13. By this time the enemy had evidently become exhausted by the efforts
he had made and the severity of his losses, and Dec. 4 passed
comparatively quietly. For some days, however, local fighting continued
in the neighborhood of La Vacquerie, and his attitude remained
aggressive. Local attacks in this sector were repulsed on Dec. 5, and on
this and the following two days further fierce fighting took place, in
which the enemy again endeavored without success to drive us from our
positions on Welsh Ridge.
The strength which the enemy had shown himself able to develop in his
attacks made it evident that only by prolonged and severe fighting could
I hope to re-establish my right flank on the Bonavis Ridge. Unless this
was done, the situation of my troops in the salient north of Flesquières
would be difficult and dangerous, even if our hold on Bourlon Hill were
extended.
I had therefore to decide either to embark on another offensive battle
on a large scale, or to withdraw to a more compact line on the
Flesquières Ridge.
Although this decision involved giving up important positions most
gallantly won, I had no doubt as to the correct course under the
conditions. Accordingly, on the night of Dec. 4-5 the evacuation of the
position held by us north of the Flesquières Ridge was commenced. On the
morning of Dec. 7 this withdrawal was completed successfully, without
interference from the enemy.
Before withdrawing, the more important of the enemy's field defenses
were destroyed, and those of his guns which we had been unable to remove
were rendered useless. The enemy did not discover our withdrawal for
some time, and when, on the afternoon of Dec. 5, he began to feel his
way forward, he did so with great caution. In spite of his care, on more
than one occasion bodies of his infantry were caught in the open by our
artillery.
Much skill and courage were shown by our covering troops in this
withdrawal, and an incident which occurred on the afternoon of Dec. 6 in
the neighborhood of Graincourt deserves special notice. A covering
party, consisting of two companies of the 1st and 15th Battalions,
London Regiment, 47th Division, much reduced in strength by the fighting
at Bourlon Wood, found their flank exposed by a hostile attack further
east, and were enveloped and practically cut off. These companies
successfully cut their way through to our advanced line of resistance,
where they arrived in good order, after having inflicted serious
casualties on the enemy.
The new line taken up by us corresponded roughly to the old Hindenburg
reserve line, and ran from a point about one and a half miles north by
east of La Vacquerie, north of Ribecourt and Flesquières to the Canal du
Nord, about one and a half miles north of Havrincourt--i. e., between
two and two and a half miles in front of the line held by us prior to
the attack of Nov. 20. We therefore retained in our possession an
important section of the Hindenburg trench system, with its excellent
dugouts and other advantages.