'Warmest regards from the Somme . . . ' from Robert Künger, September 21, 1916, presumably pictured with his machine gun crew. Translation couresy of Thomas Faust, ebay's Urfaust.
'Warmest regards from the Somme . . . ' from Robert Künger, September 21, 1916. Translation couresy of Thomas Faust, ebay's Urfaust.
"— the ground was impassable and so powerless were the troops to manoeuvre that they were shot down whilst stuck in the mud.— the Barrage was ineffective and the troops were unable to keep up with it.— oblique hostile M.G. fire was very effective.— the only Lewis Gun which succeeded in getting into action was useless in three minutes [because of the mud].— all uncovered rifles were useless, all covered rifles ditto within ten minutes.— power of manoeuvre was nil.— to sum up the situation, neither FIRE NOR MOVEMENT was possible, and any prospects of success under these conditions was nil."
Excerpt from the report of the commanding officer of the British 58 (London) Division on the October 30, 1917 attack on the village of Passchendaele in the Third Battle of Ypres. 'M.G.' is 'machine gun.' The Lewis gun was a British M.G. The officer also reported on the utter failure of communications with runners shot after being stuck in mud, pigeons too mud-encrusted to fly, and aircraft not flying. Brackets in source.
Passchendaele The Untold Story by Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson, page 177, copyright © 1996 Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson, publisher: Yale University Press, publication date: 2002
1917-10-30, 1917, October, Battle of Passchendaele, Passchendaele, Third Battle of Ypres, Third Ypres, mud, machine gun, Lewis gun
