The great German attack was over. The roads to the south-west were
barred, as those to the south, at Noyon, had been, and Gen. Debeney was
able to address the following order to his troops:
_Soldiers of the 1st Army_,
_You have carried out your arduous task well._
_Your tenacious resistance and vigorous counter-attacks have broken the
onrush of the invader, and ensured the liaison with our brave Allies,
the British. The great battle has begun. At this solemn hour, the whole
country is with us. The soul of the Mother-land uplifts our hearts._
On April 4, the great battle--of which the battles for Amiens,
Montdidier and Compiègne were only episodes--came virtually to an end.
For ten days, after breaking the Allies' front, the Germans were
able to change the war of positions into one of movement, but by a
tremendous effort the French Army threw itself across their path and,
as at Verdun in 1916, checkmated them.
This warfare in the open did not give the results expected by the
enemy, who failed either to separate the Allies, or to rout them.
On the contrary, by bringing about Allied unity of command, they
strengthened the hands of their adversaries, to their own undoing.
Although the Germans captured Montdidier, they failed to reach either
Amiens or Compiègne, and whereas the British, at first severely shaken,
fully recovered, whilst only a portion of the French reserves were
engaged, the enemy used up a considerable part of their finest troops
and shock divisions, mown down in tens of thousands along the road to
Paris, by the Allies' machine-guns and field artillery.
By March 31, ninety enemy divisions had been engaged, twenty-five of
which had to be withdrawn on account of excessive casualties, some of
them (e. g. the 45th Reserve, certain units of the 2nd Guards and 5th
Infantry) having lost 50% of their effective strength. The casualties
of the 6th, 195th, 4th, and 119th divisions attained 75%. At the very
lowest estimation, the Germans lost at least 250,000 men.
The Kronprinz had promised his men that the Easter bells would ring
in the long-expected peace, but Easter Sunday found the Allies more
closely united than ever, awaiting with confidence the end of the
battle, and determined to win through to victory.
The check of April 4 saw the end of von Hutier's reserves. All the
divisions of the XVIIIth Army had been engaged, most of them with heavy
casualties. Unwilling to take any of the divisions from the army group
under the Bavarian Crown Prince--reserved for the proposed offensive in
Flanders--or the inferior and less trained troops on the Champagne and
Lorraine fronts, the German High Command, realising that the struggle
must develop into one of attrition, like the first battle of the Somme,
gave up for the time being all idea of an offensive on the Somme-Oise
front.
A document of the German XVIIIth Army refers to the operations prior to
April 6 under the name of "The Battle of Disruption" and to those which
followed, under the name of "The Fighting on the Avre and in the region
of Montdidier-Noyon."
The divisions forming von Hutier's shock troops were withdrawn fairly
quickly. By the end of May, only two out of the twenty-three divisions
which, on March 21, had formed the XVIIIth Army, were still in line on
the Moreuil-Oise front.
[Illustration: BRITISH BATTERIES IN ACTION IN THE OPEN. (_Photo
Imperial War Museum_).]
[Illustration: BRITISH TROOPS GOING UP THE LINE NEAR ALBERT. (_Photo
Imperial War Museum_).]
[Illustration: AMIENS. SHELL BURSTING IN THE RUE DE BEAUVAIS.
(_Photo Imperial War Museum_).]
The Trench Warfare Period.
From April onwards, trench warfare began again. The Allied front was
reformed, consisting of a continuous line of hastily dug trenches and
rapidly constructed works, held by resolute troops, whose _morale_ was
intact and whose fighting spirit had never been better.
Once more the heavy artillery came into requisition, for the
preparatory pounding of the adversaries' positions.
In April-May, sharp engagements frequently took place at certain
points. On the Luce, in the region of Hangard, on the Avre, from
Thennes to Mailly-Raineval, at Grivesnes, on the west bank of the Matz,
and around Orvillers-Sorel. Of these, the attack of April 24, by its
violence and scope, constituted a veritable offensive against Amiens.
The Attack of April 24 on Villers-Bretonneux.
_See sketch below._
[Illustration]
The plateau of Villers-Bretonneux dominates the ground between the Avre
and the Somme.
It was held by the British. Slightly to the south, in Hangard Woods,
close to Hill 99, was the point of junction of the Allied Armies.
[Illustration: ONE OF THE 11IN. GUNS WHICH BOMBARDED AMIENS.]
The enemy's main effort was made at this point, as being the weakest.
The French line started at Anchin Farm, west of Moreuil, followed the
western and northern outskirts of Castel, joined up with Hill 63 on the
right bank of the Avre, took in Hangard, and linked up with the British
near Hill 99, to the south of Hangard Wood. From this point the British
line crossed the plateau between the Avre and the Somme, between
Marcelcave and Villers-Bretonneux, and passed the eastern outskirts of
Hamel.
At 5 a.m., after an artillery preparation lasting an hour, the German
infantry attacked.
After a desperate struggle, the enemy captured Villers-Bretonneux.
Hangard fell during the night and Cachy was threatened.
The next day, a Franco-British counter-attack won back the most
important part of the lost ground. Villers-Bretonneux, Hangard and
Hangard Wood were recaptured and held, in spite of all the subsequent
efforts of the enemy, who finally abandoned this sector in favour of
Flanders.
[Illustration: FRENCH TRENCHES IN THE SUBURBS OF CACHY (_see p. 59_).]
Ludendorff's Opinion.
In his "Memoirs", Ludendorff wrote: _The battle ended on April 4.
It was a brilliant feat of arms and will always be so considered
in history. What the British and French had been unable to do, we
accomplished in the fourth year of the war._
_Strategically, we did not attain what the events of March 23, 24 and
25 justified our hoping for._
_That we failed to take Amiens, which would have rendered the
communications of the enemy forces astride the Somme extremely
difficult, was especially disappointing._
_Long distance bombardment of the railways could not be considered an
equivalent._
[Illustration: FRENCH 6IN. BATTERY IN ACTION AT ROCQUENCOURT.
(_7 miles to the west of Montdidier_).]
[Illustration: GERMAN HEAVY GUN AT FAVEROLLES (_2 miles east of
Montdidier_).
_Captured on August 9, 1918, during the offensive of General Debeney's
Army. (See p. 42)._]
[Illustration: CLEMENCEAU AT THE G.H.Q. OF A BRITISH DIVISION IN 1918.
(_Photo Imperial War Museum_).]
[Illustration: A GERMAN TANK TRAP. _Australian and American soldiers
examine the charges of explosive with which this trap was fitted. One
of them is looking through a German periscope. (July 11, 1918)._]
THE ALLIES' OFFENSIVES IN PICARDY.
August-September 1918.
After the German Offensive of March.
After the check of their offensive in Picardy, the Germans attempted,
by means of secondary offensives, to attain those results which they
had failed to obtain in the first instance.
On April 9, they attacked in Flanders, from Béthune to the north of
Ypres, in the direction of the Channel Ports, but failed to take Ypres,
or to reach Hazebrouck. (_See the Guide_: =Ypres=.)
On May 27, the front of the Chemin des Dames was attacked by surprise,
the enemy reaching the banks of the Marne. (_See the Guide_: =The
Second Battle of the Marne=).
From June 9 to 18, their efforts were turned against the salients
of the Aisne and Rheims. On June 11, they captured the _massif_ of
Thiescourt, but were held before Compiègne. In front of Rheims the road
was barred by the French Colonial troops. (_See the Guide_: =Rheims=.)
Lastly, seeking a prompt decision at all cost, and hypnotised by
Paris, the Germans planned a still more formidable offensive: the
"Friedensturm" or Peace Battle. However, the French High Command were
not taken unawares. The scope and time of the offensive were known, and
the Germans failed.
The Strategy and Tactics of the Allies.
The hour of the counter-offensive was about to strike. The Allies had
overcome the crisis due to the shortage of men. The British Army had
been reorganized. The American forces had greatly increased in numbers.
The fighting spirit of the French was higher than ever. The material
strength of the Allies was satisfactory, and included large numbers of
the new offensive arm: the tank, destined to relieve and support the
infantry, and combat the German shock troops.
Lastly, the Allies were now grouped under a single chief: Foch, who
knew where and when to strike.
_The Allied Armies_, he declared, _have arrived at the turning of the
ways; in the thick of battle they have regained the initiative, and
their strength enables them to retain it; the principles of war command
them to do so. The time has come to abandon the defensive attitude
necessitated till now by numerical inferiority, and to take the
offensive._
_The action of the Commander-in-chief of the Allied Armies will, in
future, aim at maintaining his hold on the German Commandment, giving
him no respite which would allow him to recover and reconstitute
his forces. To that end, separate surprise attacks will be made
successively, as rapidly as possible, so as to augment progressively
the disorganization of the enemy's armies and the confusion of the
German Commandment, until the day of the general offensive, and of the
final attack which will crumble up the whole of the adversary's front._
A comparison of this conception of Foch's with that of Ludendorff
brings out all its suppleness and power.
The counter-offensive by the armies of Mangin and Degoutte in the
Château-Thierry pocket, begun on July 18, was scarcely over, when the
Second Battle of the Somme broke out.
[Illustration: THE ALLIED MILITARY CHIEFS.
_From left to right: PÉTAIN, HAIG, FOCH and PERSHING._]
In this new battle of the Somme, the retreat of the German armies on
the Hindenburg Line, in August-September 1918, was effected under the
pressure of four successive thrusts:
I.--The operations carried out simultaneously by the British 4th Army
and the French 1st and 3rd Armies against the Albert, Montdidier,
Lassigny salient, to clear the Paris-Amiens railway. (_Pages 38-45._)
II.--The British offensive north of the Somme, coinciding with the
French offensive between the Oise and the Aisne. (_Pages 46-49._)
III.--The British offensive on the Scarpe and the French offensive on
the Ailette. (_Page 50._)
IV.--The Franco-British offensive against the advanced defences of the
Hindenburg line. (_Page 51._)
I.--THE ATTACK ON THE SALIENT OF ALBERT-MONTDIDIER-LASSIGNY.
August 8-13, 1918.
Preliminary Operations of July.
Throughout July, the Allies carried out different local operations, in
order to improve their positions and prepare for the coming offensive.
As early as July 4, Australians supported by Americans, had begun to
advance between Villers-Bretonneux and the Somme, by capturing the
village and wood of Hamel.
On July 9, after a brilliant attack between Castel and the north
of Mailly-Raineval, the French captured Castel, and on the 23rd,
Mailly-Raineval, which brought them nearer the Avre.
These different actions, and the flattening of the Cantigny salient by
the American 1st Div. on May 28, had warned the enemy.
On August 2, the Germans fell back on the Ancre, and on the 3rd to the
Avre. The bulk of their forces were withdrawn east of these rivers,
leaving only light forces on the west bank.
On the Marne, Ludendorff had just suffered a severe defeat. From
July 18 to August 4, his armies had been driven back from the Marne
to the Vesle, where they organized new positions. (_See the Guide_:
=The Second Battle of the Marne=.) In the belief that this effort
had temporarily exhausted the Allies, Ludendorff was planning new
operations in Flanders, when he was surprised by a new and powerful
Allied Offensive. From that point, the initiative remained with Foch.
The Front Line and the Opposing Forces.
[Illustration: _The Front Line on August 8, and the Opposing Forces._]
On August 8, the front line passed west of Albert, east of
Villers-Bretonneux, then followed the left bank of the Avre, and the
Doms stream, west of Montdidier, running thence towards the Matz and
the Oise, via Assainvillers, west of Cuvilly and Chevincourt.
From north to south, the enemy front was held by the IInd Army (von
Marwitz) (10 Divns. in line from Albert to Moreuil), and by the XVIIIth
Army (von Hutier) (11 Divns. from Moreuil to the Oise).
These two armies, with 21 divisions in line, engaged 17 other divisions
during the course of the battle, i.e. 38 divisions in all.
[Illustration: THE AMERICANS ATTACKING CANTIGNY (MAY 28, 1918).
_Photographed from, an accompanying aeroplane. At the top of photo:
Cantigny village. At bottom of photo: Tank tracks. The white dots and
dashes spread over the photo are the American Infantry. Two larger
dashes about three-quarters of an inch below Cantigny, on the right,
are tanks._]
The undermentioned forces were grouped under the command of
Field-Marshal Haig:
The British 4th Army (Rawlinson), comprising the 3rd Corps (3
divisions), the Australian Corps (4 divisions), the Canadian Corps (4
divisions), and 3 divisions of British Cavalry, 2 brigades of armoured
cars and 1 battalion of Canadian Cyclists in reserve.
The French 1st Army (Debeney), comprising the 31st Corps (4 divisions),
9th Corps (2 divisions), 10th Corps (3 divisions), 35th Corps (4
divisions), and the 2nd Cavalry Corps in reserve.
The Franco-British Attack of August 8, 1918.
These armies attacked on August 8, along a 15-mile front, from the
Ancre to the Avre.
"_At 4.20 a.m., after three formidable cannon-shots,--the signal for
the opening of the attack,--the rolling barrage broke out before the
Australian and Canadian troops, who immediately dashed forward. At the
same time, the heavy and light tanks, armoured cars and motor-lorries,
loaded with supplies and ammunition, set out. At certain points, the
cavalry, followed by the artillery and the aeroplanes, guarded or
speeded up the advance. The enemy were taken completely by surprise.
The troops and staffs were taken prisoners before they realized what
had happened. One after another, the villages were surrounded and
captured. Forging ahead of the infantry, the cavalry and tanks spread
panic everywhere._"
The British advanced rapidly in the direction of Rosières, along both
sides of the Amiens-Chaulnes railway.
Towards evening, the advanced line passed through Mézières, Caix and
Cerisy. Everywhere, except at Morlancourt, north of the Somme, where
the enemy resisted desperately, the Germans were routed.
More than 13,000 prisoners, a general and the staff of an army corps,
and 300 guns had fallen into the hands of the British by 9 a.m.
[Illustration: _August 8._]
Along the front of Debeney's Army, the artillery preparation was short
but violent, (45 minutes). The infantry attacked about five o'clock
i.e. after the British. The ground, divided for the greater part by the
valley of the Avre, was more difficult, and General Debeney counted
rather on manœuvering, than on surprise.
The attack began on a front of 2½ miles, south of the Amiens-Roye
road, debouching from the valley of the Luce towards ground suitable
for the tanks, the troops being gradually engaged on their right, along
the Avre.
At 8 a.m., two divisions turned Moreuil Wood, from the north-east and
south-west. On the Avre, another division captured Morisel, whilst to
the south of Moreuil a battalion crossed the river. Moreuil, turned
from the north and south, fell. South of Moreuil, two fresh divisions
crossed the Avre, opposite Braches, opening up a way for the troops who
had to fight on the plateaux.
At the end of the day, after an advance of about five miles, the
French reached the line Braches, La Neuville-Sire-Bernard, and joined
hands with the British near Mézières. 3,300 prisoners, including three
regimental commandants, were taken.
[Illustration: GERMAN BATTERY CAPTURED BY THE BRITISH, WHO IMMEDIATELY
TURNED IT ON THE ENEMY.
_The third gun is still pointing towards the Allies' lines. (Photo Imp.
War Museum)._]
"_It was a black day for the German Army_" wrote Ludendorff, "_the
blackest of all the war, except September 15, which saw the defection
of Bulgaria, and sealed the destinies of the Quadruple Alliance_".
[Illustration: GERMAN ARTILLERY POSITION IN SUNKEN ROAD. (_Photo Imp.
War Museum_).]
From August 9 to 12.
On =August 9-10=, the British thrust and the French manœuvre developed.
THE BRITISH ADVANCE.
Between Albert and the Amiens-Roye road, the Canadians and Australians
harassed the enemy without respite, and advanced several kilometres,
capturing Bouchoir, Méharicourt, Rosières, Lihons and Proyart.
North of the Somme, in co-operation with American troops, they captured
Morlancourt village and plateau to the south-east, where the enemy
resisted desperately.
On the =11th=, in spite of stubborn resistance, the British reached the
Dernancourt crossroads, about a mile west of Bray, Chilly, Fouquescourt
and the western suburbs of Villers-les-Roye.
On the =12th=, they drove the enemy for good out of Proyart. On the
=13th=, they reached the suburbs of Bray-sur-Somme and the crossroads
of Chuignolles. The front now ran along the old German lines of the
Somme Battlefield of 1916, where the enemy, thanks to a number of
strong points of support, succeeded in staying the advance. In five
days, the British had scored a fine victory, their forces (13 infantry
divisions, one regiment of the American 33rd Division, 3 divisions of
cavalry, and 400 tanks) defeating 20 German divisions, advancing 12
miles, and capturing 22,000 prisoners and 400 guns.
[Illustration:
_The Allies Advance from the morning of August 8 (dash line) to the
evening of the same day (dot-and-dash line). The thick full line shows
the front on August 12._]
The French Manœuvre. Liberating Montdidier.
Meanwhile, General Debeney, by a series of turning movements, brought
about the fall of important sections of the German front, without
frontal attacks.
Constantly extending his attacks along the Avre, the approaches to the
river on the north and north-east, as far as the confluence with the
Doms stream, were cleared, whilst his hold on Montdidier, from the
north-east, gradually tightened.
[Illustration: BRITISH CAVALRY NEAR ALBERT. (_Photo Imperial War
Museum_).]
On =August 9=, the French line was advanced as far as the station of
Hangest-en-Santerre, on the Albert-Rosières-Montdidier railway.
In order to force the enemy to abandon Montdidier, without a frontal
attack, General Debeney began a turning movement at about 4 p.m.
A secondary attack was launched in the direction of Roye, between
Domelieu and Le Ployron. The station of Montdidier and Faverolles
Village on the Montdidier-Roye line, were reached that evening.
Throughout the day, the French airmen bombed Roye undisturbed by the
enemy's planes or air-defence guns.
By =evening=, the 1st Army had taken 5,000 prisoners. From Faverolles,
they threatened to join up with the men who had advanced north, via
Davenescourt, and to cut off the Germans in Montdidier.
The latter was evacuated in great disorder the same night and on the
following morning, only a few machine-gunners being left behind to
retard the French advance as long as possible.
On =August 10=, at noon, the French entered the ruined town, and
advanced rapidly eastward, beyond Fescamps, on both sides of the road
to Roye. In the evening, they reached the line Villers-les-Roye (where
they joined hands with the British) and Grivillers.
On the =11th=, they captured the park and village of Tilloloy. By
the evening of the =12th=, the 1st Army had taken 8,500 prisoners
(including 181 officers), 250 guns, numerous minenwerfer, 1,600
machines-guns, and huge quantities of stores.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
PHOTOS, _p. 44_:
[Illustration: (1) _Australian Sergeant examining a German
Machine-gun captured by the 15th Brigade._] [Illustration: (2) _Near
Warfusée-Abancourt, August 8. Infantry of the Australian 1st Division
advancing on Harbonnières, after a tank had cleaned up a line of German
Machine-guns which was holding them._]
[Illustration: (3) _The Shelters of the above line of
machine-guns--light constructions compared with the powerful trench
organisations, yet strong enough to require tank treatment._]
PHOTOS ABOVE:
[Illustration: (1) _Australians in German trench, with field-guns just
captured (August 1918)._]
[Illustration: (2) _British lorries in Villers-Bretonneux (August 17,
1918)._]
II.--THE BRITISH OFFENSIVE NORTH OF THE SOMME AND THE FRENCH OFFENSIVE
BETWEEN THE OISE AND AISNE.
August 18-29.
The first phase of the Battle of Picardy was ended, but a great new
effort, between the Somme and the Scarpe, was being prepared.
Between the Aisne and the Oise, Mangin's Army attacked the plateaux on
August 18th, advancing to the Ailette on the 23rd. (_Sketch above_).
[Illustration:
_The Attack between the Oise and Aisne by the Armies of Generals
Mangin and Humbert, August 18-23._]
Following up this advance, Humbert's Army continued its offensive
vigorously on the 21st, conquered the northern slopes of Le Plémont,
crossed the Divette, and occupied Lassigny. (_Sketch above_).
By their advance, these two armies threatened the right of the German
XVIIIth Army, established on the Chaulnes-Roye line.
At the same time, Byng's Army attacked between the Ancre and
Croisilles, whilst Rawlinson's left attacked north of the Somme.
(_Sketch above_).
At dawn, on =August 21=, the 4th and 6th Corps of Byng's Army attacked
between Miraumont and Moyenneville.
Supported by tanks, they captured the advance defences in brilliant
style.
The fighting was particularly severe around Achiet-le-Grand and Logeast
Wood, where, however, the advance continued steadily. The Arras-Albert
railway which was the enemy's principal line of defence, was reached,
2,000 prisoners being taken.
After this preparatory attack, the offensive was launched on =August
22=, along a thirty-two mile front, between Lihons and Mercatel.
South of the Somme, the Australians captured Herleville and Chuignes,
with 2,000 prisoners. Rawlinson's left crossed the Ancre, took Albert,
and advanced its front to the hills east of the Albert-Braye road,
capturing 2,400 prisoners.
[Illustration: _The Attack between the Somme and Scarpe by Byng and
Rawlinson, August 21-29._]
But the hardest blow was struck further north by Byng's Army. Advancing
beyond the principal line of defence (the Arras-Albert railway), the
4th and 6th Corps took Gomiécourt, Ervillers, Boyelles, many guns,
and more than 5,000 prisoners, then pushed on towards Bapaume and
Croisilles. The 6th Corps, astride the Arras-Bapaume road, marched on
Bapaume, threatening to cut off the Germans who were hanging on to the
Heights of Thiepval. The latter, attacked at the same time further
south, fell. Bray-sur-Somme was also captured.
The battle continued from the 25th to the 29th, the enemy's resistance
stiffening steadily.
Counter-attacking, the Germans defended this old battlefield of 1916,
strewn with obstacles, with great desperation.
On the =29th=, Bapaume fell, and the Germans retreated from the north
of that town to the Somme, on the line Cléry, Combles, Frémicourt,
Bullecourt, and Heudecourt.
[Illustration:
_The German Retreat, south of the Somme, under the double menace of
the British and French Advance._]