_Tuesday, March 26._--Since yesterday morning the enemy has continued
his violent thrusts against the British line westward from Bapaume and
Péronne, and his massed troops, mostly Brandenburgers and picked troops,
are now advancing in the direction of Roye and Nesle, where French
troops are heavily engaged.
At the same time he is passing on over the old Somme battlefields down
from Delville Wood, High Wood, and Maurepas toward the old lines the
British held before the beginning of the Somme battles in 1916.
The enemy has paused since he began the great offensive, on Thursday
last, only to bring up new divisions and pass them through and beyond
those divisions exhausted by attack or shattered under the British fire
while they reform and rest and then come on again, relieved once more by
reserves and continually crowding over the captured ground. By this
means, and owing to the enormous forces at the disposal of the German
command, they are able to pursue any advantage gained with fresh troops
against the hard-pressed British, who have been fighting without respite
since the beginning of the battle, six days ago, except where on the
right some of them have now been replaced in the front line by French
battalions.
In spite of the gravity of these hours and the progress made by the
enemy, there never has been a more glorious spirit shown by British
troops throughout history, and when one day all the details of this
battle may be written it will be an epic of heroism more wonderful than
the world now realizes, for the British troops and their officers have
withstood an onslaught of enormous forces which have never been less
than two to one, and in most parts of the line have been four to one and
six to one and eight to one, nine divisions against three around
Croisilles, eight divisions against two from the Cambrai sector
westward, and in many places one division against one battalion.