Artillery Conquers: Infantry Occupies

Simon seeks to assess the performance of the British Expeditionary Forces’ artillery during the preparation for, and conduct of, the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917. To carry out this assessment, it uses a set of Principles of War which Colonel J F C Fuller published in the February 1916 edition of the RUSI Journal. These are often referenced as the start point for the way the British Army has subsequently developed its use of the Principles of War. The lecture will focus on the conduct of the artillery battles at Army, Corps and Divisional level for: Pilkem Ridge, 31 July – British Fifth Army; Menin Road Ridge, 20 September – British Second Army; Second Passchendaele, 26 October to 10 November – Canadian Corps.