British Artillery on the Western Front in the First World War: ’’the Infantry Cannot Do with a Gun Less’’

Providing a systematic investigation into the evolving role of the artillery in the British Expeditionary Force, this study looks at how tactical and operational changes affected the overall Allied strategy. In line with the ’learning curve’ thesis, it argues that despite many setbacks and missed opportunities, by 1918 the Royal Artillery had developed effective methods to overcome the defensive advantages of trench warfare that had mired the Western Front in bloody stalemate for the previous three years.

Sanders Marble received his A.B. at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia and MA and PhD from King’s College, University of London. He works for the U.S. Army Medical Department. His research interests are WWI, military technology, and military medicine, and he has written and edited a variety of books, chapters, and articles on various aspects.