WWI
WWI
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31 July 1917: The Passchendaele campaign (3d Battle of Ypres) begins (ends 10 Nov.). Nearly half a million troops are killed or wounded on both sides during the bloody debacle, which serves as a brutal metaphor for the horrors of combat in the Flanders mud and trenches.
For a detailed account, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Passchendaele
ILLUSTRATIONS: (1) British troops assault the German trenches in the Passchendaele sector, 31 July 1917. (2) A Bristol F.2b flies over men of the Royal Horse Artillery near Ypres. (3) A British soldier sobs after one of countless shellings in the Passchendaele sector. (4) A Lewis gun section supports infantry attacking behind a Mark IV "female" (armed only with machine guns) tank near Ypres, Aug. 1917. (5) A medical officer treats a wounded soldier near the front line outside Ypres. (6) British troops attack a fortified German position during the Passchendaele campaign. (7) British gunners set up a firing line outside of Ypres. (8) Sgt. Robert Bye of the 1st Bn., Welsh Guards earns the Victoria Cross for his actions on 31 July 1917. (9) A dying soldier asks a comrade to relay a message to his loved ones at home. (10) Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, the architect of the Passchendaele campaign.
For a detailed account, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Passchendaele
ILLUSTRATIONS: (1) British troops assault the German trenches in the Passchendaele sector, 31 July 1917. (2) A Bristol F.2b flies over men of the Royal Horse Artillery near Ypres. (3) A British soldier sobs after one of countless shellings in the Passchendaele sector. (4) A Lewis gun section supports infantry attacking behind a Mark IV "female" (armed only with machine guns) tank near Ypres, Aug. 1917. (5) A medical officer treats a wounded soldier near the front line outside Ypres. (6) British troops attack a fortified German position during the Passchendaele campaign. (7) British gunners set up a firing line outside of Ypres. (8) Sgt. Robert Bye of the 1st Bn., Welsh Guards earns the Victoria Cross for his actions on 31 July 1917. (9) A dying soldier asks a comrade to relay a message to his loved ones at home. (10) Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, the architect of the Passchendaele campaign.
WWI
England
Germany
Military History
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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MAJ Hugh Blanchard
No humility, I was a pretty fair SGT. NCO's are just as important, maybe more so, than officers. The primary reason we have a great Army is because of professional NCO's. I once hosted a couple of Russian COL's visiting 25th ID. One of our visits was to our NCO Academy. They were astounded that our NCO's could present the briefings they provided, in the Russian language. One of my guests, a huge Russian armor officer, essentially said we were putting on a false show and that the NCO's were actually American officers wearing NCO uniforms. It took me great effort to try to disabuse him of this notion. In all honesty, he didn't trust me, because I told him that I was an intelligence officer when we first met. He assumed, as do some combat arms officers, that intelligence officers are sneaky bastards.
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SGT (Join to see)
MAJ Hugh Blanchard - Lol... you knew he was a sneaky bastard. Have you written a book about your experiences in & out of th military?
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MAJ Hugh Blanchard
SGT (Join to see) - No, not yet. My twin sister is pushing me to help her write such a book, so maybe soon.
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Good morning, sir. What a horrible battle. The pictures paint a grim story of a battle that cost so many so very much. One picture also shows the changing times that WW1 brought. The picture of the horse drawn artillery while a bi-plane flys overhead shows how technology co-existed. Thank you.
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In many ways, The Great War and it's prelude foretell many of of geo-political headaches that we still put up with today. So much for "the war to end all wars"
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