Photos WW1 Germany and Their Allies
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Close quarters combat between soldiers of the German Freikorps and Spartacist rebels. January uprising, Berlin 1919.
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A German soldier bidding farewell with his sweetheart before departing for the front to an unknown fate (1914)
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German Infantry in fairly loose formation during the Invasion of Belgium in the August of 1914.
This image shows just how arduous an advance this was, made in the full heat of the summer.
One of the Common myths of the Great War is that British Generals in particular were wasteful of their men's live. The oft repeated adage is Lion's lead by Donkeys. But this is a falsehood born of 1960's attempts at revisionist history. Generals of all sides were operating in conditions that were testing them to the limit.
This image show particularly some of the issues facing the German advance.
Armies of the Great War carried huge weight in numbers. They were slow and cumbersome to mobilise and get going, but once they did their weight of numbers meant that not much other than a determined defence would stop them in their tracks.
The Schlieffen Plan called for the Bulk of the German Army (Heer) to muster on their Right Flank, Moltke the Elder Hero of the Franco-Prussian War stated the furthest most German Soldier must wet his sleeve in the North Sea. The Flank was designed to be a massive hammer blow that would come in behind the French Armies. The German General Staff had not planned or expected that any British units would be on the French Left Flank, and any that were there would be steamrollered by the Massed ranks of Fieldgrau Uniforms.
The plan unhinged somewhat when events didnt quite go as the Germans General Staff had planned. The BEF managed to a mobilise and ship over the Channel and be in position on the French Left much quicker than the Germans Anticipated, and it was in these opening moves that the Germans would have their own "Lion's Lead by Donkey's" Moment.
The British Exiditionary Force that went to France in 1914 was one of the most superbly trained and professional Armies in all of Europe. More used to Imperial Garrison Duty, and Policing missions about the Empire the British Army had been taught several very important lessons about modern warfare, particularly by the Boers during the last great Colonial war of Queen Victoria's reign. the 2nd Anglo-Boer War. Fieldcraft and marksmanship had been shown to be just as important as numbers, as the Boers had repeatedly managed to hold up and give larger British Armies bloody noses out on the Veldt.
The lessons were quickly Assimilated by the Army, and field craft and marksmanship soon became a religion to the British. To that end infantry and cavalry units trained and practices endlessly with their Magazine Lee-Enfield and later Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifles, with courses having individuals shooting targets repeatedly at ranges up to 800 and 1000 yards.
By the time 1914 came along the British Soldier could easily put out around 25 rounds a minute with their rifles, and repeatedly hit man-sized target at ranges up to 800 yards. Indeed Richard Hough in his book Tommy exclaimed "Woe betide any enemy that popped up at ranges under 400 yards, they were taking their lives into their hands." Financial incentives ensured that the Soldiers paid heed to this new Religion, and so it was that when the Great Powers went to war in the Summer of 1914 the BEF through its professionalism and skill of its soldiers were man for man, probably some of the best Solider's in the world, certainly amongst the best shots in the world. This would prove its worth in the opening battles, at Mons and La Cateau, where British riflemen in shallow trenches, foxholes, and riflepits, were able to show the World that they had taken the lesson's the Boers taught them very seriously indeed.
At Mons, the British initially in a strong defensive position along the Mons-Conde Canal were able to give the larger German Army a bloody nose. initial Artillery bombardment by the Germans had proven largely fruitless, as they had not been able to fully reconnoitre the British positions. An Infantry attack that followed by the Bombardment was cut to shreds by the accurate Rifle fire. At the Nimy Bridge 4 Battalions of German Infantry were kept at bay by a single company of the 4th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, with the Germans advancing in Parade Ground fashion and easy target for the British who were hitting the Germans at ranges of 1000 yards. The rifle Fire was coming in so thick and accurately that surviving German's thought they faced a Machine Gun Battalion, not an Infantry Company A Second attack made in Open formation eventually succeeded, but only after heavy casualties had been inflicted, On German infantry by the British Riflemen, and on British Riflemen by increasingly accurate German Artillery.
However the spectre of a full frontal attack by rigid lines of Infantry against well defended and often time concealed positions was repeated many times by the Germans in these opening Battles of the War.
This image shows just how arduous an advance this was, made in the full heat of the summer.
One of the Common myths of the Great War is that British Generals in particular were wasteful of their men's live. The oft repeated adage is Lion's lead by Donkeys. But this is a falsehood born of 1960's attempts at revisionist history. Generals of all sides were operating in conditions that were testing them to the limit.
This image show particularly some of the issues facing the German advance.
Armies of the Great War carried huge weight in numbers. They were slow and cumbersome to mobilise and get going, but once they did their weight of numbers meant that not much other than a determined defence would stop them in their tracks.
The Schlieffen Plan called for the Bulk of the German Army (Heer) to muster on their Right Flank, Moltke the Elder Hero of the Franco-Prussian War stated the furthest most German Soldier must wet his sleeve in the North Sea. The Flank was designed to be a massive hammer blow that would come in behind the French Armies. The German General Staff had not planned or expected that any British units would be on the French Left Flank, and any that were there would be steamrollered by the Massed ranks of Fieldgrau Uniforms.
The plan unhinged somewhat when events didnt quite go as the Germans General Staff had planned. The BEF managed to a mobilise and ship over the Channel and be in position on the French Left much quicker than the Germans Anticipated, and it was in these opening moves that the Germans would have their own "Lion's Lead by Donkey's" Moment.
The British Exiditionary Force that went to France in 1914 was one of the most superbly trained and professional Armies in all of Europe. More used to Imperial Garrison Duty, and Policing missions about the Empire the British Army had been taught several very important lessons about modern warfare, particularly by the Boers during the last great Colonial war of Queen Victoria's reign. the 2nd Anglo-Boer War. Fieldcraft and marksmanship had been shown to be just as important as numbers, as the Boers had repeatedly managed to hold up and give larger British Armies bloody noses out on the Veldt.
The lessons were quickly Assimilated by the Army, and field craft and marksmanship soon became a religion to the British. To that end infantry and cavalry units trained and practices endlessly with their Magazine Lee-Enfield and later Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifles, with courses having individuals shooting targets repeatedly at ranges up to 800 and 1000 yards.
By the time 1914 came along the British Soldier could easily put out around 25 rounds a minute with their rifles, and repeatedly hit man-sized target at ranges up to 800 yards. Indeed Richard Hough in his book Tommy exclaimed "Woe betide any enemy that popped up at ranges under 400 yards, they were taking their lives into their hands." Financial incentives ensured that the Soldiers paid heed to this new Religion, and so it was that when the Great Powers went to war in the Summer of 1914 the BEF through its professionalism and skill of its soldiers were man for man, probably some of the best Solider's in the world, certainly amongst the best shots in the world. This would prove its worth in the opening battles, at Mons and La Cateau, where British riflemen in shallow trenches, foxholes, and riflepits, were able to show the World that they had taken the lesson's the Boers taught them very seriously indeed.
At Mons, the British initially in a strong defensive position along the Mons-Conde Canal were able to give the larger German Army a bloody nose. initial Artillery bombardment by the Germans had proven largely fruitless, as they had not been able to fully reconnoitre the British positions. An Infantry attack that followed by the Bombardment was cut to shreds by the accurate Rifle fire. At the Nimy Bridge 4 Battalions of German Infantry were kept at bay by a single company of the 4th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, with the Germans advancing in Parade Ground fashion and easy target for the British who were hitting the Germans at ranges of 1000 yards. The rifle Fire was coming in so thick and accurately that surviving German's thought they faced a Machine Gun Battalion, not an Infantry Company A Second attack made in Open formation eventually succeeded, but only after heavy casualties had been inflicted, On German infantry by the British Riflemen, and on British Riflemen by increasingly accurate German Artillery.
However the spectre of a full frontal attack by rigid lines of Infantry against well defended and often time concealed positions was repeated many times by the Germans in these opening Battles of the War.
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Germany:
An officer salutes passing enlisted men as they march through the town of Paracin, Serbia, 1915
Troops equipped with flamethrowers advance behind a captured Mark IV tank during the Spring Offensive, Western Front, 1918
An officer salutes passing enlisted men as they march through the town of Paracin, Serbia, 1915
Troops equipped with flamethrowers advance behind a captured Mark IV tank during the Spring Offensive, Western Front, 1918
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I think that’s just the crew....German troops riding an A7V tank during Operation Michael, Roye, Somme, France, Spring 1918
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The crew officially consisted of at least 17 soldiers and one officer: commander (officer, typically a lieutenant), driver, mechanic, mechanic/signaller, 12 infantrymen (six machine gunners, six loaders), and two artillerymen (main gunner and loader). A7Vs often went into action with as many as 25 men on board.
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German supply column moving up near Étricourt-Manancourt, 24 March, 1918
Source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_104-0984A,_Bei_Etricourt,_Truppen_auf_Landstraße.jpg#mw-jump-to-license
Source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_104-0984A,_Bei_Etricourt,_Truppen_auf_Landstraße.jpg#mw-jump-to-license
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British and German troops photographed together Christmas Day 1914.
Published in The War 30 January 1915.
Published in The War 30 January 1915.
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German infantry during the Battle of Tannenberg, World War 1 Eastern Front, 1914
Source 1: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-R36715,_Ostpreußen,_deutsche_Infanterie_auf_dem_Marsch.jpg#mw-jump-to-license
Source 2: https://www.historynet.com/blind-bear-at-bay-the-russians...
Source 1: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-R36715,_Ostpreußen,_deutsche_Infanterie_auf_dem_Marsch.jpg#mw-jump-to-license
Source 2: https://www.historynet.com/blind-bear-at-bay-the-russians...
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"Prosit Neujahr 1918" / "Happy New Year 1918!"
Not such a good year for the Imperial German Army as it turned out.
This landser is wearing the ultimate winter coat...actually over his greatcoat!
Not such a good year for the Imperial German Army as it turned out.
This landser is wearing the ultimate winter coat...actually over his greatcoat!
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WWI. Italian Front. 1917. Soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian Army operate the Becker Type M2 20 mm autocannon.
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