The official AHF WW1 quiz thread

[Attrition]

British agent networks in northern France and Belgium were blown a few weeks before the offensive began, which led to there being more German divisions near the Somme front than expected.

[Graham Clayton]

A hint for my question.

The references to the New Testament relate to the fighting near Serre.

[Polar bear]

hi,

On the German side of the line, there were 4 copses named, by the British, after the four evangelists. There´s a Luke copse cemetery, now.
http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/somme/serre.html
This text, however, contains the error to read "after the four apostles". There were, as we (hopefully) all know, 12 apostles.

greetings, the pb

[Sheldrake]

Why did the British underestimate the number of German divisions capable of moving to the Somme front from Belgium and northern France in 1916?

Probably because the Germans changed their divisional structure moving to a triangular structure, creating more, but smaller divisions.

[Sheldrake]

hi,

On the German side of the line, there were 4 copses named, by the British, after the four evangelists. There´s a Luke copse cemetery, now.
http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/somme/serre.html
This text, however, contains the error to read "after the four apostles". There were, as we (hopefully) all know, 12 apostles.

greetings, the pb

At the risk of appearing pedantic, the four copses were behind the British lines, as the remains of the British front line trench can be seen on the Eastern edge Sheffield Park

[Attrition]

Why did the British underestimate the number of German divisions capable of moving to the Somme front from Belgium and northern France in 1916?

Probably because the Germans changed their divisional structure moving to a triangular structure, creating more, but smaller divisions.

They started doing that in 1915 so it wouldn't have been a surprise but losing the rail watchers upset the assessment of the German OOB. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?did= ... hos.416459

[Graham Clayton]

hi,

On the German side of the line, there were 4 copses named, by the British, after the four evangelists. There´s a Luke copse cemetery, now.
http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/somme/serre.html
This text, however, contains the error to read "after the four apostles". There were, as we (hopefully) all know, 12 apostles.

greetings, the pb

Polar Bear,

Correct - your turn to post a question.

[Polar bear]

hi,

when, where and under which circumstances took place the first air attack "from the sea" ?

greetings, the pb

[Rob Stuart]

When: 6 September 1914
Where: Tsingtao
Circumstances: A seaplane from the Wakamiya attacked the Austro-Hungarian cruiser Kaiserin Elisabeth and the German gunboat Jaguar.

[Polar bear]

hi, Rob,

quite right!

back to you, once more ..

greetings, the pb

[Rob Stuart]

Thanks pb.

Okay, how about this, if it is permissible to ask about a novel: Name the fictional Kaiserin Elisabeth officer who made it back to Europe and became a successful submarine commander?

[Polar bear]

hi,

a wild guess: Otto Prohaska ?

greetings, the pb

[Rob Stuart]

Oh, I doubt that that is really a wild guess! You're right, it's the hero of A Sailor of Austria, by John Biggins.

Back to you, pb.

[Polar bear]

hi,

a British merchant ship was turned into a German warship and was lost with all hands (and more) when sunk by British warships.

greetings, the pb

[Polar bear]

hi,

two weeks later, hint #1

This ship was captured by a German AMC (Hilfskreuzer) and turned into one, itself.

greetings, the pb