Artillery, Gas, and Desperation: The German Gamble on the Western Front

On March 21, 1918, near the Somme River in France, the German army launched its first major offensive on the Western Front in two years—a bold and desperate gamble that would reshape the dynamics of World War I.

At the outset of 1918, the Central Powers, led by Germany, appeared to have reached the pinnacle of their military prowess in Europe. Their armies held nearly all of Belgium and much of northern France, and with the collapse or exit of allies like Romania, Russia, and Serbia by the end of 1917, the eastern theaters of war were drawing to a close. This left the Germans free to concentrate their efforts against the British and French forces in the west.

The German leadership recognized that with Russia’s exit from the war, they could transfer significant numbers of divisions from the eastern front to bolster their positions in the west. In fact, no fewer than 44 divisions were shifted to the Western Front, creating a formidable concentration of forces.

German commander Erich Ludendorff saw this as an unparalleled opportunity to deliver a decisive blow to the Allies—a strike that he hoped would force them into negotiations for peace long before fresh American troops could be mobilized and deployed.

The operation, which would become known as Kaiserschlacht, or “the Kaiser’s Battle,” began with its opening phase, code-named Operation Michael. Ludendorff’s strategy was rooted in both innovation and desperation. He believed that the only route to a favorable conclusion in the war was to push relentlessly forward, thereby disrupting the Allied lines and undermining their will to continue fighting.

His confidence was bolstered by the widespread belief among German soldiers that a breakthrough on the battlefield was their only chance of returning home as victorious men rather than being mired in a drawn-out stalemate.

In the early morning hours of March 21, 1918, the German forces set their plan into motion. The offensive was launched with a level of intensity that had rarely been seen before on the Western Front. In the days leading up to the attack, German troops had moved into position with stealth and precision, allowing them to catch the Allies off guard. The assault was preceded by a meticulously coordinated artillery barrage—a quick, intense bombardment that was intended not only to destroy enemy fortifications but also to disorient and demoralize the opposing forces.

One of the most striking aspects of the German offensive was its innovative use of artillery and chemical warfare. Under Ludendorff’s direction, experts in artillery devised a system that integrated a series of deadly elements into the attack. The bombardment began with conventional high-explosive shells, quickly followed by the deployment of various gases.

Initially, tear gas was used to disrupt enemy formations, but as the offensive continued, more lethal agents such as phosgene and chlorine gases were introduced. This layered approach to chemical warfare was intended to maximize the disarray among Allied troops, compounding the physical destruction wrought by the artillery with an additional layer of psychological terror.

The German Air Service, or Luftstreitkrafte, also played a critical role in the offensive. In a coordinated effort with the artillery, German aircraft were tasked with providing reconnaissance, disrupting enemy communications, and even engaging in low-altitude bombing raids. The integration of air power with ground operations was a relatively new concept in warfare and underscored the modern, multi-dimensional approach that the Germans were adopting.

British witness Winston Churchill, then serving as the minister of munitions, recalled his harrowing experience of that day: “There was a rumble of artillery fire, mostly distant, and the thudding explosions of aeroplane raids. And then, exactly as a pianist runs his hands across a keyboard from treble to bass, there rose in less than one minute the most tremendous cannonade I shall ever hear. It swept around us in a wide curve of red flame.”

The results of this formidable offensive were immediate and devastating. On the first day alone, German troops managed to advance over four miles into enemy territory while inflicting nearly 30,000 British casualties. The speed and ferocity of the attack forced the Allied commanders into a state of panic and uncertainty. In the ensuing days, as chaos reigned along the British lines, German forces continued to push forward, gaining territory and exploiting every breach in the enemy’s defenses.

Despite the initial successes, the German offensive was not without its challenges. The rapid advance created logistical difficulties, and the Allied forces, though caught off guard, gradually regrouped and began to erect more determined defenses.

By the end of March, as the initial shock of the offensive began to wear off, the Allies managed to stabilize their positions. Nevertheless, the early gains had allowed the German army to reach a critical juncture near the confluence of the British and French trenches—an area that symbolized both the unity and the desperation of the German war effort.

As the first stage of Operation Michael drew to a close in early April, the overall trajectory of the campaign took on a more desperate tone for the Central Powers. German artillery was now aimed directly at Paris, indicating that the offensive had evolved from a tactical operation to a final, all-out bid for victory. The drive to force a negotiated peace before the full might of the American forces could be brought to bear was a race against time—a race that would ultimately have profound implications for the outcome of the war.

The events of March 21, 1918, thus stand as a pivotal moment in World War I. They illustrate the extent to which both innovation and desperation can drive military strategy in times of crisis. The German offensive, with its blend of artillery, chemical, and air warfare, showcased a new kind of modern combat that would have lasting repercussions on how future conflicts were fought.

While the initial successes provided a brief glimmer of hope for a swift victory, the ultimate failure of the offensive underscored the limitations of even the most aggressive military strategies when faced with resilient and adaptive opponents.

In retrospect, the assault on the Somme River remains a study in both the ambition and the limitations of military power. It serves as a somber reminder of the costs of war, where even the most meticulously planned operations can yield outcomes that are as unpredictable as they are catastrophic. The legacy of that day endures not only in the annals of military history but also in the collective memory of those who witnessed the transformation of the battlefield into a crucible of modern warfare.