Race to the Sea - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Race to the Sea is a name given to the period early in the First World War when the two sides were still engaged in mobile warfare on the Western Front

Western Front (World War I)

Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...

. With the German advance stalled at the First Battle of the Marne

First Battle of the Marne

The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...

, the opponents continually attempted to outflank each other through north-eastern France. This brought the forces to positions prepared under British Admiralty guidance, on the North Sea

North Sea

In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...

coast in Western Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. The nature of operations then changed to trench warfare

Trench warfare

Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...

, which is very large scale siege

Siege

A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...

warfare. This produced a continuous front line

Front line

A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...

of trench fortifications more than 200 miles long, which by the following Spring extended from the coast to the Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

border.

The Race to the Sea began in September 1914 in Champagne

Champagne (province)

The Champagne wine region is a historic province within the Champagne administrative province in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name...

, at the end of the German

German Empire

The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...

advance into France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, and ended at the North Sea

North Sea

in November of that year. In the battles fought in Picardy

Picardy

This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...

, Artois

Artois

Artois is a former province of northern France. Its territory has an area of around 4000 km² and a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras , Saint-Omer, Lens and Béthune.-Location:...

and Flanders

Flanders

Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...

, neither side could gain the advantage, and with repeated attempts to find the open flank, the line was extended until it reached the coast. The term "Race to the Sea" suggests that all the forces began in Champagne: in reality, significant German Army units arrived from Belgium, after the fall of Antwerp

Siege of Antwerp

The Siege of Antwerp was an engagement between the German and the Belgian armies during World War I. A small number of British and Austrian troops took part as well.-Strategic Context:...

, and much of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) arrived from England by way of the Channel coast of France. The movement towards the North Sea was the result of continual failed attempts at flanking manoeuvres.

The eventual "finish line" of the race was actually already occupied by two forces. The Belgian army, later reinforced by the British Royal Naval Division, had been holding out in Antwerp

Siege of Antwerp

The Siege of Antwerp was an engagement between the German and the Belgian armies during World War I. A small number of British and Austrian troops took part as well.-Strategic Context:...

, which finally fell on October 10. The Belgian and British forces had withdrawn to a line on the River Yser

Yser

The Yser is a river that finds its origin in the north of France, enters Belgium and flows into the North Sea at the town of Nieuwpoort.-In France:The source of the Yser is in Buysscheure, in the Nord département of northern France...

(IJzer), which flows into the North Sea at Nieuwpoort

Nieuwpoort, Belgium

Nieuwpoort is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Nieuwpoort proper and the towns of Ramskapelle and Sint-Joris. On January 1, 2008 Nieuwpoort had a total population of 11,062....

.

The race began in late September 1914, after the end of the Battle of the Aisne

First Battle of the Aisne

The First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army & Second Army as they retreated after the First Battle of the Marne earlier in September 1914...

, the unsuccessful Allied counter-offensive against the German forces halted during the preceding First Battle of the Marne

First Battle of the Marne

. The route of the race was largely governed by the north-south railways available to each side, the French through Amiens

Amiens

Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...

and the Germans through Lille

Lille

Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...

.

The race involved a number of battles, from the First Battle of the Aisne

First Battle of the Aisne

(13 to 28 September), the First Battle of Picardy (22 to 26 September), the Battle of Albert

Battle of Albert (1914)

The Battle of Albert began on September 25, 1914 as part of the Race to the Sea during World War I. It directly followed the First Battle of the Marne and the First Battle of the Aisne as progress toward advancing the trench lines to the sea continued....

(25 to 29 September), the First Battle of Artois

First Battle of Artois

The First Battle of Artois was a military encounter during World War I. The battle was the first offensive move on the Western Front by either side after the First Battle of Ypres ended in November 1914...

(27 September to 10 October), the Battle of La Bassée

Battle of La Bassée

The Battle of La Bassée was a battle between British and German forces in northern France in October 1914, and was part of the Race to the Sea....

(10 October to 2 November), the Battle of Messines (1914)

Battle of Messines (1914)

The battle of Messines was a battle fought in October 1914 between the German Empire and the British Empire, as part of the Race to the Sea. It took place between the river Douve and the Comines-Ypres canal.-External links:* at historyofwar.org...

(12 October to 2 November), the Battle of Armentières

Battle of Armentières

This battle was part of Race to Sea campaign. During this battle the British successfully held the line in their sector, against repeated German assaults.To the south it merged into the battle of La Bassée, to the north into the battle of Messines....

(13 October to 2 November) and the Battle of the Yser

Battle of the Yser

The Battle of the Yser secured part of the coastline of Belgium for the allies in the "Race to the Sea" after the first three months of World War I.-Strategic Context:As part of the execution of the Schlieffen Plan, Belgium had been invaded by Germany...

(18 October to 30 November).

The French Tenth Army began to assemble at Amiens from mid-September, and on September 25 began to push eastwards. The German Sixth Army

German Sixth Army

The 6th Army was a designation for German field armies which saw action in World War I and World War II. The 6th Army is best known for fighting in the Battle of Stalingrad, during which it became the first entire German field army to be completely destroyed...

had reached Bapaume

Bapaume

Bapaume is a commune and the seat of a canton in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming and light industrial town located 10 miles south of Arras at the junction of the A1 autoroute and the N17 and N30 national roads its location is...

on September 26 and advanced to Thiepval

Thiepval

The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme is a major war memorial to 72,191 missing British and South African men who died in the Battles of the Somme of the First World War between 1915 and 1918 who have no known grave...

on the following day, in the middle of what was to become the Somme

Battle of the Somme (1916)

The Battle of the Somme , also known as the Somme Offensive, took place during the First World War between 1 July and 14 November 1916 in the Somme department of France, on both banks of the river of the same name...

battlefield of 1916. The German aim was to drive westward to the English Channel

English Channel

The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...

, seizing the industrial and agricultural regions of Northern France, cutting off the supply route of the BEF and isolating Belgium. Meanwhile, six of the eleven German cavalry

Cavalry

Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...

divisions

Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

would sweep through Flanders

Flanders

to the coast.

However, between October 1 and October 6 the German Sixth Army's offensive north of the Somme was halted by the French under the direction of General Ferdinand Foch

Ferdinand Foch

Ferdinand Foch , GCB, OM, DSO was a French soldier, war hero, military theorist, and writer credited with possessing "the most original and subtle mind in the French army" in the early 20th century. He served as general in the French army during World War I and was made Marshal of France in its...

. The German cavalry encountered the French XXI Corps near Lille and were likewise halted. The only gap remaining was in Flanders, with the Belgians on the Yser to the north and the French in Picardy to the south.

Attention now turned to Artois and Flanders, where the BEF had begun to redeploy to shorten their supply route through Boulogne

Boulogne-sur-Mer

-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....

and Calais

Calais

Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....

. The Germans reached Lille on October 13 and the British reached Balleuil (Belle) the next day. The line formed in Artois was established by the Battle of La Bassée

Battle of La Bassée

The Battle of La Bassée was a battle between British and German forces in northern France in October 1914, and was part of the Race to the Sea....

between October 12 and October 27: the British held Arras

Arras

Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...

while the Germans were in Lens

Lens, Pas-de-Calais

Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...

.

In Flanders, the British 7th Division had moved in to Ypres

Ypres

Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...

(Ieper) on October 14. The Germans had actually occupied the town with a small detachment on October 3, but were forced to withdraw. The British planned to advance along the road to Menen

Menen

Menen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Menen proper and the towns of Lauwe and Rekkem. The city is situated on the French/Belgian border. On January 1, 2006, Menen had a total population of 32,413...

(Menin) but were stopped by a superior German force. On October 21, during the Battle of the Yser

Battle of the Yser

, King Albert of Belgium

Albert I of Belgium

Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...

ordered the sea-locks at Nieuwpoort to be opened, creating an impassable flooded marshland up to a mile wide as far south as Diksmuide

Diksmuide

Diksmuide is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Diksmuide proper and the former communes of Beerst, Esen, Kaaskerke, Keiem, Lampernisse, Leke, Nieuwkapelle, Oostkerke, Oudekapelle, Pervijze, Sint-Jacobs-Kapelle,...

.

The German effort to achieve a breakthrough now concentrated at Ypres. In what was to become the First Battle of Ypres

First Battle of Ypres

The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders , was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium...

, the German attack began on October 21. Fighting would continue until late November but, while the British forces were dangerously stretched, no breakthrough came.

While the race to the sea was over when the offensive at Ypres ceased, the Western Front still contained gaps. In particular, no front was established in the Vosges Mountains

Vosges mountains

For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...

until early 1915.

The implications seaward

While the BEF was following events to the Marne and returning northwards, there had been coordinated efforts by relatively small forces of the Belgian field and fortress armies

Belgian Army

The Land Component is organised using the concept of capacities, whereby units are gathered together according to their function and material. Within this framework, there are five capacities: the command capacity, the combat capacity, the support capacity, the services capacity and the training...

, the French marines

Fusiliers de Marine

The Fusiliers Marins are units specialised in the protection and defence of key sites of the French Navy on land. They consist of about 1,800 men.Their deployments include:...

, the Royal Marines

Royal Marines

The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...

, the Naval Brigade

British 63rd (Royal Naval) Division

The British 63rd Division was a First World War division of the New Army. The division had been formed at the outbreak of war as the Royal Naval Division...

(reserve sailors half retrained as infantry), the Royal Naval Air Service

Royal Naval Air Service

The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...

(RNAS) (mounted in armoured cars) and vessels of the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

. The aim was to screen the Belgian coast from German occupation, so denying the use of its harbours to U boats and permitting access for supplies from Britain. Initially, the northern part of the German forces was tied up by the Belgian defence of Antwerp. The Royal Marines occupied ports such as Oostende, while the RNAS, in its armoured cars, provided a mobile screen to hinder German movements northwards from the main advance towards Paris. Following an extempore but careful fortification of the western extremity of Belgium by flooding, the Battle of the Yser

Battle of the Yser

provided an anchor onto which the future Western Front

Western Front (World War I)

could be locked by the First Battle of Ypres

First Battle of Ypres

The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders , was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium...

.

The importance of the Belgian and French ports such as Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer in supplying the BEF was perceived at the time: to maintain a British army in France at all, the allies had to control the English Channel

English Channel

. To do so, particularly against U-boats, the Strait of Dover

Strait of Dover

The Strait of Dover or Dover Strait is the strait at the narrowest part of the English Channel. The shortest distance across the strait is from the South Foreland, 6 kilometres northeast of Dover in the county of Kent, England, to Cap Gris Nez, a cape near to Calais in the French of...

had to be controlled. Thus both its coasts had to be occupied by the Allies so that a barrage of vessels, mines and nets could be maintained there. In the event, the aim of retaining control of the French coast was achieved by coordination between naval and military forces of Belgium, France and the United Kingdom, and no French port was lost. The extent to which this requirement was understood before the event is not clear. It was perhaps so obvious, at the Admiralty

Admiralty

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...

at least, that it was not stated explicitly. Certainly, the U-boat threat was well appreciated, but the First Lord's account of the time and its events makes no mention of the need to stop the threat at the strait.

These considerations made crucial the BEF's return to the north before the fluid situation there had solidified into a line reaching the coast west of Dunkirk. On the whole, the main German forces involved in this aspect of the 'race' came from eastern Belgium, after having been tied up there by operations associated with the resistance of Antwerp. Thus, the Belgian army, in the prepared fortifications of Antwerp and on the Yser, in conjunction with the planning of the British Admiralty, played a key role in the progress of the war.

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