The Enemy, the Weather, and the Terrain: The Effects of Weather on Historical Battles

Weather support to Army tactical units is provided in two ways. The WETMs provide all forecasts and supplemental weather information received from national and local sources, together with surface observations taken at each WETM location. The Army is responsible for taking surface and upper-air observations forward of the division command element and in direct support of Army weapon systems and operations.

Observers are assigned to the same locations listed above and assist forecasters by taking surface weather observations. MOTs may also be deployed to selected tactical airfields and landing zones LZs. Size and composition of WETMs vary from as few as 4 observers and forecasters to teams with as many as 14 observers and forecasters plus 2 officers. Although the SWO is a member of the special staff, he normally works with the G2 and with the operations and plans sections.

For this reason, it is important that you outline your specific requirements to your supporting SWO. If new requirements surface in the field, or changes are required, you notify your SWO. Give him enough lead time to allow for production changes. The Army's responsibility is take observations from the CP forward, and in direct support of Army weapons systems anywhere in the AO. Weather satellite imagery will play a larger role as new systems are designed to capture this data.

It is your responsibility to provide weather and weather effects information to your commander and supported or subordinate units. Methods may vary from unit to unit and echelon to echelon. At higher echelons, the SWO has primary responsibility for providing weather support. There, the G2 simply contacts the SWO, states requirements, and receives the needed weather support.

If you have no SWO, you must pass the request up the chain of command to a level where one is assigned. Once your requirements have been validated, weather support products flow back over the same path. In addition to weather forecast products, the SWO can provide specialized weather effects products. You must provide the threshold values used in developing these products.

Figure summarizes this flow. The SWO support to the brigade is shown with an asterisk because only separate and aviation brigades have direct weather support. Combat intelligence is composed of weather, enemy, and terrain; sometimes called the WET trilogy. Below division, where a terrain team is not assigned, the intelligence analyst working order of battle OB has the added responsibility for terrain analysis. Your OB specialist relays the unit's requirements, through channels, to the terrain team supporting the division. He also does whatever limited local analysis is needed.

Once in the field, terrain and weather analyses in support of the intelligence preparation of the battlefield IPB are based on locally updated terrain data bases and the current weather forecast for the AO. Terrain teams are responsible for analyzing the division geographic AI and providing recommended courses of action based upon effects of weather under current and forecast weather conditions.

They produce graphical tactical decision aids TDAs that help the commander and staff understand the effects of weather on division operations. These IPB templates are available to you at either brigade or battalion upon request. The principal user of IPB templates is the divisional G2 staff, but terrain teams will service needs of brigade and battalion S2s as priorities allow.

Separate brigades and other corps or EAC units obtain the same support via the corps or theater G2. Lead time must allow production of tailored products, and attached elements can expect to compete with other G2 and engineer priorities.

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Many standard products will already be available from the division's team. The more you exercise terrain teams, the more responsive they will be as they understand and learn to anticipate the needs of brigades and battalions. In the field, new or updated terrain analysis products may be obtained electronically or via courier. IPB templates provide an integrated graphic portrayal of enemy doctrine and the effects of weather and terrain in the AO and AI. Development of IPB products, while still in garrison, based on climatology provided locally by the WETM gives you a general idea of what average seasonal weather conditions will be in the AO.

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By comparing the weather forecasts or current observations to the climatology used in preparing the IPB templates, you can keep the commander informed on trends. Two examples illustrate how garrison-prepared IPB products can be updated in the field. You have prepared IPB templates depicting mobility or countermobility based on a climatic average of 2 inches of precipitation. Then the SWO reports that the rates are higher than anticipated. You quickly modify the templates and brief the commander. Then, if you have prepared air mobility corridor templates based on the general low-level cloud ceilings climatology and high mountainous terrain, these can be modified to determine the best and worst air corridors based on either weather observations or forecasts.

You can obtain weather IPB overlays by asking for them from your higher G2. The G2 will then task the SWO to produce the weather portion of the overlays. Overlays may be used with either climatology for long-range planning or with forecasts for a specific time. Combinations of several critical threshold values and weather elements may be depicted on one overlay.

Taylor put British wounded and killed at , and German losses at , Terraine refuted Wolff , who despite writing that , British casualties was the BEF total for the second half of , neglected to deduct 75, casualties for the Battle of Cambrai, given in the Official Statistics from which he quoted or "normal wastage", averaging 35, per month in "quiet" periods.

The area to the east and south of Passchendaele was held by posts, those to the east being fairly habitable, unlike the southern ones; from Passchendaele as far back as Potijze, the ground was far worse. Each brigade spent four days in the front line, four in support and four in reserve.

The area was quiet apart from artillery-fire and in December the weather turned cold and snowy, which entailed a great effort to prevent trench foot. In January, spells of freezing cold were followed by warmer periods, one beginning on 15 January with torrential rain and gale-force winds, washing away plank roads and duckboard tracks.

Battle of Passchendaele

Both sides raided and the British used night machine-gun fire and artillery barrages to great effect. On 23 March, Haig ordered Plumer to make contingency plans to shorten the line and release troops for the other armies.

Worn-out divisions from the south had been sent to Flanders to recuperate closer to the coast. On 11 April, Plumer authorised a withdrawal of the southern flank of the Second Army. Next day, at the Battle of Merckem , the Germans attacked north-east of Ypres, from Houthulst Forest and captured Kippe but were forced out by Belgian counter-attacks, supported by the II Corps artillery. On the afternoon of 27 April, the south end of the Second Army outpost line was driven in near Voormezeele and another British outpost line was established north-east of the village.

In the case of the United Kingdom only casualties before 16 August are commemorated on the memorial. The Canadian Corps' participation in the Second Battle of Passchendaele is commemorated with the Passchendaele Memorial at site of the Crest Farm on the south-west fringe of Passchendaele village.

FM Battlefield Weather Effects - CHAPTER TWO: WEATHER ELEMENTS AND SUPPORT

One of the newest monuments to be dedicated to the fighting contribution of a group is the Celtic Cross memorial, commemorating the Scottish contribution to the fighting in Flanders during the Great War. The monument was dedicated by Linda Fabiani , the Minister for Europe of the Scottish Parliament , during the late summer of , the 90th anniversary of the battle.

Members of the British Royal family and Prime-Minister Theresa May joined the ceremonies, which started in the evening of 30 July with the service at Menin Gate, followed by ceremonies at the Market Square. On the following day, a ceremony was held at Tyne Cot cemetery, headed by the Prince of Wales. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. For other uses, see Passchendaele disambiguation. Battle of Verdun and Battle of the Somme. Local operations, December — June The Eastern Front in The progression of the battle and the general disposition of troops.

June — July Battle of Messines German trench destroyed by a mine explosion. The British set-piece attack in mid British 18 pounder battery taking up new positions near Boesinghe, 31 July. Battle of Pilckem Ridge.

WEATHER ELEMENTS AND SUPPORT

German defensive system, Flanders, mid Capture of Oppy Wood and Battle of Hill Battle of Langemarck and Operation Hush. British anti-aircraft gun at Morbecque, 29 August The British set-piece attack in late Derelict tank used as the roof of a dug out, Zillebeke, 20 September Q Battle of the Menin Road Ridge. Wounded men at the side of a road after the Battle of Menin Road. Action of 25 September Battle of Polygon Wood. Australian infantry with small box respirator gas masks, Ypres, September Actions of 30 September — 4 October British soldiers moving forward during the Battle of Broodseinde.

Photo by Ernest Brooks. First Battle of Passchendaele. Aerial view of Passchendaele village before and after the battle. Action of 22 October Battle of La Malmaison. Second Battle of Passchendaele. Terrain through which the Canadian Corps advanced at Passchendaele, in late Terrain at Passchendaele near where the Canadian Corps advanced, spring Action on the Polderhoek Spur. World War I portal. Haig wrote that if the Allies could win the war in , "the chief people to suffer would be the socialists".

Prince Charles honours 'courage and bravery' of British soldiers". The Origins of the War of The Australian Imperial Force in France, Official History of Australia in the War of — Retrieved 21 July Sir Douglas Haig's Despatches repr. Eighth Division in War — repr. Field Marshal Earl Haig. A History of the Great War — repr. Der Weltkrieg bis Archived from the original on 3 December Retrieved 17 November French Strategy and Operations in the Great War.

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Military Operations France and Belgium, Sir Douglas Haig's Command to the 1st July: Battle of the Somme. Military Operations France and Belgium Messines and Third Ypres Passchendaele. March—April, Continuation of the German Offensives. The Great War — German Strategy and the Path to Verdun: Erich von Falkenhayn and the Development of Attrition, — pbk. The Strategy of the Lloyd George Coalition. The Story of 29th Division: Men, Ideas and Tanks: British Military Thought and Armoured Forces, — Douglas Haig and the First World War.

Transportation on the Western Front — Retrieved 22 July The Third Battle of Ypres. The Battle of Cambrai. Pessimism and British War Policy, — Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationary. Retrieved 24 February To Play a Giant's Part: The Role of the British Army at Passchendaele. Fighting the First World War.

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