Messines 1917
The zenith of siege warfare
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About this book
At 0310 hours on 7 June 1917, the pre-dawn gloom on the Western Front was shattered by the ‘pillars of fire’ – the rapid detonation of 19 huge mines, secreted in tunnels under the German lines and containing 450 tonnes of explosives. Admitted by the Germans to be a ‘masterstroke’, the devastating blasts caused 10,000 soldiers to later be posted simply as ‘missing’. Launching a pre-planned attack into the carnage, supported by tanks and a devastating artillery barrage, the British took the strategic objective of Messines Ridge within hours. A rare example of innovation and success in the First World War, this book is a fresh and timely examination of a fascinating campaign.
Contents
- Origins of the campaign
- Chronology
- Opposing commanders
- Opposing forces
- Opposing plans
- The battle of Messines
- Aftermath
- The battlefield today
- Further reading
- Index
Paperback; August 2010; 96 pages; ISBN: 9781846038457