The Ludendorff Offensive (21 mar 1918 año – 28 jun 1918 año)

Descripción:

This was the end of the stalemate because of a massive German offensive that was made for them to claim victory. Commander General Erich Ludendorff realised that this was Germany's last chance to win the war as Germany's supplies and manpower were not sufficient enough to continue the war any longer. They decided to use different tactics to end the stalemate; that of short intensive bombardment, which are known as a hurricane barrage. This was to saturate Allied linens with explosives and gas shells 30 minutes before the infantry assault began. The Germans made soldiers known as stormtroopers to infiltrate the Allied lines with lightweight sub-machine guns and grenades, as the element of surprise and and speed was crucial for their plan to succeed. Initially Germany made significant process of advancing 65km in the first week. However due to lack of reserve forces and sufficient supplies, the advance lost momentum. The German troops were forced to draw back in the face of Allied counterattacks.