Operation Michael

Kriegerdenkmal bei der Marienkirche (Ruhstorf an der Rott)

Foto "Meine Kriegserinnerungen" 1914 - 1918

German reserves advancing through the streets of St Quentin

Karte: Operation Michael innerhalb der deutschen Frühjahrsoffensive 1918

Map showing extent of German Somme offensive : Operation Michael : 21 March - 4 April 1918.

Map showing British and German units around Bucquoy, France during the final day of the German offensive in the area, 5 April 1918.

Detailed map showing extent of German gains during Operation Michael and Gneisenau, France, 21 March - 11 June 1918.

AWM caption : "HAM, FRANCE, 1918-03. A GERMAN 21CM HEAVY HOWITZER BEING BROUGHT INTO POSITION IN THE BATTLE AREA." Comment : The gun is a 21 cm Mörser 16.

German troops cross the Bapaume-Albert road on March 25, 1918

The Australian 27th Battalion entering the town of Beaucourt-sur-l'Ancre in the Somme, France. The 27th Battalion marching througt the street, when the 2nd Division was moving up to relieve their hard-fought comrades in the Dernancourt and Villers-Bretonneux sectors. Left to right: 3093 Sergeant (Sgt) P. J. Duffy (6) 132 Private (Pte) J. Maly (5) 5397 Pte H. S. Smith (4) 534 Company Sergeant Major G. A. Edwards (3) Lieutenant J. A. Blacket, killed in action 10 June 1918 (2) 5126 Sgt J. A. Pearson (7) Captain R. G. Horwood MM (1) See E02393K for position of those named in this caption.

Photograph of British 60 pounder Mk I Gun being towed at speed - note blurred wheels, cloud of dust, trotting horses, anxious appearance of crew. The steel traction engine wheels identify this as a Mk II carriage. The caption in "Kaiserschlacht 1918" by Randal Gray correctly describes this scene as occurring during the British retreat forced by the German attack on the Somme of March 1918. The gun is incorrectly described as a Mk II in the book. The caption in "The Times History of the War" 1919 incorrectly described the scene as "British Guns Going Forward".

Photograph of British 6 inch Mk VII gun in action behind a chalk ridge near Hédauville, west of the Ancre, 4.5 miles NW of Albert, France. It is firing in V Corps sector against the first phase of the German Kaiserschlacht offensive, Operation Michael. Camouflage markings are clearly visible on the gun.

For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. I. Weltkrieg 1914-1918 Vormarschstrasse bei Etricourt (24.3.18)

For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. I. Weltkrieg 1914-1918 Etricourt, Vormarschstraße mit engl[ischem] Lager; März 1918

For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. I. Weltkrieg 1914-1918 Combles, Proviantkolonne auf dem Marsch; März 1918

For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Westfront, deutscher Panzer in Roye Deutscher Sturmwagen in Roye (Département Somme) [I. Weltrkrieg 1914 - 1918, Westfront, deutscher Tank während der großen Schlacht von Frankreich, März bis Juli 1918,]

Map, German advance 21-23 March 1918

Map, German advance, 23-28 March 1918

Map of the Somme battle of March 1918 showing the withdrawal of the 8th Division

Map of German Somme offensive 1918

Map of German spring offensive 1918 (Operation Michael)

The German Spring Offensive, March-july 1918 First Battle of Bapaume (Operation Michael). A 60 pounder Mark II battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery in action in the open near La Boisselle, 25 March 1918.