Download or read book Victory at Villers Bretonneux written by Peter FitzSimons and published by Random House Australia. This book was released on 2016 with total page 786 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Across a 45-mile front, no fewer than two million German soldiers hurl themselves at the Allied lines, with the specific intention of splitting the British and French forces, and driving all the way through to the town of Villers-Bretonneux, at which point their artillery will be able to rain down shells on the key train-hub town of Amiens, thus throttling the Allied supply lines. For nigh on two weeks, the plan works brilliantly, and the Germans are able to advance without check, as the exhausted British troops flee before them, together with tens of thousands of French refugees. In desperation, the British commander, General Douglas Haig, calls upon the Australian soldiers to stop the German advance, and save Villers-Bretonneux. If the Australians can hold this, the very gate to Amiens, then the Germans will not win the war. 'It's up to us, then, ' one of the Diggers writes in his diary. .

Download or read book Victory at Villers Bretonneux written by Peter FitzSimons and published by Random House Australia. This book was released on 2016-10-31 with total page 645 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It’s early 1918, and after four brutal years, the fate of the Great War hangs in the balance. On the one hand, the fact that Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks have seized power in Russia – immediately suing for peace with Germany – means that no fewer than one million of the Kaiser’s soldiers can now be transferred from there to the Western Front. On the other, now that America has entered the war, it means that two million American soldiers are also on their way, to tip the scales of war to the Allies. The Germans, realising that their only hope is striking at the Allied lines first, do exactly that, and on the morning of 21 March 1918, the Kaiserschlacht, the Kaiser’s battle, is launched – the biggest set-piece battle the world has ever seen. Across a 45-mile front, no fewer than two million German soldiers hurl themselves at the Allied lines, with the specific intention of splitting the British and French forces, and driving all the way through to the town of Villers-Bretonneux, at which point their artillery will be able to rain down shells on the key train-hub town of Amiens, thus throttling the Allied supply lines. For nigh on two weeks, the plan works brilliantly, and the Germans are able to advance without check, as the exhausted British troops flee before them, together with tens of thousands of French refugees. In desperation, the British commander, General Douglas Haig, calls upon the Australian soldiers to stop the German advance, and save Villers-Bretonneux. If the Australians can hold this, the very gate to Amiens, then the Germans will not win the war. 'It's up to us, then,' one of the Diggers writes in his diary. Arriving at Villers-Bretonneux just in time, the Australians are indeed able to hold off the Germans, launching a vicious counterattack that hurls the Germans back the first time. And then, on Anzac Day 1918, when the town falls after all to the British defenders, it is again the Australians who are called on to save the day, the town, and the entire battle. Not for nothing does the primary school at Villers-Bretonneux have above every blackboard, to this day, 'N’oublions jamais, l’Australie.' Never forget Australia. And they never have. ______________________________________________ PRAISE FOR PETER FITZSIMONS 'Peter FitzSimons is an Australian phenomenon.' The Canberra Times '[FitzSimons] knows how to make words race like eager sled dogs on their homeward run.' Newcastle Herald 'Meticulously researched, well-written and incredibly presented.' Weekend Notes

Download or read book Bullecourt 1917 written by Paul Kendall and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2010-09-15 with total page 745 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the spring of 1917 the Arras offensive was begun to break the stalemate of the Western Front by piercing the formidable German defences of the Hindenburg Line. The village of Bullecourt lay at the southern end of the battle front, and the fighting there over a period of six weeks from 11 April until late May 1917, epitomised the awful trench warfare of World War I. In Bullecourt 1917, Paul Kendall tells the stories of the fierce battles fought by three British and three Australian divisions in an attempt to aid Allenby’s Third Army break out from Arras. Approximately 10,000 Australian and 7,000 British soldiers died, many of whom were listed as missing and have no known grave. The battle caused much consternation due to the failure of British tanks in supporting Australian infantry on 11 April, but despite the lack of tank and artillery support the Australian infantry valiantly fought their way into the German trenches. It took a further six weeks for British and Australian infantry to capture the village. This book tells the story of this bitter battle and pays tribute to the men who took part. Crucially, Paul Kendall has contacted as many of the surviving relatives of the combatants as he could, to gain new insight into those terrible events on the Hindenburg Line.

Download or read book Our Corner of the Somme written by Romain Fathi and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-02-28 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the time of the Armistice, Villers-Bretonneux - once a lively and flourishing French town - had been largely destroyed, and half its population had fled or died. From March to August 1918, Villers-Bretonneux formed part of an active front line, at which Australian troops were heavily involved. As a result, it holds a significant place in Australian history. Villers-Bretonneux has since become an open-air memorial to Australia's participation in the First World War. Successive Australian governments have valourised the Australian engagement, contributing to an evolving Anzac narrative that has become entrenched in Australia's national identity. Our Corner of the Somme provides an eye-opening analysis of the memorialisation of Australia's role on the Western Front and the Anzac mythology that so heavily contributes to Australians' understanding of themselves. In this rigorous and richly detailed study, Romain Fathi challenges accepted historiography by examining the assembly, projection and performance of Australia's national identity in northern France.

Download or read book The Fortieth written by Frank C. Green and published by . This book was released on 1922 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Mark IV vs A7V written by David R. Higgins and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-01-20 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The German A7V and the British Mark IV were similar in weight, size, and speed, but differed significantly in armour, armament and maneuverability. The A7V had thicker armour, and had nearly double the horsepower per ton. The Mark IV's pair of side-mounted 6pdr cannons forced the vehicle to present its side arc to an enemy in order to fire one of its main guns. Possessing twice as many machine guns as the Mark IV, the A7V had a frontally mounted 57mm gun that proved capable of defeating the Mark IV's armour. The Mark IV's rhomboid design proved superior in crossing trenches, climbing obstacles and moving over rough terrain. As the first tank-versus-tank engagement in history, the fighting around Villers-Bretonneux showcased the British Mark IV and German A7V designs. Although not purpose-built to combat enemy armour, both vehicles proved the viability of such operations, which during the postwar period led to key advances in suspension, armour, gunsights, ammunition, and command and control. While the British continued to develop their armoured forces, German armour development never materialized, and only in the postwar period did they address the issue.

Download or read book Francia settentrionale e centrale written by and published by EDT srl. This book was released on 2011-11-16 with total page 657 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Monthly Army List written by Great Britain. Army and published by . This book was released on 1930-09 with total page 1476 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Summary of Information written by United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces. General Staff, G-2 and published by . This book was released on 1918 with total page 1412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Current History written by and published by . This book was released on 1918 with total page 748 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Little Glimpses of Historic France Towns at the Front written by A. Chaponot and published by . This book was released on 1919 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Walking with the ANZACS written by Mat McLachlan and published by Hachette Australia. This book was released on 2010-11-01 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: '[Mat McLachlan's] knowledge of the front is comprehensive' - Sydney Morning Herald A complete guide to the Australian battlefields of the Western Front 1916-18. Walking with the ANZACs aims to become the new essential companion for Australians visiting the Western Front. Each of the 14 most important Australian battlefields is covered with descriptions of the battles and Australia’s involvement in it. The book presents a well-illustrated walking tour across the old battlefields. The tours are designed along easily accessible walking routes and show readers battlefield landmarks that still exist, memorials to the men who fought there and the cemeteries where many of them still lie. In this way the visitor will see the battlefield in much the same way as the original ANZACs did, and gain a greater appreciation of the site’s significance. Importantly, the tours are not written for military experts, but for ordinary visitors whose military knowledge may be limited. More than just a handy travel guide, Walking with the ANZACs is an absorbing read for armchair travellers and students of the First World War who may not have had the opportunity to visit the battle fields and walk in the footsteps of the first ANZACs.

Download or read book From the Somme to Victory written by Peter Simkins and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-10-30 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Peter Simkins has established a reputation over the last forty years as one of the most original and stimulating historians of the First World War. He has made a major contribution to the debate about the performance of the British Army on the Western Front. This collection of his most perceptive and challenging essays, which concentrates on British operations in France between 1916 and 1918, shows that this reputation is richly deserved. He focuses on key aspects of the army's performance in battle, from the first day of the Somme to the Hundred Days, and gives a fascinating insight into the developing theory and practice of the army as it struggled to find a way to break through the German line. His rigorous analysis undermines some of the common assumptions - and the myths - that still cling to the history of these British battles.

Download or read book A History of the Great War From Caporetto to the armistice written by John Buchan and published by . This book was released on 1922 with total page 594 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Glass Soldier written by Don Farrands and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-07-05 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the true story of a young Australian soldier whose life of opportunity was challenged by trauma and salvaged by strength. Nelson Ferguson, from Ballarat, was a stretcher-bearer on the Western Front in France in World War I. He survived the dangers of stretcher-bearing in some of Australia's most horrific battles: the Somme, Bullecourt, Ypres and Villers-Bretonneux. In April 1918, at Villers-Bretonneux, he was severely gassed. His eyes were traumatised, his lungs damaged. Upon his return home, he met and married Madeline, the love of his life, started a family, and resumed his career teaching art. But eventually the effects of the mustard gas claimed his eyesight, ending his career. Courageously enduring this consequence of war, he continued contributing to society by assisting his son and son-in-law in their stained-glass window business. Advances in medicine finally restored his sight in 1968, allowing him to yet again appreciate the beauty around him, before his death in 1976. The story of this Anzac will stir your soul. It is a story of war and bravery, pain and strength, hope and miracles. “remarkable…. deeply personal” - Barry Jones AC “extremely moving, vivid, and highly informative” - Nigel Westlake (Australian composer)

Download or read book Clash of the Gods of War written by William Westerman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-03-01 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Great War confronted Australia’s fledgling field and garrison artillery forces with a seemingly insurmountable challenge: to rapidly raise, prepare, deploy and engage in history’s most lethal war to date. By 1915, the Australian artillery entered into a bloody contest of learning and adaptation against resourceful and resolute opponents, where the stakes would be measured in thousands of soldiers’ lives. Far from popularly-held views of the Great War as one of stalemate and stagnation, Clash of the Gods of War: Australian Artillery and the Firepower Lessons of the Great War reveals a dynamic and rapidly evolving battle-scape, as artillery planners on each side sought to combine innovative concepts, technology and tactics into victory. The book draws on an unparalleled array of perspectives on artillery and firepower, presented by Australian and international experts and practitioners over four years during the Firepower: Lessons from the Great War seminar series, commemorating the Centenary of Anzac. From Anzac Cove to the Hindenburg Line, Clash of the Gods of War tells a gripping Australian story of the Great War through the lens of artillery – the most lethal and influential arm of the war – and considers the legacy that its evolutionary journey holds for warfare today.

Download or read book Leadership In Conflict written by Matthew Hughes and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 1990-12-31 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The First World War was a conflict in which personality and character mattered. Its course and outcome were decided by determined individuals who had to make momentous decisions in very trying circumstances. As battles raged on land, sea and air across Europe, Africa and Asia, the Generals and politicians tried to steer a course to victory. It was never easy and they often disagreed on the best strategy. Yet, men's lives depended on the outcome. This collection of authorative essay examines these disagreements, portraying the decision-making process on both sides in the Great War. The personalities involved are now household names: Haig, Foch, Lloyd George, Woodrow Wilson and the German Kaiser, William II.