longer maintain sustainable resistance 238

  heavy losses at Argonne 162

  Marwitz in command 149, 152, 242

  to fall back to Hirson–Mézières line 238

  First Meuse–Argonne cessation 204

  Flanders

  attack on the Mount Kemmel sector 37

  front held by German Fourth Army 176

  German Army position crumbled/collapsed on 28 September 176–8

  German reserves there at their thinnest 175

  Ludendorff’s Operation Hagen 14–15

  Flanders fever 92

  Foch, General Ferdinand

  Armistice negotiations 252–5

  attack towards Cambrai 167

  character of 20–22

  Clemenceau complains about Montfaucon 166

  concerned about Allies crossing Hindenburg Line 180

  concerned that OHL might sanction pre-emptive withdrawal 63

  decision to limit Saint-Mihiel operation 137–8

  discussions with Haig 66, 191, 207, 226–7

  exhausting night drawing up Armistice 266

  hated by Ludendorff 178–9

  headquarters of 24

  inspected A
merican sector with Weygand/Pershing 140

  left Rethondes for Paris on 11 November 270

  looked favourably on what had been achieved 94

  made Marshal of France 62

  meeting at Senlis of Allied Commanders-in-Chief on 27 October 226–8, 323n.28

  meeting with three Allied commanders 139

  ordered Debeney to capture Saint-Quentin 191

  and Pershing 131, 136–7

  preferred US forces under French command 128

  Prince Max blames him for Wilson’s demands 218

  ‘series of movements’ plan 25–7, 29–30

  sought to extend battle line further 95–6

  talk with Colonel House 278

  urged an attack on Chaulnes–Roye front 67

  urged Pétain to grip his commanders 77

  wanted to capture road junctions near Roye 64

  working practices of 62–3

  Foch, Germain 21

  Fokker DVII aircraft 94

  Foot, R. C. 81–3, 105–6

  ‘Forester’s House’ 248

  Forêt de Nieppe xxix

  Fort Gironville 129

  Foster, Arthur James 100

  Fourteen Points (Wilson) 198–202, 223, 252

  Fourth Army (Germany)

  held front in Flanders 176

  ordered to fall back from Lys 99

  troops to Amiens 60

  Framerville 53–4, 182

  France

  cooperation/coordination with UK 21–2

  dreaded Americans dictating a peace 217

  expectations from Americans 121

  final days xxxiii

  and the German Spring Offensive xxxi, 294n.10

  Marne losses 18

  number of guns at Armistice 33

  rapid increase in US manpower in 118

  Rheims victory 2

  shied away from occupation of Germany 278

  superior aircraft production 35–6

  warm initial perspective on US troops 119

  see also Allies; French Army; and various army entries

  Franz Ferdinand, Archduke xxvii

  French 15th Colonial Division 131

  French Army

  active front length narrowed dramatically by last weeks of war 241

  and Amiens 29

  approaching total exhaustion at the Armistice 275, 277

  destined to stay in centre to cover Paris 127

  facing devastated countryside in final weeks of August 1918 78

  guns in the Amiens sector 35

  Haig worried about the exhausted state of 227

  harrying the retreating German armies 207

  majority supported armistice discussions 211–12

  Mangin’s aggression/confidence not welcomed 76

  morale rose ‘like mercury’ as advance continued 100

  old-fashioned methods disliked by Pershing 124–5

  only two tank battalions 33

  operations 8–29 August cost 100,000

  casualties 95

  relied heavily on their guns 83–4

  to push forward, past River Aisne 95

  tough resistance on northern coast of Greece 142

  wasteful tactics dispensed with 75

  worn out after four years of war 26

  see also Allies; France; and various army entries

  ARMIES

  First

  aiming for the town of La Capelle 247

  and Amiens 29–30, 47

  criticized for hanging back 210–11

  did not attack on 29 September 1918

  encircled Montdidier 59

  gained sixteen kilometres of ground 265

  ‘hanging back’ accusations 191

  marched into the village of Guise 250, 327n.43

  mounts major operations 17–24 October 228

  nearly 15,000 casualties during October 211

  objective of Stenay–Le Chesne–Attigny–Rethel 153

  Second 151

  Third 63

  Fourth

  assistance to US Army at Argonne forest 153–4, 156

  impressively big, consisting of seven corps 154–5

  on the march for twenty-five nights in late October 229

  Pétain complains about lack of progress 191–2

  ready to go deep into German flank on 25 September 149

  to mount an attack west of the Meuse 137

  Fifth 145

  Sixth 6, 75

  Tenth

  faced largest German Army Group 145

  and Hellé 23

  Mangin pleased with achievements of 76

  Operation Marneschutz-Reims 3

  CORPS

  IX 38

  X 65

  XVII 206

  XX 3

  XXXI 40, 47, 49

  XXXV 65

  DIVISIONS

  1st Moroccan 3

  154th 229

  Frisby, Captain Cyril 171, 231

  Fuchs, General-Leutnant Georg 128, 148

  Gallwitz, Max von

  Army Groups of 145–6

  counter-attacks at Argonne 161

  did not replace Ludendorff 236–8

  initially sceptical about US troops 150–51, 313n.2

  and Saint-Mihiel salient 128–9, 131–2

  saw Marwitz 10 November 264

  gas 102–6, 173, 181, 191

  George V, King 187

  German Air Force

  on its knees by 30 October 264

  limitations of 175

  outflanked by RAF 93

  see also air power

  German Armistice Commission 252–3, 261

  German Army

  across the Canal du Nord 99

  acute shortage of horses 109

  Aisne attack another disaster 74

  Allies shared a common goal of breaking 200

  Amiens a unique experience/greatest defeat 35, 49–50, 54, 61, 70–71

  approaching defeat on a grand scale 242–6, 326n.29

  at long last seemed to be breaking apart 67

  battalion field strength poor by end of War 146

  commanders concerned about morale at Argonne 162

  continuation of fight would have been disastrous 276

  crumbling 73, 88

  decreasing quality of recruits being drafted into 111

  defences worn out by late October 222, 230, 241

  despair, depression and fear on 11 November 266

  in disarray, but benefited from falling back 86

  divided into five Groups in the west 145

  divisions back to last defensive positions in October 214

  endurance of shellfire worst thing 110

  experience of retreat tough 212

  Foch believed they would break 63

  gradual fall-back through Somme sector 87

  had limited, dwindling number of tenacious units 175

  and Haig 24

  harrowing day of Allied attacks on 27 September 174

  headquarters repeatedly moved back 108

  and the Hindenburg Line 95, 143

  imaginative and ingenious booby-traps of 210

  increasingly experienced horror of mustard gas 106

  long winter campaign expected in August 1918 79

  Ludendorff’s resignation meets mixed feelings 235

  makes its way home 274–5, 330n.7

  morale of 89, 91–3

  needed to regroup 113

  news of retreat spread quickly 97

  nothing but chaos, disorganization, shellfire and fighting 192

  position in Flanders crumbled with alarming speed 176

  proclamation issued to on 24 October 225

  relied upon a system of defence in depth 132

  retreat caused Allied logistic problem 106

  and Saint-Mihiel salient 129–31

  Saint-Quentin left in flames 208–9

  speculation of retreat as far as Rhine 139

  strain of Marne fighting 7, 9

  suffering fr
om Allied air attacks 93

  tactical changes 32

  unease and confusion on 9 August 57

  units desperately tried to hold Saint-Quentin Canal 183

  US understands why not defeated 115

  withdrawal from exposed lines advocated 11

  see also Germany; German Supreme Command (OHL); Western Front

  ARMIES

  Second

  at Hattencourt 58

  continually engaged, suffered heavy losses 148

  counted over 120 bombs fallen in Cambrai 93

  defeat due to enemy tanks/exhaustion 50, 69

  devastating beginning to Amiens battle 44–5, 54

  fought well but removed from the canal 187

  issued October message, peace would bring worse devastation 245–6

  local counter-attacks on 9 September 57

  Marwitz removed from command on 22 September 148–9

  not in best of condition 38–40

  occupied line of the Sambre–Oise canal 247

  only three divisions completely fit for action 175

  retreat of led to outflanking of Eighteenth Army 70

  retreat to the Hindenburg Line 99

  Third 128

  Sixth

  all peaceful on 3 October 194

  ordered to fall back from Lys 99

  troops to Amiens 60

  Ninth

  Army Group to withdraw and link up with 57

  Chief of Staff changed three times 113

  not yet engaged at Amiens 70

  retreat to the Hindenburg Line 99

  withdrawal of the right wing of 74

  Seventeenth

  all peaceful on 3 October 194

  beginning to fall back 67

  occupied line of the Sambre–Oise canal 247

  plan for three corps to push forward against 79

  retreat to the Hindenburg Line 97, 99

  troops to Amiens 60

  Eighteenth

  at Hattencourt 58

  division sent northwards 50

  Fourth French Army on heels of 211

  measures to preserve strength 57

  occupied line of Sambre–Oise canal 247

  only one division completely fit for action 175

  reaches outskirts of Roye 59

  reported exhaustion in divisions 193

  retreat to the Hindenburg Line 99

  Second Army’s retreat led to outflanking of 70

  staggering casualties 54

  strengthened by three divisions 60

  corps

  51st 187

  I Bavarian 182

  IV Reserve 187

  XIV Reserve 147

  DIVISIONS

  1st Guard Reserve 99

  1st Guards 163

  2nd Guard Reserve 88, 99

  2nd Guards 146

  2nd Landwehr 161–2

  3rd Guards 162–3

  3rd Naval 175

  4th Bavarian 88

  5th Bavarian Reserve 161

  6th Cavalry 175, 192

  10th 129

  14th Bavarian 47

  21st Reserve 245

  26th Reserve 174–5

  27th Württemberg 39

  34th 192

  37th 161

  41st 39, 50, 52, 54

 

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