western front battles Flashcards
when was the battle of ypres
1915
where did ypres stand
on direct port routes like calais
why was germany a threat when it came to ypres
germany could cut off british army’s supplies
what did germany’s position mean for britain
german forces on high ground so they could fire down on british and allied forces
why were german positions better
better attacking and transport and defence
why was the british forces’ position and terrain a problem
they were in low lying ground and heavy soil
which easily became flooded
what happened in the second ypres battle
first effective use of poison gas by german troops causing mass casualties
when was the somme
1916
somme:how many casualties did the british army expect
10,000
somme:how many casualties did they actually get on the first day leading to
60,000
mass casualties
when was the battle of arras
1917
what was the terrain like on arras
chalky
arras:what could soldiers easily do
build tunnels
arras:what was built out of the tunnels and how large was it
a hospital big enough to fit 700 beds and operating theatres
when was the battle of cambrai
late 1917
