Battles of the First World War Podcast

Former Tennessee Park Ranger David Brady comes on the podcast to speak further on the AEF’s 30th Division, its 119th Infantry Regiment, and his great grandfather–a Doughboy who saw action with those units.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is a release of a former Patreon-only episode. 

Elements of the German 8th Army push to outflank and encircle the Russian 2nd Army, while outmaneuvered Russian soldiers fight desperately yet resolutely. 

The Russian 2nd Army is surrounded, sealing their fate. The only tactical victory of the First World War ends in a stunning Russian defeat.

More of Aislingeach’s awesome music is here:

https://aislingeach.bandcamp.com/

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Historian Pat Gang comes on the podcast to discuss the AEF 2nd Corps, the 27th (New York National Guard) and 30th (Tennessee National Guard) Divisions. 

Pat’s musings on football and history can be found here: https://www.volnation.com/forum/members/onemangang.535/

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

A short review of Ann Hood’s “The Stolen Child,” a new book to be released in May 2024. 

Book link here: https://www.annhood.us/

Order it from your local bookstore so that you support your local businesses. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

This is a release of a former Patreon-only episode. 

The German 8th Army receives two new leaders: Hindenburg and Ludendorff. They rush to stave off the Russian 2nd Army’s invasion from Russian Poland to the south. A classic battle of maneuver, modernized with modern weapons and heavy casualties, plays out. Corps, divisions, and brigades collide with each other as each seeks to turn their enemy’s flanks. 

Aislingeach’s awesome music is here!

https://aislingeach.bandcamp.com/

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Ypres Battlefield Tours guide and author Roger Steward joins Professor Mark Connelly of the University of Kent, Canterbury, to discuss a new remembrance project: the New Ypres League. 

A remembrance project aimed at preserving the memory of soldiers from all nations who fell in the Ypres Salient during the Great War, the New Ypres League is based on the original Ypres League that was present in Ypres in the years after the First World War.

Where to join -

New Ypres League vzw: www.newypresleague.com

If you’re in Ypres, Belgium, contact Roger for tour details -

Ypres Battlefield Tours: www.ypresbattlefieldtours.be

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

A review of Lawrence Kaplan’s new book, “Pershing’s Tankers: Personal Accounts of the AEF Tank Corps in World War I,” and a couple of excerpts from men of the AEF 301st Tank Battalion.

Book link here:

https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=Pershing%27s+Tankers

Order it from your local bookstore so that you support your local businesses. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

This is a release of a former Patreon-only episode. 

The Germans and Russians are ready to fight, and each gives battle. The Russian 1st Army invades East Prussia from the east, and meets German 8th Army forces at Stallupönen. Both sides clash again at Gumbinnen, where the Germans suffer a stinging defeat that sets off a panic within 8th Army headquarters. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

This is a release of a former Patreon-only episode. 

The beginning of World War I in the summer of 1914 saw Germany faced with fighting a two-front war. Its legions marched into France to defeat that nation first, while in the east just one field army was tasked with holding back an inevitable Russian invasion. This episode will set the stage for the opening of the Great War’s Eastern Front. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Author and historian Dr. Allison Finkelstein comes on the podcast to discuss her book, Forgotten Veterans, Invisible Memorials: How American Women Commemorated the Great War, 1917-1945.

From Dr. Finkelstein’s website: In Forgotten Veterans, Invisible Memorials: How American Women Commemorated the Great War, 1917–1945, Allison S. Finkelstein argues that American women activists considered their own community service and veteran advocacy to be forms of commemoration just as significant and effective as other, more traditional forms of commemoration such as memorials. Finkelstein employs the term “veteranism” to describe these women’s overarching philosophy that supporting, aiding, and caring for those who serve needed to be a chief concern of American citizens, civic groups, and the government in the war’s aftermath. However, these women did not express their views solely through their support for veterans of a military service narrowly defined as a group predominantly composed of men and just a few women. Rather, they defined anyone who served or sacrificed during the war, including women like themselves, as veterans.

These women veteranists believed that memorialization projects that centered on the people who served and sacrificed was the most appropriate type of postwar commemoration. They passionately advocated for memorials that could help living veterans and the families of deceased service members at a time when postwar monument construction surged at home and abroad. Finkelstein argues that by rejecting or adapting traditional monuments or by embracing aspects of the living memorial building movement, female veteranists placed the plight of all veterans at the center of their commemoration efforts. Their projects included diverse acts of service and advocacy on behalf of people they considered veterans and their families as they pushed to infuse American memorial traditions with their philosophy. In doing so, these women pioneered a relatively new form of commemoration that impacted American practices of remembrance, encouraging Americans to rethink their approach and provided new definitions of what constitutes a memorial. In the process, they shifted the course of American practices, even though their memorialization methods did not achieve the widespread acceptance they had hoped it would.

Meticulously researched, Forgotten Veterans, Invisible Memorials utilizes little-studied sources and reinterprets more familiar ones. In addition to the words and records of the women themselves, Finkelstein analyzes cultural landscapes and ephemeral projects to reconstruct the evidence of their influence. Readers will come away with a better understanding of how American women supported the military from outside its ranks before they could fully serve from within, principally through action-based methods of commemoration that remain all the more relevant today.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) awarded this book the 2022 Arline Custer Memorial Award for the best book written in the Mid-Atlantic region.

We have a promo code exclusively for BFWWP listeners! Use BATTLE24 to unlock a 30% discount on either format of the book when ordering directly from our website at:

https://www.uapress.ua.edu/9780817361211/forgotten-veterans-invisible-memorials/

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Part 4 of the ongoing discussion looks at the French Army in 1915: an often overlooked year, it was a year of “carnage, optimism, and learning,” as Alex says in the talk. Fighting to keep pressure on the German invader and relieve pressure on the WW1 Russian Front, the French faced a long year where that optimism took several body blows; it was a year where the French Poilu learned this would be a long and terrible war. 

This was a fascinating conversation as always, and you really need to listen for the part where Jim Taub talks about handling and firing a Chauchat light machine gun!

Joining us for this discussion are:

• Alex Lyons, the man who spends his free time telling us the story of his Poilu great-grandfather on Twitter,

• Steve Marsdin, a student and researcher of the 1914 Battle of the Frontiers and its effects,

• Jim Smithson, author of “A Taste of Success: The First Battle of the Scarpe. The Opening Phase of the Battle of Arras 9-14 April 1917” and two guide books on the Arras battlefields

• James Taub, Associate Curator at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA, and a public historian with a specialty in French history, and its presentation to American audiences.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

New year, new opportunity to see the AEF battlefields of France! That’s right, Rob and I are launching the 2024 Lost Battalion Tours Meuse-Argonne Tour. 

Tour dates are July 03 - 09, 2024, and we’ll be visiting the following stops:

- Vauquois Hill and the 35th Division area,

- the Montfaucon Memorial

- Hill 285 and Le Chene Tondu in the Argonne,

- the Crown Prince’s bunker complex,

- the German war cemetery near Apremont,

- Exermont,

- a Medal of Honor Day visiting the sites of Barkley, Woodfill, and York,

a complete tour of the Lost Battalion site (including both entrapment sites),

- the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery,

- site of SGT Henry Gunther's death (last US KIA),

- an "Indiana Jones" moment where we explore a new site for all of us,  

- a day exploring the battlefield and town of Verdun,

- and so much more!

Special requests in case are also possible if there is something important to you that you would like to see.

Details in the episode – do give it a listen!

Or contact us at [email protected]

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

An early Christmas gift for the BFWWP community--the battle of Fismes in summer 1918. This was a Patreon release, so you'll hear the old scores used in the episode.

Following the German Friedensturm offensive in July 1918, the Allies struck back with a counteroffensive that shifted the momentum of the war in the Allies’ favor. Through the rest of July the Germans retreated from their Marne salient, steadily pursued by the French and American forces.

When the Germans retreated behind the River Vesle, American troops encountered obstacles not common to the Great War battlefield: the town of Fismes and its sister village of Fismette. Both would have to be cleared of German troops for the advance to continue. 

August 1918 saw weeks of staggering violence as American Doughboys and German Frontkaempfer fought tooth and nail for the ruins of these towns. 

Interested in the 2024 Lost Battalion Tours’ Meuse-Argonne battlefield tour? 

Email us: [email protected]

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The Hello Girls of the WW1 US Army have never been officially recognized for the groundbreaking service they provided as America’s first women soldiers. In this call to action, an incredible group of people came on to talk about why the Hello Girls should receive the Congressional Gold Medal.

Joining us are:

Ms. Catherine Bourgin, granddaughter of Hello Girl Marie Edmee LeRoux

Mr. Daniel Dayton, Executive Director of the World War I Centennial Commission

Dr. Allison S. Finkelstein, Senior Historian at Arlington National Cemetery

Ms. Claudia Friddell, award winning author of “Grace Banker and Her Hello Girls Answer the Call”

COL Linda Jantzen, United States Army Signal Corps, Retired

Carolyn Timbie, granddaughter of Grace Banker, Chief Operator of the 1st women's telephone unit that sailed to France in March, 1918

Ms. Phyllis J. Wilson, President of the Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington, VA

Support a Congressional Gold Medal for the WWI Hello Girls! Instructions are here:

https://ww1cc.org/715-valor-medals/valor-medals-meet-the-heroes/7321-hello-girls-congress.html

US listeners, call your Congressional Representatives today!

Interested in the 2024 Lost Battalion Tours’ Meuse-Argonne battlefield tour? 

Email us: [email protected]

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

Historian, novelist, and documentary filmmaker Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs joins the podcast to discuss her 2019 book on the story of the US Army Signal Corps’ “Hello Girls,” the American Army’s first female soldiers. 

Book link: http://elizabethcobbs.com/the-hello-girls

Elizabeth Cobbs’ website: http://elizabethcobbs.com/

Support a Congressional Gold Medal for the WWI Hello Girls!

https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/715-valor-medals/valor-medals-meet-the-heroes/7321-hello-girls-congress.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Interested in the 2024 Lost Battalion Tours’ Meuse-Argonne battlefield tour? 

Email us: [email protected]

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

Historian Peter Belmonte joins the podcast to discuss his latest collaboration with Alexander Barnes on lesser known aspects of the United States’ participation in the First World War. The story of how the AEF was supplied with “bullets, bandages, and beans” is just as fascinating as the tales we’ve often heard from the front.

Book link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63389152-bullets-bandages-and-beans

Johnson Hagood’s “The Services of Supply: A Memoir of the Great War” Link: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Services_of_Supply/4LoBAAAAMAAJ?hl=en

Interested in the 2024 Lost Battalion Tours’ Meuse-Argonne battlefield tour? 

Email us: [email protected]

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

In the last days of the First World War, the Americans continued to pursue and batter German forces as they retreated behind the River Meuse. Even as armistice negotiations began, the AEF continued attacking. 

It kept doing so until the guns fell silent at 11:00 am on the 11th of November, 1918. 

Interested in the 2024 Lost Battalion Tours’ Meuse-Argonne battlefield tour? 

Email us: [email protected]

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

Dr. Clint Heacock of the Mindshift Podcast joins us to discuss his second-favorite subject, the First World War. Today he talks to us about the life and experiences of Phillip Gibbs, a British war correspondent during the Great War.

Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/

“Now It Can Be Told” by Philip Gibbs: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3317

Interested in the 2024 Lost Battalion Tours’ Meuse-Argonne battlefield tour? 

Email us: [email protected]

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

In the last days of WW1, some AEF commanders in the Meuse-Argonne embarked on a rash, dangerous, and deadly race for a coveted battlefield prize.

Interested in the 2024 Lost Battalion Tours’ Meuse-Argonne battlefield tour? 

Email us: [email protected]

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

James Gregory and Steve Girard come on the podcast to discuss James’ latest article in the US Army’s Infantry journal “Cottonbalers in the Wood: The Forgotten Role of the 7th Infantry Regiment at Belleau Wood.”

Read the article here: 

https://www.moore.army.mil/infantry/magazine/issues/2023/Summer/PDF/Summer23_INFMag.pdf

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

LTG Hunter Liggett’s patience, preparations, and plans all come together on November 1, 1918, when his new attack is launched. 

The AEF breaks through.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

AEF 1st Army’s corps shape the battlefield as they fight to secure jump-off points or divert enemy forces for LTG Hunter Liggett’s next attack plan. The 78th, 89th, 3rd, and 26th Divisions fight sharp battles within their sectors. 

Interested in next year’s Meuse-Argonne battlefield tour? 

Email us: [email protected]

Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book “Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America's Famous WW1 Epic” and here it finally is. 

The audio version of “Finding the Lost Battalion” comes to you in podcast form, ready to download and provide nearly 36 hours of the retelling of America’s WW1 epic of devastating modern battle and indomitable bravery under horrific conditions. 

Purchase here for $25 USD:

https://battlesofthefirstworldwar.supportingcast.fm/

Also available through Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0qcRm8x3W7gpbFjOk78Z6L

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

A look at the American Air Service during the Meuse-Argonne offensive.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

From Dr. Williams’ website: When W. E. B. Du Bois, believing in the possibility of full citizenship and democratic change, encouraged African Americans to “close ranks” and support the Allied cause in World War I, he made a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Seeking both intellectual clarity and personal atonement, for more than two decades Du Bois attempted to write the definitive history of Black participation in World War I. His book, however, remained unfinished. In The Wounded World, Chad Williams offers the dramatic account of Du Bois’s failed efforts to complete what would have been one of his most significant works. The surprising story of this unpublished book offers new insight into Du Bois’s struggles to reckon with both the history and the troubling memory of the war, along with the broader meanings of race and democracy for Black people in the twentieth century.

Drawing on a broad range of sources, most notably Du Bois’s unpublished manuscript and research materials, Williams tells a sweeping story of hope, betrayal, disillusionment, and transformation, setting into motion a fresh understanding of the life and mind of arguably the most significant scholar-activist in African American history. In uncovering what happened to Du Bois’s largely forgotten book, Williams offers a captivating reminder of the importance of World War I, why it mattered to Du Bois, and why it continues to matter today.

Where to buy:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-wounded-world-w-e-b-du-bois-and-the-first-world-war-chad-l-williams/18402495?ean=9780374293154

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Part 3 of the ongoing discussion looks at the French Army in 1914: its readiness for a potential conflict with Germany, its underlying preparation and strategy for war, and its performance in the battles that raged in the summer and autumn of that year. 

Joining us for this discussion are:

• Christina Holstein, author of several incredible guides to the Verdun battlefield, amongst other published works and articles,

• Steve Marsdin, a student and researcher of the 1914 Battle of the Frontiers and its effects,

• Jim Smithson, author of “A Taste of Success: The First Battle of the Scarpe. The Opening Phase of the Battle of Arras 9-14 April 1917” and two guide books on the Arras battlefields

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

In this episode we discuss the book “The Darkest Year: The British Army on the Western Front 1917” by Helion & Co Ltd, the 4th in a series of books looking at the development of the BEF on the Western Front throughout the First World War.

Joining us for this discussion are:

• Dr. Spencer Jones, Senior Lecturer in Armed Forces and War Studies at the University of Wolverhampton

• Dr. Michael LoCicero, independent scholar and Helion & Co Publishing and Series Editor

• Alexander Falbo-Wild, historian, researcher, and professional military educator

• James Taub, Associate Curator at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA whose focus is the “British, French, and American experience of 1914-18 with particular focus on the average fighting man”

Link to the book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59558585-the-darkest-year

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

A firsthand look at what it meant to attack and take an enemy position during WW1.

Many thanks to Alex Lyons for the inspiration for this episode. Thanks, man!

Link to Henri Desagneaux’s memoir:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22219805-a-french-soldier-s-war-diary-1914-1918

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Steven Girard, US Army veteran and veteran battlefield guide, comes back on the podcast to discuss the American Expeditionary Force’s 2nd Division during the First World War. 

Note: The 2nd Division was organized at Bourmont, France. 

Villages & towns of note:

Landres-et-St. Georges

Imécourt

Mouzon

Koblenz, Germany

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

The story behind a famous photograph from the First World War of the men of 10th (Service) Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in the Arras sector in 1917.

Chris Baker’s article: 

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/10th-scottish-rifles-trench-raid-and-an-oft-used-photograph/

Many thanks to Chris for permission to use his article.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

This episode we are joined by the powerhouse team of Alex Churchill & Beth Moore to talk about the Great War Group that they created and run with their crack team. What a great conversation. 

Join the Great War Group!

https://greatwargroup.com/

Check out Istoria Travel:

https://www.istoriatravel.org/

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Randy Gaulke, WW1 historian and founder of Knee Deep in History Tours, returns to the podcast to talk about the state of the German Army in October 1918. 

Join Randy at Knee Deep Into History:

https://kneedeepintohistory.com/

Randy’s bibliography:

Asprey, Robert B. The German High Command at War: Hindenburg and Ludendorff Conduct WW1.

Lengel, Edward G., Editor. A Companion to the Meuse-Argonne Campaign. Wiley Blackwell, 2014.

McEntee, Girard Lindsley, Col. US Army (Retired). Military History of The World War: A Complete Account of the Campaigns on all Fronts Accompanied by 456 Maps and Diagrams. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1943.

Moyer, Laurence. Victory Must be Ours: Germany in the Great War, 1914-1918. Hippocrene Books, New York.

United States War Office. Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918), London Stamp Exchange LTD., 1989.

Watson, Alexander. Enduring the Great War: Combat Morale and Collapse in the German and British Armies, 1914 – 1918. Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Zabecki, David T. The German 1918 Offensives: A Case Study in the Operational Level of War.

Routledge, Oxon and New York, 2006.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Part 2 of the ongoing discussion looks at misconceptions about the French Army, and French personalities of the war we should know about but, for reasons, do not. We wrap up with some advice on visiting the French battlefields of the Great War: guide books, how to prepare, what to expect, etc.

This was another conversation that deeply impressed me with the breadth and depth of knowledge of the participants. Like I say in the introduction, grab a notebook and a pen, because you are about to learn a lot.

Joining us for this discussion are:

• Christina Holstein, author of several incredible guides to the Verdun battlefield, amongst other published works and articles,

• Alex Lyons, the man who spends his free time telling us the story of his Poilu great-grandfather on Twitter,

• Steve Marsdin, a student and researcher of the 1914 Battle of the Frontiers and its effects,

• Jim Smithson, author of “A Taste of Success: The First Battle of the Scarpe. The Opening Phase of the Battle of Arras 9-14 April 1917” and two guide books on the Arras battlefields,

• James Taub, Associate Curator at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA, and a public historian with a specialty in French history, and its presentation to American audiences.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

LTG Hunter Liggett took command of the American Expeditionary Force’s 1st Army in October of 1918. He had his work cut out for him–1st Army desperately needed reorganizing, refitting, and retraining. 

Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book “Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America's Famous WW1 Epic” and here it finally is. 

The audio version of “Finding the Lost Battalion” comes to you in podcast form, ready to download and provide nearly 36 hours of the retelling of America’s WW1 epic of devastating modern battle and indomitable bravery under horrific conditions. 

Purchase here for $25 USD:

https://battlesofthefirstworldwar.supportingcast.fm/

Also available through Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0qcRm8x3W7gpbFjOk78Z6L

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

US Army National Guard officer and historian Jonathan Bratten comes on the podcast to discuss his book, “To the Last Man: A National Guard Regiment in the Great War, 1917-1919.” The regiment discussed is the 103rd Infantry Regiment, a unit in the 26th “Yankee” Division. 

Jonathan joins us to discuss the 103rd’s engagements in the Meuse-Argonne in October 1918.

Link to the book:

https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/to-the-last-man.pdf

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

This was so much fun to host–with the help of Alex Lyons, a fantastic group of WW1 enthusiasts were gathered for what will be the first of a multi-part series of discussions of the French Army and the French experience during WW1. 

France went to war in 1914 as a country of 40 million people. Its army went to war in 19th century uniforms of dark blue tunics and red trousers, calling up 8.5 million Frenchmen over the next four devastating years. When the guns went silent in November 1918, the Adrian-helmeted and horizon-blue clad PCFs– pauvre con du front, or poor bastards at the front–had seen 1.4 million of their brothers fall on the field of battle, with another 4.2 million wounded–a million of those wounded significantly disabled for the rest of their lives. 

Joining us for this discussion are:

• Bart Debeer, who co-wrote a Dutch-language Western Front Guide for Beginners with a friend
• Bryn Hammond, whose blog “Vingt Frong”  aims to “awaken interest in the French experience of the First World War in an English-speaking audience,”
• Alex Lyons, the man who spends his free time telling us the story of his Poilu great-grandfather on Twitter,
• Steve Marsdin, a student and researcher of the 1914 Battle of the Frontiers and its effects,
• Jim Smithson, author of “A Taste of Success: The First Battle of the Scarpe. The Opening Phase of the Battle of Arras 9-14 April 1917” and two guide books on the Arras battlefields,
• Dr. Rich Willis, author of the forthcoming “Fighting for the Butcher: British Troops Fighting in General Mangin’s Xe Armée, July-August 1918”

I’m really excited to present this first discussion on these fascinating topics, and I hope you enjoy this first talk. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The second of a two-episode look at the Commander-in-Chief of the AEF, GEN John J. Pershing, from the personal to the professional.

Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book “Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America's Famous WW1 Epic” and here it finally is. 

The audio version of “Finding the Lost Battalion” comes to you in podcast form, ready to download and provide nearly 36 hours of the retelling of America’s WW1 epic of devastating modern battle and indomitable bravery under horrific conditions. 

Purchase here for $25 USD:

https://battlesofthefirstworldwar.supportingcast.fm/

Also available through Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0qcRm8x3W7gpbFjOk78Z6L

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The first of a two-episode look at the Commander-in-Chief of the AEF, GEN John J. Pershing, from the personal to the professional.

Link to Roger Steward’s upcoming book: 

https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/reclaiming-the-salient-resurrecting-the-great-war-battlegrounds-of-flanders-fields.php?sid=018fc7cc39777a571b22a1bf97452b9e

Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book “Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America's Famous WW1 Epic” and here it finally is. 

The audio version of “Finding the Lost Battalion” comes to you in podcast form, ready to download and provide nearly 36 hours of the retelling of America’s WW1 epic of devastating modern battle and indomitable bravery under horrific conditions. 

Purchase here for $25 USD:

https://battlesofthefirstworldwar.supportingcast.fm/

Also available through Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0qcRm8x3W7gpbFjOk78Z6L

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

This episode doesn’t have too much to do with the First World War, but it was really fun to do. My great friend Jake has been asking me to do this for a while, saying that the BFWWP community doesn’t know enough about me personally. So, we got together and made it happen. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Great War historian and writer Alex Lyons joined me on an evening in the UK to let us into a very personal and ground-level account of a French soldier in the First World War: through the letters of his great-grandfather, Jules André Destrigneville.

Alex has been composing tweets of Jules’ letters, cross-referenced against unit histories, orders, and other soldiers’ accounts. He has also written articles for the Great War Group’s excellent publication, Salient Points. Having the time to talk with Alex about his great-grandfather’s experiences and the general experience of French soldiers in World War I was an immensely rewarding time, and I think you’ll enjoy it. 

Correction: deep into the episode Alex and I discuss some of the ranks in the French Army, specifically those of sous-officiers and officiers.

Sous-officiers are those of NonCommissioned Officers, and are the ranks of Caporal, Sergeant, and Adjutant and their various grades. Officiers are officer ranks, beginning at Sous Lieutenant and going all the way up to Général.

Follow Alex on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ri315e

Link for the Great War Group: https://greatwargroup.com/

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book “Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America's Famous WW1 Epic” and here it finally is. 

The audio version of “Finding the Lost Battalion” comes to you in podcast form, ready to download and provide nearly 36 hours of the retelling of America’s WW1 epic of devastating modern battle and indomitable bravery under horrific conditions. 

Purchase here for $25 USD:

https://battlesofthefirstworldwar.supportingcast.fm/

Also available through Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0qcRm8x3W7gpbFjOk78Z6L

Available for purchase as a gift as well. We do hope you will enjoy this unforgettable story.

Many thanks to Cullen Burke of the Cauldron Podcast: A History of the World Battle by Battle, who recorded the intro announcement and legal notes for us. Cullen has a voice made for this sort of thing. 

Cullen’s podcast:

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cauldron-a-military-history-podcast/id1345505888

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

After a day of mixed success, the 42d “Rainbow” Division fixes its sights on taking the Côte de Chátillon. The hill is yet another link in the German defensive line that must be broken in order to advance.

Villages of note:

Sommerance

St. Georges

Landres-et-St. Georges

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Join us for a great discussion with Blackmill Games’ CEO Jos Hoebe on their latest WW1 video game,  “WW1 Italian Front: Isonzo.” 

Jos takes us through his creative process and the research that goes into the games he and his team create. He takes us back to what started his passion for history and where, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised where that “where” is. The world is full of vibrant and creative people who are passionate about what they do, and Jos Hoebe is one of them. 

Check out the Isonzo game trailer here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

Follow BlackMill Games on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackmillgame

Follow Game Drive NL on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameDriveNL

Twitter Folks! Retweet the BFWWP episode post for a chance to win access to the Isonzo game: https://twitter.com/WW1podcast

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

James Gregory comes back on the podcast to discuss his forthcoming book, “Unraveling the Myth of Sgt. Alvin York: The Other Sixteen.” 

Link to the book: 

https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781648430756/unraveling-the-myth-of-sgt-alvin-york/#:~:text=In%20Unraveling%20the%20Myth%20of,the%20shadow%20of%20Sergeant%20York.

Order it from your local bookstore so that you support your local businesses. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

A short review of Roger Steward’s book “Studentenfriedhof to Soldatenfriedhof: A History of Langemark German Cemetery and Self-Guided Tour.”

If you’re visiting the Ypres area, please get in touch with Roger Steward of Ypres Battlefields Tours:

Email: [email protected]

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/ypresbattlefieldtours.be

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ypresbattlefieldtours/

Link to Roger’s book, “Studentenfriedhof to Soldatenfriedhof: A History of the Langemark German Cemetery and self-guided tour:”

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59249678-studentenfriedhof-to-soldatenfriedhof

Order it from your local bookstore so that you support your local businesses. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

October 14th, 1918, the AEF launched yet another attempt at smashing through the third German position in the Meuse, the Kriemhilde Stellung. The 42d and 5th Divisions would attempt a double envelopment while the 32d Division would once again attack the formidable Côte Dame Marie.

Villages of note:

Romagne-sous-Montfaucon

Bantheville

Sommerance

St. Georges

Landres-et-St. Georges

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

University of Oklahoma PhD candidate James Gregory joins us on the podcast to discuss a forgotten front of the First World War: the US Marines’ time in the trenches of the Toulon sector in early 1918. 

Marine Corps History Journal:

https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/798

Through the Eyes of a Marine: The World War I Photographs of Sgt. Clarence H. Douglass

By James Gregory:

https://www.lulu.com/shop/james-p-gregory-jr/through-the-eyes-of-a-marine/hardcover/product-enek7p.html?page=1&pageSize=4

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

On October 12th, 1918, 1LT Sam Woodfill of 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, 5th Division, AEF, took matters into his own hands when his unit was pinned down by German fire outside Cunel, France.

Villages of note:

Cunel

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Hey Folks, this episode is a recap of the 2022 Lost Battalion Tours Meuse-Argonne Tour and of my four weeks in France. It’s unscripted, so forewarned is forearmed: there is a good amount of umms and uhhs in there, and I apparently say “okay?” a lot now. There is, however, a lot of joy in telling you about my adventures in France.

Lost Battalion Tours - Get on our mailing list!

Email: [email protected]

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/lostbattaliontours

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostbattaliontours/

If you’re visiting the Ypres area, please get in touch with Roger Steward of Ypres Battlefields Tours:

Email: [email protected]

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/ypresbattlefieldtours.be

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ypresbattlefieldtours/

Link to Roger’s book, “Studentenfriedhof to Soldatenfriedhof: A History of the Langemark German Cemetery and self-guided tour:”

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59249678-studentenfriedhof-to-soldatenfriedhof

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The AEF continued attacking the German Army in the Meuse region in October 1918, but made little gains. American Doughboys, while fighting to the best of their ability, were nearing exhaustion in the third week of the Meuse-Argonne offensive.

Villages of note:

Cornay

Exermont

Romagne-sous-Montfaucon

Cunel

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Under French command, the US 114th Infantry Regiment attacked into the Meuse Heights on October 12, 1918. The experience of Company B, 114th Infantry, was unfortunately typical of the American experience of fighting in World War I. Then-CPT William Reddan later recorded those experiences in his searing memoir “Other Men’s Lives: The Experiences of a Doughboy, 1917-1919.”

Villages of note:

Samogneux

Haumont-prés-Samogneux

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The Right Bank of the Meuse extends the Meuse-Argonne front as counterattacks and attacks continue in October 1918. 

In the American 29th Division’s sector, the 113th Infantry Regiment attacks into the woods and hills near Ormont Farm. 2LT Joe Lawrence’s memoir provides a vivid tale of the fighting there.

Villages of note:

Consenvoye

Sivry-sur-Meuse

Haumont-prés-Samogneux

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Joining us this episode is Matt Dixon, the host of the Footsteps of the Fallen podcast, and I am so excited he is here! Matt is a military historian, battlefield researcher and guide, author and, of course, podcaster. He too, has an amazing depth of knowledge about places all along the Old Front Line of the Great War’s Western Front. Matt has 30 years of researching and writing behind him, and I can’t wait to hear about his journey into the history of the First World War. 

Links to Matt’s Footsteps of the Fallen podcast:

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/footsteps-of-the-fallen/id1528864547?i=1000559225751

Website: https://footstepsofthefallen.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/footsteps_pod

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

This episode we are joined by an incredible guest, Mr. Paul Reed of the “Old Front Line Great War Podcast.” 

Paul Reed has written a number of books about WW1 including the best-selling “Walking the Somme” and “Great War Lives.” He also works in Television and has worked on and appeared in numerous programmes including BBC Timewatch, Meet The Ancestors, War Hero in My Family and Who Do You Think You Are. Along with these accomplishments, Paul produces the excellent Old Front Line Great War Podcast.

Join us for a fascinating journey into Paul Reed’s life and lifelong learning about the Great War. You will be delighted. 

Note: If toward the first half hour or so of the podcast you can hear someone yelling in the background…I can explain. One of our cats, Bertie, was causing all sorts of destructive mischief that he saved up for exactly when we’d be recording. Felines are really unbelievable like that. 

Links to Paul’s Old Front Line podcast:

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-old-front-line/id1505204931

Website: https://oldfrontline.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OldFrontLinePod

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The Americans finally have to face facts and deal with the punishing German artillery on the Meuse Heights. On October 8th, 1918, two American and two French divisions expanded the Meuse-Argonne offensive by attacking the enemy on the Right Bank of the River Meuse. 

Villages of note:

Samogneux

Consenvoye

Haumont-prés-Samogneux

Lost Battalion Tours 2022 in the Meuse-Argonne! Come join us.

Email [email protected] for pricing and availability.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

A short review of Maarten Otte’s new book, “The Meuse-Argonne 1918: The Right Bank to the Armistice.”

Book link here:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Meuse-Heights-to-the-Armistice-Paperback/p/19110

Order it from your local bookstore so that you support your local businesses. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Finally, the retired United States Army motto finds a proper use.

On October 7th, 1918, PVT John Lewis Barkley, a scout in the 3rd Division AEF, decided “to make things interesting for the Germans for a while.” With a captured machine gun and some four thousand rounds of ammunition, he engaged an enemy battalion-sized unit. 

Single-handedly. 

From inside an abandoned tank. 

Here is his story. 

Lost Battalion Tours 2022 in the Meuse-Argonne! Come join us.

Email [email protected] for pricing and availability.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Returning guest and University of Oklahoma PhD candidate James P. Gregory tackles the subject of the US 5th Marine Regiment on Blanc Mont on October 4th, 1918, a day that would see the highest casualties ever taken by the Marines until World War Two a generation later. James argues that events and leadership led to “a calamity of errors” with deadly results for the Marines on the ground. 

James’ article can be found here:

https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/MarineCorpsHistory_vol7no2_Winter2021_web.pdf?fbclid=IwAR14uKs6rllEZRBZuZ29HpJFUn-39FBOPRAlUcdWG0QPc4gpFFHgse2z0pI

LTCs Owen and Swift’s “A Hideous Price” can be found here:

https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/A%20Hideous%20Price_WEB.pdf

https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/hideous-price-4th-brigade-blanc-mont-2-10-october-1918

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

October 4th, 1918: the AEF 5th Corps launches new attacks on the German lines in the Meuse with two fresh divisions, the veteran 32nd and 3rd. The attacks center on the Kriemhilde Line defenses around Gesnes-en-Argonne and north of Cierges-sous-Montfaucon. 

Matt Dixon’s “Footsteps of the Fallen” is a podcast you need to listen to:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/footsteps-of-the-fallen/id1528864547

Lost Battalion Tours 2022 in the Meuse-Argonne! Come join us.

Email [email protected] for pricing and availability

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

On October 4th, 1918 the AEF 1st Army launched a new series of attacks on the Meuse battlefront, hoping to break the German lines. On the army’s right front, the 80th and 4th Divisions of 3rd Corps found themselves fighting in the Bois des Ogons and the Bois de Fays. 

Folks, check out the new intro and outro music from listener Brian F., aka Aislingeach!

More of Aislingeach’s awesome music is here:

https://aislingeach.bandcamp.com/

Link to Andrew Capets’ book “Good War, Great Men: The Detailed Accounts of a Machine Gun Battalion during WW1:” 

https://www.amazon.com/Good-War-Great-Men-Battalion/dp/0692116478

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

I wanted to tell you about a podcast that I think you will really enjoy. It is called Everything Everywhere Daily.

If you are a remotely curious person, and let’s face it–if you are listening to this podcast, you are more than a remotely curious person–you’ll love Everything Everywhere Daily. 

Every day you will get short episodes averaging about 10 minutes, which tell stories from every era of history, as well as explain subjects relating to technology, science, and geography.

You can learn something new every day, often about topics that you didn’t even know you didn’t know about. 

So here is a full episode of the show on a topic I think you might enjoy. 

Remember, you can subscribe to Everything Everywhere Daily wherever you are listening to this podcast.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-everywhere-daily/id1521870190

We have had some folks ask, so we have delivered. Guests on this impromptu episode are Robert J. Laplander and Alexander Curran. 

This is an unfiltered recap of our recent trip to France! While there we conducted a field recon for the Doughboy MIA project that made some wonderful and important friendships for us. Our newest team member, Alex, discusses a Doughboy MIA case that is very close to him personally.

Also discussed is the amazing opportunity to walk a 103-year-old diary written by a member of the Lost Battalion saga back through the very Argonne Forest where its pages were first filled. This was an unforgettable day that saw several World War One enthusiasts come together for a poignant walk through history-laden woods. 

Come join our discussion and relive some of our best moments. Don’t forget – you can join us and experience the same ground with Lost Battalion Tours. 

To support Doughboy MIA’s “Ten for Them” program, click on the following link:

https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/doughboy-mia-home.html

To stay up to date with Lost Battalion Tours, click here:

https://www.facebook.com/lostbattaliontours

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Author James Carl Nelson joins me in discussing his latest book, “The York Patrol: The Real Story of Alvin York and the Unsung Heroes Who Made Him World War I’s Most Famous Soldier.” 

The passing of a century and other events has worked to create and solidify the legend of SGT Alvin York, where the story goes that York single-handedly (or nearly so) took on the German Army, killed some 25 enemy soldiers, and then captured 132 more. More recently, the story has been garnering attention for the fact that sixteen other men were part of and present for what is known as the York Patrol.

Mr. Nelson’s “The York Patrol'' is but the latest book to cover the ongoing legend of SGT York, perhaps America’s most famous Doughboy of WW1:

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-york-patrol-james-carl-nelson?variant=32126628495394

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

On October 8th, 1918, seventeen men of the AEF 82nd Division went on a fateful patrol into the Argonne Forest. One of them would become a legend. 

This episode will tell the story of Alvin York, both from the conventional telling and a newer recounting from the side of the other sixteen men there. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Join us for a great discussion with Aaron Heft, currently serving as a SFC in the Army National Guard. Aaron works as a unit historian with the Army National Guard’s Leader Development program, where he uses lessons from the past to train and prepare today’s soldiers for the battlefield. 

He joins us to discuss the American 28th “Keystone” Division in World War I, a unit of primarily Pennsylvania National Guardsmen of which Aaron is currently a member. This talk will not be exclusively about the 28th’s time in the Meuse-Argonne, so you will hear about some other battles and engagements elsewhere along the Western Front. 

Link for the video version is here: 

https://youtu.be/ANOM4MYAUBA

Book links here:

1.     Wendy Yessler, Private Compton, https://www.amazon.com/Private-Compton-Experiences-Battalion-Infantry/dp/0578503131
2.     William Graham, Hells Observer, https://www.amazon.com/Hells-Observer-Wartime-American-Expeditionary/dp/0615620914/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=hells+observer&qid=1634085281&s=books&sr=1-1
3.     H.W. Hilton, War Over Half a Century Ago, https://www.amazon.com/War-Over-Half-Century-Ago/dp/B0006XLAUA/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=war+over+half+a+century+ago&qid=1634085329&s=books&sr=1-1
4.     James Murrin, With the 112th In France, https://www.amazon.com/112th-France-Doughboyss-Story-War/dp/1356238629/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=with+the+112th+in+france&qid=1634085382&s=books&sr=1-1
5.     Chester Baker, Doughboys Diary, https://www.amazon.com/Doughboys-Diary-Millie-Ragosta-ebook/dp/B00UQOMIVO/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=doughboy+diary&qid=1634085497&s=books&sr=1-3
6.     George Cooper, Our Second Battalion, https://www.amazon.com/Our-Second-Battalion-Accurate-Authentic/dp/1358194335/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Our+second+battalion&qid=1634085528&s=books&sr=1-1
7.     James Wharton, Squad, https://www.amazon.com/Squad-James-B-Wharton/dp/B000872FNA/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=squad+james+hwarton&qid=1634085565&s=books&sr=1-1-spell
8.     Hervey Allen, It Was Like This, https://www.amazon.com/Was-Like-This-Hervey-ALLEN/dp/B000MXD50M/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=it+was+like+this+hervey+allen&qid=1634085597&s=books&sr=1-1
9.     Hervey Allen, Towards the Flame, https://www.amazon.com/Toward-Flame-Memoir-World-War/dp/0803259476/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=towards+the+flame+hervey+allen&qid=1634085618&s=books&sr=1-1

10.Bob Hoffman, I Remember the Last War, https://www.amazon.com/Remember-Last-War-Original-Restored/dp/1467930237/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=bob+hoffman+I+remember+the+last+war&qid=1634085666&s=books&sr=1-1

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Efforts to relieve the Lost Battalion and break the German hold on the Argonne Forest led to an innovative attack devised by AEF 1st Corps commander LTG Hunter Liggett. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

With mounting hunger, wounds, and death, MAJ Whittlesey and his command continue to hold out in the Charlevaux Ravine. As Whittlesey has said, there will be no surrender. 

The only book you need to read on the Lost Battalion: 

https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B06X6N13V8&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_BYXX2G0SGFR7DK0MB2X7

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recently I was invited to a Zoom discussion with some other WW1 enthusiasts to talk about what we can do to keep the memory of WW1 alive in these post-centenary times. At that talk was Mike O’Neal, a longtime WW1 aviation enthusiast, and we quickly connected to get Mike on the podcast talking about his lifelong passion. 

Folks, if ever there is an example of being bold and striking out for what you want to do, here it is. In his teens, Mike wrote letters to various journals and WW1 veterans, and the results have been amazing friendships and working on some fascinating projects. He was listed as a contributor to journal articles in his teens, a WW1 aviator gave Mike his wings for good luck, he acquired his own biplane, and much more.

Join us for a great discussion on the beginning and development of Mike’s passion for WW1-era aviation. 

Relevant links mentioned in this episode:

“Over the Front” journal - https://www.overthefront.com/

American Society of Aviation Artists - http://asaa-avart.com/

Golden Age Air Museum in Bethel, PA - https://www.goldenageair.org/

The Aerodrome: Aces and Aircraft of WW1 - http://www.theaerodrome.com/index.php

Advisory: Nothing bad in the episode, but you may hear my family in the background talking, as well as one of the cats scratching and meowing at the door. Apologies, but our house is a lively one. There is always something going on. :)

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The established narrative of the Third Battle of Ypres identifies the end of the muddy and blood-soaked struggle in Flanders with the capture of the Passchendaele village ruins in November 1917. However, there were further operations in the Salient just weeks later, and one of them occurred on the night of 2nd December, 1917. 

Dr. Michael LoCicero joins us for an in-depth discussion of the creation of his book, the evolution of the BEF, Dominion, and German forces in the Western Front, and the night operation in the Passchendaele Salient on December 2nd, 1917. We go deep on this one, and if you’re really into World War I like we are, you will love this talk.

Order “A Moonlight Massacre” through your local bookstore and wherever books are sold:

https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/a-moonlight-massacre-the-night-operation-on-the-passchendaele-ridge-2-december-1917-the-forgotten-last-act-of-the-third-battle-of-ypres.php?sid=63b397b8d218771ed035537456fa2b1e

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Surrounded, with no food or medical supplies and dwindling ammunition, the American forces trapped in the Charlevaux Ravine face a new and unforeseen enemy: friendly fire. 

The only book you need to read on the Lost Battalion: 

https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B06X6N13V8&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_BYXX2G0SGFR7DK0MB2X7

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Having established a perimeter on a steep hillside in the Charlevaux Ravine, a force of some 700 men under US MAJ Charles Whittlesey digs in to await reinforcements and further orders. 

Soon realizing they are surrounded, Whittlesey puts out an order: No falling back. The position is to be held at all costs. The Germans put that order to the test on October 3rd, 1918. 

The only book you need to read on the Lost Battalion: 

https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B06X6N13V8&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_BYXX2G0SGFR7DK0MB2X7

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. 

On October 1st, 1918, fresh from being relieved from encirclement in the Small Pocket on l’Homme Mort, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 308th Infantry Regiment are ordered to attack into the Argonne yet again. 

Led by MAJ Charles Whittlesey, the two battalions plunge into the Ravin d’Argonne, and on October 2nd, the Americans break through the German lines and into Charlevaux Ravine. The story of the Lost Battalion has begun.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Listener discretion advised: This episode contains some language, as well as racial terms and themes that are considered offensive. These terms and themes are being used here in the context of the First World War era. 

Ok, so the episode title is a lackluster attempt at clickbait. But if I have gotten you to click on to this episode, do please stay. What follows is an interesting discussion on a now little-known incident that occurred In Henryetta, Oklahoma during June of 1918. Labeled the  “Creek Draft Rebellion” by sensationalist journalists, a dispute between Creek Nation Native Americans and a local merchant was soon morphed into an anti-government and anti-conscription uprising. 

Historian and Oklahoma native James Gregory joins me in a discussion of the context of the events surrounding the so-called rebellion, the event itself, the aftermath, and whether the rebellion really happened at all. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Spread the word! Tell your friends to subscribe to the podcast. 

Come join the conversation on the new Centre for Experimental Military Archaeology (CEMA) being developed by Mr. Andy Robertshaw and Mr. Ross Barnwell. This is a new project that promises to bring history not only alive, but interconnected with today’s global world. 

Mr. Robertshaw is a former teacher turned historian and historical consultant for such films as Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old and Sam Mendes’ recent hit 1917. And he also played a role in Steven Spielberg’s film Warhorse, which I did not know about until now!

Ross Barnwell is the creative force behind 8000ft Media, which produced the short film Beaumont-Hamel, named after the infamous village on the 1916 Somme battlefield. The film focused on wartime cinematographer Geoffrey Malins’ experiences as he took 8,000ft of frontline footage on the Somme, the most famous of which is the explosion of the Hawthorn Ridge mine on the morning of the 1st of July, 1916. 

To learn more about CEMA, check out the following link:

https://www.cema.education/

Follow Andy, Ross, and their team breaking ground through their Instagram account: 

https://www.instagram.com/cemahistory/

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

A short review of Richard Merry’s new book, “The Great War in the Argonne Forest: French and American Battles, 1914–1918.”

Book link here:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Great-War-in-the-Argonne-Forest-Hardback/p/18595

Order it from your local bookstore so that you support your local businesses. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

The raw and untested AEF 36th Division relieves the bled-out AEF 2nd Division on Blanc Mont ridge. These Texas-Oklahoma Doughboys will continue to push past the bloody ridge to keep the pressure on the slowly-retreating German Army. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Having seized part of Blanc Mont and ground beyond, the Marines and Doughboys of the 2nd Division AEF sought to continue to push back the ruptured German lines. They faced days of unimaginable bloodletting as the Germans fought doggedly for every meter of ground.

Be sure to check out “Fix Bayonets! First World War Podcast,” where I have teamed up with Nicole Chicarelli of The War Project on Instagram and Cullen Burke of the Cauldron Podcast (A History of the World Battle by Battle) to tell the story of WW1 from three views: strategic, tactical, and most importantly...human.

Fix Bayonets! First World War Podcast: https://feeds.simplecast.com/7FISmQ37

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

On October 3rd, 1918, the Doughboys and Marines of the 2nd Division, AEF, hurled themselves against a hitherto impregnable German fortress: Blanc Mont ridge, the key to German defenses in Champagne. 

Podcast promo! If you’re interested in a daily podcast that gives you a short episode on anything from the history of the US penny to the Tunguska Event of 1908, then you need to head over to Gary Arndt’s “Everything Everywhere” podcast. 

Everything Everywhere podcast: https://everythingeverywherepodcast.libsyn.com/rss

Also, very excited to announce that I have teamed up with Nicole Chicarelli of The War Project on Instagram and Cullen Burke of the Cauldron Podcast (A History of the World Battle by Battle) to launch a new podcast project called “Fix Bayonets! First World War Podcast.”

The story of WW1, from three view: strategic, tactical, and most importantly...human.

Fix Bayonets! First World War Podcast: https://feeds.simplecast.com/7FISmQ37

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

In September 1918, the French 4th Army requested American assistance with clearing the Champagne battlefield of German forces. The American Expeditionary Force would provide two divisions, the veteran 2nd and the green 36th Divisions.

For years, the German Army had held Blanc Mont ridge, a lynchpin to holding the Champagne sector of the Western Front.  But the French Army was now too exhausted to carry the massif. MG John A. Lejeune, Marine commander of the American Army’s 2nd Division, planned an innovative attack that would see his division seize the ridge, hold it, and continue to advance past it. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

In this episode we have a great and in-depth talk with Steven Girard, a veteran, an archivist/historian of the 4th (Marine) Brigade 2nd Division AEF, and a WW1 battlefield tour guide. 

Steve gives us his own background and how he came to study the 4th Brigade Marines and the US Army’s 2nd Division, and then he gives us a comprehensive look into the battle of Blanc Mont ridge -- a detailed look at this forgotten but important battle of the First World War. (Steve gives us a view from the division to individual level going straight from his memory! No notes!)

Hope you enjoy this great conversation!

To read more on the battle of Blanc Mont, see the following links:

“A Hideous Price: The 4th Brigade at Blanc Mont, 2-10 October 1918

 LtCol Peter F. Owen and LtCol John Swift” -

https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/A%20Hideous%20Price_WEB.pdf?ver=2019-09-11-132018-350

“Blanc Mont (Meuse-Argonne-Champagne) - Monograph No. 9,” US Govt Publication - 

http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p4013coll7/id/894

For more information on Steve's tours:

https://www.miltours.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=72

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

During the First World War the American 370th Infantry Regiment served by being integrated into French Army divisions, as were the other regiments of the AEF 93rd Division. The 370th Infantry was unique as the only African-American regiment then led by African-American officers. 

Known as “The Black Devils,” the Doughboys of the 370th took part in the Oise-Aisne Offensive in autumn 1918, pursuing the retreating German Army until (and even after) the armistice took effect on November 11th. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Returning to the Battles of the First World War Podcast is Dr. Jeff Gusky, an emergency physician, artist, photographer for National Geographic, and explorer. I’m grateful that with the ongoing epidemic Dr. Gusky is able to come on the show and share his latest work with us, which is part of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture’s “We Return Fighting” exhibit. 

Dr. Gusky is the photographer and talent behind the fascinating Hidden World of WW1, an exploration of the many unknown underground cities inhabited by soldiers of both sides of the Western Front during the Great War. His photographs have been seen worldwide through National Geographic, Smithsonian museum exhibitions, and featured in several newspaper and television articles worldwide. His work truly is remarkable, and brings a world silent and in darkness for over a century back into the light. I urge you to follow his work if you haven’t already done so. 

In this interview we discuss Dr. Gusky’s contribution to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture’s “We Return Fighting” exhibit, as well as his discovery of the only remaining command post of the 370th Infantry under the old battlefields of France. The 370th Infantry Regiment was a segregated African-American unit during WW1; however it also had the distinction of being the only regiment also led by Black American officers. The men of the 370th were called the “Black Devils” by the Germans due to their fierceness in combat. 

Jeff’s discovery has been called “I Have a Dream...before I Have a Dream.”

In the course of the conversation I made an error in the first time Jeff Gusky came on the podcast; it wasn’t two years ago but three. Just goes to show you how the years pass by without you knowing it sometimes. 

Dr. Jeff Gusky’s work: https://jeffgusky.com/

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture’s “We Return Fighting:” https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/we-return-fighting

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Assigned to the French 4th Army, the 369th, 371st, and 372nd Infantry Regiments of the A.E.F.’s 93rd Division (Provisional) fought well in the Champagne offensive of September 1918 that supported the American drive through the Meuse-Argonne. Once again, African Americans proved themselves able fighters, capable leaders, and patriots more than willing to serve their country. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

In a wonderful way to help commemorate the 1st of July anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, the BFWWP has received this great interview between Associate Professor Fiona Graham and Mr. Colin Winn of the Hawthorn Ridge Crater Association. Conducted last year, Associate Professor Graham and Mr. Winn take a tour of the massive crater at Beaumont-Hamel on the Somme battlefield to discuss the latest developments of the archeological dig there. 

Due to the ongoing pandemic and its related closures, commemoration events for the 1st of July on the Somme in France are likely to be severely reduced or canceled. The 1st of July of course, is the first day of the Battle of the Somme and the day the Hawthorn Ridge mine was blown for the first time. To help broadcast this year’s commemoration efforts and continue to live up to the well-known phrase “Lest We Forget,” Ms. Graham and Mr. Winn have graciously provided the BFWWP with an interview conducted on site at the Hawthorn Ridge Crater. I am deeply grateful and thankful for the opportunity to share this interview here with all of you.

...It’s not often you are invited to be part of a military history and archaeology team examining the very beginnings of the Battle of the Somme, but this is what happened to Associate Professor and Radio and Television Producer Fiona Graham as part of a new research team at Hawthorn Crater near Beaumont Hamel in France.

Fiona is a producer and writer who works on historical projects using film at Staffordshire University with colleague cinematographer Paul Ottey. She works hand in hand with history and archaeology teams and communities to research and capture the stories of the battlefields and sites across Europe, including Auschwitz and the First World War. Their recent work includes working on a film about Tank Deborah D51 and the Battle of Cambrai which they have exhibited in Northern Ireland and public talks in the UK and shown to help educate new generations of schoolchildren in Britain and France about the battle.

In this conversation on location in France she introduces us to her friend and colleague Colin Winn from the Hawthorn Ridge Crater Association as they take us on a journey around the World War One iconic crater and explain the work they are doing together today from the sights on, around and inside this massive hole in the ground with a circumference of over half a mile. 

Colin is a retired weapons engineer for the Royal Ordnance and BAE Systems and his grandfather was killed near Arras in 1917, he’s worked on the BBC documentary “Secret Tunnel Wars of The Somme” with historian Peter Barton and made short films and podcasts in America.

It’s the first time anyone has been granted access to uncover the secrets of this time capsule which has laid dormant for over 100 years and Fiona and Colin are the team bringing this new story to light for the next generation. 

Join them here on a tour on foot on a sunny but sometimes windy day as they explain what’s happening on the battlefields of Northern France today….

Follow the HRCA on Twitter!: https://twitter.com/HawthornRidgeCA

Listener discretion advised: This episode contains racial terms and themes that are considered highly offensive today. These terms and themes are being used here in the context of the First World War era. 

Composed of African American National Guard units, volunteers and draftees, the 93rd Division (Provisional) was loaned to the French Army by an American Expeditionary Force that did not particularly care to have them. 

These men faced danger and a struggle even before they faced the German enemy--that of the dangers of racist violence back home in the U.S. and discrimination on the Western Front. 

WW1 Burial Cards project:

https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/welldone/american-wwi-burial-cards

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Hey Folks, this episode we have an interview with an up and coming voice in the Great War history community. 

Nicole Chicarelli is the historian behind “The War Project” on Instagram, which can be found here:

https://www.instagram.com/thewarproject/

And her website is here:

http://www.warprojecthistorian.com/

Click on that follow button! 

Nicole and I discuss how her passion for history began, her educational background, and her purpose behind The War Project. She is currently a Master of Arts Candidate in military history at American Military University, with a focus on war theory of the First World War. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The AEF 1st Army is forced to make an operational pause as it replaces devastated divisions with fresh ones. 

From the Meuse, to France, Flanders, and other fronts in the World War, we take a look at the developing military, diplomatic, and political situations across the world in September and early October of 1918. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The American First Army’s 3rd Corps continue to push against the German lines along the eastern bank of the Meuse. German resistance is fierce, with artillery pounding the Doughboys from across the river. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

A quick update on where things stand with the BFWWP.

Bad news and good news.

A call to hold the line now. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The story of the First World War in the Meuse-Argonne region of France cannot be told without talking about the Butte de Vauquois. So here, in an attempt to do a part-travelogue, part-history episode, I retell the story of this tortured and murdered hill. This scene of terrible mine warfare--where an ancient village and six meters of height were erased from the crest during the war--remains today a stark reminder of the brutal nature of the Great War. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The BFWWP has to be put on pause until mid-May or end of May 2020, despite the great momentum we’ve been gaining recently. It’s for a good reason. Listen in and you’ll see why.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the idea of visiting France, or felt it was something too foreign and too out of reach? 

In this episode, I speak with Carol Kieffer and Randy Gaulke, two experienced residents and tourists of France. Carol, author of “Living and Working in France: Thriving through Understanding” and cross-cultural training coach, and Randy, seasoned tourist of the Meuse-Argonne region of France and battlefield tour leader, come on the show to strip away some of the misconceptions and misunderstandings many Americans may have about France and visiting it. 

What follows is a nearly hour-long conversation where we discuss traveling through France, proper social etiquette, what to expect from French restaurants, shops, and supermarkets, how to prepare, and how to set yourself up to make the most of your experience. We even bring up squat toilets...really, it’s worth the listen.

Ultimate credit for the realization of this podcast goes to Mrs. Laurie Gaulke, whose connections created the conditions that allowed everyone to come together. Thank you so much!

Links to Carol Kieffer and her book, “Living and Working in France: Thriving through Understanding”

amazon.com/author/carolkieffer 

For cross-cultural coaching contact Carol at [email protected]

Carol is on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carol-kieffer-trainer/

For Randy Gaulke’s excellent website on the Meuse-Argonne

https://meuse-argonne.com, and his new tour company website, https://kneedeepintohistory.com.

For an overview of Randy’s travel tips: http://meuse-argonne.com/?page_id=278

“La Vie en France” blog entries: http://meuse-argonne.com/?cat=275

Mike and Rob Laplander are also offering WW1 battlefield tours through Lost Battalion Tours. 

Contact us with any questions! [email protected]

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

The expected breakthrough after Montfaucon doesn’t happen. The 79th and 37th Divisions continue grinding their way north, facing ever-hardening German resistance. 

Purchase Andrew Capets’ book “Good War, Great Men” here:

https://goodwargreatmen.com/313/

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Lost Battalion Tours Contact Information - Join Us on the Battlefield!

Mike’s contact info: [email protected]

Robert’s contact info: [email protected]

Robert’s website: http://www.findingthelostbattalion.com/

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

In this episode we have a very special guest: Ms. Lora Vogt, is the Curator of Education at the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Founded in 1926, the Museum holds the most comprehensive collection of Great War artifacts in the world and has been ranked one of the top 25 museums in the country. Under Ms. Vogt’s guidance, the Museum has consistently broken records for public program attendance, educational participations and developed internationally recognized curriculum and online exhibitions.

Ms. Vogt will give the BFWWP community a virtual tour of the National World War I Museum and Memorial and some of its exhibits. If you have never visited the National World War I Museum and Memorial and are on the fence about it for any reason, I am quite sure this episode will end any such doubts. 

National WW1 Museum and Memorial Links:

https://www.theworldwar.org/

The Panthéon de la Guerre

https://www.theworldwar.org/explore/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/panth%C3%A9on-de-la-guerre

Museum Shop:

https://shop.theworldwar.org/

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Montfaucon, in the center of the American 1st Army’s attack front, is taken down by Doughboys of the 37th, 79th, and 4th Divisions.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Lost Battalion Tours Contact Information - Join Us on the Battlefield!

Mike’s contact info: [email protected]

Robert’s contact info: [email protected]

Robert’s website: http://www.findingthelostbattalion.com/

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Hey Folks, Mr. Jeremy Bowles very graciously came on the podcast to share his tour experiences with Robert J Laplander with us. Jeremy is a WW1 historian and reenactor, and the journey he had in the Meuse-Argonne with Rob was so moving it simply needs to stand alone as its own mini-episode. 

Listen to Jeremy’s story about being in the Meuse, and know that the goal of Lost Battalion Tours is to provide you with the same experience in August of 2020. So come join us!

Lost Battalion Tours

Mike’s contact info: [email protected]

Robert’s contact info: [email protected]

Robert’s website: http://www.findingthelostbattalion.com/

Jeremy closes his experiences with the poem “We Shall Keep the Faith” by Moina Michaels, which was the moving response to LTC John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields:”

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,

Sleep sweet - to rise anew!

We caught the torch you threw

And holding high, we keep the Faith

With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led;

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies,

But lends a lustre to the red

Of the flower that blooms above the dead

In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red

We wear in honor of our dead.

Fear not that ye have died for naught;

We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought

In Flanders Fields.

Source: http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/moina-michael-we-shall-keep-faith.htm

We’re taking a short break from the Meuse-Argonne narrative to listen to a different angle on a very famous event. It happens that the famous event occurred during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, so this ties in nicely with our current focus. 

Most of us have heard of or know the story of Alvin York, the famous SGT York who took on dozens of Germans, killed several, and captured 132. He is one of the most famous--if not THE most famous--American soldiers to emerge from the Great War. However, on the fateful day of October 8, 1918, York was part of a squad with sixteen other men engaged in battle. 

In this episode we’re going to have James Gregory talk to us about his upcoming article “The Other Sixteen,” which focuses on the other men who were with Alvin York that fateful day in the hills near Chatel-Chehery near the northern tip of the Argonne Forest. 

James Gregory is pursuing a PhD at the University of Oklahoma. He is a noted author and historian of the Marine Corps and Second Division in World War I. He deals primarily with soldier biographies and cultural impacts of the war, and I thoroughly look forward to listening to the results of his research.

“The Other Sixteen” will be available soon in the US Army’s Infantry magazine, which can be found online at:

https://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/magazine/

Jame’s two books can be found here:

https://www.hellgatepress.com/james-p-gregory-jr/

JOIN US!!!

Lost Battalion Tours is a collaboration between WW1 author and historian Robert J. Laplander, and Mike Cunha, master of ceremonies of the Battles of the First World War podcast and battlefield explorer. 

Our inaugural tour will be an 8-day trip to the Argonne region August 8-15, 2020. Those of you who have traveled with Robert in the Argonne before know this is no sight-seeing bus trip; this is down in the dirt, where it happened stuff! Now YOU can join us for a trip you won't soon forget!

You will stay IN the Argonne, at a small French hotel, as part of your Argonne immersion experience. You'll see all the important spots concerning the battle, including a first hand tour of the whole story of the Lost Battalion with the #1 LB guy in the world. 

On top of that, each tour can be tailored to fit almost any special request visit by guests. And all of this for a one time, all inclusive price of just $1200.00 per single guest, or $1000.00 per guest in groups of two or more (this price does NOT include air fare). 

Space is limited to just 14 guests though, so don't wait - contact Mike Cunha or Robert J. Laplander today for more details. More information is coming this week so stay tuned, but if you've been thinking that you'd like to experience the AEF in France, THIS is your chance!

This makes a FABULOUS Christmas gift, at a very affordable price that your significant other will treasure forever! Don't miss out! Contact us today and join us - We are along the road parallel 276.4... waiting for you!

This announcement was so exciting that not only did I use my excited voice, but Robert Laplander’s two dogs, Buddy and Rebel, immediately started wrestling each other for a spot on the tour--true story! 

Mike’s contact info: [email protected]

Robert’s contact info: [email protected]

Robert’s website: http://www.findingthelostbattalion.com/

The 91st “Wild West” Division battles it out with the Germans through the Meuse Valley. With every village taken, German resistance stiffens sharply. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Following four days of heavy combat and poor leadership in the Meuse-Argonne, the 35th Santa Fe Division breaks down in battle. 

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The 28th “Keystone” Division (Pennsylvania) both slugs it out with the Germans in the Argonne Forest over Le Chène Tondu ridge, and pushes its way up the River Aire Valley through Montblainville and Apremont. The Germans fight hard for both Le Chène Tondu and Apremont, and the Pennsylvania Doughboys struggle to hold their hard-won gains.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The 77th Division continues its grind through the Argonne Forest in the last days of September 1918. Under orders to advance without regard to flanks, US Army MAJ Charles Whittlesey and his 1st Battalion, 308th Infantry Regiment find themselves cut off and surrounded on a hill named l’Homme Mort. 

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

As the American 1st Army launched its attack on the Meuse-Argonne on the 26th of September, the 368th Infantry Regiment of the segregated 92nd Buffalo Division launched an attack on the left flank, west of the Argonne Forest. Despite several catastrophic stumbles, the regiment eventually succeeded in capturing the ruined village of Binarville. Their reputation, they quickly found out, was also in ruins as a result.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

The AEF 3rd Corps attacks with three divisions on the right of the attack front. The 4th “Ivy” Division attacks the German lines and supports the attack on Montfaucon. The 80th “Blue Ridge” Division attacks through Forges Creek and pushes up to Brieulles-sur-Meuse. The 33rd “Prairie” Division also pushes through Forges Creek, clears Bois de Forges, and then aims for Dannevoux village. Across the River Meuse, the French 17th Corps launches a supporting diversion for the AEF 1st Army.

For battle maps, check out the Perry Castañeda Lbrary Map Collection: https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/ww1/

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

The AEF 5th Corps launches its three divisions in the center of the Meuse-Argonne attack front. The 91st “Wild West” Division thrusts up towards the ridge on which sat Épinonville. The 37th “Buckeye” Division supported the 79th “Cross of Lorraine” Division’s attack on the German bastion on Montfaucon.

Great War Tour to the American Battlefields

https://valortours.com/

Contact Mike Grams: [email protected]

Normandy Battlefields

https://normandybattlefields.com/

Contact Mike Grams: [email protected]

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

In this stand-alone episode we have an interview with Christopher Huang, who is the author of the recently-released detective novel “A Gentleman’s Murder.” This is a slight departure from the BFWWP’s usual lineup, but I thought it would be good to support a young author writing a story in which the Great War has a strong presence.

“A Gentleman’s Murder” was a fun read. The main character of the story, Leftenant Eric Peterkin, is a veteran of the trenches in Flanders and France as are nearly every other member of the gentleman’s club to which he belongs. Peterkin takes it upon himself to solve an unprecedented murder in the club when he suspects the case is not exactly going to be solved by the police.

Christopher Huang grew up in Singapore and moved to Canada when he was 17 years old. He returned to Singapore the following year for two years of military service, before going to McGill University in Montreal to study Architecture. He currently lives in Montreal, and these days he is pursuing the dream of writing full-time. Mr. Huang is a longtime fan of the "golden age" of detective fiction, and in that spirit he writes his debut novel in the hopes that readers will figure out on their own who the killer is.

“A Gentleman’s Murder” is available through the Inkshares site, local booksellers, and Amazon. Links to the book will be provided in the episode description, as well on the website post and social media. Check out the book, and support an up and coming author. Hope you enjoy!

Inkshares: https://www.inkshares.com/books/a-gentlemans-murder

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1942645953/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_rDAsCb3QQG72N

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

From the Argonne Forest to the Butte du Vauquois, the AEF 1st Corps goes on the attack. The 77th “Metropolitan” Division plunges into the Argonne. The 28th “Keystone” and 35th “Santa Fe” Divisions work to clear the River Aire Valley, seize the Butte du Vauquois, and push north to help cut off the Argonne.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

At 0230 on the 26th of September, 1918, 2,775 French and American guns opened up on the German lines from the Argonne Forest to the River Meuse. Three hours later, nine divisions of American Doughboys were up out of their muddy trenches and into the mist. The largest battle in American military history was underway.

The AEF 1st Army however, faced a formidable enemy who had spent years turning the Meuse Valley into a 10-mile thick defense zone. All of it would have to be chewed through to reach the target railroad hubs at Sedan, 35 miles away. In this episode we’ll discuss those German defenses as well as the preparations and plans made by the Americans for their attack.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

A short reflection on Armistice Day, 2018.

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On the 12th of September 1918, well over a half million American Doughboys of the AEF First Army went on the attack with their French allies. Less than forty-eight hours later the St. Mihiel Salient--long a painful thorn in the French Army’s side--had been completely destroyed.

St. Mihiel was the first independent offensive carried out by the American Expeditionary Force of World War One, and it was a solid success.

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On the centenary of the story of the Lost Battalion, we have a very special guest who will talk to us about this epic tale of American heroism, leadership, grit, and a stubborn will to resist in the First World War.

Robert J. Laplander is the author of “Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America’s Famous WW1 Epic.” An enthusiast of the Great War for decades, Mr. Laplander has amassed a vast collection of documentation and paraphernalia related to the story of the men of the US 77th Division who were surrounded by the Germans in the Charlevaux Ravine from the 2nd through the 7th of October, 1918. This collection has helped inform the definitive history he has written of the men of the 306th Machine Gun Battalion, and the 307th and 308th Infantry Regts and their epic five days in the Argonne.

Mr. Laplander is considered an authority on the subject of the Lost Battalion, and has appeared in numerous radio and television interviews, including PBS’ 2017 3-part documentary named “American in the Great War.”

For more information on the Lost Battalion, Mr. Laplander’s work, and Doughboy MIA (Remember, $10 for them), please see the following links:

http://www.findingthelostbattalion.com/

https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/doughboy-mia-home.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/great-war/

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Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

In the summer of 1918 the Germans were spent, and the Allies began rolling them back. Supreme Allied Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch had a plan to smash the enemy back and potentially end the war that year.

GEN John J “Blackjack” Pershing and his American Expeditionary Force were to play a major role in Foch’s plan, but to Pershing only as an independent force under his command. The story of the plans for the Meuse-Argonne Offensive is one of two very strong personalities coming together after a long, bumpy road.

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Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

It’s time to start the new battle we’re going to cover, which will be the American-led Meuse-Argonne Offensive of 1918. We’re going to begin with an interview with Mr. Randy Gaulke, a fellow WW1 enthusiast, researcher, website master, and battlefield tour guide.

Mr. Gaulke runs the website www.meuse-argonne.com, which contains a wealth of information regarding the 47-day battle that defined American involvement in the Great War. The website contains several features such as bibliographies, articles, research statistics, travel tips, and a feature called “People of the Meuse-Argonne,” where individuals who study, write about, or live in the Meuse-Argonne give a quick biography of themselves. There is also a meuse-argonne.com FaceBook page, which connects you with hundreds of like-minded and incredibly helpful folks who readily share information, photos, and travel tips.

Please check out: www.meuse-argonne.com

and

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1624894481060334/

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During my recent trip to France, my crew and I had the most wonderful experience when we visited Mr. Andy Robertshaw and Mr. Colin Winn and their archeological dig team out at the Hawthorn Crater on the Somme. How we met the people of the Hawthorn Crater Association will be told in the interview that follows--it was just a stunningly amazing day amongst so many amazing days out there on the Somme and previously in the Argonne.

For many years the Hawthorn Crater has sat in relative obscurity on the Somme battlefield. It has been overgrown with trees and brush, and it has remained enough off the beaten path that most tourists have bypassed it altogether. The Hawthorn Crater Association is changing that. Through limited clearance of diseased trees and careful archeological digs conducted with the enthusiastic support of the people of nearby Beaumont-Hamel village, Mr. Robertshaw, Mr. Winn, and several others are bringing the story of the crater and the men who lived in it, fought in it, and died in it, back to life.

As I will say at the end of the interview, this is not just digging in the earth looking for pieces of metal from the Battle of the Somme. It is so much more than that, as you will hear. And to be clear: no archeological dig is just digging in the dirt, it’s really important and fascinating stuff!

Due to some technical difficulties, Mr. Robertshaw was unable to join us. The VOIP connection also tended to be a bit wobbly at times, but I think overall you’ll be able to understand things fairly clearly.

Please follow the Hawthorn Ridge Crater Association on Twitter to stay up to date: @HawthornRidgeCA  

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

On June 6, 1918, men of the 5th and 6th United States Marine Regiments assaulted the German positions in Belleau Wood. So began a three-week battle for a one-mile square patch of wood that would enter US Marine Corps and American WW1 legend.

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The third major German attack on the Western Front in late May 1918 led to the release of the American 2nd Infantry Division to Allied Command to stem the enemy tide. The 5th and 6th Marine Regiments, part of that US Army division, set up positions just south of a patch of forest known as Belleau Wood.

This episode is dedicated to the men and women of the United States Marine Corps, and to the men and women of the US Army 2nd Infantry Division.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

The Battle of Verdun came to an end on December 18, 1916.But the Verdun salient remained a violent sector of the Western Front until the very last days of World War One.

In this final episode of the Battle of Verdun the after-effects of the 1916 onslaught in the Meuse are covered, from military losses to political casualties to the lingering effects on the battle on the battlefield itself.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

The long-awaited French counterattack at Verdun comes. Generals Petain, Nivelle and Mangin deliver a powerful strike on the Right Bank, against which the degraded German 5th Army is unable to hold.

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The Mill on the Meuse grinds on at Verdun through the summer of 1916. The Germans go on the defensive and GEN Mangin hammers away at them.

The Battle of Verdun begins to make political casualties as well. As summer turns to fall the French begin to prepare for their long-awaited counter-offensive.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

July 1916 begins and the Battle of the Somme erupts to relieve pressure at Verdun. The Germans begin to divert all available resources for the new battle.

The German 5th Army at Verdun makes one more attempt to break through on the Right Bank of the River Meuse. The line Fleury-Fort Souville-Fort Tavannes is attacked to clear the last defensible ridge line before Verdun.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

The story of the Trench of Bayonets.

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Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

With terrible losses and plummeting morale, the French 2nd Army strains to hold the Right Bank after the fall of Fort Vaux. The German 5th Army continues its attacks, focusing on the Ouvrage de Thaiumont - Fleury - Fort Souville ridge line just three miles northeast of Verdun.

In the blazing heat of June, the French and Germans fight desperately in the artillery-plowed lunar landscape. The French fight to hold the line. The Germans fight to break it.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

With a new attack on the Right Bank at Verdun, the Germans surround and lay siege to Fort Vaux. But this fort, commanded by the tenacious Major Raynal, will not be surrendered as easily as Fort Douaumont. Raynal and the other poilus trapped inside the fort will put up an epic defense that will last five days.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

While the Battle of Verdun raged on the ground, it raged in the sky as well. Control of the airspace over the battlefield shifted hands several times during the course of the fighting.

All of the famous pilots met and fought at Verdun: the great Guynemer, Navarre, Nungesser, the Lafayette Escadrille on the French side and  and the magnificent Oswald Boelcke as well. Planes dived, clashed and shot at each other over the trenches as the German and French air services fought for control of the skies.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

What an opportunity! Last week Mr. Ross Barnwell and Mr. Andy Robertshaw came on to the BFWWP to speak about their short film project, Beaumont-Hamel, and WW1 topics in general. What a conversation! Sadly the last three minutes were lost, which has put your host in a funk. Sigh.

Ross Barnwell is one of the two young entrepreneurs behind 8000ft Media, a media company that specializes in factually accurate historical storytelling. 8000ft Media also focuses on film and photography, creating virtual reality, audio, video gaming, Facebook Live talks & lectures, and Facebook advertising. Ross and his business partner Daniel Gandolfi are currently working on a short film titled Beaumont-Hamel, named after the infamous village on the 1916 Somme battlefield. The film will focus on the wartime cinematographer Geoffrey Malins’ experiences as he took 8,000ft of frontline footage on the Somme, the most famous of which is the explosion of the Hawthorn Ridge mine on the morning of the 1st of July, 1916.

Andrew Robertshaw is a historian, broadcaster, and educator. As a leading authority on trench warfare and medical care in the First World War, Andy has been the historical consultant for such films as Steven Spielberg’s Warhorse and the recent action powerhouse Wonder Woman. As the director of Battlefield Partnerships Ltd, Andy also provides battlefield tours, consulting for various television programs, family records searches, and a frankly stunning idea called “Trenches for Teachers,” where trench systems can be brought to schools for a more realistic experience to give to students on what the Great War was really like. All of this amazing work in history comes from a gentleman who began his career as a teacher.

The websites are:

https://www.8000ftmedia.com/

http://battlefieldpartnerships.com/

Hope you enjoy! It was a pleasure to speak with them.

With the capture of Hill 304 and le Mort Homme on the Left Bank, the Battle of Verdun shifts back to the Right Bank with a disastrous French attempt to retake Fort Douaumont and ensuing German attacks on the lines there.

GEN Petain is promoted in order to have a more ideologically favorable General Robert Nivelle take over French efforts at Verdun. After the attempt to retake Douaumont by the French fails, the Crown Prince and his 5th Army press on with new attacks aimed at breaking through French lines. Fort Vaux is surrounded and cut off by the Germans.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

Seicheprey is a little hamlet in the Woëvre, and in April of 1918 it was the scene of the first clash between the newly-arrived American Doughboys and the battle-hardened German soldier.

The Germans set out to teach the Americans a lesson: that they shouldn’t hope to tangle with the German soldier. In return the Americans, despite having a lot to learn, would teach a lesson or two of their own.

Having been overshadowed by titanic clashes elsewhere on the Western Front at the time, the Battle of Seicheprey was a stark and brutal introduction to the American Expeditionary Force of what modern industrial warfare was truly like.  

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Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

The Battle of Verdun widens as the Germans now launch attacks on the Left Bank of the River Meuse.

The battles for le Mort Homme and Hill 304 rage as the French and Germans fight bitterly for every inch of ground.

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In April of 1917 the United States of America formally entered the Great War on the Allied side. 

As American Doughboys arrived in France, they would need training and mentoring to prepare for warfare on a scale hitherto unseen. American leadership was adamant however that they remain their own separate army with their own sector of the Western Front. In January 1918, the Americans took over part of the St. Mihiel Salient in the Woëvre, and the stage was set for the first encounter between the Germans and the Americans.

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Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

The Battle of Verdun grinds forward as the Germans press their attack on broken French lines following the capture of Fort Douaumont. French Army leadership determines that the lines at Verdun will be held whatever the cost.

General Philippe Petain comes in as commander of French forces and resistance stiffens. The battlefield spreads as the Germans realize they will now need to attack the Left Bank of the Verdun Salient in order to secure their hard-won gains on the Right Bank.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

The Battle of Verdun of World War One opens in earnest. The German 5th Army pressed its offensive on the French Right Bank of the Verdun Salient following the opening barrage unleashed on  February 21st. Attacking steadily and overrunning French battle lines in the face of desperate but confused resistance, the Germans pushed the French back some two to three miles in the first week of the battle.

Disaster loomed for the French Army if their trench lines were to break. Then they did just that. And to make matters worse, the biggest fortress on the Western Front, Fort Douaumont, was captured by the Germans.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

In this episode we’ll cover the first two days of the battle, from the barrage on the 21st through the defense of the Boise des Caures by LTC Emile Driant and his 56th and 59th Chasseurs a Pied.

On February 21st, 1916, nine days past schedule, the Germans opened their attack on Verdun on World War I’s Western Front with a massive artillery barrage of 1,200 guns. The bombardment pounded French Army positions within the Verdun Salient for eight hours before Crown Prince Wilhelm’s 5th Army launched its infantry attack on the Right Bank. Operation “Gericht”, and the Battle of Verdun, had begun.

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Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

The Battle of Verdun has been likened to a “microcosm of the entire First World War in itself:” in 1916 over 10 months on an approximately 125-square mile battlefield the French and German armies poured in some 40,000,000 artillery shells in order for the Germans to push the frontline in 6 miles and for the French to later push it back 6 miles. The casualty count topped 700,000. At the end of the battle, like at the end of the war itself two years later, both the attacker and the defender were exhausted with no clear victory won or lost.

In this first episode we will explore the background and lead up to the battle, from the opening battles on the Western Front in 1914 to the bloody stalemate trench battles of 1915 and development of the German plan to attack the French at Verdun.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

With the Battle of the Somme now complete, the Battle of Verdun Podcast will be shut down and all Verdun episodes will transfer over to the BFWWP. More admin details inside.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

What was the Battle of the Somme about? Was it worth it? In this final episode on the Somme, we’ll take a look at what was lost and what was gained in the mammoth clash of arms in Picardy in 1916.

We’ll also talk about future plans: mainly the next battle to be covered. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen, and we’ll be back in the trenches soon.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

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November 1916 saw the inevitable downshift and closing of operations by the Allies on the Somme. Local struggles continued, and the British still launched large attacks at Butte de Warlencourt and along the River Ancre. Only the onset of winter weather finally brought the titanic clash of arms to an end.

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Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

October on the Somme saw four Allied field armies attacking the Germans in a sea of mud. Despite the efforts the battles that took place would be local ones with little territorial gain.

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Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

The air battle over the Somme in 1916 was as important as the massive struggle taking place on the shattered ground below, with the potential of the airplane ever expanding.

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Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

On September 26th, the final assault on Thiepval was carried out by the British Reserve Army. Mighty Fortress Thiepval fell, dealing a brutal blow to the German Army.

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The village of Morval is the next domino to fall to the BEF on the Somme in the autumn of 1916. Lesboeufs, Combles, and Gueudecourt follow.

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Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

No, not one written by me. (Thankfully.) But one written by the man who created Winnie the Pooh. 

Here's a little extra something since we just introduced the tanks in the past couple of episodes. Hope you enjoy.

In the second episode on the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, the actions of the British 14th and 15th Corps are covered. The battlefield shook under the tracks of the new tanks.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

On the 15th of September, 1916, 10 British divisions—aided by tanks for the first time in history—launched a third major strike at the Germans on the Somme. The Battle of Flers-Courcelette was on.

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In early September the French and British Armies continuously kept up the pressure on the Germans. These attacks were part of and preparation for the next big strike on the Somme.

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A brief look at the home fronts of the three main belligerents on the Somme, with focus on the British.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

There was no strolling along at Guillemont on the Somme between July and September of 1916. The village was an unbreakable fortress for weeks until it finally fell to British and Irish troops. Nearby Ginchy fell days later.

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Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

The battle for High Wood continues through August and into September 1916. High Wood becomes a hell within the hell of the Somme battlefield.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

This is a stand-alone episode, but we are staying near the front on the Somme to speak with a very, very special guest: Dr. Jeff Gusky, the photographer and talent behind the Hidden World of WW1.

Dr. Gusky is the photographer and talent behind the Hidden World of WW1, a fascinating exploration of the many unknown underground cities inhabited by soldiers of both sides of the Western Front during the Great War. He is also a National Geographic photographer, and currently his photography is a part of the “Artist Soldiers” exhibit, an 18 month-long exhibition at The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. He also has a photographic exhibition at the Museum of History and Art in Sainte-Menehould, France that is running through November 26th, 2017.

Dr. Gusky holds that as an explorer and an artist, his mission is the same as that of his primary profession: emergency physician. That mission is to quote “to help people face immediate danger and chart a path to safety” unquote. Dr. Gusky, in exploring these many underground labyrinths of WW1 where men slept, dreamt, and sometimes fought and died, believes that putting a light on the memories of these men will help us to understand ourselves and how modernity affects our lives. As WW1 was the first fully industrialized war features devastatingly powerful weapons and human destruction on a scale that even today remains difficult to fathom, we can see that between 1914 and 1918 was the beginning of when Dr. Gusky’s “human emergency” began. This was when the scale of modern life seemed to skyrocket past the limits of human understanding. Since then we as humans have been separated from nature and our human nature by the impossibly large scale of modernity. But Dr. Gusky believes that we can draw hope from the examples of people like those men who left their names and sketches on the walls of the underground cities he has visited. These were just everyday, ordinary men who took part in a horrific war on a hitherto-unknown scale of suffering...and yet they retained their humanity throughout most of their experiences.

I am so grateful, honored, and humbled that Dr. Gusky is with us today, and he is actually speaking with us from the Picardy region of France. He is there to explore a new underground site, and he has graciously offered to talk to us a bit about what drives his interest in WW1 and his explorations, and his current exhibits and projects.

Please join us for a fascinating discussion with Dr. Jeff Gusky.

On the 14th and 15th of July, 1916, the British 4th Army began its first attacks on High Wood, igniting a brutal struggle for important high ground on the Somme battlefield.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

The French 6th and 10th Armies grind on through July and August 1916.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

The Pozieres Ridge battle continues as the Australians of the 1st ANZAC Corps fight for Pozieres village, the Windmill, and Mouquet Farm.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

On the 23rd of July, 1916, the Australians of the 1st ANZAC Corps attacked the village of Pozieres on the left of Bazentin Ridge. The Diggers had arrived on the Somme.

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The story of the 1st South African Infantry Brigade in the battle for Delville Wood, 15th-20th July 1916.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

On the 14th of July 1916, the British 4th Army launched its second major attack on the Somme, focusing its efforts on the German 2nd line on Bazentin Ridge.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

Between the 3rd and 12th of July 1916, the British struggled to capture Mametz Wood. This episode covers the grinding fight conducted almost exclusively by the 17th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

South of the Somme, the French continue their successful attacks on the Germans after the 1st of July. To the north, from the 2nd through the 14th of July, the British begin grinding towards the German second position with local, uncoordinated attacks. The Germans work desperately to recover their defense. Everyone bleeds.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

This episode we will briefly examine the causes of why the British attacks on the 1st of July 1916 were so costly and only partially successful.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

This episode we take a side road on the Somme to honor four British men who were awarded the Victoria Cross on the 1st of July 1916.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected].   Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

1st July 1916, Pt 2: the British Army attacks on the Somme. In this episode the front line from Fricourt to Gommecourt will be covered.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected].   Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

1st July 1916: after one week of bombardment the French and British Armies attack on the Somme. In this episode the front line from Fay to Fricourt will be covered.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected].   Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

Hey Folks, welcome to the Battles of the First World War Podcast. Today we will be conducted an interview with Professor William Philpott, who is Professor of the History of Warfare in the Department of War Studies at King’s College in London. So please join us and listen as a very nervous podcaster screws up his guest’s name and the internet connection goes haywire right during the first question, because of course it would. 

Professor Philpott is a widely-published author on the topics of the First World War and Anglo-French relations, and has written the monumental work titled “Bloody Victory: The Sacrifice on the Somme,” which the Financial Times just recently described as having  (quote) “widened the perspective [of the Somme battle], to portray the Somme as a key point at which the balance tilted against Germany in an international war.” (end quote) “Bloody Victory,” which was released as “Three Armies on the Somme” here in the US,  went on to win the 2009 Society for Army Historical Research Templer Medal and the US Western Front Association’s Norman B. Tomlinson Jr Book prize. “Bloody Victory” is the key information resource for this podcast’s current coverage of the Battle of the Somme.

Prof Philpott has also more recently published the book “Attrition: Fighting the First World War,” which has been released in the US under the title “War of Attrition.” He has also published several articles on the First World War, Anglo-French relations, and Nineteenth & Twentieth Century British, French and European Defence Policy and Strategy, among other related topics.

I am very grateful that Prof William Philpott has given us some of his Saturday afternoon in order to discuss the Battle of the Somme, its impact and effects with us here at the Battles of the First World War Podcast. So right after the intro music, listen in for an at-times awkward and somewhat shaky (that would be me) but very informative interview (that would be Prof Philpott).

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected].  

Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

In this second part of The Stahlhelm, the Casque Adrian, and the Tin Hat, we take a look at the British soldiers preparing themselves for the Battle of the Somme. The British Expeditionary Force of 1916 was vastly different from the Old Contemptibles who had come across the Channel in 1914, and this was a very different army from its German adversary and even its French ally. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected].   Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

On June 24th, 1916, the Allied bombardment of the German trench lines at the Somme began. 3,000 guns pounded away at the enemy. The bombardment was so loud it could London.

As the shells rain down we will take a look at the armies and the men who will be fighting the Battle of the Somme, as well as the German defenses on that part of the Western Front. 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected].

Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen. 

The Germans attack at Verdun and wreak havoc on the Franco-British plans for the Somme offensive. As the Mill on the Meuse pulls ever more French soldiers into the fire, the British Expeditionary Force takes on a larger role in the coming battle. By the end of May GEN Sir Douglas Haig confirms the BEF will lead the Somme attack on 1 July 1916.

The weeks go by and while stating their goals remain the same, the British and French leadership each plan different operations for the same battle. One army looks to carry out a battle of attrition. The other army plans to break through the German trench line and restart the war of movement.

1915 saw none of the major offensives that rocked the rest of the Western Front, but it was not a quiet sector of the line. Despite the French and Germans having a “live-and-let-live” policy that didn't keep them from killing each other with exploding underground mines and regular infantry battles.

Towards the end of 1915 GEN Joseph Joffre of the French Army worked on coordinating a strategy among the Allies that would see them attacking the Germans and Austro-Hungarians at the same time in order to wear them out. From this, the idea of the Battle of the Somme was born.

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In the opening months of World War One war came to the Somme departement of France as the Allies and the Germans sought to outflank each other during the "Race to the Sea." The hasty trench lines scratched out in autumn 1914 would largely be the same front line that would be assaulted on July 1st, 1916. 

The Battles of the First World War Podcast is a new podcast that looks to go in-depth into the battles of the Great War of 1914-1918. The goal is to really go into the details of how and why these battles unfolded and happened as they did. In telling the narrative of these clashes we can revisit some of the stories of the men and women who lived, fought, and died during the first titanic struggle of the 20th Century, for these people have stories that deserve to be told.