The Great War (mod 1914)

[El Pip]

Why is Princess Mary riding a horse like that?

It was the approved lady like way of riding a horse. A lady couldn't possibly sit on a horse with leg asplay, that would admit to the possibilty of there being something between those legs!

So Haig gets command on schedule, speaking of on schedule I assume the first Mk I tank prototypes has just started clanking around?

[Razgriz 2K9]

Approved or not, that doesn't seem safe. :O

[Lord Strange]

Approved or not, that doesn't seem safe. :O

Never heard of riding side-saddle? Interesting: is it only a British or European phenomenon?

[Razgriz 2K9]

Probably, then again, I was raised in the city, so horse-riding is not a subject I really know about.

[Antani]

Never heard of riding side-saddle? Interesting: is it only a British or European phenomenon?

european

[Nathan Madien]

Never heard of riding side-saddle? Interesting: is it only a British or European phenomenon?

I remember a reference was made to it in "Titanic". Other than that, this is the second time I have heard of riding side-saddle.

[Kurt_Steiner]

1916

By January 1916 optimism was dead in all countries and a grim sense of realism moved across Europe: the war was going to be a long and bloody strife. The Allies were still divided. France and the United Kingdom feared that Russian would go for a separate peace agreement with Germany. To dismmiss this feeling the the military representatives of Britain, France, Italy, Serbia and Russia gathered at the Chantilly Conference in December 1915, the Russians dispelled this notion. It was finally agreed upon a policy that would bring coherence to the Allied war effort.

They agreed on resuming resume the general offensive on all fronts as soon as they were in a state to do so. Furthermore, "all the efforts of the Coalition must be exerted in the preparation and execution of this decisive action, which will only produce its full effect as a co-ordination of offensives”. Additionally, it was proposed that subsidiary offensives be made to grind down the enemy’s defensive capabilities ahead of the main assault, and that vigorous attacks be made when one member of the Entente appeared to be threatened.

The British sector of the frontline.

London hesitated, as the government was aware of the lack of experience and equipment of the BEF. Thus, Great Britain was unwilling to commit the army to the same kind of unsuccessful offensives in 1915. The new Commander-in-Chief, General Sir Douglas Haig, agreed. He made it clear to Joffre that he was not going to be rushed into mounting useless subsidiaries offensives against the Germans. More importantly, Haig wanted to foster the BEF’s strength in preparation for the main offensive in 1916, fully aware that the difficulties in offensive operations in 1915 had been partly caused by supply shortages.

Haig and Joffre walking out of a French military-controlled building in Chantilly, France in December 1915.

Haig found himself in a position that his predecesor could had hardly dreamt off. By January 1916, he was in command of the largest army ever to be put into the field by Britain. Within a month of assuming his responsibilities, Haig was in command of three armies, which had more than 1,000,000 men under arms. However, he was now to be limited to contact only with those in higher command. Meanwhile, there have been changes in the commanding structure. His army commanders were Lieutenant-General (temporary General) Sir Henry Horne (First Army); General Herbert Plumer (Second Army) and General Sir Henry Rawlinson (Third Army).

Horne had fought with the cavalry in the Second Boer War under Sir John French and was mentioned in dispatches. In 1905 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and served with the Royal Horse Artillery under Sir Douglas Haig. He fought with distinction in the British Expeditionary Force's actions throughout 1914, rising from commanding a division in late 1914 and then a whole corps. He had been chosen by Haig to succeed him at First Army for his steady perfomance in the battlefield. Sir Henry Rawlinson, a veteran of campaigns in India, Burma, Egypt, the Sudan and South Africa and a committed infantryman, had received an army command by December 1915, to many's surprise, as, for some time, his questioning higher ranks about the tactics being used had earmarked him for a distant post far away from the frontline. Finally, Herbert Plumer was also a veteran, in this case of the Mahdist War, the Second Matabele War and the Second Boer War. He was generally regarded as one of the finest army commanders serving in France and this fame was to be tested, as he was in command of the troops deployed around the infamous Ypres salient.

The French sector of the frontline.

Haig’s army was also bolstered by the arrival of two highly professional and commited army corps: the ANZACs, commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir William Birdwood, and, after the termination of hostilities in Africa, the South African Expeditionary Force under Lieutenant-General Jan Christiaan Smuts, formerly South Africa’s War Minister.

Meanwhile, at Scapa Flow, the Grand Fleet waited for another opportunity to finish the German navy. Even without the most powerful ships of the Queen Elizabeth-class, which were still under construction (1), the Grand Fleet was still a too powerful enemy for the German fleet. Meanwhile, there was nothing to do but to go into the Northern Sea searching for an elusive enemy that either remained at port or avoided any direct confrontation when at sea. Then, the only thing that, Jellicoe and Beatty could do was to prepare their fleets in expectation of an all-decisive clash in the North Sea.

Queen Elizabeth on her launch day 16th. October 1913

(1) I'm afraid that El Pip is going to cry. Two bad news in one single update (see below). The situation during 1916 and early 1917 was as it follows: "boy, you can have barely enough IC for producing divisions and guns or you can have ships. What do you want? Planes and tanks? Funny you mention them...". Thus, without saying too much, I can tell you that 1917 saw some changes, as I hope to show in due time. It was as if some kind of ancestor of Sir Humphrey Appleby was on the loose, trust me. I felt so Hackerized...

@Enewald: Well, soon that will change.

@quaazi: 1916... will it be a year to remember?

@Nathan Madien: Because that's the right way to ride for a lady in those days.

@El Pip: God forbids!

Yes, Dougie is commanding the show now. About the tanks... Sit down, Pippie and be a strong boy. For some reason or the other, I couldn't began to develop the tank section but in early 1916. However, it seems that the right year to do so is 1917. Shall I go on? Yes. September 15, 1916 is going to be a quite odd day.

@Razgriz 2K9: Being in the trenches is even less safe.

@Lord Strange: European, by my throat!

[trekaddict]

Yey! HMS Queen Elizabeth! Soon to be followed my by favourite, HMS Warspite.

[Enewald]

When do we get evil German pilots?

[quaazi]

Yet a million men can last you just one big battle, not longer.

[TheExecuter]

So, September on the Somme?

Here's hoping the Somme offensive is as destructive to the German's as it was in real life...and no Verdun...<crosses fingers>

[Razgriz 2K9]

When do we get evil German pilots?

No evil German pilots please...

[Nathan Madien]

1916...perhaps we can take a quick trip over the Atlantic to America in November to see how the war affects the US Presidential race?

[El Pip]

Delayed ships, no tanks, frankly it's enough to make you weep. I didn't obviously, I could never hold my head high in society if I did, but it was a close run thing.

I suggest abandoning army expansion (and any idea of an offensive) and instead spending the money on battleships before forcing your way down the Elbe and shelling Hamburg. Such a strike will cut right at the heart of Germany's hooker supply, without good time girls to cheer up the men morale will collapse and the war will be over by Christmas.

[Enewald]

Delayed ships, no tanks, frankly it's enough to make you weep. I didn't obviously, I could never hold my head high in society if I did, but it was a close run thing.

I suggest abandoning army expansion (and any idea of an offensive) and instead spending the money on battleships before forcing your way down the Elbe and shelling Hamburg. Such a strike will cut right at the heart of Germany's hooker supply, without good time girls to cheer up the men morale will collapse and the war will be over by Christmas.

Christmas of what year?

[TheExecuter]

Delayed ships, no tanks, frankly it's enough to make you weep. I didn't obviously, I could never hold my head high in society if I did, but it was a close run thing.

I suggest abandoning army expansion (and any idea of an offensive) and instead spending the money on battleships before forcing your way down the Elbe and shelling Hamburg. Such a strike will cut right at the heart of Germany's hooker supply, without good time girls to cheer up the men morale will collapse and the war will be over by Christmas.

...and while this happens, the Germans launch a concentrated assault on the French army at Verdun, give extra support to Austria in the Alps, and smash the Russian army. At the moment, the German army reigns supreme. The only weak link is the Turk. Unless and until the German army can be drained, Britain will be facing the inevitable collapse of her allies Russia, France, and Italy.

Sitting on the defensive in Flanders will NOT win the war for Britain, nor will some madcap scheme of shelling Hamburg. The way to victory leads through the shattered ruins of Germany's army...and without the British army's assistance in offensive operations, that destruction may NEVER occur...unless you want to wait for the Yanks to come and do it for you?

[El Pip]

Christmas of what year?

Christmas 1913. HMS Warspite going up the Elbe and shelling Hamburg would be so awesome it would break time and cause the war to end before it started. Fact.

However as TheExecuter appears to be taking this seriously I suppose I'd better, though I do have the Irish road direction problem - "How would you win the war?" "Well I wouldn't start from here, I'd have started by not joining the war in the first place."

Fist off I'm forced to agree that sitting on the defensive isn't an option, especially as the French Army is due a strike fairly soon. Lille really should be an objective; surrounded on three sides all the advantages are with Haig so if he has to fight, that's the best 'Army' choice. Maybe a better bet for Britain is Ghent, a German base that close to the English channel has to be a concern and liberating a sizeable chunk of Belgium would be a major morale boost for the entire Entente. On balance I think I'd go with Ghent just to secure the Channel for the reinforcements, though I wouldn't be surprised if Lille gets the go-ahead instead.

[TheExecuter]

Christmas 1913. HMS Warspite going up the Elbe and shelling Hamburg would be so awesome it would break time and cause the war to end before it started. Fact.

However as TheExecuter appears to be taking this seriously I suppose I'd better, though I do have the Irish road direction problem - "How would you win the war?" "Well I wouldn't start from here, I'd have started by not joining the war in the first place."

Fist off I'm forced to agree that sitting on the defensive isn't an option, especially as the French Army is due a strike fairly soon. Lille really should be an objective; surrounded on three sides all the advantages are with Haig so if he has to fight, that's the best 'Army' choice. Maybe a better bet for Britain is Ghent, a German base that close to the English channel has to be a concern and liberating a sizeable chunk of Belgium would be a major morale boost for the entire Entente. On balance I think I'd go with Ghent just to secure the Channel for the reinforcements, though I wouldn't be surprised if Lille gets the go-ahead instead.

Obviously, not getting into the war looks pretty good right now. Unfortunately, since we don't have the Warspite...turning back the clock ATM is not in the cards. ;D

Oddly enough, your strategic objectives for 1916 (Lille, or Ghent) are exactly those posited by Haig at the end of 1915...now we get to wonder what GQG and GHQ decide should be the plan for western front offensives.

[FlyingDutchie]

Miss a few updates and have to find out we have German Askari's fighting in Flanders and Russians capable of taking Köningsberg... Guess all things Prussian are gatherling to tear down the government over the greatest outrage since the 1907 monocle shortage.

[Kurt_Steiner]

Chapter thirty-one: Preparing the Big Push

Since the reorganization of the Government and the War Council, Winston Churchill had languished as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. For a man so devoted to the running of the war, this demise was a hard to swallow. Thus, he made a monumental decision. He wrote a letter of resignation to Asquith and then rejoined the army as part of his pre-war yeomanry regiment, the Oxfordshire Hussars, with the rank of Major, arriving to France on 18th November 1915. Once there, willing to do his duty but also to be given a high command, he began to visit the then Commander-in-Chief of the BEF, Sir John French. Churchill almost got what he asked for -leading a brigade- when French was Haig as BEF’s commander. Churchill's relation with Haig were correct but less than friendly, so the former First Lord of the Admiralty, began to visit Sir Max Aitken, a representative of the Canadian government, and some French generals.

On 1st January 1916, Churchill was given command of his own battalion, the 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers, a unit that had recently taken severe casualties, and part of 9th (Scottish) Division in Plumer’s Second Army. The unit was in reserve undergoing a reorganization period after serving on the trenches, and Churchill put himself to work eagerly. He had as his second-in-command Major Archibald Sinclair, and soome become close friends. He devoted himself to ensuring that his unit remained disciplined and capable of fighting by drilling the soldiers and by raising the troops’ morale, by organising sporting events and singing contests. Soon he had the chance to prove that his methods had ben successful, as his unit was sent to the Ypres salient. He was lucky, because the Salient, which usually thrived with gunfire, was going through a quiet period. Unusually, it was a quiet time in a place that was usually a hive of hostile gunfire. Once there, holding the trenches was not enought for him and began to organize some forays into no man’s land, leading some of them by daring courage and little regard for his personal safety. Meanwhile, he also kept en eye for what was happening in Westminster.

-Winston, give us a good and wide smile, old chap!
-What the h**** are you talking about, you little p****?
I'm f******* smiling widely, you silly s**!
-Oh dear, oh dear...

It was during one of these forays when he rescued a young pilot when he was almost shot to death by a German machine when he was carrying the wounded pilot, an Oswald Mosley, former officer of the 16th The Queen's Lancers who had been transfered to the Royal Flying Corps. When Churchill and his party was returning to the Allied lines, they were noticed by a German sentry and a Spandau opened fire. Lucky to the end, Churchill was saved from a certain death by Mosley's body, who got riddled by the German bullets. He was still alive by the time they reached the Allied lines. He was sent back at once to Blighty, more or less in bits. As the doctors were to say, Mosley's hold on life was short of a miracle. He didn't die, and the bits seemed to grow together again. For the next two years he had to remain in the doctors' hands until he was pronouced a cure -more or less- and could return to life again, with the lower half of his body from the hips down, paralysed for ever (1).

General Erich von Falkenhayn, another man know for his big smiles.

Meanwhile, the German high command was splited in its core, as his new C-iC, von Falkenhayn, proposed a grand offensive against France, ‘England’s best sword’, that would destroy her army whilst unrestricted submarine warfare against Britain would force them from the conflict. This sensible strategy was defeated by a simple fact: that East Prussia was under Russian control. Kaiser Wilhelm made clear that the liberation of German soil was imperative to him. Thus Falkenhayn had to back down from his proposal of an offensive in the west. However, the other half of his strategy – unrestricted submarine warfare against the British – was eagerly supported by the navy. Von Tirpitz argued strongly for the reapplication of unrestricted submarine warfare. With better submarines now in service, he argued, British merchant shipping could be sunk to an extent that she would be forced to sue for peace within six months. Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg warned that such policty would cause the entry into the war on the side of Great Britain of the the United States. The navy’s response was elementary: the United States would not enter the war if Britain was beaten, and her entry would not be possible before the British were forced to seek German terms. Kaiser Wilhelm, knowing that the future of Germany was at stake and being told that unrestricted submarine warfare was the only way of defeating Great Britain, gave the order which unleashed the submarines for the second time since the outbreak of the war.

However, von Falkenhayn was allowed to try a minor version of his attempted offensive against France. He had to reject the pleas of Conrad -the Austrian C-i-C- for a concentration of forces against Italy to concetrate enough forces to give a blow to the French. For that he selected the old way of the German invasions: Verdun. He had also a slight idea about how to perform the trick.

Heavy guns of a German battery preparing to give a rude awakening to the French army

(1) Well, Oswald never met Winston during the Great War -unless I have missed something- but I couldn't resist, you know me. He was showing off with his bird -he was an observer in the RFC- in front of his mother and sister he crashed, which left him with a permanent limp and send back to Blighty (after the battle of Loos). The event here narrated is, of course, just a "Deux et machina", so to speak, used by this your truly to get goold old Mosley out of my way for future events, if God permits. As Trekkie may testify, I planned to kill him outright, but then I thought that having him paralyzed and alive could be funnier. Time will say. I'm a little sadistic pervert, I know, but, what can I say? It's the Briton in me

PS: God bless D.H. Lawrence for the sudden inspiration.


@trekaddict: Well, soon... if you mean "soon" as "between 1916 and 1922 or so so", yes, it will be soon.

@Enewald: Ze evil German pilotz will ve zoon roaming ze French skiez...And will give the Allies a black eye, trust me.

@quaazi: I can tell you that only the British Army lost one million men in one single battle -a long one-. When one thinks about the casualties of my allies and the Germans death toll, I can only but tremble.

@TheExecuter: Well, I can tell you something: there will be both. One, as tradition commands, the other one took place... well, in the most stupid and unexpected way -otherwise it would be too easy. Now, you just need to guess which one is the stupid and which the traditional.

@Razgriz 2K9: What? No fun then!

@Nathan Madien: Right now I'm still wondering which side has taken Wilson. And, later on, when he and me know for sure which side he has taken, I'll still keep wondering what the hell he's doing. I'm even thinking about bringing back a former president to replace Wilson, to see if, in this way, USA goes to war in some meaningful manner, but... we shall see...

PD: Zombie Lincoln, I'm not talking about you, return to your grave!

@El Pip (1): Yes. I'm deeply thankful for having crushed the Hochseeflotte so early, otherwise... The problem of abandoning army expansion is the following. In some point, France is going to have some troubles and I will need troops to cover their part of the effort. In addition to this, Greece is going to need help, this I will need troops. And the Ottomans need to be trashed, and to do this... guess what I need? Troops, exactly. And even if the Dominions are helping a great deal, it's not enough.

@Enewald: I can promise two things. Soldiers will be at home by Xmas 1918. And Finland will be free before 1920 is over.

@TheExecuter: Thankfully, that cannot do the three things at the same time -even if they manage to do just two of them it would be pain me considerably. With the Empire backing me, I can hold and keep France and Italy in the war. Russia is the big question. About the Yanks... I hate to say that, but... they're going to have, in due time and due moment, a role to perform. Blame Germany for bleeding white France and the French government and Generals for trashing my plans. In the next war Britain will join Germany aganst those pesky Frenchies!

@El Pip (2): In due time, the Royal Navy will visit Kiel, trust me. The Baltic scheme has not been forgotten. The theory says that, with most of her army in France, Germany wouldn't have too much to throw against an Allied Force landing in Northern Germany, would her?

Sitting on the defensive isn't an option, especially with the French complaining that their country is the one invaded and ravaged by war and with the Italian army trying to do something in the Isonzo by the thousand time. Thus, as the Russian army is not going to reach Berlin in a short notice and the Western line is too fortified with machine guns and the usual lot, we have to look elsewhere while managing, somehow, to avoid Westerners and Easterns comming to grips in any moment.

@FlyingDutchie: The problem is that the Russians have angered the Kaiser too much.

@TheExecuter: Right now, after the beatig given to the Germans in the first stages of the war, I decided that, looking at the long time to build some battleships and how many divisions, guns and planes I can produce, I must admit that the RN is not on the top of my priorities. About the objectives... I fact the Rhine is the final goal, but I fear that is a bit far away from the first wave of troops.