Newsletter No 280 DURBAN BRANCH June 1998

Our main speaker for the evening was our newly elected Chairman, Paul Kilmartin and his subject was "The First Battle of Ypres - 1914". By means of the latest computer technology, overhead transparencies and computer generated slides, we were treated to a magnificent presentation of one of the most crucial battles of the early stages of Great War.
Our speaker gave a brief resume of the events leading up to the start of the Great War, the Schlieffen Plan and the resultant German offensive, the Battles of Mons and the Marne and the retreat of the Germans to the River Aisne. As these battles have been included in previous Newsletters (Nos. 258 & 269) they will not be repeated here, suffice it to say that once again our speaker emphasized the role of the British professional soldier. For although he had fought in all conditions and in all corners of the world, he had never fought against a modern European army. The opening battles of the War had been fast moving engagements, but after the failure of the Schlieffen Plan and the near trapping of their First Army at the Marne, the Germans withdrew and formed an almost impregnable line along the high ground overlooking the Aisne. This line was to remain virtually static for the next four years. However, to the north-west of Paris there was open countryside and both the Allies and the Germans realized the strategic importance of this area. For the Germans it meant that they could control the Channel Ports thereby cutting the vital supply lines to the British Expeditionary Force and also, they could isolate the Belgian Army. For the Allies this manoeuvre had to be stopped at all costs. This was the start of the "Race for the Sea". After describing the various battles that took place in this Race for the Sea, our speaker was of the opinion that the First Battle of Ypres was the culminating battle in that Race and for the Allies it was crucial to their survival. He also felt that the role of the Belgian Army had been underrated by history as their gallant defence of Antwerp occupied a large number of German forces for nearly six weeks and had allowed the Allies sufficient time to deploy their troops into position and block the German advance on the defence line from Arras to the Channel coast.
The Allied line comprised the Belgians from the coastal town of Nieuport to just north of Ypres, the French cavalry and the BEF in the Ypres salient and the French southwards to Arras. The First Battle of Ypres was a continuous battle from the l0th October to the 18th November 1914 with four phases of concentrated attack. The first phase was along the Yser Canal from Nieuport on the North Sea to Duxmunde when the Germans attacked the remnants of the Belgian Army. After some desperate fighting King Albert of the Belgians ordered the sluice gates at Nieuport to be opened, thereby flooding the whole low lying area which kept the Germans at bay. The next stage was at Armentiers where the BEF were driven back, but the German attack stuttered and failed to take the open road to Ypres. Although Allied losses were enormous, they managed to shorten and hold the line. The next phase included a major attack on Geluveld where the BEF were subjected to one of the heaviest bombardments of the War and retreated. In addition their First Corps staff was wiped out at a staff meeting at Hooge and, but for the timely intervention of the Second Worcesters under a Major Hankey, the Germans would have broken through. As it was, the Germans were driven back and all the positions that had been lost, were retaken on the same day. Phase four was when the Germans made an all-out attack along the Menin Road, but their elite Prussian Guard was decimated by accurate BEF rifle-fire at Nonne Boschen. This effectively marked the end of the Battle and apart from some desultory artillery fire on the following two days nothing further happened. On the morning of the 18th November there was silence, but it took until mid-morning for the BEF to realize that they had won a great victory against a superior German Army. But the cost was enormous. To quote two authorities:- "The British Regular Army stood and was destroyed" and "The BEF was effectively destroyed as a professional army". Their losses alone amounted to 58 000 with the total on both sides in excess of 250 000. The Germans had lost over 150 000. The line that the BEF had held was to remain virtually static for the next four years. This battle was to be called the First Battle of Ypres and it marked the start of the four year stalemate. After a subdued question time (we had been stunned by the brilliance of the presentation!),fellow-member, Phil Everitt thanked both our speakers for their well researched talks and to Paul for his outstanding presentation To those members who did not attend, you missed the talk of a lifetime.

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