The Battle for Flanders

[truthergw]

This year, my outdoor activities have been very much curtailed, so to pass the weary hour, I turned my attention to a period of the Great War which I had hardly looked at before. 1918, from the Kaiserschlacht onwards.

A couple of weeks ago, I bought " The Battle of Flanders:German defeat on the Lys" , Chris Baker. Publisher Pen and Sword. Available fromAmazon via the forum link, and yesterday it came to the top of the pile.

The book is very well put together. It is obvious that a great deal of careful research was undertaken and the author seems to have walked all or most of the ground. An introductory chapter sets the scene from a strategic standpoint and puts this part of the Spring offensives in context with relation to the opening attack on V Army. Detailed accounts of unit involvement paint a vivid picture of the action. A sympathetic account of the Portuguese troops and their situation opened my eyes. There are short 1st hand accounts to help the story along. Plenty of maps and a section of photographs, some taken by the author, round the book out. The bibliography lists French and German sources and , a first for me, Portuguese. All in all, well worth a read.This book begs to be taken to the Armentieres area for a couple of days and the action followed on the ground. I have no hesitation in recommending this book for those with an interest in one of the major turning points of the war.

[Ian Riley]

I have to confess that I bought the book in early summer and have not got beyond the first three chapters (not the fault of the book at all but because I have had other things that have been much more pressing). However, what I have read so far has been excellent, starting with a very lucid account of the background of the German offensives of spring 1918). As recommended by Chris Baker, I went up onto the hillside a few kilometres to the east of Baillieul (on the Rue de Neuve Eglise) to survey the ground to the north and the south and found that I spent a whole of a very fine early August morning up there with book, map, compass and binoculars (clearly suspected by the border dwellers of being a speculative builder or autoroute planner) picking out the landmarks and trying to imagine the flood of German divisions flooding westwards.

The author might have flagged up a few café-bars outside Baillieul that would actually be open, having followed, on a scorching day, several signs to arrive at 'Fermé' each time. Still, it's a history, not a Holt's Guide!

Ian

Edited 17 September , 2011 by Ian Riley

[squirrel]

I can only second Mr Rutherford's review - a well put together and researched book; detailed explanations of the way the actions developed, what units were involved, etc. Thoroughly recommended for anyone with an interest in the German Spring offensives of 1918.

[Chris_Baker]

Thank you all very much for your comments. They are much appreciated.

[Guest]

I may have been one of the first to read a 'signed' copy on the train home from the Forum Conference. I don't consider myself qualified to review any book, but I can say; as well as learning much, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will return to it in the course of my research, covering as it does, a much neglected period. I can only agree with Tom and Co.

Mike

[renny]

hear hear.

thoroughly enjoyed it and I learnt so much about this all but forgotten battle

[stoj22]

I knew the story regarding the Portuguese and the 40th Division but this fills in the rest of the jigsaw - excellent!

[Michelle Young]

looking forward to spending some time round the areas mentioned this weekend, with new understanding thanks to this book

Michelle

[John_Hartley]

Truth be told, I didnt have much of an interest in the Lys. But I've met Chris a few times and we'd exchanged "authors' experiences with Pen & Sword" stories, so I knew I was going to have to buy the book to support a Pal.

And I'm really glad I did. Certainly well researched and well written. And a most useful contribution to understanding this part of the German spring offensive, which does tend to get overlooked in comparison with the March attacks. I found the detailed maps particularly helpful. It does jump around a bit so I found I needed to be on the ball to keep on track with the "story" - but perhaps thats me.

All of my past trips to the battlefields have been in connection with some research project or another. I've never been a general "war tourist" as such, although I plan to be one on the next trip and this is exactly one of the areas that I've been wanting to have a nosy round. Chris' book will be going with me.

[Chris_Baker]

Once again, thank you all for your kind remarks. John, if you think my narrative jumps around you should try piecing the battle together from war diaries etc - it made my head spin! So many actions going off at much the same time, in different places along the line. The experience of trying to recreate the battle on paper really made me appreciate what a tough job was faced by the Official Historian, and as far as produing a readable work was concerned what a masterly job he did.

[bierlijn]

Hi Chris,

I tried to send you a PM but you 'Cannot receive messages'. Would you care to drop me a line?

Hugh

[dave ricketts]

I too, although most unworthy to be a reviewer of any kind, would like to add my tuppence worth. It was an excellent read, and shed light onto a campaign of which I was aware, but knew little (except about the Portuguese.) At times I found the chronology slightly difficult to stay on top of, as previously mentioned by John Hartley, but by going back and re-reading the previous page, this usually made it clear what the following morning (or whatever) etc." was.

Anyone who has an interest in a fallen soldier in this battle is strongly recommended to read this book to understand the situation and actions that occurred.

[bierlijn]

Like everyone else, I am finding this to be an invaluable source for understanding the phases of this prolonged battle, including some later phases of which I was entirely unaware. For a broad view of the progress of the conflict, it is ideal, and the study included goes further, into the details of smaller attacks and counter attacks. However, read at this level, I have problems with the lack of detailed maps. I am hoping that an e-book version could be produced with an expanded map facility.

Hugh

[Chris_Baker]

Thank you for your kind remarks, all. Very encouraging. It was two years ago this month that I was working flat out to complete by the agreed deadline. Christmas was a blur that year, and not because of a single malt.

I agree with you regarding maps, Hugh. There is a space and technical constraint in production of books at this kind of size/price level and I was lucky to get in the ones I did. I do have it in mind to build a mini-website (as part of the Long, Long Trail) about the battle and could add some more maps into that. Meanwhile if there is any specific location you're struggling with let me know and I'll post something here.

[Len Trim]

Just bought Chris' book via the Amazon link. While there also bought Tomaselli's Battleground Ypres book of the battle as the reviews say it has maps etc. Together and possibly with the mini website Chris has mentioned should make the Lys battles the centre piece of my next personal rather than school trip to the battle fields. A few days in Varlet Farm, Chris' book and Linesman should make an excellent trip.Oh and a few beers.

Len

[steve fuller]

Have just completed this specifically requested Xmas pressie, and must say that I enjoyed the book.

Initially picked it up to scan read a few pages and compare it against the series of Greek war novels that Santa kindly filled my stocking with, but the Greek ones are still looking forlornly at me from the table, their covers still waiting to be opened as I never got round to scanning them!

The book contains a good mixture of the higher level strategic / political background in addition to the story from the men on the ground. Information from all sides of the battle is included, giving it a rounded perspective, even the Portugese disaster (as Tom rightly remarked) is covered with an open mind and accounts for issues usually glossed over or not considered.

So, in summary, a well researched, well worded, well structured and very readable account of a battle I had only touched on beforehand.

Any thoughts on tackling the 100 days?!

[Chris_Baker]

My thanks to John Lee, who reviewed my book for the British Commission for Military History:

"It is always a pleasure to read a book by an author as completely in command of his subject

material as Chris Baker is here. He has taken a complicated story and rendered it

commendably understandable within the word count imposed by all publishers!

The account of the war games conducted at Versailles in January 1918 is intriguing. British

planners on the new War Council, at the instigation of Henry Wilson, made chilling

predictions about the extent of the expected German offensive, its location and a fair stab at

the start date. It was all a bit too uncomfortable to be taken as seriously as it should have

been.

Chris reminds us that this, the second great blow designed to put the BEF out of continental

Europe in the spring of 1918, fell largely on divisions that had already been hammered in the

March attack and had come up to the ‘quiet sector’ along the Lys for a rest. (Tragically, some

of them went down to the Aisne for another rest and got clobbered again in May). What a

pity that the Australian division moving into the line to provide such badly needed support

should have adopted such a condescending attitude to the ‘Imperial troops’ they were

relieving. They could have had no idea what they had endured over the previous few days,

and should have been glad they were never at the receiving end of a full-scale first-day

offensive by the German army in 1918.

As we have come to expect from Chris, there is an excellent section on the terrific

contribution of the Belgian army in defeating what the Germans thought would be a decisive

attack to ‘nip out’ the Salient (Operation Tannenberg). This was fought on pretty much the

same ground as described in my Gas Attacks: Ypres 1915 and reminds us that the Belgians

made such an important contribution to the defence of Ypres. We also come to appreciate the

absolutely vital, if slightly tardy, role of the French army in finally defeating the German

attack. Foch and others were wrong to obsess about Amiens when things were going

decidedly ‘pear shaped’ in Flanders but, once he had seen the threat, he directed considerable

French reinforcements in at the right time and the right place. Yes, the French lost Mount

Kemmel just as the British handed it over to them. Let’s not talk just about the British taking

over at Vimy Ridge early in 1916, shall we?

There are good sections on the epic defence of the Givenchy area by Jeudwine’s 55th Division,

and a reminder that not all the Portuguese next door ran away at once. In such a sorry excuse

for an army it is rewarding to read of those that did put up a half decent fight. The description

of the defence of the Meteren-Outtersteene area reminds us just how effective the BEF could

be in defence, quickly putting together disparate units and stopping a fairly rampaging enemy

in his tracks.

‘Daddy’ Plumer is there as usual, having the moral courage to order the evacuation of much

of the hard-won territory of the Salient in order to free up troops to go south to the fighting.

The new front line was literally in front of the town ramparts and even he, as the Germans

pushed past Kemmel towards the Scherpenberg, came so very close to ordering the final

evacuation of the town to the new defence lines that had been prepared at Brandhoek and

Vlamertinghe. (The story of how that last German attack was shot to pieces in withering

cross-fires reminds us of the heavy fire power of these infantry-light Allied divisions in 1918.

The new machine-gun battalions were working well.)

The stories of close fighting in the most desperate conditions are as riveting as ever. Seeing

battalions losing five or six hundred men in a day and still endeavouring to make fighting

withdrawals is extraordinary. I noticed that ‘Jerry’ was still using his language skills to

attempt to deceive the Tommies. There is more than one example of approaching Germans

wearing British uniforms and shouting out in English. It was quite cool of the Coldstream

Guards to decide that the men calling out that they were ‘King’s Company, Grenadier

Guards’ didn’t have quite the right accent, and mowed them down just to be on the safe side!

While we recognise that the Germans could put down the most appalling weight of artillery

fire to support these attacks, and then put in innovative infantry assaults that disrupted the line

so effectively, it is also interesting to read the accounts of returning prisoners of war about the

rear area chaos on the German side. The impression that this is an army on the edge of

collapse, making one last desperate fling before inevitable defeat looms, is driven home. The

German high command was consistently ‘disappointed’ on every day of this offensive by the

failure of its troops to achieve a decisive result. In his closing remarks, Chris reminds us that,

in the last analysis, this was because the ordinary British soldier had a “bloody-minded will

not to be beaten”.

Review can be seen at http://www.bcmh.org.uk/archive/reviews/LeeLysBaker.pdf

[Rob Connolly]

I've just finished reading Chris's book - er, bought as soon as I saw it on the shelves, from Waterstones not Amazon - and can once again recommend it. The Official History (1918 Volume II) is quite dry and boring by comparison, repeatedly recounting endless British battalions retreating once outflanked. It's also nice to see some depth in description of the Portuguese, rather than the usual "Day One. The Portuguese all ran away. Meanwhile -" Since I have the Divisional histories of the 9th and 55th Divisions I think I'll go off and re-read them.

One last thing - what is Chris's next project?

[spof]

I think he is steeling himslef for a load of GWFers to be wandering all over the place in France soon (herding cats is an image which springs to mind )

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=189302

And there is a talk at the Somme WFA the following night http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=192205