Daily German Army Communique

[bob lembke]

Guys;

Some time ago I read a letter from an American lieutenant-general to General Pershing. He quoted and in a fashion discussed an item in the daily German Army communique issued by the O.H.L. that affected him. I was struck by the fact that the discussion seemed to take the German daily communique's claims on how many of the general's men had been captured in a night-time flame attack at face value. One of my father's letters to his father, literally written in the take-off position on Dead Man's Hill at Verdun, also mentions that he may read about a storm attack that they were about to launch in the Army communique. (It was in the communique; my father was severely wounded and lay in a French dugout for three days before being found.)

Since then I have found an on-line source that carries all of these communiques. I am collating some entries with other info I have on certain attacks and battles, and they seem quite consistent. (Of course all sources could be consistent yet quite different from what really happened.)

Of course the entries are self-serving in the sense that the actions mentioned are likely to be German or Central Power successes, and I think that defeats, failures, etc. would be less likely to be mentioned, especially in detail. But, when an action is mentioned, dos the information seem to be accurate? Anyone have an opinion or some hard evidence on this?

I have copied out information on about 100 engagements and pasted the passages into an enormous time-line (over 300 pages) that I have created on flame thrower actions and the like, and the information seems quite consistant with the info I have from other sources, often French or British as well as other German sources. But I am the eternal sceptic. Any ideas?

Bob Lembke

[Robert Dunlop]

Bob, I think the answer is that the quality/accuracy varied mainly according to the degree of success or otherwise of the German forces. I remember the report after the Vimy Ridge assault by the Canadians. The communique bore no relation whatsoever to the success of the Canadian attack.

The other interesting evidence comes from Jean de Pierrefeu's account 'French Headquarters'. He was the writer of GQG's communiques for most of the war. As such, Pierrefeu had his own running battle with the author/s of the German equivalents. This is his account of the post-Nivelle affair ie the assault on the Chemin des Dames in 1917:

"We took Jouy-Sancy, Aixy, Laffaux, which was announced on the 19th, and that was all. At the same time the capture of Fort Condé was announced which had been evacuated for two days, but which our troops had not yet occupied lest it be mined. From this time forward, except for a few brilliant successes in the Moranvilliers sector, we gained the impression that the offensive was countered. We had taken twenty thousand prisoners and a hundred guns. The Germans triumphed openly in the Nauen wireless, after having displayed a lively anxiety on the first day, obvious through the self-praise of the first account. As usual, they endeavoured to make light of our success and declared that we had taken no more than seven thousand prisoners. This misstatement was too glaring. We asked the armies to send us the exact list of the prisoners in our hands, with the units to which they belonged. To our delight we found in the course of making this census that we had taken three thousand prisoners more than we had stated. The Germans alleged some excuse which justified their figure of seven thousand and let the matter drop."

Robert

[bob lembke]

Bob, I think the answer is that the quality/accuracy varied mainly according to the degree of success or otherwise of the German forces. 

Robert

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Robert;

Thank you for your valued insight. I have been, in particular, looking at flame attacks, and generally, successful flame attacks. So I am looking at a specific sub-set of actions, and for these the communique seems to match the data, such as POWs, that I get from other sources, sometimes allied as well as other German sources. Since most successful attacks of any size are mentioned, and include data not always found elsewhere, so far they seem useful. But, again, I am wary. I really feel that most stuff on the war, put out by all sides, is at least flawed, and stuff put out during the war is usually impossible.

So I have not been looking at German fiascos, and if I did, I would imagine that they would not have been mentioned at all, or mentioned in a vague manner.

I doubt that any side was very open about heavy losses, failed attacks, and units swallowed up. Pardon the example, but the July 2, 1916 London papers probably did not state that: "We managed to lose 77,000 men before lunch yesterday north of the Somme. Otherwise, all quiet on the Western Front."

I have ineffectively wrestled with a wall of French official histories in the stacks of my wife's library; it must be about 150 oversized volumes, maybe more, maybe 100,000 pages. I have previously mentioned a really successful FW attack at Malancourt Woods at Verdun on 20. 3. 16., where a French Brigade (of the 29th Division, I think) just collapsed when attacked with 63 FW; in a short while the Germans took an important position, 2883 POWs, including the entire brigade and two regimental HQs, 25 MG, 12 cannon, 18 mortars, at a loss of four FW troopers. I am sure the accompaning infantry had losses, but of course they trailed the FW, not charged in front of them; that would probably work badly, but probably would urge the infantry forward, to be sure. (Hadn't thought of that!)

The book covering this day, which recorded thousands of messages, phone calls between HQs (full text and minute of call), etc., etc., seemingly has essentially no mention of this. Poof! The brigade is gone. I really have to go back and see if it is mentioned somewhere else, but the absence of a mention of it in a book released a decade or so after the fact is disheartening.

Although I was not looking for specific actions that went badly, I don't recall much mentions of failed German attacks, heavy losses, etc. But dwelling on such reverses would probably have been a poor career choice.

Thanks,

Bob Lembke

PS: Anyone with a magic key or index to the French histories please speak up!