In the last days of the frantic struggle, we had perceived that the
French were gathering in largely increased numbers in their trenches.
Then to our surprise the attack which we expected to follow did not
occur. We therefore deemed it reasonable to conclude from this that
the enemy no longer considered it expedient to push on, and that the
fire of our artillery was holding them to their trenches. Therefore,
on March 18, we were not expecting that any serious attack would be
attempted. But the French apparently were not willing to admit defeat
without one final, desperate effort.
Suddenly, on the afternoon of March 18, the attack was begun by densely
massed troops, their objective being Hill 196 and the position directly
east of the hill. The position of the Guards Reserve Infantry Regiment
No. 133 and other troops, who received the main shock of the impact,
was not to be shaken, however. The Fourth Turcos Regiment and others of
the French army attacked in five lines, advancing one by one, with some
of their officers on horseback. We received them with a shower of hand
grenades, which tore hundreds of them limb from limb and blew to atoms
the first two lines.
Succeeding lines fared no better. Those who miraculously escaped the
hand grenades were felled by our furious men with blows of pick-axe and
bayonet. In spite of their dauntless courage, their reckless contempt
of death, their marvellous persistence, the French were forced back.
Front and flank of this writhing maelstrom of densely packed humanity
rolling along in a disorderly retreat was swept by our heavy artillery
fire from 21-centimetre mortars, heavy field howitzers, 10-centimetre
cannon. The losses which the French sustained were inhuman and
sickening.
With this last valiant attempt to take the Hill 196 ended the Winter
battle of the Champagne. After months of frantic fighting, after paying
a frightful toll in blood, the French were forced to abandon their
effort to break through our lines. Their finest troops, the very flower
of their army, who had fought persistently with all the dare-devil
gallantry for which the French are famous, had, in the end, not only
failed to win a victory, but had sustained a crushing defeat. For the
fact must not be overlooked that their failure to force their way
through our lines was tantamount to a very serious defeat.