Sunday, 23 October 2016

The Somme News - No 16

Good morning and welcome back to the one hundredth and ninth day of the Battle of the Somme. Not much has happened today, with soldiers trying to catch up on much needed sleep that had been missed last night due to the heavy rainfall. Haig met with Rawlinson earlier today, where it is said they discussed plans for future battles. 

Despite constant rain this morning, I am pleased to announce that the Battle of the Transloy Ridge is over. This is not the only piece of good news, as British soldiers have made progress north of Guedecourt whilst French soldiers made progress succeeding in pushing the German's out of Sailly. It is reported that Rawlinson has described today's events as partially successful. 

One hundred and eleven days since the Battle of the Somme began. Constant heavy rain last night as well as this morning has meant both the roads and ground surface are in a dreadful state, making any movement difficult. As a result, planned reserve army operations have been postponed for forty-eight hours. 

We awoke this morning to very cold conditions as Autumn really sets in. In fact is is reportedly the lowest temperature recorded so far during the Somme battle. Despite this, we are soldiering on, with heavy German attacks against the Schwaben and Thiepval Plateau both being repulsed. There has been much aerial activity today with many reconnaissance missions taking place. Earlier today, we even witnessed a German Albatros aircraft get shot down close to High Wood. 

Day one hundred and thirteen of the Battle of the Somme is the day I am pleased to say British soldiers advanced on a line between the Schwaben Redoubt and Le Sars, capturing a vast amount of prisioners of war in the process. Meanwhile, A.J Balfour paid a visit to Rawlinson earlier on, where it is said they discussed the supply of steal not being adequate and where Balfour expressed how anxious he was about the sheer number of casualties of this battle so far. 

Yesterday, day one hundred and fourteen was a bitterly cold day with very little action and therefore there was very little to report. However, we awoke early this morning to misty conditions, yet we pressed on, with British soldiers advancing towards Le Transloy, capturing numerous enemy trenches in the process. Meanwhile Kiggell and Gough had tea with Rawlinson, where they all agreed to postpone the planned attack on the 25th, twenty-four hours, bringing week sixteen of the Battle of the Somme to a close. 

Remember to check back at the same time next week for the latest news from the Somme front.

Friday, 21 October 2016

Tanks & The First World War: Fiat 2000

Welcome back to the Tanks & The First World War series. Whenever I think of Fiat, I think of a little 500 or a punto, I certainly don't think of it as a tank, but in the First World War, that was exactly what Fiat made.

Okay, so it only made two prototypes and never actually saw combat during the war, although it was designed to. The design of the Fiat 2000 was very similar in size to that of the British Mark V tanks at the time, although the Fiat was considerably heavier, weighing in at a staggering 40 tons compared to the Mark V's 28 tons. One noticeable difference was, aside from the Renault FT, this was the first tank to have a rotating turret mounted above the hull, something that today, we take for granted. The space inside the turret allowed for two crew members so sit inside, bring the total crew the Fiat 2000 was able to carry up to ten crew members. This turret also meant that the gun had better elevation, which paired with the ten machine guns it was also armed with, meant that it could be a very powerful tank.

When the Italian's designed the Fiat 2000, they designed it which the driver being able to sit at the front, giving him the best view possible. The engine could be found underneath the crew as appose to behind them, creating a better working environment. Although an order of 50 was placed, it was never completed, whilst the prototypes had been trialled, it was found that, at 4 km per hour, it was just too slow in competing in post-war battles and so the design was scrapped.

Sunday, 16 October 2016

Tanks & The First World War: Mark Tanks

Welcome back to our Tanks & The First World War series, with today's post being all about Mark. By the end of the war, the Mark tank would have so many variations as the reality of war meant that improvements were constantly needed. But it all began with the Mark I tank, with two variation, male and female. 


The Mark I Female tank had four Vickers machine guns as well as one 8mm Hotchkiss machine gun and weighed an impressive 27 tonnes. Th


is tank or landship as they were originally called, was nicknamed Mother. A Male version was also created which was armed with two 6 pound QF Hotchkiss and three 8mm Hotchkiss machine guns. Due to the mix of cannons and machine guns, the male tank weighed a little more than the female version, coming in at 28 tonnes. Both variants could carry a crew of up to eight men, which if you get a chance to see the size of the tank in the flesh, means that they were pretty much packed in like sardines. The Mark I tanks travelled at a maximum speed of 3-4 mph, which compared with today's tanks, is very slow indeed. 

Despite how slow they were, they were still a huge help at the front. This new type of weapon was designed to do more than just fire its weapons. They were used to clear barbed wire to make way for the infantry, as well as destroying trees in the way. There is even stories that suggest the tanks were driven through houses in order to destroy machine gun emplacements inside them. 

Minor improvements were made in the Mark II variant, but as they were only meant to be used for training purposes, they were reportedly clad in unhardened steel. These minor improvements were so small that it isn't really worth mentioning in detail, so then we move onto the Mark III.

The Mark III was a tank that never saw overseas action and was again used as a training tank. This version was meant to have the latest designs that were proposed for the new Mark IV which we will talk about in a moment, yet it took so long and was slow in the technological change that it never really had its limelight. The Mark III was capable of carrying Lewis machine guns and a small sponson for the female versions. 

In May 1917, the Mark IV went into production. This new version was designed based on the feedback from the front line, with the hope that the small changes would help to bring the war to a close. The Mark IV carried shorter barrelled 6 pound guns, whilst the sponsons could be pushed in where necessary, which was extremely useful when it came to rail transportation. Previous versions of the Mark tank were prone to breaking down or getting stuck in the mud, which was the last thing we wanted, because it meant that the German's could inspect our new weapon of war, enabling them to design an anti tank weapon themselves in response.  This had been taken on board with the designing of the Mark IV because the rails on the roof carried an un-ditching beam in the hope that they would last longer. The crew's safety was also improved with the movement of fuel storage to be situated in a single external tank found between the rear track horns so harder for the enemy to target. In all some 420 Males and 595 Females were built of this variant, with 205 of the tanks being used for carrying supplies only. 

Lastly, the Mark V was designed to be a completely new tank, but due to circumstances of the war, ended up just having minor improvements made on the Mark IV version, again with nothing worth talking about, other than to say that 200 Males and 200 Females were made of this variant. This wouldn't be the last version of the Mark tanks, in fact there would be a few more as men tried to make them easier to run and more adaptable to their surrounding. Yet they were a great base to start with, that would in many years to come be the warfare that we now know today. 


To see how manoeuvrable and slow the Mark tanks were I suggest first and foremost you watching the War Horse movie if you haven't done so already because it gives you such a great indication of what they were really like during wartime and if you get the chance I would highly recommend you visiting The Tank Museum situated at Bovington, Dorset, where you can see the replica tank used in War Horse. The Tank Museum hold there Tankfest days annually and is well worth a visit so that you can see the War Horse Tank as it has become known, travelling around the arena as well as stood side by side with today's modern tanks, giving you a glimpse into how far they have come in 100 years of the tank. Don't forget to check back soon for the latest in this series. 

The Somme News - No.15

Welcome back to the fifteenth edition of the Somme News on this fine, sunny day. It is reported that French soldiers have had success near Chaulnes. Meanwhile, Rawlinson has been inspecting both the roads and rails nearby and has stated that they have both "simply disappeared". He has also reported that the desolation all around us "is appalling". 

We awoke on day one hundred and three of the battle with slight rain. Despite this, the Battle of the Ancre Heights has thankfully ended, whilst French soldiers successfully repulsed German attacks at the Bois De Chaulnes. 

Day one hundred and four of the Battle of the Somme has been a busy one for British soldiers, with them attacking a huge four mile front between Eaucourt and Bapaume. There is casualties and chaos all around me currently and I would say as a general undertaking, the attack has failed. 

After yesterdays' failed attack, there is not much else to report other than Rawlinson holding a Corps Conference, the details of such are securely under wraps for secrecy reasons. 

On day one hundred and six of the Battle of the Somme, there was not really much to report. In the years to come, when Rawlinson's diary became available to the public, his thoughts on the 14th October were that "the weather will bring the battle to a close soon. The glass is falling and the rain will shortly return. The roads will then become impassable and ammunition will not then be got to the guns." In his diary he also adds that the casualties so far since the 1st July have reached 40,000 and yet there would be many more to add to that list before the battle ended. 

Day one hundred and seven today and we awoke to heavy rain as the Autumn is drawing in. British soldiers have been making progress all day in the Schwaden Redoubt and Thiepval areas. Whilst this was taking place, Rawlinson led an inspection of the ground at Longueval, Deville Wood and High Wood. He also passed comment that he believed German soldiers were, at the present time, reviving themselves in the battle and fighting with greater tenacity. 

We awoke this morning to a white frost all around us, which was bitterly cold, although the sun did come out during the day. As a result, no operations took place as day one hundred and eight and week fifteen of the Battle of the Somme come to a close. 

Don't forget to check back next week for all the latest news from the Somme. 

Sunday, 9 October 2016

The Somme News - No.14

Good morning and welcome back to The Somme News. day ninety-five of the battle has seen a day of heavy rainfall and misty conditions. British soldiers have recovered Eaucourt L'Abbaye, whilst this afternoon saw Rawlinson making the first of two planned visits to local Royal Flying Corps squadrons. Soldiers have today spent their time catching up on sleep, writing home and just generally recuperating as best they can in trench conditions. 

This morning on the battlefield has seen yet more heavy rainfall, making conditions even more harsh and dangerous, with roads and tracks also in a bad way, making any movement a struggle. This led to a decision made by Rawlinson this morning to postpone a series of planned operations for forty-eight hours. I have been notified that talented flying ace, Albert Ball has been posted back to England, although on what grounds I am unable to say. 

Trench morale is at a new low on this day ninety-seven as wet and windy conditions are making the soldiers tired, uncomfortable and restless. British soldiers have today advanced north-west of Eaucourt whilst French soldiers have also been making progress to the east of Morval. In other news, ground conditions are making it extremely difficult for the collection of casualties as well as the bringing up of stores and munitions. 

Rain continued to fall during the night, making sleeping almost impossible as the weather turned more blustery. Today however, the sun came out, and that, paired with the strong winds we are currently experiencing, have meant that the ground is starting to dry out a little. Pack horses have spent much of today, carrying much needed ammunition and food to the infantry in the trenches. Haig paid a lunch visit to Rawlinson earlier today, where it is said he expressed his view that he wants the battle to go on until the winter, unless the weather makes it impossible. Rawlinson also decided that the planned attacks for the 7th should go ahead due the improving ground conditions. 

7th October, the day of the planned attacks. Despite lack of sleep due to a very wet and windy night, the attack goes ahead. Windy conditions paired with low clouds interfered with flying, nevertheless, at 1.45pm the attack began. British and French soldiers made their advance on the Albert-Bapaume road, with British soldiers advancing 1,000 yards in order to capture Le Sars. French soldiers manage to advance to the north-east of Morval, reaching to within 200 yards of Sailly. This evening, whilst exhausted soldiers prepare for nightfall, Rawlinson hears the news that Lord French is to visit French soldiers. 

Day one hundred of the Battle of the Somme has been a busy one. Not only was the British line to the north and east of Courcelette advanced, although the enemy did attack and regain some trenches, but French soldiers also had success at Sailly-Saillisel, as did the Canadian soldiers, who captured both the Regina Trench and the Quadrilateral. However, rumours are filtering through that both of these have seen been lost. 

As week fourteen of the Battle of the Somme, British soldiers have made progress to the east of Le Sars, towards the Butte De Warlencourt.

Don't forget to check back on 16th October for all the latest news from the Somme front.

Wednesday, 5 October 2016

Tanks & The First World War - Little Willie

As I mentioned in the first post of this series, the beginning of tanks began with Little Willie so here is his story.

The Landship Committee, headed by the First Lord Of The Admiralty, Winston Churchill, set out plans to create, as the name suggests, a Landship. For this plan to go ahead, a prototype was needed to be made, with work beginning on this prototype in Autumn 1915. It was first known as a Foster's Landship, but was later named Little Willie.



Little Willie was powered by a Daimler six cylinder petrol engine and could travel at a maximum speed of 3.5 mph. It could hold a maximum crew of 5 who were protected by 10mm thickness of armour.

Little Willie was finished being constructed at the end of 1915, however, his life was cut short due to a brand new prototype being designed and made around this time, known as Mother. This was to be the prototype for what would be the Mark I tanks. Therefore, Little Willie was no longer needed and so never saw combat, although he was used for a while as a driver trainer.


Today, Little Willie is in safe hands, being looked after by the wonderful volunteers at Bovington Tank Museum, in Dorset. Here he takes centre stage, right at the beginning of the Tank story, being the oldest surviving individual tank. Having seen him myself, I will admit he has his own special charm and just shows how little they knew at the time about this modern warfare and what was needed.


Monday, 3 October 2016

The Somme News - No 13

Welcome to week thirteen of the Battle of the Somme with news coming straight to you from the front. Good advancements today, with Combles falling straight into Allied hands, British soldiers storming Guedecourt and Thiepval finally being captured, after much fighting over the last few weeks. As a consequence, the battle for Thiepval Ridge has begun.

Day eighty-nine has seen some heavy showers this afternoon. Despite this, British soldiers have advanced to the north of Flers, to the east of Eaucourt L'Abbaye.

Today has been a busy day on the front line. British soldiers have attacked the Schwaben Redoubt on the crest of Thiepval Plateau and captured the most part. They managed to advance to the north and north-east of Courcelette situated between Martinpuich and Guedecourt. At the same time, French soldiers made progress at Morval with the Battle of Morval Ridge ending. Rawlinson today made an inspection of the current ground conditions and describes them as appalling. The ground is completely flattened to the point of the extension of railways being made impossible. The whole ground is a sea of soldiers, guns and bivouacs.

Today's weather has been miserable, with very wet and windy conditions, making flying conditions hazardous. Having said this, British soldiers have managed to capture Destremont Farm, which for those of you who don't know, is a strongly defended group of buildings that have taken weeks to capture.

On day ninety-two of the Battle of the Somme, I am pleased to announce that the Thiepval Ridge has been captured except for the Schwaben Redoubt area.

As one battle ends, another one begins with the Battle of Translay Ridge and Ancre Height beginning. It was a successful day for British soldiers today, after attacking the line Eaucourt Le Sars, situated on the Albert-Bapaume Road, completing all of the objectives and advances on a front of 3,000 yards.

As week thirteen of the Battle of the Somme comes to a close, I am sad to report that it has been a bad day. Not only has the heavy rain continued to fall, misty conditions meant that no flying has taken place today. Without aerial bombardment, German soldiers were able to stage a counter-attack in Eaucourt, where the British soldiers failed to hold onto Le Sars.

Don't forget to check back on the 9th October for all the latest news from the Somme Front.