1918 Methods, 4th July 1918

The contrast between artillery preparations employed in the capture of Hamel and during the 1916 Battle of the Somme were the subject of an article published on 6th July 1918.

“SHORT BOMBARDMENTS.

“1918 METHODS AND THOSE OF TWO YEARS AGO.

"With no more preparation than a two minute whirlwind bombardment of the German wire." So writes one of the special correspondents concerning the attack at Hamel. We read also of a silent concentration of men and a great concentration of guns and tanks, unknown to the enemy, and huge air bombardment at the moment of attack.

“Everyone emphasises the surprise of the defence. The attack was a four mile front. It went in deep and cut off 1,500 prisoners, so although one hardly realises the fact, it was quite as important an operation as a typical Somme attack of August, 1916. It won much ground and took as many prisoners. It was meticulously planned and highly complex operation. The German troops defending are at least as efficient as these on the Somme in 1916. Yet then the bombardment used to last for many many hours. On this occasion it lasted two minutes.

"Yes," someone may object, "but the German trenches in those days were far more highly organised." That argument has little point (writes "Officer”). The Germans have been in Hamel for thee months; in that time they could have made their positions as strong as they desired. If they did not do so, they did not think it worth the while. That they had plenty of wire we know. Yet the operation was complete in little more than an hour.

“The writer has always maintained that had the Allies possessed the initiative this year they would have succeeded securing surprise and secrecy quite as efficiently as have the Germans. After all, the Allies reintroduced surprise into war at Cambrai. Surprise has been made possible once more by the enormous increase in gun and mortar power at the disposal of the belligerents, so that they can now accomplish in a few hours what formerly took many days.

“It has been helped by the years of thought and ingenuity which have been given to the problems of camouflage. We solved that problem first Cambrai.

“THE LUCK OF THE ENEMY.

“It was the supreme good fortune of the Germans to recover the initiative just at the moment when it became really worth having, just when Allied ingenuity and great concentration of power had finally defeated the magic of the trench and its protecting wire. The successful surprises which they have brought off this year, though well planned and executed, have been far more due to the nature of things in 1918, than to any superhuman qualities possessed by any particular clique of generals.

“That is why the writer thinks it quite pertinent to emphasise this comparatively minor attack at Hamel, partly because it was the largest operation of its kind carried out by the Entente this year, chiefly because of its complete success made possible by a complete surprise. It was made on a front of one-tenth as long as that of March 21st.

“Certainly it was not followed up, but we have no reason to suppose that we could not have planned it for miles and concentrated an army of pursuit to force it through, had we so desired.

“The Allies are still considerably outnumbered on the Western front, but had they got the superiority of the Germans the writer can see no argument why they should not have won their St. Quentin and their Chemin des Dames; no reason to doubt that one day they will win them, when, perhaps, that one million Americans has grown to two. With superiority an army can certainly expect to win great successes under modem conditions.

“Many people point ironically to the history of the Allies' offensives in the past as compared with German offensives this year. That is odious and fallacious. As well compare St. Quentin with Verdun, the most costly and wooden failure of the war. The Germans in 1916 could not do what they have done in 1918. No more could we be expected to do so, but these is no reason to doubt that we can do in 1919 all and more than all the Germans have done this year, in vastly more farvourable circumstances.

“That is why this little battle of Hamel is well worth study by depressed persons. They will find a typical German success of 1918 reproduced perfectly on a tiny scale, and just as much evidence of brains, ingenuity, courage, and resource in any of the over-boosted masterpieces of Von Hutier.”

'Nottingham Evening Post', 6th July 1918.

Image: Australian War Memorial.