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Sad German postcard photo of dead English soldiers in a field, during battle of Neuve Chapelle France in March 1915.
Labeled "Angriff der Englander bei Neuve Chapelle am 25/9/1915" Attack of the English at Neuve Chapelle on 25/9/15
Note that this dates seems incorrect. I have seen the same photo, but with the date 12/3/1915, which would be the correct date, since that is when the battle took place. I assume this is a later printed card.
On the back German message dated '22 X 15'.
The Battle of Neuve Chapelle (10–13 March 1915) took place in the First World War in the Artois region of France. The attack was intended to cause a rupture in the German lines, which would then be exploited with a rush to the Aubers Ridge and possibly Lille. A French assault at Vimy Ridge on the Artois plateau was also planned to threaten the road, rail and canal junctions at La Bassée from the south as the British attacked from the north. The British attackers broke through German defences in a salient at the village of Neuve-Chapelle but the success could not be exploited.
The battle at Neuve Chapelle showed that trench defences could be breached if the attack was carefully prepared and disguised to achieve at least local surprise. After the initial shock, the German defenders recovered, just as the attackers were beset by delays, loss of communication and disorganisation. In his report at the end of March, Major-General John Du Cane wrote that the First Army command system disintegrated after the capture of Neuve Chapelle.
The British suffered 7,000 casualties and the Indian Corps 4,200 of the 40,000 troops in the offensive. The 7th Division suffered 2,791 casualties, the 8th Division 4,814, the Meerut Division 2,353 and the Lahore Division 1,694.
Along with the Indian Corps, the battle was the first big battle of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
WIKIPEDIA
