W Shaw Sparrow

Fifth Army in March 1918 W Shaw Sparrow

This detailed account of the German attack on the British Fifth Army on 21st March 1918 is sympathetic to its commander, General Gough, and sets out to defend the Fifth Army and demonstrate the extent of its achievement. The author has collected a great deal of information from senior officers to support his closely argued opinion. He arranges the book in four parts: before the battle, difficulties and preparations both British and German; the battle in its main aspects; some chosen incidents and episodes; and finally the aftermath, including controversies, side issues and political effects. He expresses his contempt for Lloyd George, who sought to lay the blame without regard to his own part, holding back reserves, and he praises Gough for his conduct of the battle, fought on a forty-two mile front (compared with Third Army's twenty-seven miles) with a similar number of divisions.