German Defensive Preparations and Tactics in the Battle of Passchendaele

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  • The Battle of Passchendaele witnessed German defensive preparations and tactics in mid-1917.
  • German defensive positions were set up east of Ypres, with a rigid front line and reserves ready to repulse British attacks.
  • Although the German tactics were costly, they succeeded in stopping British counter-attacks, but suffered high losses in the process.
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After dawn, aerodromes were periodically to be attacked by small formations of low-flying fighters and by day bombers from high-altitude. German defensive preparations Main article: German defensive preparations: June–July 1917 From mid-1917, the area east of Ypres was defended by six German defensive positions the front position, Albrechtstellung (second position), Wilhemstellung (third position), Flandern I Stellung (fourth position), Flandern II Stellung (fifth position) and Flandern III Stellung (under construction). Between the German defence positions, lay the Belgian villages of Zonnebeke and Passchendaele. "Elastic" defence tactics had been rejected by the 4th Army Chief of Staff, Major-General Fritz von Loßberg, who believed that a tactical withdrawal by trench garrisons would disorganise the counter-attacking reserves, leading to the loss of the sector and danger to flanking units. Loßberg ordered the front line of sentry groups (Postengraben) to be held rigidly; British attacks would exhaust themselves and then be repulsed by local German reserves or by Eingreif divisions. Loßberg also judged that there was little prospect of British attacks being delayed by their need to move artillery forward and build supply routes. The British had a huge mass of artillery and the infrastructure necessary to supply it with ammunition, much of it built opposite the Flandern I Stellung in the period between the attack at Messines and 31 July. German defensive tactics had been costly but succeeded on the front of XIX Corps on 31 July and against II Corps on the Gheluvelt Plateau on 31 July and during August, although the counter-attacks had been stopped in their turn by British artillery fire, when they reached areas where observation and communications between British infantry and artillery had been restored. Ludendorff later wrote that losses in the August battles had been unexpectedly high. The pause in British operations in early September helped to mislead the Germans. General von Kuhl (Chief of Staff, Army Group Crown Prince Rupprecht) doubted that the offensive had ended but by 13 September had changed his mind.

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>After dawn, aerodromes were periodically to be attacked by small formations of low-flying fighters and by day bombers from high-altitude. ⇒飛行場は、夜明け直後に低空飛行の戦闘機小編成隊で、日中は高度上空からの爆撃機によって、周期的に攻撃することになっていた。 >German defensive preparations Main article: German defensive preparations: June–July 1917 From mid-1917, the area east of Ypres was defended by six German defensive positions the front position, Albrechtstellung (second position), Wilhemstellung (third position), Flandern I Stellung (fourth position), Flandern II Stellung (fifth position) and Flandern III Stellung (under construction). Between the German defence positions, lay the Belgian villages of Zonnebeke and Passchendaele. ⇒ドイツ軍の防御準備 主要記事:ドイツ軍の防御準備:1917年6月-7月 1917年半ばから、イープル東の地域は、6つのドイツ軍防御陣地、すなわち、最前線陣地、アルブレヒト陣地(第2戦線)、ウィルヘルム陣地(第3戦線)、フランドル第I陣地(第4戦線)、フランドル第II陣地(第5戦線)、およびフランドル第III陣地(工事中)によって防御されていた。ベルギーのゾンネベーケ村とパッシェンデール村は、これらのドイツ軍の防御陣地の間にあった。 >"Elastic" defence tactics had been rejected by the 4th Army Chief of Staff, Major-General Fritz von Loßberg, who believed that a tactical withdrawal by trench garrisons would disorganise the counter-attacking reserves, leading to the loss of the sector and danger to flanking units. Loßberg ordered the front line of sentry groups (Postengraben) to be held rigidly; British attacks would exhaust themselves and then be repulsed by local German reserves or by Eingreif divisions. ⇒「弾力性のある」防御戦術は、第4方面軍参謀総長フリッツ・フォン・ロスベルク少将によって拒絶されたが、それというのも、彼は塹壕守備隊が戦術的にでも撤退すれば、反攻撃予備隊が混乱して、地区の損失および側面を接している部隊への危険が誘発されると信じたのである。ロスベルクは、歩哨グループ(最前線哨兵隊)に、前線を堅持するように命じた。(そうすれば)英国軍の攻撃隊は自ずから疲れて、それから、地域のドイツ軍予備隊またはアイングリーフ師団に追い返されるだろう、と。 >Loßberg also judged that there was little prospect of British attacks being delayed by their need to move artillery forward and build supply routes. The British had a huge mass of artillery and the infrastructure necessary to supply it with ammunition, much of it built opposite the Flandern I Stellung in the period between the attack at Messines and 31 July. ⇒ロスベルクはまた、英国軍の前方移動と供給ルートの普請の必要から遅れがあるので、攻撃の見込みは少ないだろう、と判断した。英国軍は、莫大な砲兵隊と、それに弾薬を供給するのに必要な多数の大砲とインフラストラクチャー(基盤建造物)を擁していて、メッシネス(の戦いの時)と7月31日の間の期間に、その多くがフランドル第I陣地の対面に建てられた。 >German defensive tactics had been costly but succeeded on the front of XIX Corps on 31 July and against II Corps on the Gheluvelt Plateau on 31 July and during August, although the counter-attacks had been stopped in their turn by British artillery fire, when they reached areas where observation and communications between British infantry and artillery had been restored. ⇒ドイツ軍の防御戦術は高くついたけれども、7月31日の第XIX軍団前線、および7月31日と8月中のゲルヴェルト高原における第II軍団それぞれに対峙した際は、成功であった。もっとも、ドイツ軍はドイツ軍で、英国軍の歩兵隊と砲兵隊の間の観察と通信が復元された地域に英国軍が到着した時、その砲兵隊の砲火によって反撃の足を止められた。 >Ludendorff later wrote that losses in the August battles had been unexpectedly high. The pause in British operations in early September helped to mislead the Germans. General von Kuhl (Chief of Staff, Army Group Crown Prince Rupprecht) doubted that the offensive had ended but by 13 September had changed his mind. ⇒ルーデンドルフは、後に、8月の戦いでの損失は予想外に高くついた、と書いた。9月初旬の、英国軍の作戦行動の休止は、ドイツ軍の誤算を誘うのに役立った。フォン・クール将軍(方面軍・軍団参謀総長、皇太子ルプレヒト)は、攻勢が終わったのかも知れないと思ったが、9月13日までにはその考えを撤回した。

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