ARRAS AND AMIENS.
While our sorely-tried army is halting for a brief rest at St. Quentin,
let us follow the fortunes of the French on the west and the east of the
British line of retirement. We have not much information to go upon. A
French official account of the retreat was published in our newspapers
on March 22, 1915; but it was a mere outline of the course of events,
with many gaps which can only be filled up when the war is over and many
facts now hidden are brought to light.
First, let us look at the German movements on the west of the British
line of retreat. You already know that von Kluck was pushing forward his
extreme right through Belgium and North France with the utmost speed.
The force which he used for this purpose consisted of cavalry, horse
artillery, and machine and quick-firing guns mounted on motor cars. His
infantry were carried on motor lorries, and the whole force was thus
able to cover great distances in a day. He had two objects in view. In
the first place, he wished to cut the railway communications between the
British army and its bases at Boulogne and Havre, and by doing so make
the task of supplying it with reinforcements, food, and ammunition from
these places impossible; and, in the second place, he wished to outflank
the British, and drive them eastwards into the arms of von Buelow.
I have already told you of the gallant stand made by a small British
detachment and a French Territorial force at Tournai. When these were
overcome, von Kluck had no difficulty in advancing; for, with the
exception of a corps of French Territorials at Arras, there were no
soldiers to oppose him but groups of British guarding the lines of
communication. Many of these detached parties were driven off or
captured, and the story of their misfortunes gave rise to rumours of
terrible British defeats. As a matter of fact, the operations in the
west were all on the fringe of the real fighting which was going on in
the centre and in the east.
[Illustration: The British Retreat from Mons to the Oise (Aug. 23-28).]
Daring Uhlans rode towards the Channel, and in Belgium it was thought
that they would seize Ostend, and thus cut off England from Antwerp,
where the Belgian army was preparing to make a stand. To prevent Ostend
from falling into the hands of the Germans, a body of British marines
was hastily carried across the Channel to hold the town.
Von Kluck's swift-moving forces occupied Lille.[64] It is a handsome
and attractive town, with important linen and woollen manufactures, and
its fortress was supposed to be very strong. Nevertheless the Allies did
not attempt to defend it. The Germans occupied the town without firing a
shot. Then they marched south towards Arras, where, as you know, a
French Territorial corps was stationed. Arras is a very old town, which
has played an important part in French history. After the battle of
Agincourt (1415) peace was signed in Arras by the English and French. In
the Middle Ages the town was so famous for the tapestry with which the
rough interior walls of castle rooms were then covered, that such
hangings were known by its name. You will remember that in Shakespeare's
play _King John_ Hubert was sent to tell poor Prince Arthur that his
eyes were to be put out. At the opening of the scene he said to the
executioners who accompanied him: "Look thou stand within the
_arras_"--that is, behind the curtain of needlework hanging on the wall.
Arras stands on the main railway which runs from the ports of Calais and
Boulogne to Amiens. If the Germans could cut this line, the British
would not be able to use either of these ports as a basis of supplies.
If they could seize the important junction of Amiens,[65] they would cut
the British off from Havre, and would force them to seek fresh bases
somewhere on the west coast of France. This, of course, would entail a
longer voyage for the transports and supply ships, and men and stores
would have to make a long journey across country before they could reach
the place where they were needed. Now you understand how important Arras
and Amiens were to the Allies. As soon as Arras was threatened, the
railway officials hurried away southwards every supply and ammunition
train which was either on the line or on the sidings at Boulogne.
The French Territorials took up a position to the south of the town, and
there prepared to oppose the German advance. For a time they held their
own; but they were hopelessly outnumbered, and were soon in peril of
being cut off. Two of their batteries had been captured, and they were
nearly surrounded when a British detachment came to their rescue. Where
it came from we have never been told, but probably it had been guarding
the lines of communication at Amiens. It arrived in the very nick of
time, and was able to hold the enemy, while all that was left of the
French Territorials got safely away.
[Illustration]
Without delay the Germans pushed on towards Amiens. Meanwhile the
railway officials of that city were sending all the engines and
carriages in the station southwards, so that the enemy might not seize
them. I have already told you that the capture of the railway at Arras
had made Boulogne and Calais useless as bases of supply for our army,
and that the seizure of the line at Amiens would cut it off from all the
Channel ports. A new British base had to be chosen, and St. Nazaire,[66]
at the mouth of the river Loire, was selected, an advanced base being
established at Le Mans, on the Sarthe, about fifty miles to the
north-east of the port.
Outside Amiens there was a fierce artillery duel; but when the Allies
had fired their last shell they were forced to retreat, and the city
surrendered. Between nine and ten on the morning of 31st August the
war-stained German soldiers poured into the place, but by evening they
were all out again, following up the pursuit. The retreating French blew
up the bridges across the Somme, and endeavoured in this and other ways
to delay the German advance.
Amiens is a busy town of cotton and woollen mills, and contains one of
the most glorious Gothic cathedrals in all Christendom. The western
front is wonderfully adorned with reliefs and statues, and double rows
of medallions representing scenes from Holy Scripture. John Ruskin, the
great writer of art, calls these carvings "the Bible of Amiens." Happily
the Germans were advancing so hurriedly that they had no time to do any
mischief to this miracle of architecture.
[Footnote 64: _Leel_, 26 miles north-north-east of Arras, and 155 miles
by rail north by east of Paris.]
[Footnote 65: _Am´e-enz_, 84 miles north of Paris, on the Somme.]
[Footnote 66: _San Nah-zair´_, 40 miles west of Nantes.]