This is the story of the British Expeditionary Force's part in the
opening days of the Advance to Victory. It starts with the contribution
to the Battle of Fère-en-Tardenois in July; the counter-offensive which
pushed the Germans back to the River Marne.
Fourth Army's attack on 8 August was called the Black Day of the German
Army, but it was only the beginning of 100 days of campaigning. The
narrative follows the advance as it expands across the Somme, the Artois
and the Flanders regions. Time and again the British and Empire troops
used well-developed combined arms tactics to break through successive
lines of defence. By the end of September, all five of the BEF's armies
had reached the Hindenburg Line and were poised for the final advance.
Each stage of the two month battle is given the same treatment, covering
the details of the most talked about side of the campaign; the BEF's
side. Over fifty new maps chart the day by day progress of the five
armies and together with the narrative, explain the British Army's
experience during the opening stages of the Advance to Victory. The men
who made a difference are mentioned; those who led the advances, those
who stopped the counter-attacks and those who were awarded the Victoria
Cross. Discover the beginning of the Advance to Victory and learn how
the British Army had mastered the art of attack.
