*The Slow Fight on the Aisne.*
[Made Public Sept. 24.]
The enemy is still maintaining himself along the whole front, and, in
order to do so, is throwing into the fight detachments composed of units
from different formations, the active army, reserve, and Landwehr, as is
shown by the uniforms of the prisoners recently captured.
Our progress, although slow on account of the strength of the defensive
positions against which we are pressing, has in certain directions been
continuous; but the present battle may well last for some days more
before a decision is reached, since it now approximates somewhat to
siege warfare.
The Germans are making use of searchlights. This fact, coupled with
their great strength in heavy artillery, leads to the supposition that
they are employing material which may have been collected for the siege
of Paris.
The nature of the general situation after the operations of the 18th,
19th, and 20th cannot better be summarized than as expressed recently
by a neighboring French commander to his corps: "Having repulsed
repeated and violent counter-attacks made by the enemy, we have a
feeling that we have been victorious."
So far as the British are concerned, the course of events during these
three days can be described in a few words. During Friday, the 18th,
artillery fire was kept up intermittently by both sides during daylight.
At night the German centre attacked certain portions of our line,
supporting the advance of their infantry, as always, by a heavy
bombardment. But the strokes were not delivered with great vigor, and
ceased about 2 A.M. During the day's fighting an aircraft gun of the
Third Army Corps succeeded in bringing down a German aeroplane.
News also was received that a body of French cavalry had demolished part
of the railway to the north, so cutting, at least temporarily, one line
of communication which is of particular importance to the enemy.
On Saturday, the 19th, the bombardment was resumed by the Germans at an
early hour and continued intermittently under reply from our own guns.
Some of their infantry advanced from cover, apparently with the
intention of attacking, but on coming under fire they retired. Otherwise
the day was uneventful, except for the activity of the artillery, which
is a matter of normal routine rather than an event.
Another hostile aeroplane was brought down by us, and one of our
aviators succeeded in dropping several bombs over the German line, one
incendiary bomb falling with considerable effect on a transport park
near La Fère.
A buried store of the enemy's munitions of war was also found, not far
from the Aisne, ten wagon loads of live shell and two wagon loads of
cable being dug up. Traces were discovered of large quantities of stores
having been burned--all tending to show that as far back as the Aisne
the German retirement was hurried.
There was a strong wind during the day, accompanied by a driving rain.
This militated against the aerial reconnoissance.
On Sunday, the 20th, nothing of importance occurred until the afternoon,
when there was a break in the clouds and an interval of feeble sunshine,
which was hardly powerful enough to warm the soaking troops. The Germans
took advantage of this brief spell of fine weather to make several
counter-attacks against different points. These were all repulsed with
loss to the enemy, but the casualties incurred by us were by no means
light.
In one section of our firing line the occupants of the trenches were
under the impression that they heard a military band in the enemy's
lines just before the attack developed. It is now known that the German
infantry started their advance with bands playing.
The offensive against one or two points was renewed at dusk, with no
greater success. The brunt of the resistance has naturally fallen upon
the infantry. In spite of the fact that they have been drenched to the
skin for some days and their trenches have been deep in mud and water,
and in spite of the incessant night alarms and the almost continuous
bombardment to which they have been subjected, they have on every
occasion been ready for the enemy's infantry when the latter attempted
to assault, and they have beaten them back with great loss. Indeed, the
sight of the Pickelhauben [German spiked helmets] coming up has been a
positive relief after long, trying hours of inaction under shell fire.
The object of the great proportion of artillery the Germans employ is to
beat down the resistance of their enemy by concentrated and prolonged
fire, to shatter their nerves with high explosives, before the infantry
attack is launched. They seem to have relied on doing this with us, but
they have not done so, though it has taken them several costly
experiments to discover this fact.
From statements of prisoners it appears that they have been greatly
disappointed by the moral effect produced by their heavy guns, which,
despite the actual losses inflicted, has not been at all commensurate
with the colossal expenditure of ammunition, which has really been
wasted. By this it is not implied that their artillery fire is not good;
it is more than good--it is excellent. But the British soldier is a
difficult person to impress or depress, even by immense shells filled
with a high explosive which detonate with terrific violence and form
craters large enough to act as graves for five horses.
The German howitzer shells are from 8 to 9 inches in calibre, and on
impact they send up columns of greasy black smoke. On account of this
they are irreverently dubbed "coal boxes," "black Marias," or "Jack
Johnsons" by the soldiers. Men who take things in this spirit are, it
seems, likely to throw out the calculations based on the loss of morale
so carefully framed by the German military philosophers.
A considerable amount of information has been gleaned from prisoners. It
has been gathered that our bombardment on the 15th produced a great
impression. The opinion is also reported that our infantry make such
good use of ground that the German companies are decimated by our rifle
fire before the British soldier can be seen.
From an official diary captured by the First Army Corps it appears that
one of the German corps contains an extraordinary mixture of units. If
the composition of the other corps is similar, it may be assumed that
the present efficiency of the enemy's forces is in no way comparable
with what it was when the war commenced.
The losses in officers are noted as having been especially severe. A
brigade is stated to be commanded by a Major; some companies of food
guards by one-year volunteers; while after the battle of Montmirail one
regiment lost fifty-five out of sixty officers. The prisoners recently
captured appreciate the fact that the march on Paris has failed and that
their forces are retreating, but state that the object of this movement
is explained by the officers as being to withdraw into closer touch
with the supports, which have stayed too far in the rear.
The officers are also endeavoring to encourage the troops by telling
them that they will be at home by Christmas. A large number of the men
believe that they are beaten. Following is an extract from one document:
"With the English troops we have great difficulties. They have a queer
way of causing losses to the enemy. They make good trenches, in which
they wait patiently; they carefully measure the ranges for their rifle
fire, and they open a truly hellish fire on the unsuspecting cavalry.
This was the reason that we had such heavy losses.
"According to our officers, the English striking forces are exhausted;
the English people really never wanted war."
From another source: "The English are very brave and fight to the last
man. One of our companies has lost 130 men out of 240."
The following letter, which refers to the fighting on the Aisne, has
been printed and circulated to the troops: