Key+features+of+Somme+and+Passchendaele



The Battle of the Somme and Passchendaele are two of the most notable battles among many others that took place during World War 1.There were many key features of these two battles that brought them their acclamation. It is important to know why these battles became so important.

**Somme**

One of the main features of the Somme was the week-long artillery bombardment that preceded the infantry attack. This tactic was relatively new in the war, only used a few times before the Battle of the Somme. The tactic is also special as a large number of artillery and an immense amount of shells is needed.The tactic was believed by Haig to have the capability of destroying barbed wire and killing enemy soldiers hiding in trenches. The failure of this tactic and the slaughter of British soldiers on the first day of the offensive is one of the main reasons for why Haig is so heavily criticized, making this an important key feature in the Battle of the Somme.

Another main feature of the Somme was the massive of losses the British Army suffered in a single day. Over 20,000 soldiers were killed in a single day and 40,000 others were wounded. The British had walked into the worst slaughter ever suffered by the British army. Among the casualties, there were also many experienced and valuable soldiers from before World War I. The British lost many fine men in this battle. Finally, the most critical feature of the battle was that the battle cannot be concluded as victorious for the British, yet not a defeat as well. Whether the battle was successful or not is constantly debated but there has been no conclusion. offensive was organized because the French needed to be relieved at the Battle of Verdun, the German forces needed to be held on the Western Front and the enemy needed to be considerably worn down. Haig concluded that all three of the battle’s objectives were met so the British were victorious. However, others argue that the Allies only gained a little bit of ground and suffered tremendous losses. Such small gains in terms of land certainly indicates that the British lost in this battle. The battle cannot be concluded to have been victorious or tragic for the Allies.


 * Passchendaele**

One of the key features of Passchendaele was how the battle soon turned into a ‘Battle of The Mud’. At Ypres, rain continuously battered the men throughout the whole of August. As a result, the land soon turned into a sea of mud. Tanks, horses or guns couldn’t mobilize to assist the infantry attacks. This factor was also one of the main reasons for the failure of The Battle of Passchendaele.

Another key feature of The Third Battle of Ypres was the usage of Mustard Gas. During this battle, the Germans used Mustard Gas for the first time. Gas masks used by the British provided no protection against this nerve gas.Victims of the gas may unknowingly receive high dosages as infected areas appear completely normal and no obvious symptoms occur right away. However, within 24 hours, victims experience intense itching and skin irritation which eventually turn into large blisters filled with yellow fluid. These are chemical burns and it is commonplace to find first to second place burns. Occasionally, burns up to the third degree can be found. Mustard Gas also penetrates clothing made of wool or clothing so covering all areas of skin does not prevent the burns. The British became worried as their men all began suffering from burns. It was the first time that such a deadly gas has been used in the war and the chaos it had brought upon the British is a key feature of Passchendaele. In addition, other weapons were first introduced. For more details, click here.



By James Yen with reference to Steve Waugh and John Wright's 'The War To End Wars 1914-1919'