April 8.--It is evident that the German onslaught has failed to break
through. What the Allies have lost in ground they have saved in men;
and, on the other hand, the enemy, who wanted not these miles of
desolate territory, but a final decision, has paid inordinately without
getting any nearer the desired result.
For five days his advance, though somewhat behind his ambitious program,
was not seriously interrupted. On March 25 a certain General reached the
region of Montdidier and began to build a human barrier. On March 23
began what may be called a four days' battle of arrest. Three French
divisions had to meet and did meet the onset of fifteen German
divisions. There were smaller units that fought one against ten.
The main German effort was against the Moreuil-Grivesnes-Montchel line,
the object being (with 150,000 men in play there could be no less
ambitious aim) to break right through to the south of Amiens and
completely separate the French and British Armies. It culminated on the
31st with a suicidal assault by the pick of the Prussian Guards and
other chosen divisions at Grivesnes, when a certain gallant Colonel,
rifle in hand, directed the barricading of the windows of the château,
and with not more than 500 men kept off three or four times as many
assailants and had strength enough left at last to sweep those who
remained out of the park.
I need not measure again the trivial gain for the enemy of this four
days' battle. Perhaps the most significant fact about it is that while,
overwhelming as was his original force, the enemy had repeatedly to
withdraw and renew his units, not one French unit was relieved in that
time. At Mesnil St. Georges one infantry battalion, with some groups of
chasseurs, drove off five successive attacks by a whole German division.
I might multiply such instances, but space would fail me to make them
real with detail.
A pause of four days followed this failure. Then, on April 4, twelve
divisions were again launched in the northern part of the same narrow
field--10,000 men per mile of front. They won at great cost the ruins of
two hamlets and a slice of fields beside them.