Late in part because of a cat crisis. I have been doing this now for three and a half years, and I can hardly wait until the bloody war ends. Of course, there are the peace negotiations, the post-war environment and the Russian Civil War. By the beginning of August it was fairly clear the Germans could not win the war; by the end of the month it was equally clear the Allies would.
The Allied counterattack in response to Operation Friedensturm had by 6 August recovered virtually all of the Spring Offensive gains, and two days later the Allies launched the first of a series of assaults β collectively called the Hundred Days Offensive β that would push the Germans out of France by November.
The war was hastening to an end, but tens of thousands still had to die. On 7 August General Foch was made a Marshal of France and the next day began the Battle of Amiens the French assault in the south was known as the Battle of Montdidier , sending 10 British, Commonwealth and French divisions and over tanks along the Somme east of the city. The terrain in the area was also excellent for tanks, whose value in penetrating the trench lines β despite the constant breakdowns β was now well appreciated.
On the first day the Allies blasted a 15 mile wide hole in the German lines and advanced an average miles, inflicting 30, casualties to their own But the rapid advance meant the troops quickly outdistanced their artillery and logistical support, and in the following days movement slowed to more familiar rates. Nevertheless, on 10 August Ludendorff began to evacuate the Amiens salient, established back in March.
The battle had, incidentally, clearly demonstrated the value of the tank in breaking through static defenses; the units without serious tank support simply could not match the progress of those with armor. On the other hand, the age of Blitzkrieg was still a ways off: of the more than tanks involved only 6 remained operational on 10 August. Was the Butcher uneasy about the growing casualties and the old ghosts along the Somme or did he simply desire a push that did not involve the French?
