The German Army at Passchendaele - Softcover

Jack Sheldon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1783461829 ISBN 13: 9781783461820

Publisher: Pen & Sword Military, 2014

Synopsis

Even after the passage of almost a century, the name Passchendaele has lost none of its power to shock and dismay. Reeling from the huge losses in earlier battles, the German army was in no shape to absorb the impact of the Battle of Messines and the subsequent bitter attritional struggle. Throughout the fighting on the Somme the German army had always felt that it had the ability to counter Allied thrusts, but following the shock reverses of April and May 1917, much heart searching had led to the urgent introduction of new tactics of flexible defence. When these in turn were found to be wanting, the psychological damage shook the German defenders badly. But, as this book demonstrates, at trench level the individual soldier of the German Army was still capable of fighting extraordinarily hard, despite being outnumbered, outgunned and subjected to relentless, morale-sapping shelling and gas attacks. The German army drew comfort from the realisation that, although it had had to yield ground and had paid a huge price in casualties, its morale was essentially intact and the British were no closer to a breakthrough in Flanders at the end of the battle than they had been many weeks earlier.

About this title

Review:

"...A rare look at one of the war's most notable battles from the German side, and even better, an account that includes the perspective of the men in the trenches... an important read for anyone interested in the Great War."--The NYMAS Review, Winter 2008

About the Author:

Jack Sheldon was serving officer with the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. During his career he studied at the German Army Staff College in Hamburg and his final appointment was as Military Attache in Berlin. Jack is pursuing a literary career specialising in German First World War history. His first major book The German Army on the Somme (Pen and Sword, 2005) has been highly acclaimed.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1783461829
• ISBN 13: 9781783461820
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352