The first attack was made by perhaps fifty divisions, or about 750,000
men. Of these at least ten divisions, and perhaps thirteen or fourteen,
were thrown into the corner of the field between St. Quentin, La Fère,
and Noyon. They were divided into six columns.
The first consisted of a division with three battalions of chasseurs,
which, debouching from La Fère, quickly took Tergnier, and on the
evening of March 22 came to a stop before Vouel, the next village
westward, and a division which came into action on the evening of the
22d passed the first, and on the following day pushed on toward Chauny.
The second column consisted of two divisions. The former advanced from
the old line near Moy, on the Oise, through La Fontaine and Remigny and
to the southwest. It stopped at Liez, on the Crosat Canal, on the 22d.
That night it was passed by the other division, which, on the 23d,
captured Villequier-Aumont, on the St. Quentin-Chauny road. To the right
of this was the third column, composed of two divisions. The first
attacked through Cerizy to Benay and Hinacourt, and was stopped on the
evening of the 22d at Lamontagne. It was passed that evening by the
other division on the canal, which, after occupying Genlis Wood, closed
up to the second column.
The fourth column included the 1st and 10th Divisions, of which the
former attacked through Essigny to Jussy, and on the 23d was at the
north of Ugny, while the latter on its right passed the canal and
reached Ugny and Beaumont.
Of the fifth column, which occupied the region of Villeselve, and the
sixth, in the Ham-Noyon sector, my information is slighter, owing to the
severity of the trial of the British contingents there before the French
took over the front.
One division of the sixth column attacked at Le Plessis, north of
Guiscard, on the 24th, and on the following day took Muirancourt,
Rimbercourt and Croisilles. Its right was then prolonged by a division
at Freniches.