The main attack, just south of St. Quentin, was directed against
Urvillers and Essigny, and the enemy forced his way through these places
by great drives. The British garrison there was partly destroyed by his
stupendous gunfire. He gained possession of Essigny before midday, March
21, and captured Contescourt, on the edge of the canal. This gave him
important high ground, of which he made full use.
He succeeded by this movement in bending in the British line at the
right flank of the Ulster division, north of the canal, which he crossed
hereabout, and by advancing his field artillery was able to bombard the
line to which the main body of the British troops had been withdrawn.
Down from Maissemy and Holnon Wood to Savy and Roupy he pressed forward
against this line.
The enemy was so densely massed that there was a division on about a
kilometer of front. None of them spread out on more than two kilometers
for a division, with a battalion for every 500 yards.
German storm troops were able to force their way to Vendeuil,
Lyfontaine, and Benay, south of Essigny, and to strike against Jussy and
Tergnier, on the St. Quentin Canal, on the evening of the first day.
They brought up two more divisions, and that night, owing to the
pressure of their attacks, it was decided that the British withdraw to a
prepared line further west, which was the best defense. This was done
during the darkness, the retirement being covered by gallant rearguards.
This morning the Germans followed up our withdrawal by clearing up all
the ground in the bend formed by the acute angle of the St. Quentin
Canal, which has its apex at Ugny, six kilometers east of Ham, and it
was reported that their patrols had entered the town of Ham itself.