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diff --git a/old/65046-0.txt b/old/65046-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 668ee96..0000000 --- a/old/65046-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11486 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The British Campaign in France and -Flanders--January to July 1918, by Arthur Conan Doyle - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The British Campaign in France and Flanders--January to July 1918 - -Author: Arthur Conan Doyle - -Release Date: April 09, 2021 [eBook #65046] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Al Haines - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE AND -FLANDERS--JANUARY TO JULY 1918 *** - - - - -[Illustration: THE BRITISH FRONT IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS] - - - - THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN - - IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS - - JANUARY TO JULY - - 1918 - - - - BY - - ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE - - AUTHOR OF - 'THE GREAT BOER WAR,' ETC. - - - - HODDER AND STOUGHTON - LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO - MCMXIX - - - - - SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S - HISTORY OF THE WAR - - Uniform with this Volume. - - THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE - AND FLANDERS - - - VOL. I--1914 - - THE BREAKING OF THE PEACE. - THE OPENING OF THE WAR. - THE BATTLE OF MONS. - THE BATTLE OF LE CATEAU. - THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE. - THE BATTLE OF THE AISNE. - THE LA BASSÉE-ARMENTIÈRES OPERATIONS. - THE FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES. - A RETROSPECT AND GENERAL SUMMARY. - THE WINTER LULL OF 1914. - - - VOL II.--1915 - - THE OPENING MONTHS OF 1915. - NEUVE CHAPELLE AND HILL 60. - THE SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES. - THE BATTLE OF RICHEBOURG-FESTUBERT. - THE TRENCHES OF HOOGE. - THE BATTLE OF LOOS. - - - VOL III.--1916 - - JANUARY TO JULY 1916. - THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME. - THE GAINING OF THE THIEPVAL RIDGE. - THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME. - THE BATTLE OF THE ANCRE. - - - VOL IV.--1917 - - THE BATTLE OF ARRAS. - THE BATTLE OF MESSINES. - THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES. - THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI. - - With Maps, Plans, and Diagrams - - HODDER AND STOUGHTON - LONDON, NEW YORK, AND TORONTO - - - - -{v} - -PREFACE - -This fifth volume deals with one of the most tremendous episodes in -history, when the vigour of the German attack and the desperate -resistance of the British both on the Somme and in Flanders, held an -awestruck world in suspense. A million men released from the Russian -front, rolled across Europe and, swelling that great tide which was -already banked up before the British breakwater, it washed over all -the front line barriers and threatened at one time to sweep down to -the sea. The account of how the British Army, upon which -incomparably the greater pressure fell, rose to the occasion and -first slowed and then held the terrific flood is one of the most -wonderful of military epics. At the same time every credit must be -given to the loyalty of the French commanders who, while guarding -their own extended lines, endeavoured to spare all possible help to -their hard-pressed Allies. This volume carries the story of the -German attack to its close. The next and final one will describe the -enormous counter-attack of the Allies leading up to their final -victory. - -The Chronicler has been faced by many obstacles in endeavouring to -preserve both accuracy and historical proportion while writing -contemporary history. He would gratefully acknowledge that his {vi} -critics in the press have shown a kindly indulgence, which arises, no -doubt, from an appreciation of these difficulties. There has, -however, been one conspicuous exception to which he would desire to -call attention, since a large question of literary etiquette is -involved. From the beginning a series of unflattering and anonymous -articles have appeared in _The Times_ Literary Supplement, commenting -adversely upon each volume in turn, and picking out the pettiest -details for animadversion. Upon enquiry, these articles--in whole or -part--are admitted to have been written by the Hon. J. W. Fortescue, -who is himself the official historian of the War. On being -remonstrated with, this gentleman could not be brought to see that it -is not fitting that he should make anonymous attacks, however _bonâ -fide_, upon a brother author who is working upon the same subject and -is therefore in the involuntary position of being a humble rival. - -Having stated the facts they may be left to the judgment of the -public. - - ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE. - - CROWBOROUGH, - _May_ 1, 1919. - - - - - -{vii} - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER I - -EVENTS UPON THE BRITISH FRONT UP TO MARCH 21, 1918 - -The prospects of the Allies--Great dangers from the Russian -collapse--State of the British line--Huge German preparations--Eve of -the Great Offensive - - -CHAPTER II - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Attack on the Seventeenth and Sixth Corps - -Disposal of the Third Army--Attack upon the Third Division--Upon the -Thirty-fourth Division--Upon the Fifty-ninth Division--Terrible -losses--Loss of Henin Hill--Arrival of Thirty-first Division--Hard -fighting of the Fortieth Division--The East Yorkshires at -Ervillers--The 15th West Yorks at Moyenneville--Recapture of -Ayette--Grand resistance of Third, Fifteenth, and Fourth Divisions -before Arras--Final German check in the north - - -CHAPTER III - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Attack on the Fourth and Fifth Corps - -Attack on Sixth and Fifty-first Divisions--Engagement of the -Twenty-fifth and Forty-first Divisions--Attack on Forty-seventh, -Sixty-third, Second, and Nineteenth Divisions--The German -torrent--Serious situation--Arrival of Sixty-second -Division--Fighting before Albert--Gallant defence by Twelfth -Division--Arrival of the New Zealanders, of the Australians, of the -Thirty-fifth Division--Equilibrium - -{viii} - -CHAPTER IV - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Attack on the Fifth Army. March 21 - -The Fifth Army front--The story of a Redoubt--Attack upon Congreve's -Seventh Corps--Upon Watts' Nineteenth Corps--Upon Maxse's Eighteenth -Corps--Upon Butler's Third Corps--Terrific pressure--Beginning of the -Retreat--Losses of Guns - - -CHAPTER V - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Retreat of the Seventh and Nineteenth Corps - -Problems before General Gough--His masterful action--Arrival of -Thirty-ninth, Twentieth, and Fiftieth Divisions--Retreat of Tudor's -Ninth Scottish Division--Destruction of the South Africans--Defence -of the Somme--Arrival of the Eighth Division--Desperate fighting--The -Carey line--Death of General Feetham--"Immer fest daran"--Advance, -Australia--Great achievement of General Watts - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -The Retreat of the Eighteenth Corps - -Retreat of the Sixty-first Division--The Gloucesters at -Beauvais--Fall of Ham--Retreat of the Thirtieth and Thirty-sixth -Divisions--Great privations of the men--Fine feat at Le -Quesnoy--Summary of the experience of Maxse's Corps - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -The Retreat of the Third Corps - -Movement across the Crozat Canal--Fight of the 173rd Brigade--Forcing -of the Canal Line--Arrival of the French--Fight of Frières -Wood--Splendid work of the Cavalry--Loss of Noyon--Final -equilibrium--General retrospect of the Battle - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE SOMME FRONT FROM APRIL 1 ONWARDS - -The last waves of the storm--The Twelfth Division at Albert--The -Forty-seventh Division at Aveluy Wood--The Australians in the {ix} - -south--Capture of Villers-Bretonneux by the Germans--Recapture by -Australians and Eighth Division--Fierce fighting--The first turn of -the tide - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE BATTLE OF THE LYS - -April 9-12 - -The Flanders front--Great German onslaught--Disaster of the -Portuguese--Splendid stand at Givenchy of the Fifty-fifth -Division--Hard fight of the Fortieth Division--Loss of the -Lys--Desperate resistance of the Fiftieth Division--Thirty-fourth -Division is drawn into the Battle--Attack in the north upon the -Ninth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-fifth Divisions--British -retreat--General survey of the situation - - -CHAPTER X - -THE BATTLE OF THE LYS - -April 13 to May 8 - -Desperate situation--Sir Douglas Haig's "Win or Die" message--Epic of -the 4th Guards Brigade at Hazebrouck--Arrival of First Australian -Division--Splendid services of Thirty-third Division--Loss of -Armentières, Bailleul, and Neuve Eglise--The First Division at -Givenchy--Fall of Kemmel--Battle of Ridge Wood--Great loss of -ground--Equilibrium - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE BATTLES OF THE CHEMIN DES DAMES AND OF THE ARDRES - -May 27 to June 2 - -The rest cure of the Aisne--Attack upon the Fiftieth Division--Upon -the Twenty-first--Fifth Battery R.F.A.--Glorious Devons--Adventure of -General Rees--Retreat across the Aisne--Over the Vesle--Arrival of -Nineteenth Division--Desperate fighting--Success of 4th -Shropshires--General Pellé's tribute--General prospect of the Allies -midway through 1918 - - -INDEX - - - - -{xi} - -MAPS AND PLANS - -British Battle Line, March 21 - -Position at the Close of the Great Retreat, March 30 - -Rough Sketch of the General Position of Troops at the Battle of -Villers-Bretonneux, April 24-25 - -Rough Sketch of Guards' Position, April 13 - -Defence of Givenchy by the First Division, April 18 - -Position of the Line in Flanders, April 9 - -British Line on Chemin des Dames - -Map to illustrate the British Campaign in France and Flanders - - - - -{1} - -CHAPTER I - -EVENTS UPON THE BRITISH FRONT UP TO MARCH 21, 1918 - -The prospects of the Allies--Great dangers from the Russian -collapse--State of the British line--Huge German preparations--Eve of -the Great Offensive. - -[Sidenote: Events upon the British Front to March 21] - -The New Year of 1918, the fourth of the world war, opened with -chequered prospects for the Allies. Upon all subsidiary fields of -action the developments were good. In Palestine, General Allenby, -the victor of Arras, had shown himself to be a fine soldier upon the -larger scale, and had fought his way up the old highway of history -which leads from Egypt by Gaza to Jerusalem. Homely crusaders in -tattered khaki stood where once Godfrey de Bouillon and his chivalry -had worshipped before the shrine of religion, and the cavalry of -Australia, the yeomen of the Shires, and the infantry of London won -once more the ground which Richard of the Lion Heart with his knights -and bowmen had contested in the long ago. Surely in all the strange -permutations and combinations of the world war there could be none -more striking than that! By April the British force covered all the -northern approaches to the city and extended its right wing to the -Jordan, where our Arab allies in the land of Moab were pushing {2} -the Turks back along the line of the Damascus railway. - -On another road of world conquest, that from British Bagdad to -Nineveh, the British and Indian columns were also both active and -victorious. The knightly Maude had perished from cholera contracted -by his own courtesy in drinking a proffered cup of village water. -His successor, General Marshall, formerly his Chief of Staff, and as -such conversant with his aims and his methods, carried on both one -and the other, moving his men north until the spectator who compared -their numbers with the immensity of the spaces around them, was -appalled at the apparent loneliness of their position. By May his -raiding cavalry were not far from the Turkish supply depot of Mosul, -where the barren mounds, extending over leagues of desert, proclaim -both the greatness and the ruin of Nineveh. Salonica continued in -its usual condition of uneasy and malarial somnolence, but gratifying -reports came of the belated rally of the Greeks, who, acting with the -French, won a smart little victory against their Bulgarian enemies -upon May 31. German East Africa had at last been cleared of German -forces, but General Lettow Vorbeck, to whom we cannot deny remarkable -fortitude and leadership, wandered with his piebald commands in the -depths of the forests and marshes of Mozambique, still evading his -inevitable capture, and master only of the ground on which he camped. - -But these distant campaigns had only a remote and indirect effect -upon the war in Europe. Here the late winter and the early spring of -1918 saw the balance tilted against the British and their comrades in -the West, through causes over which they had no {3} control. Russia -had completely broken down. In her case, with a rapidity which made -it difficult to realise the situation, autocracy had changed to -liberty, liberty to license, and license to chaos. The absolute -dissolution of all fighting power was partly due to national folly -and partly to deliberate treachery. The leaders of the extreme party -had arrived from Switzerland with a free pass granted by the German -authorities. Instantly they set to work to subvert the comparatively -sane government with which the name of Kerensky is chiefly -associated. Lenin and his associates seized the reins of power and -guided their mad team up to and over the precipice. It was clear to -any observer that such a frenzy of insanity must have its reaction, -and great pity was felt for those more honourable Russians who were -compelled to look on at the degradation of their country. The new -super-democracy began its career by repudiating its debts of honour, -and by betraying all the other democracies of the world. Such -conditions could not last; but meanwhile the Germans overran the -country at their pleasure, practically annexed both Finland and the -Ukraine, and helped themselves to harvests, warships, or anything -else they might desire. Chivalrous little Roumania, with the foe in -front and the traitor in the rear, was compelled to make such hard -terms as she might--surely one of the most bitter tragedies of -history. - -As a result of this huge defection the whole force of Germany and of -Austria, together with a good deal of captured Russian artillery, was -available for the Western war, and from November to March an endless -succession of troop trains were bearing the divisions which had -extended from the Baltic to {4} the southern frontiers of Russia, in -order to thicken the formidable array already marshalled across -France. A great Austrian army assembled on the line of the Piave, -where the Italians had formed their new front, while a second force -in the mountains upon their flank seemed to hang suspended like an -avalanche, ready at any instant to crash down into the valleys. In -spite of this imminent danger the situation was so threatening in -France that half of the British and French force in Italy had to be -recalled, while the gallant Italians actually sent some divisions of -their own best troops to aid the Allies in the more vital theatre of -war. It was not only the vast concentration of infantry which formed -the immediate menace, but it was the addition to the German gun -power, in which the Austrians greatly assisted. The enemy was acting -also upon internal lines and with excellent radiating communications, -so that by assembling large bodies in certain central points he could -hurl them against any portion of a long arc of the Allied line and -depend upon several days of battle before the reinforcements could -intervene. This, as it proved, was a very great advantage. He had -also used his Russian experiences to initiate and improve a new form -of attack by which he was confident, with a confidence which proved -to be well justified, that he could certainly make a deep impression -upon the Allied line, and turn the war, for a time, at least, into -one of open movement. Such was the very favourable position of the -German army at the opening of the tremendous campaign of 1918, which -was enhanced by the fact that they had reduced to slavery the -population in their rear, and had thus gained a very {5} solid -present advantage at the cost of a universal hatred and execration of -which no man now living will see the end. In the hope of being a -nation of victors they took steps which will brand them as a nation -of monsters so long as history is read--a nation with modern minds -but with worse than mediaeval souls. - -The Allies were not without their consolations, though they lay -rather in the future than in the present. Their veteran armies, -though somewhat outnumbered, had done so well in the offensive of the -year before that they had good reason to believe that, acting upon -the defensive, they would either hold the German onslaught, or at -worst inflict such losses that they would gradually bring them to an -equilibrium. Neither France nor Britain had called upon its last -reserves to the same extent as Germany, and behind both was the -mighty power of America. Up to date the American forces landed in -France had not been sufficiently trained or numerous to influence the -course of events, but from the spring onwards there was a steady -flow, and hardly a day elapsed without one or more transports laden -with troops arriving in the British or French ports. The men were of -splendid spirit and physique, and the mere sight of them revived the -weary souls of those who had fought the hard fight so long. It was -the knowledge of these reinforcements and the constant drafts from -Britain which stiffened men's courage and steeled their breasts in -the desperate days to come. - -Turning our eyes now from the general prospect and concentrating our -attention upon the dispositions of the British army, it may be said -that the ranks had been filled once more after the very {6} expensive -fighting of the autumn. Divisions were, however, weaker than before -for, following the German model, one battalion had been taken out of -each brigade, so that in future a division consisted of nine ordinary -units and one pioneer. Of the six divisions lent to Italy three had -been brought back in view of the German menace. The line still ran -from Houthulst Forest and Passchendaele in the north along the -familiar curve by La Bassée and Lens to the east of Vimy Ridge, and -thence along the first Hindenburg Line, with the one six-mile breach -in front of Cambrai. The Third Army, under Sir Julian Byng, covered -the ground between Arras and Cambrai, whilst the Fifth, under Sir -Hubert Gough, carried it south from that point. His junction with -the French was an indeterminate one and was twice moved to the south, -the second move on February 15 carrying his right wing across the -Oise as far south as Barisis, eight miles beyond La Fère. There is -no doubt that in lengthening his line to this extent Sir Douglas Haig -took on more ground than his troops could be reasonably expected to -hold, and that General Gough was given a hard task. It was done, as -was shown in a subsequent debate, against the better judgment of the -British at the urgent behest of M. Clemenceau. We must remember, -however, that our Allies had frequently taken risks in order to help -us, and that it was for us to reciprocate even though it might -occasionally, as in this instance, lead to trouble. There was a -tendency at the time for soldiers and politicians to put the blame -upon each other, whereas all were equally the victims of the real -cause, which was the crushing burden placed upon us by the defection -of our Ally. It is {7} easy to be wise after the event, but it was -impossible to tell with any certainty where the impending blow might -fall, and M. Clemenceau was very naturally anxious about the French -line in Champagne, which was strengthened by this extension of the -British flank. There is in truth no need for mutual reproach, as -every one acted for the best under the almost intolerable -circumstances imposed by the new conditions. - -Before referring in detail to the tremendous storm which was visibly -banking up in the East, and which broke upon March 21 along the -British lines from the Scarpe to the Oise, some allusion should be -made to one or two sharp German attacks in the extreme north, by -which the enemy endeavoured to draw the attention of the Allies away -from the district in which their first real attack was planned. In -the first of these, delivered upon March 8 to the south of Houthulst -Forest, in the area formerly occupied by the Second Army, the German -stormers, attacking on a mile of front, gained a footing in the -advanced trenches over a space of 500 yards, but were driven out -again and past their own front line by a spirited counter-attack. -The losses of the Thirty-sixth Reserve Division, who carried out the -operation, were considerable, and their gains were nil. The second -attack was made upon the same evening in the neighbourhood of -Polderhoek Château, to the south of the Ypres front. Here again some -trench elements were secured in the first rush, but were entirely -regained by the 10th K.R.R. and 13th Fusiliers of the 111th Brigade, -who restored the line. Neither attempt was serious, but they were -operations on a considerably larger scale than any others during the -winter. These attacks were delivered upon the front {8} of Jacob's -Second Corps, which belonged to Rawlinson's Fourth Army, but within a -few days Plumer had returned from Italy, and he, with the Second -Army, took over this sector once again. - -We must now turn to the long stretch from Monchy in the north to La -Fère in the south, a front of fifty miles, upon which the great -German blow was about to fall. It is said that after a tour of the -whole line General Ludendorff determined upon this as being the most -favourable region for a grand attack. Granting that for general -motives of policy the assault should be on the British rather than on -the French army, it is clear that he could have come to no other -decision since Flanders at that time of year might have been a -morass, and the rest of the line was to a large extent upon -commanding ground. On the other hand the desolate country which had -been already occupied and abandoned by the Germans was in front of -their new advance, and it was likely that this would act as a -shock-absorber and take the momentum off a victorious advance before -it could reach any point of vital strategic importance. The German -Staff seems, however, to have placed great confidence upon their -secrecy, their numbers, and their new methods. Their ambitious plan -was to break right through to Amiens, to seize the line of the Somme -so as to divide the Allied armies, and then to throw their weight to -right or to left as might seem best, the one movement threatening the -Channel ports and the other Paris. Their actual success, though it -was considerable, fell so far short of their real intentions that -disappointment rather than triumph must have been their prevailing -emotion. Looking first upon their side of the line one can {9} -appreciate in a general way the efficient methods which they took to -ensure success. The troops had been exercised in the back areas -during the whole winter in the new arts of attack, which will be more -fully indicated when the battle opens. They were then assembled at -various railway junctions, such as Valenciennes, Maubeuge, Wassigny, -and Vervins, sufficiently far from the front to escape direct -observation. Then for seven nights in successive marches the troops -were brought forward, finally reaching the front lines on the night -before the attack, while the guns, the mine-throwers, and the -munition dumps had already been prepared. The whole affair was upon -a gigantic scale, for sixty divisions, or half a million of infantry, -were thrown into the battle upon the first day, with half as many in -immediate reserve. Secrecy was preserved by every possible -precaution, though the British aeroplanes, casting down their flare -lights upon crowded roads, gave few hopes that it could be sustained. -Three of the most famous generals in the German service were in -immediate charge of the operations. General Otto von Below, the -victor of the Italian disaster, with the Seventeenth Army in the -north; General von Marwitz, who had distinguished himself at Cambrai, -with the Second Army in the centre; and General von Hutier, the -conqueror of Riga and the inventor of the new tactics, with the -Eighteenth Army in the south. It was to the last, which was under -the nominal command of the Crown Prince, that the chief attack was -allotted. Forty divisions, with large reserves, were placed under -his command for an assault upon General Gough's lines between Cambrai -and the Oise, while twenty divisions, with corresponding reserves, -{10} were thrown against the British Third Army, especially that -section of it opposite Croisilles and Bullecourt. Never in the -history of the world had a more formidable force been concentrated -upon a fixed and limited objective. The greatest possible -expectations were founded upon the battle, which had already been -named the "Kaiser Schlacht," while the day chosen had been called -Michael's day, or the day of Germany's revenge. - -We shall now turn from the German preparations and examine that -British position upon which the attack was about to fall. It was -divided into two sections, a point north of Gauche Wood upon the -Cambrai front being roughly the point of division between the Third -and the Fifth Armies. These armies were of equal strength, each -having twelve divisions of infantry in the line or in immediate -support. These divisions with their respective positions and varying -experiences will presently be enumerated. For the moment it may be -stated that the Third Army consisted of four corps, the Seventeenth -(Fergusson) in the Arras-Monchy sector, the Sixth (Haldane) carrying -the line past Bullecourt, the Fourth (Harper) continuing it to near -the Cambrai district, and the Fifth (Fanshawe) covering that -important point where the gap in the Hindenburg Line seemed to make -an attack particularly likely. The Fifth Army in turn consisted of -the Seventh Corps (Congreve) in the southern part of the Cambrai -district, the Nineteenth Corps (Watts) from south of Ronssoy to -Maissemy, the Eighteenth Corps (Maxse) in front of St. Quentin, and -the Third Corps (Butler) covering the great frontage of 30,000 yards -from Urvillers, across the Oise, down to Barisis, eight miles {11} -south of La Fère. This long curve of fifty miles was strongly -fortified throughout its whole length, but the position was stronger -in the north where the British had been in their lines for a year or -more. In the southern sector the new ground which had been taken -over was by no means so strongly organised as its defenders desired, -either in the portion formerly held by the British or in the French -sector, where only two lines existed. In the north a system of -successive lines had been adopted, called respectively the forward -line, the corps line, and the army line. In the south there was less -depth to the defence, but every possible effort was made to improve -it, the work proceeding night and day, and the soldiers being tied to -it to an extent which gave little time for military exercises. In -this work the cavalry and special entrenching battalions gave -valuable help. As a result, by the third week of March the south was -as well prepared as the number of men available would allow. There -were not enough to man continuous lines of trenches over so great a -front. A system was adopted, therefore, by which there was an -advanced zone, consisting of a thin line of infantry supported by -numerous small redoubts, each of which contained several machine-guns -and a company of infantry. These were to take off the edge of the -assault, and it was hoped, as half a mile separated the two armies, -and the fields of fire were good, that before reaching the position -at all the enemy would suffer severely. A thousand yards behind the -advance zone was the true battle zone, where the main body of the -infantry lay behind barbed wire with the support of isolated forts. -Beyond these again was a third zone, 2000 yards farther to the rear, -but this had not yet been {12} completed. Behind the whole position -in the southern part of the line was the great bend of the River -Somme, which was also being organised as a reserve line, but was very -incomplete. It should be emphasised that these deficiencies were in -no way due to the British command, which was so assiduous in its -preparations that it rather raised the ridicule of certain -unimaginative people upon the spot who cannot see a danger until it -actually materialises in front of them. The fact that General Gough -had been a cavalry general, and that his actions in the war had been -aggressive rather than defensive, gave a false impression at the time -in certain quarters. It is certain that nothing was neglected in the -way of defence which skill could devise or industry carry out. - -The general situation then upon the night of March 20, when the -German preparations were complete, was that along the whole front the -Germans were crouching for their spring, and that their first line -consisted of sixty divisions, or more than half a million infantry, -against the twenty-four divisions, or about 200,000 infantry, who -awaited them. The odds were greatly increased by the fact that the -Germans held some thirty divisions in immediate reserve, whereas the -British reserves, especially in the south of the line, were few and -distant. The German concentration of gun power was more than twice -that of the British. The published account of a German officer -claims it as fourfold, but this is probably an over-statement. In -describing the results of this great attack we shall deal first with -the sequence of events in the sector of the Third Army in the north, -and then turn to those connected with the Fifth Army in the south. - - - - -{13} - -CHAPTER II - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Attack upon the Seventeenth and Sixth Corps - -Disposal of the Third Army--Attack upon the Third Division--Upon the -Thirty-fourth Division--Upon the Fifty-ninth Division--Terrible -losses--Loss of Henin Hill--Arrival of Thirty-first Division--Hard -fighting of the Fortieth Division--The East Yorkshires at -Ervillers--The 15th West Yorks at Moyenneville--Recapture of -Ayette--Grand resistance of Third, Fifteenth, and Fourth Divisions -before Arras--Final German check in the north. - -[Sidenote: Third Army. March 21.] - -Taking the account of this great action upon March 21 from the north, -we shall begin with Sir Julian Byng's Third Army. The left of this -force joined the Thirteenth Corps, which formed the flank of the -First Army, to the north of Fampoux, while the extreme right touched -the left of the Seventh Corps, the northern unit of the Fifth Army to -the east of Metz-en-Couture opposite to Cambrai. - -The Seventeenth Corps consisted of the Fifteenth and Fourth Divisions -with the Guards Division in reserve. They extended as far south as -the Sensée River, and were not seriously engaged upon March 21, -though exposed to heavy shelling. We may for the time leave them out -of the narrative. It was immediately to the south of them, upon the -Sixth Corps commanded by General Haldane, that the storm {14} burst -in its full fury. Nothing can exaggerate the concentrated weight of -the blow which fell upon this and the next portion of the line. The -divisions from the north were the old fighting Third upon the Sensée -section, the Thirty-fourth to the south of it, and the Fifty-ninth -North Midland Territorials on the right. The Fortieth Division was -in close support. These were the devoted units who upon that -terrible day had to bear the heavy end of the load in the northern -half of the line. Let us turn first to the arduous experiences of -the Third Division. - -This veteran division, still commanded by General Deverell, had all -three brigades in the line, the 76th upon the left, the 8th in the -centre, and the 9th upon the right, the battalions in the advanced -line being the 2nd Suffolks, 2nd Royal Scots, and 1st Northumberland -Fusiliers. The front covered was 8000 yards from Croisilles to the -Arras-Cambrai Road in the north, both inclusive. This front had been -strengthened by every device which experience could suggest, and was -organised, as already explained upon three lines, which may be called -the front, support, and reserve lines. Its backing of artillery was -formidable, its moral high, and it offered a solid barrier to any -enemy, however numerous. - -[Sidenote: Sixth Corps. March 21.] - -The preliminary bombardment here as elsewhere broke out shortly after -five in the morning, and contained a large proportion of gas-shells -which searched the rear lines and battery positions as well as the -front defences. So far as the 76th Brigade in the north was -concerned no serious infantry attack followed, and save for some -sporadic advances which were easily shot to pieces, there was no -organised attempt upon their sector. The same applies, though {15} -in a less degree, to the central unit, the 8th Brigade. Here there -were continual blasts of heavy fire during the day which decimated -but were unable to shake the Royal Scots in the front trenches. -Several times the enemy infantry made what was rather a menace than -an attack, but on each occasion it dissolved into nothing. It is -clear that nothing serious was intended and that these demonstrations -were to hold the troops to their ground. On the right, however, in -front of the 9th Brigade, the attempts were far more deadly and -earnest. The first of these lasted from 7.30 till 10, and gained a -footing in the front trenches, but failed before a determined attack -by bombing parties of the Northumberland Fusiliers. In the afternoon -the intermittent shelling became very severe, the trench mortar fire -upon the front lines being so heavy as to knock them to pieces and -stop all lateral communication. It was a nerve-shattering ordeal to -the garrisons of these posts, crouching hour after hour in the midst -of these terrible explosions. The bravest man on earth may find his -spirit wilt under such conditions. Finally, about half-past three, -there came a forward surge of grey infantry from Fontaine Wood which -reached and occupied the front line, or the irregular hummocks where -the front line had been. Every effort to extend this advantage was -crushed almost before it could get started. There was complete -stability here, but it was known that things were not altogether well -with the Thirty-fourth Division upon the right, and masses of German -infantry were seen moving down the Cherisy valley in that direction, -a fair mark for the heavy guns. The 4th Royal Fusiliers were brought -forward to reinforce their old comrades of {16} Northumberland, and -the line on the right was thrown back to get touch with the 11th -Suffolks of the 101st Brigade. In this support position they were -solidly linked with the units to right and left, so that the close of -the day found the whole of this portion of the front absolutely -intact, save for the loss of the obliterated front line. - -We shall now turn to the fortunes of the next unit upon the right, -the Thirty-fourth Division, a composite hard fighting body composed -of Northumbrians, Scots, and East Anglian troops. General Nicholson, -commanding this division, had learned from a prisoner that the coming -German attack would begin at Bullecourt and then turn to the north. -Such incidents make one doubtful of the wisdom of that policy of -"teaching men to take an intelligent interest in the operations" -which is so often advocated. In this case flank defences were -arranged and all due preparation was made. - -The blow fell even as had been foretold, but the portion of the line -which was crushed in was on the front of the Fifty-ninth Division, to -the right of the Thirty-fourth. The result was, however, that after -the capture of Bullecourt, which occurred about ten, the German -stormers began to work round the right rear of the 102nd Brigade, the -nearest unit of the Thirty-fourth Division. The flanking line of -defence was manned by the 22nd Northumberland Fusiliers and -strengthened by many Lewis guns, so that it took heavy toll from the -masses of German infantry who were moving across. This flanking line -was thickened by the 25th Northumberland Fusiliers and by the 1st -East Lancashires. The heavy blow had forced back the Fifty-ninth -Division, and by one {17} o'clock Ecoust also was in the hands of the -enemy, bringing them considerably to the rear of the Thirty-fourth. -Up to 4.30 in the afternoon the Germans were attacking the 102nd -Brigade from the flank, but up to that hour they had not succeeded in -shifting the solid Tynesiders who held the improvised line. -Nevertheless the heavy and constant shelling reduced the strength of -the defenders, who in many cases were quite cut off, and had to hold -their positions with bombs and rifles as best they could. Farther -south the Germans, passing Noreuil in their western advance, had -turned in considerable numbers to the north, well to the rear of the -flanking line, so that the British in reserve found themselves facing -south-west, but fought on none the less, the 22nd, 23rd, and 25th -Northumberland Fusiliers in a mixed line holding firmly to their -ground at the imminent risk of being cut off, while the 160th Brigade -R.F.A. were firing at ranges of 800 yards. As the German flood -rolled on it engulfed these guns, but the gunners withdrew the blocks -and retired slowly, fighting in line with the infantry. This -movement in turn affected the British garrisons of the more forward -trenches, who in any case were very severely pressed by the German -bombers, so that there was a general retirement towards the north in -the direction of Croisilles. Outside this village the remains of the -101st and 102nd Brigades formed a line, and with the aid of the 10th -Lincolns and 9th Northumberland Fusiliers of the 103rd Brigade held -the enemy off from occupying it. The Fortieth Division was, as will -be shown, coming up to fill the gap, and thus, although the -Thirty-fourth had been curled backwards as if a huge steel plough had -driven a furrow to the south {18} of them, there was still no -absolute fracture of the line. Towards evening patrols of the enemy -had succeeded in filtering through into the village of Croisilles, -but General Haldane had already seen that his corps front needed -reorganisation in view of what had occurred to the south. Orders -were given, therefore, to the 15th Royal Scots, who were still -holding on near Croisilles, to abandon the village and take up new -positions to the west of it. With the help of the 119th Brigade of -the Fortieth Division these changes were made, and a line built up in -front of Henin Hill for the next day's battle. The general result, -therefore, of the day's fighting was, so far as the Thirty-fourth -Division was concerned, that the left flank was still in touch with -the Third Division in the northern support line, but that the right -and centre had to hinge back upon it on account of the break through -to the south of them, and had been compelled to uncover Croisilles -and abandon it to the enemy. The casualties had been high, -especially in the 102nd Brigade upon the defensive flank. Of these, -about 1200 out of a total trench strength of 1800 were lost, some -being cut off but the greater number injured by the bombardment. -Three companies of the 25th Northumberland Fusiliers were engulfed in -the German tide and submerged, as were the field-guns already -mentioned, which were fought by their crews until the very last -instant. The 11th Suffolks upon the left flank of the 101st Brigade -held absolutely fast all day, and by their fire gave great help to -the Third Division to their north. - -The next unit upon the line was the Fifty-ninth North Midland -Division (Romer) which had a front {19} of over 5000 yards. They -covered the important villages of Bullecourt, Ecoust, and Noreuil, -the former being in the very front line. The 178th Brigade of -Sherwood foresters were upon the right and the 176th of Staffords -upon the left, with the 177th of Lincolns and Leicesters in reserve. -In the southern section of this position was the long shallow slope -of the Noreuil valley, the nearer half of which came within the -Fifty-ninth area, while the farther was held by the Sixth Division. -It was speedily apparent by the intensity of the bombardment and by -the rumoured concentration of the infantry that this was the centre -of danger. About ten o'clock a demonstration was made against the -2/6 Sherwood Foresters upon the left, but the real attack came later -when on the right centre a heavy mass of the enemy surged through the -outpost line and established itself within the support line. At -about the same hour the German infantry struck in great force up the -channel of the Noreuil valley, and having pushed their way as far as -the western edge of Noreuil turned to the north-west, working along a -hollow road between Noreuil and Longatte. Two companies of the 2/5 -Sherwoods, together with the 470th Field Company R.E., were caught -between the pincers of this double German attack, and were entirely -destroyed on the Noreuil-Ecoust Road, only one officer and six -sappers making their way safe to Vraucourt. The 2/5 Lincolns of the -supporting brigade, moving up to the support of their comrades, were -themselves involved in the tragedy and three companies were -practically annihilated. This rapid German advance, with the heavy -British losses, had all taken place by 11 A.M., and created the -situation which {20} reacted so unfavourably upon the Thirty-fourth -in the north. The Germans having got so far forward in the south -were able to assail the flank of the 176th Brigade in the north, -which threw out a defensive line as far as Ecoust and defended itself -strongly. Their position, however, was an almost impossible one, and -when later in the day the enemy took Ecoust and swung round to their -rear these battalions, already much reduced, were overwhelmed by the -attack, the survivors joining up with the Thirty-fourth Division in -their retreat. The machine-guns, so long as they were in action, -caused heavy casualties to the enemy, but the latter were swarming on -all sides, and eventually the guns had either to withdraw or were -captured. - -With the two front brigades destroyed and the whole position -occupied, the Germans may well have thought that a long advance was -within their power, but in this they were soon undeceived. The -support brigade, the 177th, still barred their way, and it had been -strengthened by Headquarters staffs, bands, transport men and others, -and very especially by the pioneer battalion, the 6/7 Scots -Fusiliers. These men occupied the third defence line, and from the -Hog's Back on which it was sited, they defied every effort of the -Germans to get forward from Ecoust. This position was well covered -by artillery and supported by machine-guns. So strong was the -defence that the enemy were beaten back three times, and on the last -occasion, late in the afternoon, fairly took to their heels. Shortly -afterwards the 120th Brigade from the Fortieth Division came into -support, and the situation was saved for the day. How terrific had -been the strain upon the Fifty-ninth {21} Division may be reckoned -from the fact that their losses were close upon 5000 out of a -ten-battalion unit. It is true that they had been driven by vastly -superior numbers out of their two front lines with the attendant -villages, but evening found them still defiant, and, for the time, -victorious, with their right still linked up with the Sixth Division -and their left with the Thirty-fourth. There could not have been a -finer recovery under more arduous circumstances. It was the last of -the Fifty-ninth Division, however, for many a day to come, for the -Fortieth (Ponsonby) taking charge in this sector, gathered to itself -the fifteen field-guns still left of the artillery and the only -remaining brigade. It was as well, for they would need every gun and -every rifle in the dark days to come. Four German divisions, the -111th, 221st, 6th Bavarian, and 2nd Guards Reserve, had been engaged -in the attack. Even admitting that some of these divisions were -concerned also with the attack upon the Thirty-fourth Division, the -latter had the 234th and some smaller units in front of it, so that -it is within the mark to say that five German had attacked two -British divisions, and by the aid of a vastly superior light and -heavy artillery equipment had pushed them back to their reserve line, -but had failed to break them. It was not a fight of which either -nation need be ashamed. - -This completes a superficial view of the experiences of the Sixth -Corps upon March 21. In order to get the full picture one should -understand that the Sixth Division upon the right had also been -driven from their sector, including several important villages. For -the sake of continuity of narrative it will be best {22} to merely -indicate this fact for the moment, and to continue to follow the -fortunes of Haldane's Corps during the fateful days which followed, -casting a glance also to the north where the Seventeenth Corps was -gradually involved in the fight. We shall bear in mind, then, the -long slanting front from the old positions on the left to Henin Hill -and the Hog's Back upon the right, and we shall return to the Third -Division at the northern end of the line. - -[Sidenote: Sixth Corps. March 22.] - -The night had been quiet along the whole corps front, which seemed to -imply some exhaustion of the attack. In the morning this lull still -continued in the region of the Third Division, which had up to now -been just outside the track of the storm. During the morning and -afternoon of March 22 no serious attack was made upon this point, but -in the evening the enemy, having made a lodgment upon Henin Hill in -the south-west, was able to make a powerful onslaught from the flank -which met with very little success. Its first onrush pushed back the -20th K.R.R., pioneer battalion of the division, in the trench called -Hind Avenue, but the ground was regained by the 13th King's -Liverpool, while the 4th Royal Fusiliers loosened the German grip of -another small corner of trench. Up to nightfall the attempts -continued, alternating with bombardments, but no progress was made, -the 9th Brigade beating down every new advance. - -About ten o'clock at night orders reached the division that as the -Seventeenth Corps were falling back for strategic reasons to the west -of Monchy on the north, while the Thirty-fourth were also retreating -upon the south, the Third Division must retire in conformity with -them. It was no easy task under {23} a heavy shell fall and with an -elated enemy in close contact. It was of importance that the -telephoned orders should not be tapped, and it is suggestive of the -world-wide services of the British soldier that they were sent over -the wires in Arabic and Hindustani. Before morning the weary troops -had been quickly withdrawn without confusion or mishap, and all were -safely aligned in their new positions. Their defence of their -battle-ground had been a splendid one, and though they had no huge -mass attack to contend with, such as had dashed the line of the -Fifty-ninth to pieces, still they had constant severe pressure and -had withstood it completely. - -[Sidenote: Sixth Corps. March 21.] - -We left the Thirty-fourth Division upon the evening of March 21 still -holding its reserve lines, with its three brigades in line, the 103rd -on the right in touch with the Fortieth Division, and the 101st on -the left where the Third Division joined it. A spirited little body, -the J Special Company R.E., had joined the fighting line of the -Thirty-fourth, and did good work with it. About 8 A.M. upon March -22nd the enemy attacked the 102nd Brigade in the Croisilles sector, -but two attempts had no result, though the general British line was -now 500 yards west of the village. About ten o'clock a misfortune -occurred, for a heavy column of the enemy, moving up through a dense -mist, broke through the 101st Brigade and carried the greater part of -Henin Hill, a most important strategic point. The possession of the -hill was, however, contested most strongly by the Fortieth Division -machine-gun company and by the 11th Suffolks, who by their valiant -resistance prevented the enemy from gaining the whole crest, though -they could not stop them from extending north and south, which {24} -turned the line of the troops at the flanks and caused them to fall -back. The troops to the south, the 15th and 16th Royal Scots, -withdrew slowly to a new position west of Boyelles; the remains of -the 102nd Brigade (it was but 500 strong at the beginning of the -action) fell back upon the supports; while the valiant men of -Suffolk, aided by Colonel Roberts' machine-guns, still fought stoutly -upon the top of the incline, though entirely isolated upon the right -flank. Finally the shattered remains of this staunch battalion -withdrew towards the north-west, their slow retreat being covered by -Lieutenant Woods, who met his death in the venture, and by a handful -of machine-gunners. - -The chief evil result from the capture of Henin Hill was in the -south, where it enabled the enemy by a joint frontal and flank attack -at the junction of the Thirty-fourth and Fortieth Divisions, to push -back the 9th Northumberland Fusiliers and 13th Yorkshire, and to get -possession of the village of St. Leger. The 103rd Brigade moved back -to Judas' Farm to the west of St. Leger, while the 119th Brigade -prolonged the line to the south. A few machine-guns, with their feed -blocks removed, were lost on Henin Hill, but otherwise no booty was -obtained by the enemy. On the evening of the 22nd the infantry of -the Thirty-first Division was rushed to the front, and the -Thirty-fourth Division after their two days of desperate and -honourable battle, were drawn back for a rest. During March 22 the -103rd Brigade held on to St. Leger and St. Leger Wood, and so blocked -the valley of the Sensée. - -To the south of the Thirty-fourth Division the Fifty-ninth Division -had now been entirely replaced {25} by the Fortieth, save for the -177th Brigade, the artillery, and machine-guns, some of which -rendered splendid service during the day. There was little fighting -in the morning of March 22, but about mid-day it was found that some -hundreds of Germans with a profusion of machine-guns ("many bullets -but few men" was the key-note of the new advanced tactics) were close -to the divisional front in the region of St. Leger Wood. These were -driven back, and fourteen of their guns taken, after some confused -but vigorous fighting, in which Lieutenant Beal captured four guns -himself before meeting a glorious death. Several times the enemy -pushed strong patrols between the Sixth and Fortieth Divisions in the -Vaux-Vraumont sector, but these were always expelled or digested. -Shortly after mid-day, however, a very strong attack broke upon this -line, pushing back the left of the Sixth Division and causing heavy -losses to the Highlanders of the 120th Brigade upon the right of the -Fortieth Division. The 14th Argyll and Sutherlands, with the 10/11 -Highland Light Infantry, were the units concerned, and they restored -their line, which had been bent backwards. Finding, however, that -they had lost touch with the Sixth Division to the south, they fell -back until communication was restored. All day groups of German -machine-gunners could be seen rushing forward, their crouching -figures darting from cover to cover, while all day also the guns of -the division observed and shattered the various nests which were -constructed. Major Nesham distinguished himself in this work. -Towards evening of the 22nd it was known that Vraumont to the south -was in German possession, and orders were given to withdraw to the -new general line which this change {26} and the capture of Henin Hill -must entail. In the new position the Fortieth was still in close -touch with the Sixth in the neighbourhood of Beugnâtre, the general -line of the withdrawal being in a south-westerly direction. The -losses had been heavy during the day, and included Colonel -Eardley-Wilmot of the 12th Suffolks. - -The line of the Seventeenth and of the Sixth Corps, upon the morning -of March 23, stretched from the south of Fampoux, west of Heninel and -of St. Leger down to Mory. The Seventeenth Corps had not yet been -seriously attacked. We shall continue with the record of the Sixth -Corps, which now consisted of the Third Division in the north, part -of the Guards Division, which had formed up to their right, the -Thirty-first Division north of Mory, and the Fortieth Division to the -west of Mory, with outposts in the village. We shall again trace the -events from the northern flank. No serious movement occurred during -the day in front of the Third Division or of the Guards, but there -was a report of concentrations of infantry and other signs which -indicated that the storms of the south would soon spread upwards in -that direction. The Thirty-first Division, the well-tried Yorkshire -unit, still retained two of its old brigades, but had an additional -4th Brigade of Guards, cut from the old Guards Division by the new -system of smaller units. General Bridgford had taken over command -just before the battle and would be the first to admit that the -splendid efficiency of his troops was due to General Wanless O'Gowan, -who had been associated with them so long. They carried a high -reputation into this great battle and an even higher one out of it. -On the morning of March 23 the division faced {27} the Germans to the -north of Mory Copse, having the 4th Guards Brigade upon the right and -the 93rd Brigade upon the left. Two German divisions which had -already been engaged, the 111th and the 2nd Guards Reserve, tried to -break this fresh line and were each in turn broken themselves, as -were the German batteries which pushed to the front and found -themselves under the double fire of the Thirty-first and -Thirty-fourth divisional artillery. Prisoners taken in this repulse -gave the information that the Germans were already a full day behind -their scheduled programme in this quarter. All attacks upon the -Thirty-first met with the same fate during the day, but the enemy, as -will be shown, had got a grip of Mory for a time, and pushed back the -Fortieth in the south. Instead of a retirement the 92nd Brigade was -brought from reserve and placed upon the exposed flank, while the -Guards and Yorkshiremen still stood firm. In the evening the general -line extended from north of Ervillers, where the 92nd Brigade was on -watch, to the region of Hamelincourt, where the 93rd had their line. - -[Sidenote: Sixth Corps. March 23.] - -The heaviest work of the day had fallen upon the Fortieth Division, -which had dug itself in west of Mory and of Mory Copse, with strong -posts in the village itself. The enemy attacked in the morning of -March 23 in great force and got complete possession of Mory. A -splendid counter-attack, however, by the 13th East Surreys and 21st -Middlesex at 2.30 P.M. regained the village. A deep cutting ran up -to Mory from Vraucourt in the south-east, and along this the Germans -sent their reinforcements, but the artillery of the British got the -range of it and caused heavy losses. The village was held all day, -under the local {28} direction of Colonel Warden of the Surreys, and -was violently attacked by the enemy after dark, with the result that -desultory hand-to-hand fighting went on among the houses during the -whole night. At one time the British had won to the eastern edge, -and then again they were forced back to the centre. When one -remembers that these men had been fighting for three days, with -little food and less sleep, it was indeed a fine performance. One -small post of the 18th Welsh under Sergeant O'Sullivan was isolated -for nearly two days and yet cut its way out, the gallant Irishman -receiving a well-deserved honour. The morning of March 24 found -little change along the line of the corps. If the Germans were -already a day behind they showed no signs of making up their time. -The 40th Machine-gun Battalion had done particularly fine work during -the day. As an example of the gallantry which animated this unit it -may be recorded that two of the guns having been rushed by the -Germans near Ervillers, Lance-Corporal Cross volunteered to recover -them single-handed, which ne did in such fashion that seven German -prisoners appeared carrying them and marching at the point of his -revolver, an exploit for which he was decorated. - -[Sidenote: Sixth Corps. March 24.] - -March 24 was marked by considerable activity in the Mory district, -but no strong attack developed to the north of it. On the front of -the Thirty-first and Fortieth Divisions, however, the battle raged -with great intensity. The enemy had full possession of Mory by 9 -A.M., and was attacking the depleted battalions opposed to them along -the whole divisional front so that they were compelled to fall slowly -back, by the late afternoon held a line about half a {29} mile east -of the Arras-Bapaume Road. The situation to the south had been such -that the Fourth Corps had to arrange to withdraw to the west of -Bapaume, so that in any case the Sixth Corps would have been -compelled to throw back its right flank. The Sixth Division on the -immediate right had been relieved by the Forty-first, but touch had -been lost and a gap formed, the enemy pushing on to Favreuil. The -Forty-second Division was on the march up, however, in order to -relieve the Fortieth, and two brigades of this formed a defensive -line covering Gomiecourt. - -These events had their reaction upon the Thirty-first Division to the -north. When the enemy were seen in Mory at 9 A.M. they were upon the -flank of the 4th Guards Brigade, which at the same time could see -heavy columns massing to the east of St. Leger. The Guards at once -dug in a new support switch line towards Ervillers and so kept touch -with the Fortieth in its new position. The 93rd upon the left was in -the meanwhile heavily attacked in front, the enemy coming on again -and again with a powerful support from trench mortars. These attacks -were all beaten back by the stout Yorkshire infantry, but nothing -could prevent the enemy from working round in the south and occupying -Behagnies and Sapignies. The British artillery was particularly -masterful in this section, and no direct progress could be made by -the Germans. - -[Sidenote: Sixth Corps. March 25.] - -In the late afternoon of the 24th the Germans made a new and violent -attack upon the exhausted Fortieth Division and upon the 4th Guards -Brigade on the right of the Thirty-first. In this attack the enemy -succeeded in forcing their way into Ervillers, while the Fortieth -reformed upon the west of it, so {30} as to cover Hamelincourt and -Moyenneville. The situation in the morning of March 25 was -exceedingly critical for the two advanced brigades of the -Thirty-first, the Guards and the 93rd, who had not budged from their -position. The enemy were now to the right rear, and if they advanced -farther northwards there was imminent danger that the defenders would -be cut off. As usual the best defence of a dashing commander is an -attack, so the reserve brigade, the 92nd, was ordered to advance upon -Ervillers, which had already been consolidated by the 91st German -Infantry Regiment. The 10th East Yorkshires led the attack and -seized the village once again, but the situation was still critical, -for the enemy were round the south-west, so that they enveloped the -whole right wing of the division, which was stretched to cracking -point with every man in the line. Touch had for the moment been lost -with the troops on the right. As the Germans poured past the right -wing of the Thirty-first they presented a menace for the future, but -a most tempting mark for the present, and ten machine-guns were kept -in continuous action for three hours upon ideal targets ranging from -300 to 1500 yards. The enemy losses upon this occasion were -undoubtedly very heavy, but with fine persistency they kept upon -their way, as one-idea'd and undeviating as a swarm of ants in a -tropical forest. A thick trail of their dead marked their westward -road. - -There had been comparative quiet at the north of the line so that the -narrative may still concern itself with the situation which centred -round the Thirty-first Division. The relief of the Fortieth upon the -right was now long overdue, and the men had been worked to the bone, -but the fact that Solly-Flood's {31} Forty-second Division had been -deflected to the south withheld their succours. The Forty-first -(Lawford), however, was gradually coming into action and thickening -their shredded lines. Sapignies in the extreme south of the corps -area had been taken by the Germans, but was recaptured in the morning -of March 25 by parts of the 120th Brigade working with the 127th -Brigade of the Forty-first Division. Strong German reinforcements -came up, however, and the British line was pushed back in this -quarter to the north-west until it crossed the high ground east of -Gomiecourt. This southern sector was handed over before noon from -the Sixth Corps to the Fourth, and in the evening the remains of the -Fortieth Division were finally drawn out, having finished a splendid -spell of service. The strain upon General Ponsonby, and upon his -three Brigadiers, Crozier, Campbell, and Forbes, had been enormous, -but under the most extreme pressure their units had always maintained -the line. Part of the 126th Brigade of the Forty-second Division was -now on the immediate right of the Thirty-first Division, the 10th -Manchesters connecting up with the 11th East Yorks and doing great -work in covering that flank. - -It has already been recorded how the 92nd Brigade, all of East -Yorkshire, had beaten the 91st Prussian Regiment out of the village -of Ervillers. A second regiment of the 2nd Guards Reserve Division, -the 77th, essayed the adventure of turning the Yorkshiremen out, but -met with a bloody repulse. "It was a sight to see," says one who was -present. "We were only a battalion, probably 800 strong, while he -had massed artillery and many thousands of infantry. They came over -to us in columns, and they {32} kept coming. They swarmed towards -us, but they made no progress, and we could not shoot fast enough. -For three and a half hours they came, and for three and a half hours -we knocked them out. They were falling like ripe corn before the -reaper. As fast as they fell others took their places, but they -could not move the East Yorks." The 2nd Guards Reserve were worn out -by this experience, and it must be admitted that their service in the -battle had been long and arduous. They were relieved by the 16th -Bavarians and the 239th Division, so that there was no surcease in -the endless pressure. - -At 1.15 the 93rd West Yorkshires upon the left of the line were -attacked, but could no more be shifted than their brother Tykes in -the south. The German stormers never reached the line, partly owing -to the excellent barrage and partly to the steady rifle-fire. After -a long interval of following false gods, such as bombs and rifle -grenades, the British soldier was reasserting himself once more as -the best average shot of all the forces engaged, though it must be -admitted that the specialised German snipers with their weapons of -precision were of a high excellence. All day the division stood its -ground and hit back hard at every attack, but by evening the salient -had become so extreme that it was necessary to readjust the line. -They fell back, therefore, the 92nd covering the operation, and took -up the line from Moyenneville to Ablainzeville, where they faced -round on the morning of March 26, the 92nd on the right of the line, -the 93rd upon the left, and the 4th Guards in reserve. On their -north lay the division of Guards, on their south the Forty-second -Division. - -It was on this morning that an incident occurred {33} leading to the -loss of a village, but also to a singular instance of military -virtue. It is the episode of Moyenneville and of the 15th West -Yorkshire Battalion. It appears that an officer in a state of -concussion from the explosion of a shell, sent an order to the left -of the line that they should retire. The Guards and other observers -were surprised to see two British battalions walking back with sloped -arms under no pressure from the enemy. By some chance the mistaken -order did not reach the 15th West Yorkshires, who remained isolated -in their position, and Colonel Twiss refused to follow the brigade -until a positive command should arrive. In their loneliness they -extended each flank in search of a friend, and finally stretched -their left into Moyenneville village, which they found already -strongly occupied by the Germans. To many minds this would have -appeared to be an excellent excuse for retirement, but its effect -upon the Yorkshire temperament was that they instantly attacked the -village and drove the intruders out. One considerable body of -Germans was driven down into a hollow and pelted with bullets until -the survivors raised the white flag. Very large numbers of German -wounded lay in and around the village, but it was not possible to -send them to the rear. The enemy attacked Moyenneville again, but -the battalion covered the western exits and denied all egress. For -the whole of that day, the whole night, and up to the afternoon of -March 27, this heroic body of infantry held their ground, though shot -at from every side and nearly surrounded. Not one yard backwards -would they budge without a definite written order. Not only did they -hold their own front but their machine-guns {34} played upon nine -successive waves of Germans advancing from Courcelles to Ayette, and -sorely hampered their movements to the south. They covered 2000 -yards for thirty-six hours and relieved the front of the Thirty-first -Division from pressure during that time. When at last the survivors -made their way back only four officers and forty men represented that -gallant battalion. Colonel Twiss was among the missing. "This -battalion," says the official record, "by its brave action relieved -the pressure on our front throughout the whole day and gave the -division time to establish its position near Ayette." It was as well -that this pressure should have been taken off, for both upon the 26th -and the 27th the ammunition question had become serious, and disaster -might have followed a more extended action. - -[Sidenote: Sixth Corps. March 27.] - -If we continue to follow the fortunes of the Thirty-first Division, -so as to bring them to their natural term, we find it now covering -the line from Ayette in the south to Ablainzeville. The enemy were -driving up on the right of the division between Courcelles and -Ablainzeville, a space which was covered by the 92nd Brigade, who -were fighting as brilliantly as ever. Touch had been lost with the -Forty-second upon March 27. The East Yorkshires lost their outpost -line four times this morning and four times they cleared it with the -bayonet. Colonel Rickman, the senior officer on the spot, fought for -every inch of ground as he retired before the ever-increasing -pressure. Finally the 92nd, worn to rags, were ordered to reform -behind the 4th Guards Brigade at Ayette, but so high was their spirit -that when during the night there was word that the Guards {35} were -themselves hard pressed they eagerly sent help forward to them, while -the Guards, with equal chivalry of spirit, strictly limited the -number who should come. About six in the evening the Guards threw -out a line to the south and joined up with the 10th Manchesters of -the Forty-second Division to the west of Ablainzeville, so that the -line was once more complete. - -[Sidenote: Sixth Corps. March 28.] - -March 28 found the battle still raging in front of the division, -which had now been engaged for four days without a break and had -beaten off the attacks of five separate German divisions. Two -attacks were made, the one upon the 93rd Brigade, the other upon the -Guards. Each attack got into the line and each was pitchforked out -again. So broken was the enemy that they were seen retiring in -crowds towards the north-east under a canopy of shrapnel. The -British barrage was particularly good that day, and many assaulting -units were beaten into pieces by it. The division was terribly worn, -and the men could hardly stand for exhaustion, and yet it was a glad -thought that the last glimpse which their weary and bloodshot eyes -had of their enemy was his broken hordes as they streamed away from -the front which they had failed to break. So thin were the ranks -that the pioneer battalion, the 12th Yorkshire Light Infantry, was -brought up to form the line. The Guards had taken their position -somewhat to the west of Ayette, and some of the enemy from the south -filtered into the village, but they were shortly afterwards put out -again by Shute's Thirty-second Division, which had come up for the -relief. There was no attack upon the 29th, and upon the 30th the -Thirty-first was able to withdraw, having established {36} a record -which may have been equalled but cannot have been surpassed by any -division in this great battle. Five German divisions, the 111th, 2nd -Guards Reserve, 239th and 16th Bavarians, and 1st Guards Reserve, had -been wholly or partially engaged with the Thirty-first. Both sides -had lost heavily and were exhausted. It was here, near Ervillers, -that a German war correspondent has described how he saw the long -line of German and British wounded lying upon either side of the main -road. - -It has been stated that the Thirty-second Division carried Ayette -after this unit had relieved the Thirty-first Division, and the -operation may be treated here to preserve continuity of narrative. -It was of more than local importance, as it was one of the earliest -indications that the British army was still full of fight and that in -spite of every disadvantage it meant to hit back at every -opportunity. On taking over his section of the front, General Shute -found before him the village of Ayette, which was strongly held, but -was on the forward slope of a hill so that it could obtain little -help from the German guns. He at once determined to attack. The -15th Highland Light Infantry of the 14th Brigade were directed upon -the village on the night of April 2, while the 96th Brigade continued -the attack to the south. The result was a very heartening little -success. Three companies of the Highlanders, numbering under 300 in -all, carried the village, though it was held by a German battalion. -On the right, the 16th Lancashire Fusiliers made the attack, and in -spite of one check, which was set right by the personal intervention -of General Girdwood of the 96th Brigade, the objectives were reached. -The two attacks were {37} skilfully connected up by the 5/6th Royal -Scots, while a party of sappers of the 206th Field Company under -Lieutenant Cronin followed on the heels of the infantry and quickly -consolidated. - -[Sidenote: Sixth Corps. March 24.] - -Whilst these stirring events had been in progress in the south, the -north of the line had slowly drawn back in order to preserve -conformity. The Seventeenth Corps, as already stated, were to the -west of Monchy, and the left of the Sixth Corps was on the line of -Henin, where the Third Division occupied a strong defensive position. -This was strongly attacked upon the forenoon of March 24; especially -on the 8th Brigade front, which was the right of the line, the -Germans swarming up from the south-east of Henin and trying hard to -work up the Henin-Neuville Vitasse Road. This attack fell -particularly upon the 1st Scots Fusiliers, and it was completely -repulsed with heavy losses, though it was facilitated by the sunken -roads which converged upon Henin. The Germans in their retirement -had to pass along a slope where once again they lost heavily. - -Shortly after noon the left of the Third Division was also attacked, -and the enemy obtained a temporary footing between the 1st Gordons -and 8th Royal Lancasters of the 76th Brigade. From this he was very -soon ejected, and though many bombing attacks were pushed with great -resolution they had no results. March 25 was quiet upon the front of -the Third Division, though the right of the Guards Division to the -south near Boyelles was subjected to one heavy unsuccessful attack. -That evening both the Guards and the Third Division had to make some -retraction of their line in order to conform to the situation already -described in the south, but March 26 {38} passed without an attack, -the soldiers listening with anxious impatience to the roar of battle -on their right, unable to see the fight, and yet keenly conscious -that their own lives might depend upon its results. The 27th was -also a day of anxious expectancy, culminating upon the 28th in a very -severe battle, which was the greater test coming after so long a -period of strain. All three brigades were in the line, the 8th upon -the right, 9th in the centre, and 76th in the north. Still farther -to the north was the 44th Highland Brigade of Reed's Fifteenth -Division upon which the storm first burst. - -[Sidenote: Sixth and Seventeenth Corps. March 28.] - -This brigade at 6.45 was assailed by a bombardment of so severe a -character that its trenches were completely destroyed. The German -infantry pushed home behind this shattering fire and drove back the -front line of the Highlanders. This enabled them to get behind the -left flank of the 2nd Suffolks and nearly surround them, while at the -same time they pierced the front of the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers -on their right. The front line of the 8th Royal Lancasters had also -been penetrated, and the British infantry were pushed back and split -up into various small squads of men, intermingled in the north with -Highlanders of the 44th Brigade, and all fighting desperately with -the enemy swarming thickly upon them. By 9.45 the whole front was in -German hands. Enemy field-guns were lining Wancourt Ridge, and as -the shattered formations tried to form a new line they were heavily -shelled by them. The loss in officers and men was very heavy, -Colonel James of the Royal Lancasters being among the dead. The -withdrawal was made to the reserve line, which the 44th Brigade had -already occupied in the north. {39} This included the village of -Neuville Vitasse which became untenable from shell-fire, and into the -northern portion of which the enemy was able to push, but in the main -the reserve system was occupied, the movement being covered by some -of the 1st Gordons. At this point an equilibrium was attained and -the enemy held after as desperate a conflict as any troops could be -called upon to endure. - -[Sidenote: Sixth Corps. March 28.] - -On the right of the 76th Brigade the 9th Brigade had also been -fighting very hard, and been compelled to yield some ground before -the overpowering weight of the attack, especially that of the -preliminary trench-mortar fire. The first enemy advance in the -morning was completely beaten off with great loss. A second attack -had driven in the 8th Brigade on the right, which enabled the Germans -to get behind the two companies of the 13th King's Liverpool who were -in the front line. These men fought to the end and were last seen -standing on the parapet without a thought of surrender. At the same -time a company of the Northumberland Fusiliers on their left shared -their fate, save for one officer and twelve men who survived. The -front line of the 8th Brigade had now ceased to exist, but the -reserve line still held. An attack upon the 7th Shropshires who, -with the remains of the other battalions, held on to it, was -successfully shattered, even the battalion headquarters being brought -into the desperate battle, while the guns on each side fought as hard -as the infantry, barrage and attack succeeding each other with -mechanical accuracy, and being answered by an equally efficient -barrage and defence, for the British guns were extraordinarily well -handled that day. About mid-day the enemy got a lodgment {40} on the -right of the reserve line, but the Fusiliers, whose Colonel, Moulton -Barrett, had been hit, and the 13th King's still fought furiously for -what was left, and retained their ground until dusk, when they were -drawn back into the reserve line in order to conform with the 76th -Brigade. - -The 8th Brigade upon the extreme right of the division had also -endured heavy losses in men and some loss in ground. The front line -was held by companies of the 1st Scots Fusiliers and of the 7th -Shropshires. The enemy, after an unsuccessful attempt, got into the -trenches of the latter and bombed their way along them, clearing that -section of the front. It was bomb against rifle in the tortuous -ditches, and the bomb proved the more handy weapon. The Scots -Fusiliers, who were the next to be assailed, made shift with -rifle-grenades, but these also ran short, and they were forced back, -so that the survivors of the two front companies were driven across -the Arras-Bapaume Road. Finally, as in the case of the other -brigades, the reserve line was successfully maintained until evening. - -No soldiers could have fought with greater bravery and skill than did -the Third Division on March 28. They were assailed by at least three -German divisions and by a crushing artillery, but they disputed every -inch of ground, and finally fought their formidable adversary to such -a complete standstill that he could not, with several hours of -daylight at his disposal, and disorganised ranks before him, continue -his attacks. It is true that he secured Henin and Neuville Vitasse, -but he paid a rich price in blood. So broken were the enemy that the -British wounded came back through their ranks without let or {41} -hindrance. A strong counter would have swept them out of the ground -that they had gained, but neither the Third nor the Fifteenth, which -had endured an equal attack upon the left, was in a condition to -advance, while the Guards had been already withdrawn in accordance -with the situation on their right. The blow which the Germans had -received was shown even more clearly by their failure to attack upon -the next day. On March 30 the Third Division was relieved by the -Second Canadians. Their record was a great one, and their losses, -139 officers and 3500 men, were a measure of their services. In nine -days, before a vastly superior force, they had only gone back 7000 -yards, most of which was strategic withdrawal. Well might General -Byng say, "By their conduct they have established a standard of -endurance and determination that will be a model for all time." - -[Sidenote: Seventeenth Corps. March 28.] - -This desperate German attack on March 28 to the north of the British -line had spread right across the face of the Fifteenth Scottish -Division through the line of Orange Hill and on to Telegraph Hill, -finally involving the Fourth Division on the other side of the -Scarpe, and the right-hand unit of the Thirteenth Corps on their -left, so that Horne's First Army was now drawn into the fray, which -reached as far north as Oppy and Gavrelle. Along the whole of this -long front there was constant fighting, which in the case of the -Fifteenth Division was as desperate as that of the Third. All three -brigades were in the line, each of them having two battalions in -front and one in reserve. Never has the grand tough Scottish fibre -been more rudely tested than on this terrible day of battle, and -never has it stood the strain more splendidly. General Reed's men -{42} undoubtedly saved Arras and held up at least six German -divisions which broke themselves on that rugged and impenetrable -line, formed in the first instance by the 7th Camerons upon the -right, the 13th Royal Scots in the centre, the 9th Black Watch and -7/8 Scots Borderers on the left. As already told, the shattering -bombardment destroyed a large part of the right front, burying the -garrison amid the ruins of their trenches, near their junction with -the Third Division. Some fifty Camerons, under Colonel MacLeod, -fought most desperately round their headquarters, and then fell back -slowly upon the 8/10 Gordons, who were holding the Neuville Vitasse -trench behind them. This was about 6 A.M. By 7.40 the whole front -line, shot to pieces and with their right flank gone, readjusted -their line to correspond, winding up near the Feuchy Road. There was -no rest nor respite, however, for the whole German plan of campaign -depended upon their getting Arras, so they poured forward their waves -of attack regardless of losses. It was a really desperate battle in -which the Scots, lying in little groups among the shell-holes and -ditches, mowed the Germans down as they swarmed up to them, but were -themselves occasionally cut off and overpowered as the stormers found -the gaps and poured through them. The pressure was very great on the -front of the Black Watch, north of the Cambrai Road, and there -General Reed determined upon a counter-attack, for which he could -only spare a single company of the 10th Scottish Rifles. In spite of -the small numbers it was carried out with such dash, under the -personal lead of Colonel Stanley Clarke, that the front was cleared -for a time, and the Germans thrown back east of Feuchy. - -{43} - -[Sidenote: Seventeenth Corps.] - -Meanwhile the Germans had made some advance to the north of the -Scarpe, and the 7/8 Scots Borderers on the left wing had to fall back -to preserve the line. At 11 A.M. the enemy were raging in the centre -of the line, and the 6th Camerons, north of the Cambrai Road, were -forced backwards, the enemy piercing their front. Up to 1.45 the -weight of the attack was mostly in the north, and ended by all three -brigades moving back, with the enemy still striving with the utmost -fury and ever fresh relays of men to burst the line. At 3 P.M. the -German stormers had won the Bois des Bœufs, but were driven out -again by the 9th Black Watch and by the 11th Argylls, who had lost -their C.O., Colonel Mitchell. The division was worn to a shadow, and -yet the moment that the German attack seemed to ease both they and -the Fourth Division on their north advanced their front. In this -single bloody day the Fifteenth Division lost 94 officers and 2223 -men, but there can be no doubt that their action, with that of the -Third Division and the Fourth on either side of them, was the main -determining factor in the whole of this vast battle. General Reed (a -V.C. of Colenso) with his Brigadiers, Hilliard, Allgood, and Lumsden, -might well be proud of the way they held the pass. - -North of the Scarpe all three brigades of the Fourth Division were -exposed to a furious attack, and lost the village of Rœux, which -was defended literally to the death by the 2nd Seaforths of the 10th -Brigade, but the 1st Hants in the front line of the 11th Brigade and -the 2nd Essex of the 12th stood like iron, and in a long day's -fighting the enemy was never able to make any serious lodgment in the -position, though the rushes of his bombing parties {44} were said by -experienced British officers to have been extraordinarily determined -and clever. Very little ground was gained by the Germans, and of -this a section upon the left flank near Gavrelle was regained by a -sudden counter-attack of the Fourth Division. - -[Sidenote: Sixth and Seventeenth Corps. March 28.] - -Of the attack to the north of the Third Army in the Bailleul and Oppy -district, it should be noted that it fell upon the Fifty-sixth London -Territorial Division, who for once had the pleasant experience of -being at the right end of the machine-gun. They took every advantage -of their opportunity, and there are few places where the Germans have -endured heavier losses with no gains to show in return. The -Westminsters and L.R.B.'s of the 169th Brigade were particularly -heavily engaged, and a party of the former distinguished themselves -by a most desperate defence of an outlying post, named Towy Post, -near Gavrelle, which they held long after it was passed by the enemy, -but eventually fought their way to safety. The attack lasted from -seven in the morning till six at night, and the Londoners had full -vengeance for their comrades of July 1916 or August 1917, who had -died before the German wire even as the Germans died that day. - -It was a successful day for the British arms, so successful that it -marked the practical limit of the German advance in that quarter, -which was the vital section, covering the town of Arras. There is no -doubt that the attempt was a very serious one, strongly urged by six -divisions of picked infantry in front and four in support, with a -very powerful concentration of artillery, which was expected to smash -a way through the three divisions chiefly {45} attacked. The -onslaught was whole-hearted and skilful, but so was the defence. The -German losses were exceedingly high, and save for a strip of -worthless ground there was really nothing to show for them. It was -the final check to the German advance in this quarter of the field, -so that the chronicler may well bring his record to a pause while he -returns to the first day of the battle and endeavours to trace the -fortunes of the Fourth and Fifth Corps, who formed the right half of -the Third Army. We have fixed the northern sector of the -battle-field from Bailleul in the north right across the Scarpe and -down to the Cojeul in its position, from which it was destined to -make no change for many months to come. It was the first -solidification of the lines, for to the south all was still fluid and -confused. - -[Sidenote: Sixth and Seventeenth Corps.] - -A word should be said before one finally passes from this portion of -the great epic, as to the truly wonderful work of the Army Medical -Corps. In spite of the constant fire the surgeons and bearers were -continually in the front line and conveying the wounded to the rear. -Many thousands were saved from the tortures of a German prison camp -by the devotion which kept them within the British lines. It may be -invidious to mention examples where the same spirit of self-sacrifice -animated all, but one might take as typical the case of the Fortieth -Division, some details of which are available. Colonel M'Cullagh and -his men conveyed to the rear during five days, always under heavy -fire, 2400 cases of their own or other divisions, the whole of the -casualties of the Fortieth being 2800. M'Carter, a British, and -Berney, an American surgeon, both had dressing-posts right up to the -battle-line, the latter being {46} himself wounded twice. Wannan, a -stretcher-bearer, carried thirty cases in one day, and ended by -conveying a wounded friend several miles upon his shoulders. Private -M'Intosh, attacked by a German while binding an injured man, killed -the cowardly fellow with his own bayonet, and then completed his -task. It is hard to work detail into so vast a picture, but such -deeds were infinitely multiplied along that great line of battle. -Nor can one omit mention of the untiring work of the artillery, which -was in action often for several days and nights on end. Occasionally -in some soldier's letter one gets a glimpse of the spirit of the -gunners such as no formal account can convey: "Our battery fired two -days and nights without ceasing until spotted by the German -observers. They then kept up a terrible fire until the British guns -were silenced in succession. One officer was left standing when I -was wounded. He shook my hand as they carried me away. I went -leaving him with about seven men and two guns, still carrying on as -if nothing had happened. This is only one battery among hundreds -which showed as great pluck and tenacity as we did." - - - - -{47} - -CHAPTER III - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Attack on the Fourth and Fifth Corps - -Attack on Sixth and Fifty-first Divisions--Engagement of the -Twenty-fifth and Forty-first Divisions--Attack on Forty-seventh, -Sixty-third, Second, and Nineteenth Divisions--The German -torrent--Serious situation--Arrival of Sixty-second -Division--Fighting before Albert--Gallant defence by Twelfth -Division--Arrival of the New Zealanders, of the Australians, of the -Thirty-fifth Division--Equilibrium. - -[Sidenote: Fourth Corps. March 21.] - -To the immediate south of the Sixth Corps the front line upon March -21 was held by Harper's Fourth Corps, which consisted of the Sixth -Division (Harden) opposite to Lagnicourt with the Fifty-first -Highland Division to the right of them, which famous unit was now -under the command of General Carter-Campbell, whose name has been -recorded in a previous volume as the only officer left standing in -his battalion after the action of Neuve Chapelle. To the south of -the Fourth Corps was the Fifth Corps (Fanshawe) with the Seventeenth -Division (Robertson) on the left, the Sixty-third (Lawrie) in the -centre, and the Forty-seventh (Gorringe) on the right covering the -whole Cambrai salient from Flesquières in the north to the point near -Gouzeaucourt Wood where the Third Army met the left flank of the -Fifth. The line took a considerable bend at this point, marking the -{48} ground gained at the battle of Cambrai, and it was part of the -German scheme to break through to the north and south, so that -without attacking the Fifth Corps they would either cause it to fall -back or else isolate and capture it. Had their advance been such as -they had hoped for, they would certainly have placed it in great -peril. Even as it was, it was necessary to withdraw the line, but -without undue haste or confusion. Great pressure was laid upon the -Fifth Corps in later stages of the battle, but beyond a considerable -shell-fall and demonstration there was no actual attack upon March -21. It was by holding certain sections of the line in this fashion -that the Germans were able to pile up the odds at those places which -were actually attacked. - -It will be possible to describe the sequence of events with -considerably less detail in this and other sectors of the line, since -the general conditions of attack and defence may be taken as similar -to that already described. Here also the bombardment began with its -full shattering force of high explosive, blue cross invisible gas, -mustard gas, phosgene, and every other diabolical device which the -German chemist has learned to produce and the British to neutralise. -In the case of the British infantry, many of them had to wear their -gas masks for eight hours on end, and the gunners were in even worse -plight; but these appliances, which will no doubt find a place in the -museums of our children, were of a surprising efficiency, and -hampered the experienced soldier far less than would have been -thought. - -The infantry advance was at 9.45, the Germans swarming in under the -cover of Nature's smoke barrage, for here, as in several other parts -of the line, {49} a thick morning mist greatly helped the attack and -screened the stormers until they were actually up to the wire, which -had usually been shattered in advance by the trench-mortars. The -line from Flesquières to Dernicourt in the region of the Fifty-first -Division was less seriously attacked, and remained inviolate, but the -northern stretch from Dernicourt to Lagnicourt was struck with -terrific impact, and gave before the blow to very much the same -extent as the divisions to the immediate north. The 71st Brigade in -the Lagnicourt sector was especially hard hit, and was very violently -assailed by a strong force of Germans, which included the 1st -Prussian Guard. This famous regiment was at one time all round the -9th Norfolks, who succeeded at last in fighting themselves clear, -though their Colonel, Prior, and the great majority of the officers -and men in the battalion were killed or wounded. Even these wounded, -however, were safely carried off, thanks to the devotion of Captain -Failes and a handful of brave men. In this desperate struggle the -whole brigade was decimated. The 16th and 18th Brigades had also -suffered severely, but the division, in spite of its losses, was -splendidly solid, and fell back slowly upon the support of the 75th -Brigade of the Twenty-fifth Division, which had hastened up to the -danger point. By evening, the Germans, advancing in great numbers -and with fine resolution, had occupied the four villages of Doignies, -Boursies, Louverval, and Lagnicourt, their total penetration from -Boursies in the south to Ecoust in the north, a stretch of seven -miles, averaging about 3000 yards. This advance had completely -turned the left wing of the Fifty-first, which was compelled to fall -back in consequence, {50} after stopping several attacks from across -the Canal du Nord. All three brigades of the Fifty-first Division -were in line, and of the three the left and centre had been seriously -engaged, the enemy entering the front line of both before mid-day, -and finally reaching the second system between Louverval and -Lagnicourt, so that the defence lay along the Beaumetz-Morchies line. -The Nineteenth Division was in general support in this quarter, and -the 57th Brigade became practically the right of the Fifty-first -Division. About 7 P.M. in the evening two battalions of it, the 8th -Gloucesters and 10th Worcesters of the 57th Brigade, tried to turn -the tide of fight by a counter-attack, with the aid of tanks, against -the village of Doignies. This attack was successful in retaking half -the village, but in the course of the night it was found necessary to -withdraw before the increasing pressure of the enemy, who brought -many machine-guns into the village. During the night it was arranged -that the Fifth Corps should fall back from its dangerous position in -the Cambrai salient, and by eleven next day the divisions which -composed it were ranged from Highland Ridge, through Havrincourt and -Hermies, in touch with the Fourth Corps in the north and with the -left of the Fifth Army in the south. Whilst this very heavy attack -had been made upon the Fourth Corps, Bainbridge's Twenty-fifth -Division had been in close support of the two divisions in the front -line. While the 75th Brigade, as already stated, was pushed up under -very heavy fire to strengthen the Sixth Division in their desperate -resistance, the 74th was allotted to the Fifty-first Division, which -was in less serious need of help during the day. Griffin's 7th -Brigade {51} remained in reserve in front of Morchies, where upon the -following morning its presence was invaluable as a solid unshaken -nucleus of resistance. Eight German divisions were identified that -day among those which attacked the two British divisions in the front -line of the Fourth Corps. - -[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 22.] - -There was no attack during the night, but the Germans thickened their -advanced line and were all ready for another strenuous day, while the -British, though hustled and overborne by the tremendous onslaught -which had pushed them back, were still within their battle positions -and as doggedly surly as British infantry usually are in hours of -stress and trial. Three strong attacks were made in the morning and -early afternoon between Hermies and Beaumetz, all of which were -driven back. There is no method of gauging the losses of the enemy -upon such occasions, but when one knows that the machine-guns fired -as many as 9000 rounds each, and that a single Lewis gun discharged -30,000 bullets, one can say with certainty that they were very heavy. -These attacks fell upon the Highlanders on the right, the 7th Brigade -in the centre, and the remains of the Sixth Division upon the left. -Unhappily, a chain of defence is no stronger than its weakest link, -which finds itself so often at points of juncture. Upon this -occasion the Germans, continually filtering forward and testing every -possible orifice, found a weakness between the 120th Brigade of the -Fortieth Division in the north and the Sixth in the south. This weak -point was to be mended by the Forty-first Division, which had been -hurried up from Favreuil, but the time was too short, or the rent was -too wide, so that the Germans pushed rapidly through and {52} seized -the village of Vaulx-Vraumont, separating the Fourth Corps from the -Sixth. It was an anxious moment, and coupled with the German success -at Henin Hill in the north it might have meant the isolation of the -Sixth Corps; but the necessary changes were rapidly and steadily -effected, so that before evening the Highlanders of the 120th Brigade -feeling out upon their right and fearing all would be void, joined -hands suddenly with the 15th Hampshires of the Forty-first Division -in the neighbourhood of Beugnâtre. Before night had fallen upon -March 22 the line had been restored and built up once more, though -some five thousand yards westward of where it had been in the -morning. That evening the Sixth Division was drawn out, weak and -dishevelled, but still full of fight. With all the hammering and -hustling that it had endured, it had saved its heavy guns and nearly -all its field batteries. The Forty-first Division took its place, -and incorporated for the time the 7th Brigade, a unit which had -endured hard fortune, for it had held its ground splendidly with -little loss until, after the fashion of modern war, events upon the -other side of the horizon caused it to get the order to retire, an -order which could not be obeyed without complete exposure and very -heavy casualties, including Colonel Blackall of the 4th South -Staffords. Each day of arduous battle was followed by a no less -arduous night, during which, under heavy fire and every conceivable -difficulty the various divisions were readjusted so that the morning -light should show no impossible salients, no outlying indefensible -positions, no naked flanks, and no yawning gaps. How easy are such -exercises over a map upon a study table, and how difficult when -conducted by dazed, {53} over-wrought officers, pushing forward their -staggering, half-conscious men in the darkness of a wilderness of -woods and fields, where the gleam of a single electric torch may mean -disaster to all! And yet, as every morning dawned, the haggard -staff-captain at the telephone could still report to his anxious -chief that all was well, and his battle-line still intact between the -Hun and his goal. - -On the morning of the battle the general disposition of the Fifth -Corps had been that the Seventeenth Division (Robertson) was in the -line on the left, the Sixty-third Naval Division (Lawrie) in the -centre, and the Forty-seventh Division (Gorringe) on the right, being -the southern unit of the Third Army, in close liaison with the Ninth -Division, the northern unit of the Fifth Army. Two divisions were in -close reserve, the Second (Pereira) on the right, and the Nineteenth -(Jeffreys) on the left. - -[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 21.] - -The Forty-seventh Division was in a particularly important position, -since it was the flank unit and the liaison between the two armies -depended upon it. It had only come into line the day before the -battle, taking the place of the Second Division, which was now in -immediate support. On March 21 the 140th Brigade covered the right -of the divisional front, and the 141st the left, the sector being -that of La Vacquerie. In view of the menacing attitude of the enemy -both the 142nd Brigade and the 4th Welsh Fusiliers Pioneer Battalion -were brought nearer to the front line. So heavy was the gas -bombardment in the morning that the front battalion of the 140th -Brigade, the 17th London, had to evacuate some advanced trenches and -to wear their gas masks for hours on end. The front line trenches -were blown {54} to fragments, and so also were many of their -garrison. The following infantry advance, however, though vigorously -conducted, had no great weight, and seems to have been the work of -two battalions carrying out a subsidiary attack. By a counter-attack -of the 19th London they were driven out once more. - -Whilst this partial attack had been made upon the Forty-seventh -Division, similar assaults had been made upon the Sixty-third in the -centre, and upon the Seventeenth in the northern sector of the Fifth -Corps. None of them made more than petty gains, but in each case the -bombardment was formidable, chiefly with trench-mortar bombs and with -gas. In the case of the Forty-seventh Division there was a -considerable interval between the front brigades, because a number -both of the 18th and 17th London had been absolutely destroyed, -together with their trench. There were several other partial attacks -during the day, but the pressure was never extreme, and the -withdrawal to Highland Ridge after dusk was carried out on account of -the general tactical position. All wounded men were carried back, -and no booty left to the enemy. - -Meanwhile the left flank of the Fifth Corps had been covered by the -58th Brigade of the Nineteenth Division, the 9th Welsh Fusiliers -being heavily engaged. During March 22, Havrincourt, Herrmies, and -the Beaumetz-Hermies line were held by the Seventeenth, Nineteenth, -and Fifty-first divisions against repeated German attacks, and in the -evening the Nineteenth was in touch with the Forty-first on its left -and with the Second on its right. - -[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 22.] - -On this night of March 22 the principal change was this movement -backwards of the whole Fifth {55} Corps. The retirement of the Fifth -Corps continued during the day of March 23, and was caused by the -necessity of conforming with the Seventh Corps to the south of it -which, after valiant exertions, soon to be described, had lost Nurlu, -so placing the enemy upon the right rear of the divisions in the -north. Fins had also been taken in the same neighbourhood, The Fifth -Corps was now heavily pressed in its retreat, all five divisions -enduring considerable losses and having the menace of the enemy -constantly upon their right flank. At noon the general line was east -of Equancourt, and this line was held for a time, but the enemy was -still thundering on in the north, his fresh divisions rolling in like -waves from some inexhaustible sea. At 1.30 they were pushing their -attack most desperately upon the weary fringes of riflemen and groups -of tired machine-gunners, who formed the front of the Forty-first -Division between Beugny and Lebucquière. In all, this division, with -the Nineteenth and Fifty-first upon their right, sustained five -strong attacks in the afternoon of this day, most of them from -Vaulx-Vraumont. Eventually Lebucquière was taken, the enemy breaking -their way at this point through the line of the exhausted Fifty-first -Division, who had fought with splendid resolution. This German -success placed the Nineteenth Division south of Beaumetz and at -Beugny in a very serious position, as the enemy infantry got behind -the 9th Welsh Fusiliers and 6th Wiltshires, who were only saved from -total destruction by the staunch support of the 9th Welsh at Beugny, -who held on desperately until the remains of the 58th Brigade could -get back to them. These remains when the three battalions {56} were -reunited were only a few hundred men. The case of the 57th Brigade, -which was fighting a hard rearguard action all afternoon, was little -better, and both the 8th Gloucesters and 10th Worcesters were almost -overwhelmed by the swarms of Germans who poured up against their -front and flank. A splendid stand was made by this brigade -north-east of Velu, in which the men of Gloucester especially -distinguished themselves, Captain Jones of A Company receiving the -V.C. for his heroic resistance. Colonel Hoath of the 10th Warwicks -conducted this arduous retreat, and his own battalion shares in the -honours of a fight which was tragic in its losses, but essential for -its effect upon the fortunes of the army. Captain Gribble of this -battalion also received the V.C., his D Company falling to the last -man after the best traditions of the British army. The 5th Brigade -of the Second Division, upon the right of the Nineteenth Division, -shared in the honours of this desperate business, the 2nd Oxford and -Bucks being very heavily engaged. After the prolonged action the -final line of the Nineteenth Division ran west of Bertincourt, the -movement of retreat being to the south-west. So confused had been -the fighting of the last two days that the Nineteenth Division which -had been on the right of the Fifty-first was now upon their left. -Still keeping a closely-knit line and their faces to the foe, the -Third Army stretched that night from Sailly in the south to the west -of Henin and Monchy. The Fourth Corps, which had been so badly -mauled, was strengthened that evening by the inclusion of the -Forty-second Division. The towers of Bapaume in the rear showed how -far across the {57} ravaged and reconquered land the British line had -retreated. - -The pressure here described had been upon the left of the Fifth -Corps, but the situation upon its right flank had also been very -awkward. The terrific weight thrown upon the Ninth Division had, as -will be described, driven them farther westward than their left-hand -companions of the Forty-seventh Division. The result was a most -dangerous gap which exposed the whole rear of the Third Army. The -99th Brigade in the Equancourt district endeavoured after the fall of -Fins to fill this front, but they were not nearly numerous enough for -the purpose. The result was that the Forty-seventh Division, which -moved back on the night of March 22 from Highland Ridge to the -Metz-Dessart Wood line, had to reach out more and more upon the right -in order to save the situation. In this operation two battalions, -the 4th Welsh Fusiliers Pioneers and the 23rd London, sustained most -of the attack and suffered very heavily upon March 23, while in the -preliminary fighting upon March 22 the 18th London had many losses. -By the morning of March 24, the Forty-seventh, beating off all -attacks and keeping their position in the unbroken line, had fallen -back to a new position, the 142nd Brigade, which formed the -rearguard, fighting hard in its retreat, and having to brush aside -those groups of Germans who had slipped in at the rear. - -[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 24.] - -The morning of March 24 found the German torrent still roaring -forward in full spate, though less formidable than before, since the -heavier guns were far to the rear. Their light artillery, -trench-mortars, and machine-guns were always up with the storming -{58} columns, and the latter were relieved in a manner which showed -the competence of their higher command. It was a day of doubt and -difficulty for the British, for the pressure was everywhere severe, -and the line had frayed until it was very thin, while officers and -men had reached the last limits of human endurance. At 8.30 in the -morning the enemy was pressing hard upon the Seventeenth and -Forty-seventh Divisions in the region of Bus and Le Mesnil, where -they were endeavouring to keep in touch with the worn remains of the -heroic Ninth Division on the left of the Seventh Corps. Sailly -Saillisel was still clear of the enemy, but the tide was flowing -strongly towards it. The 51st Brigade of the Seventeenth Division -occupied this village and threw out its left to the Londoners on the -north of them. Bertincourt, which had become a dangerous salient, -was evacuated, and the line now ran east of Haplincourt and -Rocquigny, the three brigades of the Seventeenth Division occupying -this latter village, Barastre, and Villers-au-Flos. On their north -were two brigades of the Forty-seventh, the remaining brigade being -south of Le Transloy. North of the Forty-seventh Division the -Sixty-third Naval Division and the Second Division carried the line -on to the junction with the Fourth Corps, where the exhausted -Nineteenth Division lay across the Cambrai Road, with the even more -shattered Fifty-first Division at Riencourt to the north of them. -There was some very furious fighting in front of Rocquigny about -mid-day, in which the 12th Manchesters of the Seventeenth Division, -and the three battalions (18th, 19th, 20th London) of the 141st -Brigade made a very desperate resistance. The fighting was continued -until the {59} defenders found themselves in danger of being -surrounded, when they were withdrawn. The 140th Brigade, under -Colonel Dawes, also did great service that day in holding the Germans -from getting behind the line. The enemy was so far round that there -was the greatest difficulty in clearing the transport, which was only -accomplished by the fine rearguard work of the 4th Welsh Fusiliers, -aided by the 11th Motor Machine-gun Battery, and 34th Brigade R.F.A. - -It was, however, to the south, where the Third and Fifth Armies were -intermittently joined and vaguely interlocked, that the danger -chiefly lay. About noon, the enemy, finding the weak spot between -the two armies, had forced his way into Sailly Saillisel in -considerable force, and pushed rapidly north and west from the -village. So rapid was the German advance upon the right rear of the -Fifth Corps that Rancourt and even Combles were said to have fallen. -In vain the Seventeenth Division overstretched its wing to the south, -trying to link up with the Seventh Corps. Early in the afternoon -Morval and Les Bœufs had gone, and the troops were back upon the -mud-and-blood areas of 1916. For the moment it seemed that the -British line had gone, and it was hard to say what limit might be put -to this very serious advance. By midnight the enemy were north of -Bapaume, and had reached Ervillers, while in the south they had taken -Longueval, the key village of Delville Wood. It was indeed a sad -relapse to see all that the glorious dead had bought with their -hearts' blood reverting so swiftly to the enemy. In the north, -however, as has already been shown in the story of the Sixth Corps, -the enemy's bolt was shot, {60} and in the south his swift career was -soon to be slowed and held. - -In the Favreruil, Sapignies, and Gomiecourt district, north of -Bapaume, the advance was mainly accomplished through the pressure of -fresh German forces upon the exhausted and attenuated line of the -Forty-first Division, which still struggled bravely, and in the end -successfully, against overwhelming odds. In the effort to hold a -line the divisions which had been drawn out as too weak for service -turned back once more into the fray like wounded men who totter -forward to strike a feeble blow for their comrades in distress. The -Sixth Division was led in once more, and sustained fresh and terrible -losses. Its left fell back to Favreuil, exposing the right wing of -the Fortieth Division. The Twenty-fifth Division to the east of -Achiet found itself also once more overtaken by the battle. By -evening the line had been built up again in this quarter, and the -dead-weary British infantry snatched a few hours of sleep before -another day of battle. The Nineteenth Division, reduced to 2000 -rifles, lay from Le Barque to Avesnes, with the Second upon their -right and the Forty-first upon their left, while the whole of this -difficult retreat had been covered by the weary but indomitable -Highlanders of the Fifty-first. - -The really serious situation was to the south of Bapaume upon the old -Somme battle-field, where the Germans had made sudden and alarming -progress. Their temporary success was due to the fact that the -losses in the British lines had contracted the ranks until it was -impossible to cover the whole space or to prevent the infiltration of -the enemy between the units. The situation required some complete -and {61} vigorous regrouping and reorganisation if complete disaster -was to be avoided. Up to this point the British Higher Command had -been unable to do much to help the two hard-pressed armies, save to -supply them with the scanty succours which were immediately -available. Now, however, it interfered with decision at the vital -spot and in the vital moment. To ensure solidity and unity, -Congreve's Seventh Corps, which had been the northern unit of the -Fifth Army, became from this time onwards the southern unit of the -Third Army, passing under the command of General Byng. With them -went the First, Second, and Third Cavalry Divisions, which had been -doing really splendid service in the south. Everything north of the -Somme was now Third Army. At the same time the three fine and fresh -Australian Divisions, the Third, Fourth, and Fifth, were assembling -near Doullens in readiness to strike, while the Twelfth British -Division was also hurried towards the place of danger. The future -was dark and dangerous, but there were also solid grounds for hope. - -[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 21.] - -On the morning of March 25 the line of the Third Army, which had -defined itself more clearly during the night, ran from Curlu near the -Somme, east of Bazentin, west of Longueval, east of Martinpuich, -through Ligny Thilloy, Sapignies, Ervillers, and hence as before. -The enemy, whose cavalry were well up and in force, at once began his -thrusting tactics in the southern section of the field, and may have -expected, after his advance of the day before, to find some signs of -weakening resistance. In this he was disappointed, for both the 47th -Londoners in front of Contalmaison and the Second Division at Ligny -Thilloy beat off several attacks with {62} very great loss to the -assailants. The units were much broken and mixed, but the spirit of -the individuals was excellent. The pressure continued, however, to -be very great, and in the afternoon the line was once more pushed to -the westwards. There was severe fighting between Bapaume and -Sapignies, where mixed and disorganised units still held the Germans -back, but in the late afternoon three distinct gaps had appeared in -the line, one between the Seventh and Fifth Corps, one in the Fifth -Corps itself in the Pozières area of the Sixty-third Division, and -one between the Fifth and the Fourth Corps. Fortunately, the -resistance had been so desperate that by the time the Germans had -their opportunity they were always so bedraggled themselves that they -could not take full advantage of it. The general order of divisions -in this area, counting from the south of Contalmaison, was -Seventeenth, Forty-seventh, Sixty-third, Second, upon the morning of -March 25. - -The Seventh Corps, the previous adventures of which will be described -under the heading of the Fifth Army, had now become the right wing of -the Third Army. It had been strengthened by the advent of the -Thirty-fifth Division, and this unit now covered from west of Curlu -to east of Maricourt, where it touched the right of the Ninth -Division--if the thin ranks of that gallant band can be dignified by -so imposing a title. The Highlanders covered the front to Montauban, -where they touched the First Cavalry Division, but beyond that the -enemy were pouring round their flank at Bernafoy and Mametz Woods. -It was under these trying conditions that the Twelfth Division was -ordered up, about noon, to secure the {63} left of the Seventh Corps -and entirely stopped the dangerous gap. - -Another had formed farther north. The Seventeenth Division, who were -on the right of the Fifth Corps, held from Mametz to Contalmaison. -Thence to Pozières was held by the Forty-seventh. A gap existed, -however, upon their left, between them and the Sixty-third Division, -who were gradually falling back upon Courcelette. The left of the -Naval Division was also in the air, having lost touch with the right -of the Second Division who were covering Le Sars. North of them the -Nineteenth Division extended from the west of Grevillers to the south -of Bihucourt. The 57th Brigade in the north, under the local command -of Colonel Sole, fought a fine rearguard action as the enemy tried to -debouch from Grevillers. Considering how terribly mauled this -brigade had been a few days before, this was a really splendid -performance of these brave Midlanders, and was repeated by them more -than once during the day. From their left flank to the north -stretched a new division, Braithwaite's Sixty-second, which had -upheld the honour of Yorkshire so gloriously at Cambrai. Their line -ran west of Sapignies and joined the Forty-second Division at the -point where they touched the Sixth Corps, east of Ervillers. - -The front of the Sixty-second stretched from Bucquoy to Puisieux. -The enemy kept working round the right flank, and the situation there -was very dangerous, for everything to the immediate south was in a -state of flux, shreds and patches of units endeavouring to cover a -considerable stretch of all-important country. South of Puisieux -there was a gap of four or five miles before one came to {64} British -troops. Into this gap in the very nick of time came first the 4th -Brigade of the Second Australian Division, and later the New Zealand -Division in driblets, which gradually spanned the vacant space. It -was a very close call for a break through without opposition. Being -disappointed in this the Germans upon March 26 spent the whole -afternoon in fierce attacks upon the Sixty-second Division, but got -little but hard knocks from Braithwaite's Yorkshiremen. The 186th -Brigade on the right threw back a flank to Rossignol Wood to cover -the weak side. - -Meanwhile the enemy had made a spirited attempt to push through -between the Seventh Corps and the Fifth. With this design he -attacked heavily, bending back the thin line of the Ninth Division, -who were supported by the Twenty-first Division, numbering at this -period 1500 men. At four in the afternoon the German stormers got -into Maricourt, but they were thrust out again by the Thirty-fifth -Division. They had better success farther north, where in the late -evening they got round the left flank of the Forty-seventh Division -and occupied Pozières. The Londoners threw out a defensive line to -the north and awaited events, but the general position between the -Fifth and Fourth Corps was serious, as the tendency was for the gap -to increase, and for the Fourth Corps to swing north-west while the -other turned to the south-west. The Twelfth Division was transferred -therefore from the Seventh to the Fifth Corps, and was given a line -on the west bank of the Ancre from Albert to Hamel. This move proved -in the sequel to be a most effective one. In the evening of this -day, March 25, the line from Bray to Albert exclusive was allotted to -the Seventh Corps, {65} which was directed to leave a covering party -as long as possible on a line from the River Somme to Montauban, in -order to safeguard the retirement of the Fifth Army. Then came the -Twelfth Division covering Albert, then the remains of the -Forty-seventh and of the Second from Thiepval to Beaumont Hamel, all -moving across the Ancre. It is said that during the retreat from -Moscow an officer having asked who were the occupants of a certain -sledge, was answered: "The Royal Regiment of Dutch Guards." It is in -a somewhat similar sense that all mentions of battalions, brigades, -and divisions must be taken at this stage of the battle. The right -of the Fourth Corps was threatened by an irruption of the enemy at -Pys and Irles, who threatened to get by this route round the flank of -the Sixty-second Division, but found the Twenty-fifth Division still -had vitality enough left to form a defensive flank looking south. At -the same time the Forty-second Division had been driven back west of -Gomiecourt, and was out of touch with the right of the Sixth Corps. -Things were still serious and the future dark. Where was the retreat -to be stayed? Was it destined to roll back to Amiens or possibly to -Abbeville beyond it? The sky had clouded, the days were mirk, the -hanging Madonna had fallen from the cathedral of Albert, the troops -were worn to shadows. The twilight of the gods seemed to have come. - -It was at that very moment that the first light of victory began to -dawn. It is true that the old worn divisions could hardly be said -any longer to exist, but the new forces, the Yorkshiremen of the -Sixty-second in the north, the New Zealanders and the Twelfth in the -centre, and very particularly the {66} three splendid divisions of -Australians in the area just south of Albert, were the strong -buttresses of the dam which at last held up that raging tide. Never -should our British Imperial troops forget the debt which they owed to -Australia at that supreme hour of destiny. The very sight of those -lithe, rakish dare-devils with their reckless, aggressive bearing, or -their staider fresh-faced brethren with the red facings of New -Zealand, was good for tired eyes. There was much still to be done -before an equilibrium should be reached, but the rough outline of the -permanent positions had even now, in those hours of darkness and -danger, been traced across the German path. There was but one gap on -the morning of March 26, which lay between Auchonvillers and -Hebuterne, and into this the New Zealand Division and one brigade of -the Second Australians were, as already stated, hurriedly sent, the -New Zealanders supporting and eventually relieving the Second British -Division, while the Australians relieved the Nineteenth. The line -was attacked, but stood firm, and the New Zealanders actually -recaptured Colincamps. - -[Sidenote: March 26.] - -The chief fighting both of this day and of the next fell upon Scott's -Twelfth Division, which lay before Albert, and was occupying the -western side of the railway line. So vital was the part played by -the Twelfth in this quarter, and so strenuous their work, that a -connected and more detailed account of it would perhaps not be out of -place. The 37th Brigade was in the north-east of Mesnil and Aveluy -Wood, the 36th in the centre, and the 35th on the west bank of the -Ancre, with outposts to cover the crossings at Albert and Aveluy. -{67} The men were fresh and eager, but had only their rifles to trust -to, for they had neither wire, bombs, rifle-grenades, Very lights, or -signals, having been despatched at the shortest notice to the -battle-field. Their orders were to hold their ground at all costs, -and most valiantly they obeyed it. It is only when one sees a map of -the German forces in this part of the field, with the divisions -marked upon it like flies upon fly-paper, that one understands the -odds against which these men had to contend. Nor was the efficiency -of the enemy less than his numbers. "The Germans scouted forward in -a very clever manner, making full use of the old chalk trenches," -says an observer. In the north upon the evening of March 26 the -enemy crept up to Mesnil, and after a long struggle with the 6th -Queen's forced their way into the village. Shortly after midnight, -however, some of the 6th Buffs and 6th West Kents, together with part -of the Anson battalion from the Sixty-third Division, won back the -village once more, taking twelve machine-guns and a number of -prisoners. The other two brigades had not been attacked upon the -26th, but a very severe battle awaited them all upon March 27. It -began by a heavy shelling of Hamel in the morning, by which the -garrison was driven out. The Germans then attacked southwards down -the railway from Hamel, but were held up by the 6th West Kents. The -pressure extended, however, to the 9th Royal Fusiliers of the 36th -Brigade upon the right of the West Kents, who had a long, bitter -struggle in which they were assisted by the 247th Field Company of -the Royal Engineers and other elements of the 188th Brigade. This -brigade, being already worn to a shadow, was {68} withdrawn, while -another shadow, the 5th Brigade, took its place, one of its -battalions, the 24th Royal Fusiliers, fighting stoutly by the side of -the West Kents. There was a time when the pressure was so great that -all touch was lost between the two brigades; but the line was held -during the whole of the day and night of the 27th and on into the -28th. At eleven o'clock in the morning of this day a new attack by -fresh troops was made upon the West Kents and the 7th Sussex, and the -men of Kent were at one time driven back, but with the aid of the -24th Royal Fusiliers the line was entirely re-established. The whole -episode represented forty-eight hours of continual close combat -until, upon March 29, this front was relieved by the Second Division. -Apart from the heavy casualties endured by the enemy, this gain of -time was invaluable at a crisis when every day meant a thickening of -the British line of resistance. - -[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 27.] - -The fight upon the right wing of the 36th Brigade had been equally -violent and even more deadly. In the fight upon March 27, when the -Royal West Kents and 9th Fusiliers were so hard pressed in the north, -their comrades of the 5th Berks and 7th Sussex had been very heavily -engaged in the south. The Germans, by a most determined advance, -drove a wedge between the Berkshires and the Sussex, and another -between the Sussex and the Fusiliers, but in each case the isolated -bodies of men continued the desperate fight. The battle raged for a -time round the battalion headquarters of the Sussex, where Colonel -Impey, revolver in hand, turned the tide of fight like some leader of -old. The losses were terrible, but the line shook itself clear of -Germans, and though they attacked again upon the morning of March 28, -{69} they were again beaten off, and heavily shelled as they plodded -in their sullen retreat up the hillside to La Boisselle. - -[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 26.] - -Meanwhile, the 35th Brigade had also been fighting for its life to -the south. Albert had fallen to the Germans, for it was no part of -the plan of defence to hold the town itself, but the exits from it -and the lines on each side of it were jealously guarded. At 7 P.M. -on March 26 the Germans were in the town, but they had practically -reached their limit. Parties had crossed the Ancre, and there were -attacked by the 7th Norfolks, who were supported in a long fight upon -the morning of the 27th by the 9th Essex and the 5th Northants -Pioneer Battalion. The line was held, partly by the aid given by the -51st Brigade of the Seventeenth Division, who numbered just 600 men -and were led by Major Cubbon. Whilst the line was held outside -Albert, the Germans in the town had a very deadly time, being fired -at at short ranges by the 78th and 79th Brigades Royal Field -Artillery. The 7th Suffolks were drawn into the infantry fight, -which became a more and more desperate affair, involving every man -who could be thrown into it, including two battalions, the 1st -Artists and 10th Bedfords from the 190th Brigade of the Sixty-third -Division. These latter units suffered very heavily from machine-gun -fire before ever they reached the firing-line. At 8 A.M. upon March -28 the Germans were still pouring men through Albert, but were -utterly unable to debouch upon the other side under the murderous -fire of the British. A single company of the 9th Essex fired 15,000 -rounds, and the whole slope which faced them was dotted with the -German dead. The town of {70} Albert formed a covered line of -approach, and though the British guns were still pounding the -buildings and the eastern approaches, the Germans were able to -assemble in it during darkness and to form up unseen in great numbers -for the attack. At ten in the morning of the 28th another desperate -effort was made to get through and clear a path for all the hordes -waiting behind. The British artillery smothered one attack, but a -second broke over the 7th Norfolks and nearly submerged them. Both -flanks were turned, and in spite of great work done by Captain -Chalmers with his machine-guns the battalion was nearly surrounded. -The losses were terrible, but the survivors formed up again half a -mile to the west, where they were again attacked in the evening and -again exposed to heavy casualties, including their commanding -officer. Few battalions have endured more. Late that night the 10th -West Yorkshires of the Seventeenth Division came to their relief. -The whole of the Twelfth Division was now rested for a time, but they -withdrew from their line in glory, for it is no exaggeration to say -that they had fought the Germans to an absolute standstill. - -We shall now return to March 26, a date which had been darkened by -the capture of Albert. Apart from this success upon the German side, -which brought them into a town which they had not held for years, the -general line in this quarter began to assume the same outline as in -1916 before the Somme battle, so that Hebuterne and Auchonvillers -north of Albert were in British hands, while Serre and Puisieux were -once more German. The existence of the old trenches had helped the -weary army to hold this definite line, and as already shown it had -received {71} reinforcements which greatly stiffened its resistance. -The dangerous gap which had yawned between the Fourth and Fifth Corps -was now successfully filled. In the morning of March 27 all was -solid once more in this direction. At eleven on that date, an -inspiriting order was sent along the line that the retreat was over -and that the army must fight out the issue where it stood. It is the -decisive call which the British soldier loves and never fails to -obey. The line was still very attenuated in parts, however, and it -was fated to swing and sway before it reached its final stability. - -[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 27.] - -The fighting upon the front of the Sixty-second Division at Bucquoy -upon March 27 was as heavy as on the front of the Twelfth to the -south, and cost the Germans as much, for the Lewis guns had wonderful -targets upon the endless grey waves which swept out of the east. The -5th West Ridings, east of Rossignol Wood, were heavily engaged, the -Germans bombing their way very cleverly up the old trenches when they -could no longer face the rifle-fire in the open. There were three -separate strong attacks on Bucquoy, which covered the slopes with -dead, but the persistent attempts to get round the right wing were -more dangerous. These fell chiefly on the 2/4 Yorks Light Infantry -between Rossignol Wood and Hebuterne, driving this battalion in. A -dangerous gap then developed between the British and the Australians, -but a strong counter-attack of the 5th Yorkshire Light Infantry after -dark, with the Australians and four tanks co-operating, recovered -nearly all the lost ground. - -[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 28.] - -On March 28 there was again a very heavy attack upon the 186th -Brigade. The stormers surged right {72} up to the muzzles of the -rifles, but never beyond them. Over 200 dead were found lying in -front of one company. One isolated platoon of the 5th West Ridings -was cut off and was killed to the last man. Farther to the right -there were several determined attacks upon the 187th Brigade and the -4th Australian Brigade, the latter being under the orders of the -Sixty-second Division. These also were repulsed in the open, but the -bombing, in which the Germans had the advantage of a superiority of -bombs, was more difficult to meet, and the 5th Yorkshire Light -Infantry were driven from Rossignol Wood and the ground which they -had so splendidly captured the night before. - -About 11 A.M. on this day the Forty-first Division had been ordered -up to man the east of Gommecourt. A brigade of this division, the -124th, co-operated with the 8th West Yorkshires and some of the -Australians in a fresh attack upon Rossignol Wood, which failed at -first, but eventually, after dark, secured the north end of the wood, -and greatly eased the local pressure. On March 29 and 30 the -positions were safely held, and the attacks less dangerous. On the -evening of the latter date the Sixty-second Division was relieved by -the Thirty-seventh. - -Whilst these events had occurred upon the front of the Sixty-second -Division, Russell's New Zealanders were holding the line to the south -in their usual workmanlike fashion. From March 26 they held up the -Germans, whose main attacks, however, were north and south of them, -though March 27 saw several local advances against the Canterburys -and the Rifles. On March 30 the New Zealanders hit {73} back again -at La Signy Farm, with good results, taking 295 prisoners. It was a -smart little victory at a time when the smallest victory was indeed -precious. - -[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 21.] - -Reverting now to the general situation upon March 27, the weak point -was north and south of the Somme to the south of Albert. Between the -river and Harbonnière the left wing of the Fifth Army had been -broken, as will be told when we come to consider the operations in -that area. The German advance was pouring down the line of the river -with the same fierce rapidity with which it had recently thundered -forward over the old Somme battle-fields. Having annihilated the -local resistance on the left bank of the river, where Colonel Horn -and 400 nondescripts did all that they could, they were pushing on -from Cerisy to Corbie. General Watts of the Nineteenth Corps, whose -defence was one of the outstanding features of the whole operations, -was hard put to it to cover his left wing, so in loyal co-operation -the Third Army north of the river detached the hard-worked Cavalry -Corps, who were always called upon at moments of supreme crisis, and -who never failed to answer the call. It was actually engaged to the -north of the river at the time, but disengaged itself in part, though -the enemy was holding Cerisy and Chipilly and had got a bridge across -the river which would enable them to get to the rear of General -Watts' Corps. The means by which this very dangerous German move was -kept within bounds comes within the history of the Fifth Army. -Suffice it to say that the cavalry passed over the river and that the -Seventh Corps, north of the river, extended to cover the {74} wider -front, throwing out a defensive flank along the north bank from -Sailly-le-Sec to Aubigny. - -Along the whole line to the north the pressure was great all day upon -March 27, but the attacks upon the Fourth Corps, which were -particularly severe, were repulsed with great loss at Beaumont Hamel, -Bucquoy, north of Puisieux, and at Ablainzeville. Near Bucquoy the -Sixty-second Division in these two days repelled, as already -narrated, eight separate German attacks. This fighting has to be -fitted in with that recounted in the previous chapter near Ayette, in -connection with the Thirty-first Division, in order to get a complete -view of the whole German effort and the unbroken British line. Hamel -was the only fresh village to the north of Albert which was taken by -the Germans that day. - -[Sidenote: Fourth and Fifth Corps. March 21.] - -March 28 was remarkable for the very desperate engagement upon the -front of the Sixth and Seventeenth Corps, which has been already -described, and which marked the limit of the whole German advance in -the northern area. The Fourth Corps farther south had its own share -of the fighting, however, as already told in connection with the -defence of Bucquoy by the Sixty-second Division. The line was held, -however, and save for a small strip of Rossignol Wood, no gain at all -came to solace the Germans for very heavy losses. - -All through these operations it is worthy of note that an important -part was played by reorganised bodies of men, so mixed and broken -that no name can be assigned to them. Officers stationed in the rear -collected these stragglers, and led them back into gaps of the line, -where their presence was sometimes of vital importance. A divisional -general, {75} speaking of these curious and irregular formations, -says: "There was no panic of any kind. The men of all divisions were -quite willing to halt and fight, but as the difficulty of orders -reaching them made them uncertain as to their correct action, they -came back slowly and in good order. Once they received some definite -orders they fell into line and dug themselves in at once." At one -point 4000 men were collected in this fashion. - -In the Australian area the enemy occupied Dernancourt, but otherwise -the whole line was intact. It was still necessary, however, to keep -a defensive line thrown back along the north bank of the Somme, as -the situation to the south, especially at Marcelcave, was very -dangerous. Thus, the Seventh Corps covered this flank from Corbie to -Sailly, and then ran north to Treux on the Albert-Amiens Railway. -The arrival of the cavalry to the south of the river had spliced the -weak section, so that on the morning of March 29 the British -commanders from north to south had every cause to be easier in their -minds. An inactive day was the best proof of the severity of the -rebuff which the Germans had sustained the day before, nor were -matters improved from their point of view when upon March 30 they -attacked the Australians near Dernancourt and lost some thousands of -men without a yard of gain, or when the New Zealanders countered -them, with the capture of 250 prisoners and many machine-guns. - -This small chronicle of huge events has now brought the southern half -of the Third Army to the same date already reached in the previous -chapter by the northern half. The narrative has by no means reached -the limit of the fighting carried on {76} by this portion of the -line, but equilibrium has roughly been attained, and if the story be -now continued it leaves too wide a gap for the reader to cross when -he has to return to the history of the Fifth Army upon the 21st of -March. Therefore we shall leave the Third Army for the time and only -return to it when we have followed the resistance of the Fifth Army -up to the same date. - -[Sidenote: Third Army. March 28.] - -Before starting upon this new epic, it would be well to remind the -reader of the general bearing of the events already described, as it -is very easy in attention to detail to lose sight of the larger -issues. The experience of the Third Army then, put in its briefest -form, was that the attack upon March 21 fell with terrific violence -upon the two central corps, the Sixth and Fourth; that these, after a -most valiant resistance, were forced to retire; that the strategical -situation thus created caused the Seventeenth Corps in the north and -the Fifth Corps in the south to fall back, and that both of them were -then pressed by the enemy; that for six days the army fell slowly -back, fighting continual rearguard actions against superior numbers; -that this movement involved only a short retreat in the north, but a -longer one in the south, until in the Albert region it reached its -maximum; that finally the Germans made a determined effort upon March -28 to break the supple and resilient line which had always faced -them, and that this attempt, most gallantly urged, involved the Corps -in the north as well as the whole line of the Third Army. The result -of this great battle was a bloody defeat for the Germans, especially -in the northern sector, where they made hardly any gain of ground and -lost such vast numbers of men that their whole {77} enterprise was -brought to a complete standstill and was never again resumed in that -quarter. - -The losses of the Third Army during that week of desperate fighting -when, in spite of the heroic efforts of the Medical Corps, the -wounded had frequently to be abandoned, and when it was often -impossible to get the guns away intact, were very severe. Many -divisions which numbered their 9000 infantry upon March 21 could not -put 1500 in the line upon March 28. These losses were not, however, -so great as they might appear, since the constant movement of troops, -carried on very often in pitch darkness, made it impossible to keep -the men together. An official estimate taken at the time and subject -to subsequent revision put the loss of guns at 206, only 23 of which -were above the 6-inch calibre. Forty-three others were destroyed. -The casualties in the Third Army during the period under review might -be placed approximately at 70,000, divided into 10,000 killed, 25,000 -missing, and 35,000 wounded. The heaviest losses were in the -Fifty-ninth Division, which gave 5765 as its appalling total, but the -Sixth Division was little behind it, and the Forty-second, -Forty-seventh, and Fifty-first were all over 4000. The Thirty-fifth -Division had also a most honourable record, enduring very heavy -losses in which the numbers of missing were comparatively small. Its -work, however, was chiefly done at a later date than that which -closes this chapter. In the estimate of losses there has to be -included practically the whole personnel of the devoted battalions -who held the forward line upon the first day of the German attack. -In connection with the large number of stragglers, who were -afterwards gathered together and showed {78} by their conduct that -they had no want of stomach for the fight, it is to be remembered -that the men had been accustomed to the narrow routine of trench -operations, that most of them had no idea of open warfare, and that -when they found themselves amidst swift evolutions over difficult -country, carried on frequently in darkness, it was very natural that -they should lose their units and join the throng who wandered down -the main roads and were eventually rounded up and formed into -formations at the river crossings or other places where they could be -headed off. Among the casualties were many senior officers, -including General Bailey of the 142nd Brigade. - - - - -{79} - -CHAPTER IV - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Attack upon the Fifth Army. March 21. - -The Fifth Army front--The story of a Redoubt--Attack upon Congreve's -Seventh Corps--Upon Watts' Nineteenth Corps--Upon Maxse's Eighteenth -Corps--Upon Butler's Third Corps--Terrific pressure--Beginning of the -Retreat--Losses of Guns. - -[Sidenote: Fifth Army. March 21.] - -In dealing with the German attack upon the Fifth Army, the first -point which should be emphasised is, that heavy as the fighting was -in the north, still it was this southern advance which was the main -one. The official account of the disposition of the German forces -brings this fact out very clearly. From the Sensée River to the -Bapaume-Cambrai Road they are stated to have had nine divisions in -line and eight in close reserve, covering a front of nine miles. In -the eight miles from Cambrai Road to La Vacquerie they had four -divisions. In the southern area from La Vacquerie down to La Fère -they had twenty-three divisions in the line and seventeen in reserve, -covering a front of over forty miles. This front was defended by -eleven British divisions, with three divisions of infantry and three -of cavalry in reserve. So far as infantry was concerned the odds -were 40 to 14, while the German guns numbered about 3500 to 1300 on -the British {80} line. These odds were serious enough if directed -equally along the whole area, but when thrown in on special sectors -they became more crushing. To add to the total picture of German -strength, it should be added that twenty-five fresh divisions were -thrown into the fight during the first week, nine upon the Scarpe -front, three between the Ancre and the Somme, seven between the Somme -and Montdidier, and six between Montdidier and the Oise. Against -these have to be set British reinforcements, and the influx of French -from the south. It was only on the first five days of battle that -the odds were so overpoweringly with the Germans. - -In this chapter we shall endeavour to gain a superficial view of the -general course of events upon the whole front of the Fifth Army upon -the fateful March 21. We shall then be in a position to appreciate -the situation as it was in the evening and to understand those -decisions on the part of General Gough and his subordinates which -influenced the subsequent operations. - -The front of the Fifth Army extended from its junction with the Third -Army in the neighbourhood of La Vacquerie to Barisis, a village some -miles south of the Oise, the total frontage being nearly forty miles. -This was occupied by four corps. The northern was the Seventh, under -General Congreve, a well-known soldier, whose V.C. and shattered arm -proclaimed his past services to the Empire. This corps covered the -southern part of the dangerous Cambrai salient and extended to the -region of Ronssoy. From this point to Maissemy the line was held by -General Watts with the Nineteenth Corps. Upon his right, extending -as far as north of Essigny, {81} was General Maxse with the -Eighteenth Corps. From thence to Barisis lay the Third Corps under -General Butler. All four were soldiers of wide experience, their -leader, General Gough, had never failed in any task to which he had -laid his hand, and the troops in the line comprised some of the -flower of the British army, so that in spite of all disparity of -numbers there was a reasonable hope for success. Arrangements had -been made by which the French or British could send lateral help to -each other; but it must be admitted that the liaison work proved to -be defective, and that the succours were slower in arriving, and less -equipped for immediate action, than had been expected. - -The fortifications along the front of the Fifth Army were of various -degrees of strength, depending upon the nature of the ground and upon -the time that it had been in British possession, the north being -stronger than the south. The Oise, which had been looked upon as an -obstacle, and the presence of which had seemed to justify the -extraordinarily long sector held by the Third Corps, had to some -extent dried up and had ceased to be a real protection. In the main, -the defences consisted of a forward line, a chain of small redoubts, -each with four machine-guns and all connected by posts; a battle-line -which was strongly wired and lay about 3000 yards behind the forward -line; and a rear zone, the fortifications of which were not complete. -If anything were wanting in the depth of the defences it has to be -remembered that we are speaking of a vast tract of country, and that -to dig a serviceable trench from London, we will say, to Guildford, -furnishing it with sand-bags and wire, is a mighty {82} task. There -were no enslaved populations who could be turned on to such work. -For months before the attack the troops, aided by the cavalry and by -several special entrenching battalions, were digging incessantly. -Indeed, the remark has been made that their military efficiency was -impaired by the constant navvy work upon which they were employed. -There is no room for criticism upon this point, for everything -possible was done, even in that southern sector which had only been a -few weeks in British possession. - -Before beginning to follow the history of March 21, it would be well -to describe the position and number of the reserves, as the course of -events depended very much upon this factor. Many experienced -soldiers were of opinion that if they had been appreciably more -numerous, and considerably nearer the line, the positions could have -been made good. The three infantry divisions in question were the -Thirty-ninth, which was immediately behind the Seventh Corps, the -Twentieth, which was in the neighbourhood of Ham, and was allotted to -the Eighteenth Corps, and the Fiftieth, which was in general army -reserve, and about seven hours' march from the line. The First -Cavalry Division was in the rear of the Nineteenth Corps, while the -Second Cavalry Division was on the right behind the Third Corps. The -Third Cavalry Division was in billets upon the Somme, and it also was -sent to the help of the Third Corps. Besides these troops the -nearest supports were at a distance of at least three days' journey, -and consisted of a single unit, the Eighth Division. - -The German preparations for the attack had not been unobserved and it -was fully expected upon the {83} morning of the battle, but what was -not either expected or desired was the ground mist, which seems to -have been heavier in the southern than in the northern portion of the -line. So dense was it that during the critical hours when the -Germans were pouring across No Man's Land it was not possible to see -for more than twenty yards, and the whole scheme of the forward -defence, depending as it did upon machine-guns, placed in depth and -sweeping every approach, was completely neutralised by this freak of -nature, which could not have been anticipated, for it was the first -time such a thing had occurred for two months. Apart from the -machine-guns, a number of isolated field-guns had been sown here and -there along the front, where they had lurked in silence for many -weeks waiting for their time to come. These also were rendered -useless by the weather, and had no protection from the German -advance, which overran and submerged them. - -The devastating bombardment broke out along the line about five -o'clock, and shortly after ten it was known that the German infantry -had advanced and had invaded the whole of the forward zone, taking a -few of the redoubts, but in most cases simply passing them in the -fog, and pushing on to the main British line. As it is impossible to -give the experiences of each redoubt in detail, the story of one may -be told as being fairly typical of the rest. This particular one is -chosen because some facts are available, whereas in most of them a -deadly silence, more eloquent than words, covers their fate. The -Enghien redoubt was held by Colonel Wetherall with a company of the -2/4 Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry {84} upon the front of the -Sixty-first Division. The redoubt formed the battalion headquarters, -and was connected to brigade headquarters by a cable buried eight -feet deep. In front were two companies of the battalion in the -outpost line; behind was the fourth company ready for counter-attack. -Early in the morning heavy trench-mortar fire was raining bombs upon -the redoubt, and the wire was flying in all directions. At 6 the -redoubt was so full of gas that even the masks could not hold it out, -so the men were ordered below and put up gas blankets to fend it off. -This could be safely done, as when gas is so thick it is not possible -for the stormers to advance. At 6.15, what with fog and gas and -blurred respirators, it was hardly possible to see anything at all. -At 7.30 the gas cleared and there was a shower of high explosive -shells with shattering effect. At 9.30 the barrage lifted and the -garrison rushed up from their shelters and manned their posts, but -the fog rolled white and thick across their vision. The cloud banked -right up to their wire, while from behind it came all the noises of -the pit. So nerve-shaking was the effect that some of the outlying -men came creeping into the redoubt for human company. At 9.40 the -whizzing of bullets all around showed that the infantry was on the -move. The garrison fired back into the mist, whence came vague -shoutings and tramplings. A request was cabled back for a protective -barrage, but the inadequate reply showed that the British guns had -suffered in the shelling. Suddenly the mist darkened at one point; -it broke into running figures, and a wave of men rushed forward, -scrambled through the broken wire, and clambered into the redoubt. -The Oxfords {85} rushed across and bombed them back into the mist -again. There was a pause, during which the attack was reorganised, -and then at 11 o'clock the German stormers poured suddenly in from -three sides at once. The garrison stood to it stoutly and drove them -out, leaving many bodies on the broken wire. The fort was now -entirely surrounded, and there was a fresh attack from the rear which -added fifty or sixty more to the German losses. At 11.45 there was -some lifting of the fog, and Colonel Wetherall endeavoured to get -across to the village, 300 yards behind him, to see if help could be -obtained. He found it deserted. Stealing back to his fort he was -covered suddenly by German rifles, was dragged away as a prisoner, -but finally, late in the evening, escaped and rejoined the main body -of his own battalion. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Cunningham had taken -over the defence of Enghien redoubt, assisted by Lieutenant Richards -with the machine-guns. Hour after hour fresh attacks were repelled, -but showers of bombs fell in the confined space, and the garrison -were continually thinned out. Despairing messages--"What shall we -do? What shall we do?"--were sent back over the cable, but nothing -could be done, for these outliers are the _enfants perdus_ of the -army, marked from the first for destruction. Finally, at 4.30, the -great deep all around them sent one heavy wave to submerge them, and -the cable was for ever silent. - -Such is the typical history of a redoubt. Some succumbed more -readily, some survived until the afternoon of the next day; but the -difference may sometimes have depended upon the various degrees of -severity of attack, which was by no means the {86} same upon all -sectors. The total effect was the complete destruction of the eleven -gallant battalions which held the advanced line of the Fifth Army, -and the loss of all material therein. One can but hope that the -enemy paid a full price. Occasionally a sudden rise of the mist gave -the defence a splendid opening for their machine-guns. On one -occasion such a chance exposed a German officer standing with a large -map in his hand within thirty yards of the fort, his company awaiting -his directions beside him. Few of them escaped. - -[Sidenote: Seventh Corps. March 21.] - -We shall now follow the line of the Fifth Army from the north. The -Seventh Corps upon the left consisted of the Ninth (Tudor), the -Twenty-first (Campbell), and the Sixteenth (Hull) Divisions in the -order named, and it carried the line down as far as Ronssoy, where it -joined on to Watts' Nineteenth Corps. The Ninth Division had two -brigades in the line, and all the battalions both of the Twenty-sixth -and of the South Africans were in the forward zone and exposed to the -usual devastating losses. Their front joined that of the -Forty-seventh Division at Fifteen Ravine in the north, and the -Twenty-first at Chapel Hill in the south. About eleven o'clock the -main advance of the Germans struck up against this front. There was -no action upon the left between Gauche Wood and the canal, though the -bombardment was exceedingly heavy. On the right in the neighbourhood -of Gauche Wood the fighting was very severe all day, and the stormers -were able to make little progress, although they attacked again and -again with the utmost resolution. This attack fell mainly upon the -South African Brigade, who held on with the same firm courage which -they had shown {87} at Delville Wood, and proved once more that there -are no better soldiers in all the vast army of the Empire. It was -only at this point, however, near the junction with the Twenty-first -Division that the Ninth Division was attacked, for the German -infantry was crushed by the artillery fire upon the left in front of -Gonnelieu, so that the total losses of the Ninth upon this murderous -day were probably less than those of other divisions in the Fifth -Army. Gauche Wood was continually attacked, but the Quentin redoubt -to the immediate north of it was left alone during the whole day. It -was the 2nd or Natal South African regiment which held the extreme -front, and after a very fine resistance they were driven through the -wood, until at 11.30 the Germans held it all, but the Africans still -clung to the system of Chapel trenches to the immediate west and -south of it. To this they held all day, being much helped by a local -rise in the mist about eleven, which enabled the guns in Quentin -redoubt to see their targets in the south. Finally, the Germans were -compelled to dig in in Gauche Wood, and give up the attempt to get -farther. No other point was gained upon the Ninth Divisional front. -Meanwhile, the enemy had pressed their attack with great violence -upon the immediate right, where it fell with special strength upon -the 2nd Lincolns of the Twenty-first Division. At 12 they were well -behind the right rear of the Africans, who were compelled to throw -back a flank. The Lincolns held on splendidly, however, and the -danger was arrested. At 3.30 a new concentration of the enemy -developed in front of Vaucelette Farm, and was heavily shelled by the -British guns. At 5 o'clock the fight was very desperate upon Chapel -{88} Hill on the southern limit of the South African area, where the -Lincolns were still holding out but were being gradually pressed -back. The 4th South African Regiment (South African Scots) was -therefore ordered to counter-attack in this direction, which was done -with great dash, the position upon Chapel Hill being re-established. -Such was the general situation when at 8.15 orders were issued for -the withdrawal of all units to the rear zone. This was done during -the night, the general line of retirement being towards Sorel and -Heudicourt, while the Scottish Brigade kept position upon the left. -The order to retire came as a complete surprise, as all was well upon -the immediate front, but the reason given was the penetration of the -line at other points. - -Upon the right of the Scots and South Africans of the Ninth Division -the line was held by Campbell's Twenty-first Division, consisting of -the Leicester Brigade and two brigades of North Country troops, all -of them the veterans of many battles. They covered the ground from -south of Gauche Wood in the north to Epehy in the south. Two -brigades were in the line, the 62nd in the north and the 110th in the -south, and were exposed all day to a very severe attack which they -held up with great steadiness and resolution. Heudicourt, Peizière, -and Epehy were the scenes of particularly severe fighting. In the -evening these places, and the whole line through Quentin Ridge and -east of Gouzeaucourt, were still firmly held by the defenders. It -may truly be said that along the whole fifty-mile front of battle -there was no point where the enemy met with a more unyielding -resistance than in the area of the Twenty-first Division. During the -long day three {89} German divisions essayed the task of forcing -Epehy and overcoming the defence of Chapel Hill, but as the night -drew in all three lay exhausted in front of their objectives, and -there would certainly have been no British retirement had it not been -for the movements in the other sections of the line. Only at one -post had the enemy made any lodgment, namely at Vaucelette Farm, and -here he could have been thrown out by a counter-attack had the -general situation permitted it. The Leicesters and the -Northumberland Fusiliers upheld the fame of their historic regiments -on this day of battle, but two of the outstanding exploits in the -fight lie to the credit of the Lincolns, who kept an iron grip upon -Chapel Hill, and to the 15th Durhams, who made a dashing -counter-attack which swept back the German advance when it tried to -penetrate between Epehy and Chapel Hill. The village of Peizière was -held by the 7th Leicesters of the 110th Brigade, who fought as this -brigade has always fought and held the Germans out. Once with the -help of flame-throwers they gained a lodgment among the houses, but -the brave Midlanders came back to it and threw them out once more. -It was a party of this same Leicester regiment which held the farm of -Vaucelette, and fought it out to the very last man before they -suffered it to pass from their keeping. - -The fighting upon Chapel Hill was particularly severe, and was the -more important as this eminence, lying almost upon the divisional -boundary, enfiladed the Ninth Division to the north. There was a -trench in front of the hill, called Cavalry Trench, and a farm behind -called Revelon Farm, and the battle swung and swayed all day, -sometimes the British holding {90} all the ground, and sometimes -being pushed back as far as the farm. The 1st Lincolns gained great -honour that day, but they could not have held the hill were it not -for the co-operation of the South Africans, who twice helped to -retake it when it had been temporarily lost. The 11th Royal Scots -from the Ninth Division Reserve Brigade struck in also with effect -when the enemy filtered round the north edge of the hill and worked -to the rear of it. They had got as far as Genin Copse when the Royal -Scots attacked and hunted them back once more. The weak point of the -Twenty-first Division lay upon their right where they had to throw -out a defensive flank 3000 yards deep. They had not troops enough to -cover this ground, and it was only the splendid work of the batteries -of the 94th Brigade R.F.A. which prevented a disaster. - -The Sixteenth Irish Division (Hull) lay upon the right of the -Twenty-first Division, carrying the line to the south of Ronssoy. -This division had two brigades in the line, the 48th to the left and -the 49th to the right, and it appears to have sustained an attack -which was of a peculiarly crushing nature. It cannot be denied that -the wretched parochial politics which tear Ireland in two, and which -are urged with such Celtic extravagance of language, cannot have a -steadying effect upon national troops, but none the less every -soldier will admit that the men who carried Guillemont and breasted -the slope of the Messines Ridge have proved themselves to be capable -of rising to the highest exercise of military virtue. If, therefore, -they gave way upon this occasion while others stood, the reason is to -be sought rather in the extra severity of the attack, which had {91} -the same crushing effect upon other divisions both in the north and -in the south of the line. All these brigades were desperately -engaged during the day, as was the 116th Brigade of the Thirty-ninth -Division which came to the help of the Irish, while the other two -brigades of this supporting division endeavoured to strengthen the -line of defence in the rear zone with a switch line from Saulcourt to -Tincourt Wood. On the right the attack was too severe to be -withstood, and not only the advance line but the battle position also -was deeply penetrated, the Germans pouring in a torrent down the -Catelet valley and occupying Ronssoy and Lempire, by which they -turned the flanks both of the Twenty-first in the north and of the -Sixty-sixth Division in the south. Especially fierce was the -resistance offered by the 48th Brigade in the north, some units of -which were swung round until they found themselves sharing with the -Twenty-first Division in the defence of Epehy. The 2nd Munsters -lived up to their high reputation during a long day of hard fighting, -and were for the third or fourth time in the war practically -destroyed. Colonel Ireland was hit about 10.30 in the morning, and -one company, which counter-attacked near Malassise Farm, was -annihilated in the effort; but the survivors of the battalion were -undismayed, and under Major Hartigan they continued to oppose every -effort of the stormers. One of the features of the battle in this -area was the fight maintained all day by C Company scattered in -little parties over Ridge Reserve and Tetard Wood. Lieutenant Whelan -was the soul of this fine defence, contesting every bay of his -trench, and continuing to rally and lead his dwindling band until -noon of {92} the next day. A road ran past this position, and it was -all-important for the enemy to move their artillery down it in order -to press the retreat; but the Irishmen shot down the horse teams as -they came until the passage was blocked with their bodies. Finally, -all the scattered bands rallied near Epehy village, where, under -Captain Chandler, who was killed in the contest, they fought to the -last, until in the late evening their cartridges gave out, and the -gallant Hartigan, with the headquarter staff of the battalion, was -overwhelmed. Lieutenant Whelan, meanwhile, held his post near Epehy -until noon of March 22, when he and his men fired their last round -and threw their last bomb before surrender. The defence of Malassise -Farm by Lieutenant Kidd and his men was also a glorious bit of -fighting to the last man and the last cartridge. - -The general situation upon the front of the Seventh Corps on the -night of March 21 was that the Sixteenth Division, reinforced by the -116th Brigade, held the main battle positions, save on the extreme -right, as far north as St. Emilie. Thence the line followed -approximately the railway round and east of Epehy, in the region of -the Twenty-first Division. East of Chapel Hill and Chapel Crossing -it entered the holding of the Ninth Division, and passed west of -Gauche Wood, through Quentin redoubt and so to the original line. -Behind this indented position the 118th and 117th Brigades with the -Sappers and Pioneers of the Thirty-ninth Division were hard at work -upon the switch line, which should form a cover for retreat or a -basis for reorganisation. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 21.] - -Upon the right of the Seventh Corps lay Watts' Nineteenth Corps, -which had two divisions in the {93} line, the Sixty-sixth Lancashire -Territorial Division (Malcolm) in the north, and the Twenty-fourth -Division (Daly) in the south. They covered a front from south of -Ronssoy to south of Maissemy. The Lancashire Division, the same -which behaved so splendidly in the mud battle of Broodseinde, had all -three brigades in the front, covering 4000 yards, and were exposed -all day to a most terrific assault. From the north they were in the -order 197th, 199th, 198th. To the south of them an even more -strenuous attack was launched upon the Twenty-fourth Division, which -had two brigades in the line. These were the 17th upon the left and -the 72nd upon the right, with the 1st North Staffords, 8th West -Kents, 1st Rifle Brigade, and 8th Queen's in front. About 11 o'clock -the news came that the enemy was pushing through at the point of -junction with the Eighteenth Corps upon the right, where there seems -to have been a gap of some hundreds of yards between divisions, and -later that they had penetrated into the village of Hargicourt in the -rear of the Sixty-sixth Division. There was heavy fighting all day, -and by evening the whole forward zone held by the 2/3 Lancs -Fusiliers, East Lancashires, and Manchesters had passed into the -hands of the enemy, Colonel Stokes-Roberts of the former battalion -being among the casualties. The twelve redoubts which constituted -the main defences of the battle zone held out stoutly all day, all -three brigades fighting with great valour. The Germans were -continually pushing in, however, upon the right of the Twenty-fourth -Division and enlarging their gains in that direction, so that the -First Cavalry Division was called up, and the Pioneer Battalion of -the 2nd Cavalry Brigade was thrown in on the {94} right of the -Sixty-sixth Division near Roisel to form a defensive flank. By 1 -o'clock the battle zone of the Twenty-fourth Division was seriously -compromised. The 72nd Brigade upon the right had been turned and the -village of Maissemy had been taken by the Germans. Stone's 17th -Brigade kept a tight grip, however, upon the hamlet of Le Verguier, -and though many assaults were made upon it the place remained untaken -in the evening. In the area of the Sixty-sixth Division the enemy -was still gaining ground, however, and they had pushed on from -Hargicourt to Templeux, where a counter-attack by the 6th Lancashire -Fusiliers held them for a time. The fighting continued to be very -bitter until late in the evening, for though the Germans had -infiltrated all the ground between the redoubts, they were unable to -overcome their resistance, or to take possession of their gains. At -10.15 the order from General Watts was that there should be no -retreat, and that however great the odds against them--and it was -manifest that they were indeed very great--the two divisions should -prepare for a fight to a finish. Meanwhile, the Fiftieth Division -(Stockley) in army reserve had been ordered, after a march of seven -hours, to support the line of the Nineteenth Corps, taking up a -position in the rear from the Omignon River to the Cologne River, -upon a front which had been partly wired. With the early morning of -March 22 there came a renewed German attack which forced back the -left of the Sixty-sixth, who were always much handicapped by the deep -incursion the enemy had made into the area of the Sixteenth Division -to the north, which continually endangered their flank and even their -rear. {95} The battle was soon general along the whole front, and -everywhere the resistance was most desperate, though the troops were -gradually pressed back by the ever-increasing weight of the attack as -Hindenburg's legions came rolling in from the east. Many a bitter -curse went up that day from overwrought men against the perjured -traitors on the Russian front, who to ease their own burden had -thrown a double weight upon those who had helped and trusted them. -At 11.30 in the morning the post of Le Verguier, which had been held -so long and so gallantly by the 8th West Surreys, was at last carried -by storm and its brave garrison destroyed or taken, though Colonel -Peirs, who had been the soul of this defence, dashed out, revolver in -hand, at this last moment, and got away in the mist. The whole line -of the Twenty-fourth Division was shaken by the gap thus created. -The pressure was very great also at Roisel, and the 151st Brigade -from the Fiftieth Division had to be hurried up in order to hold back -the advance down the valley of the Cologne, which would have turned -the right flank of the Lancashire men to the north. The 9th Sussex -was heavily engaged in this quarter and suffered severely. About -noon a valiant attempt was also made by some tanks and dismounted -troopers to turn the tide by recapturing the village of Hervilly, -which had some temporary success. The German penetration had been -too deep, however, and there was very pressing danger of isolation -unless the corps fell back. This they did in the late afternoon and -evening, passing through the ranks of the Fiftieth Division behind -them. "They were nearly all gassed and dead weary," said one who -observed them as {96} they passed. The 11th Hussars and 19th -Entrenching Battalion most gallantly covered the retreat. The enemy -were close at their heels, however, in great force and most -aggressive mood, as the Fiftieth Division soon discovered. This unit -will be remembered as the famous Yorkshire Territorial division who -helped to turn the tide at the second battle of Ypres, and have shown -their worth upon many fields; but on this occasion the odds were too -heavy, though they held the enemy for the rest of the day. The lower -half of the line between the Omignon and the Cologne rivers was held -by Riddell's 149th Brigade of Northumberland Fusiliers, while the -northern half was held by Rees' 150th Brigade, of Yorkshiremen. -Against this thin wall dashed the full tide of the German advance as -it swept on in the wake of the Nineteenth Corps. It was a long and -hard fight in which the enemy had heavy losses, especially in front -of Pœuilly, where considerable sheets of wire lay in front of the -position of the 6th Northumberland Fusiliers. It was a most gallant -affair--gallant on both sides. Their Colonel, Robinson, laid out his -machine-guns in the long grass upon each side of this wire and -enfiladed the German line with most murderous results. In the south -the 4th Northumberland Fusiliers were attacked in front and on the -right flank, and the pressure was so great that they had to abandon -Caulaincourt, which was then recaptured and again abandoned by the -6th Northumberland Fusiliers from the supporting line. The enemy, -with his usual wile, telephoned from the mausoleum, a central -building, that reinforcements be sent to that point. Upon asking the -name of the officer and getting no reply, General Riddell, in local -command, {97} turned on five batteries of 18-pounders and blew the -mausoleum to pieces. At Poeuilly also there had been two successful -counter-attacks, but the enemy was swarming round the southern flank -in great numbers, and the river, which is not more formidable than an -average South of England trout stream, was of little use as a -protection. An important point named Nobescourt Farm, lying near the -junction of brigades, had fallen into the hands of the enemy, and the -village of Poeuilly was also taken. By evening the Fiftieth Division -had done its work, however, as it had held up the pursuit and enabled -the Nineteenth Corps to reach the line of the Somme without severe -pressure. That night they received orders to withdraw, which were -carried out in the morning of March 23, Martin's 149th Brigade in the -south making a show of fighting in order to cover the movements of -their companions in the north who were moving over a perfectly flat -plain from Mons to Brie. Finally, General Riddell destroyed Tertry -bridge and dropped back to St. Christ. During all these operations -the German infantry were moving slowly forward in successive lines of -skirmishers, about a thousand yards from the British, who retired in -leisurely fashion, continually turning and holding them up, so that -the whole spectacle was exactly that of a well-ordered field-day. -When the main body had reached the bridges, a single company of the -5th Northumberland Fusiliers lay out in the higher ground, under the -leadership of Captain Proctor, who received the D.S.O. for his able -conduct of the operation. This company held up a brigade for two -hours, and then, their comrades being safely across, they withdrew in -their turn, leaving half their number behind {98} them. Every one -being across, both the St. Christ and Brie bridges were blown up. -The latter was a brand-new construction and was in charge of an -American officer of engineers who distinguished himself by his cool -courage, starting out alone, and bringing across the river a train -full of ammunition which lay upon the farther side. The -Twenty-fourth Division had crossed at Falvy, the rearguard action -being fought by the depleted battalions of the 72nd Brigade. Colonel -Pope of the 1st North Staffords, Colonel Charlton of the 4th Yorks, -and Colonel Le Fleming of the 9th East Surreys were among those who -had fallen. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 23.] - -The Nineteenth Corps was now covering a total front of 20,000 yards -along the western bank of the stream, which is shallow and marshy in -these reaches. Their line was from Rouy-le-Crane in the south to -near Peronne, with some small outposts to the east of the river. The -Eighth Division (Heneker) had come up on the morning of March 23, and -occupied the southern end of the line, with the remains of the -Twenty-fourth, the Sixty-sixth, and the Fiftieth extending to the -north. There we shall leave them while we return to the history of -the front line upon March 21. - -[Sidenote: Eighteenth Corps. March 21.] - -On the right of the Nineteenth Corps was Maxse's Eighteenth Corps -covering the ground from the Omignon valley to a point just west of -St. Quentin, with three divisions in the line. These were the -Sixty-first on the left, the Thirtieth in the centre, and the -Thirty-sixth in the south. The Sixty-first Division, under General -Colin Mackenzie, was one of those fine second-line Territorial units -which have done so well in the later stages of the war. All {99} -three brigades were in the line, the 183rd Brigade of Scottish troops -in the north, the 184th in the centre, and the 182nd in the south, -both of the last being from the South Midlands. The 2/4th Oxfords, -2/5th Gordons, and 2/8th Worcesters were the devoted battalions which -held the forward line, and so fierce was their defence that the -battle-line was able to maintain itself along the whole divisional -front, in spite of very valiant efforts upon the part of the German -stormers, who showed absolute contempt of death in their efforts to -cut the wire at those points where their artillery had failed to do -so. The story of the Enghien redoubt and its devoted defence has -already been told, but belongs to the record of this division. The -battle zone ran in the main along the eastern edge of the Bois -d'Holnon, and this was desperately defended from morning to night. -In the afternoon the high ground south of Maissemy, in the left rear -of the division and outside their area, had been captured, and the -2/4th Berkshires endeavoured to help the Twenty-fourth Division in -their counter-attack. The Berkshires lost heavily in this venture, -and their gallant Colonel, Dimmer, who had won the V.C. in the early -days of the war, was shot through the head leading his men on -horseback to the very lip of a trench full of Germans. Horse and -groom fell before the same volley. The Sixty-first resumed its line -after this action in the north, and it maintained it intact until -evening, the three divisions of the German attack being practically -held up by the three heroic battalions in the front line, so that the -full weight of attack never reached the main line. It was as solidly -established in the evening as in the morning. The position of the -enemy on their left {100} rear had become more and more menacing, as -after taking Maissemy they had pressed on to Villescholes. This led -to dangerous attacks from the north on the early morning of March 22, -in the course of which the 183rd Brigade had to fight desperately to -preserve the flank of the division. The weight of this fighting fell -chiefly upon the 8th Argyll and Sutherlands, who counter-attacked -most valiantly, aided by the remains of the gallant 2/4 Berkshire's, -who had suffered so severely the day before. Colonel M'Alpine Downie -of the Argylls was wounded, and died next day. Even when the enemy -had got as far westward as Vermand, the Sixty-first Division was -still rooted to its ground, and the Highlanders on the left flank -recovered by a spirited advance nine guns which had been overrun by -the German advance between Maissemy and Villescholes. The 9th Royal -Scots extended their line to the westward, and facing north presented -an unbroken front to the constant hordes of Germans who were moving -down the northern slopes of the Omignon valley in the direction of -Caulaincourt. It was not until late in the afternoon of March 22 -that the Sixty-first Division retired, still fighting, to a prepared -position north of Vaux. - -[Sidenote: Eighteenth Corps. March 22.] - -Next to the Sixty-first Division was the Thirtieth under General -Williams. This division had two brigades--the 21st (Goodman) and the -90th (Poyntz)--in the line, the latter officer being known to all -sportsmen as the famous Somerset batsman. The front of 4000 yards -was from the immediate west of St. Quentin to the Somme, and included -two notable strong points, Manchester Hill and the Epine du Dullon. -The 89th Brigade under General Stanley was in the immediate rear. It -was {101} not used as a unit during the day, but the three fine -battalions of the King's Liverpool Regiment, the 17th, 18th, and -19th, were dispersed in the evening to reinforce three separate units. - -The fighting along the front of the Thirtieth Division was of a very -desperate character. The forward battalions were the 2nd Wilts and -the 16th Manchesters. Rushing through the gaps in their line of -defence, the Germans flung themselves upon the battle zone, where -after long fighting which lasted into the afternoon they gained -possession of the two posts already mentioned, and worked into the -main battle-line at Savy. Both brigades lost very heavily during -these attacks, but the addition of the 18th and 19th King's from -Stanley's brigade helped them to carry on under most trying -conditions. Both these reinforcing battalions came in for severe -fighting in the evening, and the 18th King's, which joined in a -counter-attack by the 21st Brigade, was particularly hard hit, while -the 19th had hardly an officer left, the colonel falling at the head -of his men. As a final result of the day's battle both the brigades -were somewhat driven in upon the front, but each held its line and -was ready to renew the battle next morning. The 2nd Bedfords -particularly distinguished themselves during this day of incessant -fighting, making no less than six successful counter-attacks in order -to clear their sector when it was partly occupied by the Germans. Up -to 4 o'clock in the afternoon of March 22 the Thirtieth were still -firm in their positions, and it was only the general situation of the -Army which finally compelled them to abandon them. They dropped back -upon the general line of Ham, where the three scattered {102} -battalions of the 89th Brigade had been ordered to form one unit once -more. Of the Manchester men in the front rank upon the day of battle -hardly a man ever got away, and their splendid Colonel Elstob lay -dead with the greater part of his battalion around him. He had said: -"The Manchesters will defend Manchester Hill to the last," and he -lived and died true to his word. A superior officer reporting upon -this episode said: "At about 11 o'clock Colonel Elstob informed me -that the Germans had broken through and were swarming round the -redoubt. At about 2 P.M. he said that most of his men were killed or -wounded, including himself; that they were all getting dead beat, -that the Germans had got into the redoubt and hand-to-hand fighting -was going on. He was still quite cheery. At 3.30 he was spoken to -on the telephone and said very few were left and that the end was -nearly come. After that no further answer could be got." - -On the right of the Thirtieth Lancashire Division was the -Thirty-sixth Ulster Division under the command of General Nugent, one -of the many good soldiers who were trained by South Africa for this -greater ordeal. That scrambling and difficult campaign has, though -its lessons were most imperfectly apprehended, proved to be an -invaluable preparation for the leaders in the world's war of the -future. The Ulster division had all three brigades in the line, the -109th (Ricardo) to the north, the 107th (Witteycombe) in the centre, -and the 108th (Griffiths) in the south. The three outlying -battalions were the 12th and 15th Irish Rifles and the 2nd -Inniskilling Fusiliers, which suffered the common fate of all who -held that post of danger. Not a man returned, save a few of {103} -the Irish Rifles, who swam down the canal that night. - -[Sidenote: Eighteenth Corps. March 21.] - -The front held by the Ulstermen was from the Somme on the left to the -neighbourhood of Urvillers on the right, a distance of 6000 yards. -Three German divisions attacked upon this frontage, but the edge of -their onslaught was blunted by the splendid resistance of the three -doomed battalions in the van. None the less, it surged with great -violence all along the edge of the battle zone, but it was everywhere -held save only at the hamlet of Contescourt, where the Germans -obtained a lodgment. The whole defence of the division was -imperilled, however, by the fact that the Germans had bitten deeply -into the British line to the south of the 108th Brigade, getting as -far as Essigny on their right rear, with the effect that a deep -defensive flank had to be thrown back in this direction, which used -up all the reserves of the division. Thus, when the Germans late -that day and in the following morning pressed their advantage at -Contescourt, and were stopped by the magnificent resistance of the -1st Inniskilling Fusiliers at the neighbouring village of -Fontairie-les-Clercs, they should have been permanently held, as they -were driven back in twelve successive attacks. As there were no -reserves available for a counter-attack, however, the defence was -gradually worn down by a great disparity of numbers, so that by March -22 the Germans had advanced into the sector of the line which ran -down the course of the rivulet which is dignified by the name of the -Somme. - -[Sidenote: Eighteenth Corps. March 22.] - -Such, in brief, was the experience of the three divisions which held -the line of the Eighteenth Corps on March 21. The Twentieth Division -in {104} reserve was not employed during the day, nor were its -services needed, for Maxse's Corps, though attacked by eight German -divisions, was able to hold its ground, thanks largely to the -splendid resistance of the shock-absorbing battalions in the front -line. Up to 4 P.M. of March 22 the enemy had made no permanent -advance into the battle zone, but at that hour both flanks of the -Corps had been turned at Maissemy in the north and at Essigny in the -south, and the alternative was retirement or absolute isolation and -destruction. It may then briefly be said that, thanks to the -resolute resistance of the battalions in the forward zone, and to the -solidity of those in the battle zone, the Eighteenth Corps was able -to maintain its ground until it was ordered to leave it, and that -save for some indentation of its front, especially at Contescourt, -its main positions remained inviolate. - -[Sidenote: Third Corps. March 21.] - -Upon the right of the Eighteenth Corps lay the Third Corps, which -covered the enormous front of 30,000 yards. Of the nine brigades in -the corps, eight were in the line and only one in reserve, so that -between the tenuity of the line and its want of support it was an -extremely tempting mark for the German assault, especially as by -ignoring the two brigades south of the Oise they could concentrate -their whole force upon the six brigades in line in the north. It is -true that the wide marshes of the Oise offered an impediment which -covered part of the British line, but as already remarked, the waters -were exceedingly low for the time of year, and the Germans very -cleverly overcame whatever obstacle was left. - -The three divisions which formed Butler's Third Corps were the -Fourteenth Light Division (Cowper), which extended as far south as -Moy, the Eighteenth {105} Division (Lee) covering the ground between -Moy and Travecy, and finally the Fifty-eighth Division (Cator) -extending to Barisis, five or six miles south of the Oise. As usual, -we will take them from the north, confining the narrative to the -point at which the fighting in the front line came to an end. - -The Fourteenth Division had all three brigades in the line, their -order being 41st, 42nd, and 43rd from the north. This division, -composed entirely of light infantry battalions, has had more than its -share of desperate adventures during its service in France. Again -and again, notably in the fire-attack before Ypres in 1915, in the -third battle of Ypres, and upon the present occasion, they have been -exposed to ordeals of the most tremendous kind. Their frontage was -5500 yards, which was not excessive as compared with that of other -divisions, and it contained some high ground north of Essigny which -should have been valuable for observation and defence, but none the -less the attack was so severe and so concentrated that it rapidly -made an impression upon the defence, which became more serious as the -day wore on. The three outlying battalions were the 8th and 9th -King's Royal Rifles and the 6th Somerset Light Infantry, and these, -as usual, were sacrificed almost to a man. The enemy then stormed in -upon the line, making his advance here, as elsewhere, with a -systematic skill which showed how thoroughly he had been drilled and -exercised behind the line. This process of infiltration by which -small bodies here, there, and everywhere extend their advance where -they find a cranny into which to push and establish machine-gun posts -which, unless they be instantly rooted out, soon grow into formidable -{106} positions, shows the remarkable adaptability of the German -soldier--a quality with which, it must be admitted, the world had not -credited him in the past. It may also be admitted that we yielded -too easily to such tactics, and that there was a tendency, as was -pointed out in a memorandum from the Higher Command, to consider a -position as untenable because it was outflanked, instead of closing -in upon the intruders and pressing each side of the nut-crackers -against the intrusive nut. In many cases this was done, but in -others small bodies of daring men with a few machine-guns were able -to dislodge whole lines which they had managed to enfilade. On this -occasion the Germans pushed in upon both flanks of the Fourteenth -Division, but their most serious gains occurred about mid-day, when -they captured Manufacture Farm north of Essigny, and, shortly -afterwards the weighbridge west of that village. The 41st Brigade on -the left were driven out of their headquarters, while the 43rd on the -right were pushed back to the Gibercourt Road. A very weak point was -evidently developing, so General Butler hurried up part of the Second -Cavalry Division (Greenly), and also his only spare infantry brigade, -the 54th (Sadleir-Jackson) in order to make a line of resistance at -the switch line between Camas and Lizerolles. About 1.30 the Germans -had got in between Essigny and Benay and taken Lambay Wood. In view -of their accelerating advance and the ominous reports which were also -coming in from the 173rd Brigade on the right, General Butler -continued to build up his rear line, putting into it not only all -three brigades of the Second Cavalry and the 54th Infantry Brigades, -but also the 12th and {107} 13th Entrenching Battalions, thus -covering the whole rear zone of the corps. Isolated parties of the -41st Brigade were holding out in the main position upon the left, but -Hinacourt had also fallen and the line was slowly rolling westward, -so that by evening the Fourteenth Division had practically lost its -hold of the whole of its battle position. - -Things were going better, however, with the Eighteenth Division, -which held 9000 yards of front in the centre of the Third Corps. As -this great frontage was maintained by only two brigades, the 53rd -(Higginson) in the north and the 55th (Wood) in the south, it must -have been very thinly held, and even admitting that the pressure was -less than on either of the wing divisions, it was none the less a -fine achievement to keep a grip on so wide an area. Three battalions -were in the forward zone, the 8th Berks on the left, the 7th West -Kents in the centre, and the 7th Buffs on the right, all of whom did -splendidly, so that the defence of Fort Vendeuil, Cork, Cardiff, -Durham, and other redoubts upon this point form a whole series of -epics. Besides the infantry, the 79th Company Royal Engineers shared -in the peril and the glory of this defence. The wires connecting up -these forward garrisons were speedily cut, and no news came back all -day, save the rattle of their rifle-fire. The first definite tidings -of the German advance came back through the fog about 12 o'clock, -when some gunners emerged from its folds and announced that the -advanced guns had been overrun by the enemy. Soon after came a -runner with a message from Colonel Crosthwaite of the West Kents to -say that his headquarters was surrounded, and asking for a barrage on -one side {108} of it. A second message arrived from him: "Still -holding, 12.30 P.M. Boche all round within fifty yards except rear. -Can only see forty yards, so it is difficult to kill the blighters." -It was the last word from the post. At 1.30 the enemy had closed in -on the battle zone, and the high ground at Cerisy in the area of the -53rd Brigade had been lost. On the front of the 55th Brigade at the -same hour strong parties of the enemy who had pushed between the -redoubts in the fog had occupied Vendeuil, while a section of guns in -Ronquenet Wood had been rushed by them. The reserve company of the -Buffs in front of the battle zone fought desperately against these -intruders, while near the Dublin redoubt Captain Dennis fought his -guns till 5 P.M., inflicting heavy losses upon the Germans, who -collected in masses in front of the wire at this point. Eventually -his gun-pits were rushed, all the gunners being killed or taken. The -main weight of the attack fell upon the 53rd Brigade upon the left, -and by the middle of the afternoon all the redoubts upon this front -had gone, while the 55th was still well covered. The battle zone, -however, was still intact, though the enemy massed heavily in front -of Moulin Farm and opposite the switch line from Vendeuil to -Ly-Fontaine. They came forward several times, but the mist had risen -and the rifle-fire was accurate so that they made no progress. At -Caponne Farm there was also a brisk attack, but the 10th Essex, the -only battalion left in the brigade, held firmly to its position, -though much plagued by low-flying aeroplanes who skimmed their very -heads, while the British Headquarters was equally disturbed by a -captured anti-tank gun with which the Germans kept up a point-blank -fire. To {109} ease the pressure upon this wing, General Lee put in -the 8th East Surreys from divisional reserve to thicken the line in -the neighbourhood of Remigny. - -At 3.30 the covering forts upon the front of the 55th Brigade were -still holding out. Fort Vendeuil had made a particularly fine -defence and broke up a heavy attack. There was lamp signalling from -this fort till 6 P.M., when the lamp went out for ever. The 7th -Buffs, who had charge of all this portion of the battle front, did a -magnificent day's work, and the famous regiment to which this -battalion belongs has won no prouder laurels in all the centuries. -Little is known of their fate save the pregnant facts that the front -was screened all day, that repeated messages for help were received -up to 8.30 in the evening, and that rifle-fire was heard from their -posts till midnight. Bald words--and yet to him who can see they -convey a sure picture of fading light, dwindling cartridges, and -desperate men, baited from all sides and dying with clenched teeth -amid the ever-flowing German hordes. - -About 4 o'clock the Germans had not only penetrated deeply into the -battle zone of the Fourteenth Division to the north, but had also -dented that of the Fifty-eighth in the south, so that both wings of -the Eighteenth were in a perilous state. The East Surreys were -pushed forward, therefore, into the switch line from Gibercourt to -Ly-Fontaine. Two regiments of dismounted cavalry from the Second -Division were sent also to form a defensive flank upon the right of -the 55th Brigade. At 6 P.M. the attack upon the battle zone of the -Eighteenth had ceased, but it was being pushed hard upon the two wing -divisions, and the Fifty-eighth had lost both Quessy {110} and -Fargniers. Orders were then issued to get behind the Crozat Canal -after dark, this having always been chosen as the second line of -defence. The 54th Brigade, which behaved with great steadiness, was -directed to cover the retirement of the Fourteenth Division, and the -guns were withdrawn first, so as to cover the infantry at the canal -crossings. A few of the outlying posts were gathered up and brought -back in safety. The East Surreys covered the withdrawal of the poor -remains of the 53rd Brigade, while the 3rd Hussars covered the 55th -Brigade on the right. It was a most difficult and delicate operation -with a victorious and elated enemy swarming upon the rear, but it was -successfully carried out, and by 6 A.M. the Third Corps were all -across the canal, and the bridges in that sector had been destroyed. - -The performance of the Eighteenth Division had been a very fine one, -and it was one of the units which could boast that on the evening of -that terrible day they still held the main position which they had -covered in the morning. The main German attack seems to have been -conducted by four divisions, the Thirty-fourth, Thirty-seventh, One -hundred and third, and Two hundred and eleventh, while four more were -identified as either partly engaged or in immediate reserve. The -direction of the attack was mainly from the north and came upon the -front and flank of the 53rd Brigade, which could hardly call itself a -battalion in the evening. The gunners had to fire by guess until the -mist lifted, after which time they did great execution, and stuck to -their pieces to the last moment. A particularly notable performance -was that of Captain Haybittle of C Battery, 83rd Brigade Royal Field -Artillery, whose guns, just {111} south of Benay, were rushed in the -mist at noon. He and his crews removed the blocks and held a -neighbouring position with their rifles, directing at the same time -the fire of two guns in the rear which played upon the German masses -as they debouched from Lambay Wood. Afterwards he and his men fell -back upon these guns and fought them until late in the evening, when -both of them were knocked out. Nineteen hundred rounds were fired, -and this stubborn defence did much to hold the northern flank of the -battle zone. - -It only remains now to give some account of the events upon the front -of the 173rd Brigade (Worgan) of the Fifty-eighth London Division -(Cator) upon the extreme right, in order to complete this rapid -bird's-eye view of the events of March 21 upon the front of the Fifth -Army. This brigade, which filled the space between Travecy on the -left and the Oise upon the right, had the 2/1 Londons in the forward -zone, the 2/4 Londons in the battle zone opposite La Fère, and the -2/3 Londons in the rear zone upon the Crozat Canal.[1] The single -battalion in front was attacked by the impossible odds of three -German divisions, but held out for a long time with great constancy. -Their brave Colonel, Richardson, was last seen surrounded by the -enemy, but still fighting with his headquarters troops around him. -The Germans stormed forward to the battle zone, but there on the high -ground across the Oise they also met with a very vigorous resistance -from the 4th Londons, aided by some sappers and a company of -pioneers. It was indeed {112} a great achievement of Colonel Dann -and his men to hold up the attack with such disparity of numbers, for -according to the official German account several divisions took part -in the attack. Finally, as the afternoon wore on the enemy obtained -a lodgment in the left of the position, and before evening they had -occupied Travecy and part of Fargniers, winding up by the capture of -Quessy. The 2/3 Londons had been drawn into the fight, and now the -2/8 Londons from the 174th Brigade were brought north and placed in -reserve along the line of the Crozat Canal, across which the troops -were now ordered to fall back. This battalion with the 18th -Entrenching Battalion guarded the whole canal line from Condren -Crossing on the right to the junction with the Eighteenth Division on -the left. By 5 A.M. all troops were across and the bridges had been -destroyed. The 2/4th Londons succeeded in removing all their stores -and munitions, and their remarkable achievement in holding the high -ground of La Fère against ten times their numbers for as many hours, -during which they inflicted very heavy losses upon their assailants -and repulsed six separate attacks, was among the outstanding military -feats of that difficult day. - - -[1] When two numbers are given to a Territorial battalion, for -instance 2/4 Londons, it means that the 4th Londons have two -battalions and that this is the second of them. - - -It is needless to say that the losses in men were very heavy on March -21, though it is difficult to separate them from the general losses -of the retreat, which will be recorded later. Among senior officers -of note who died for their country that day, besides those already -mentioned, were Colonels Acklom of the Northumberland Fusiliers, -Thorne of the North Staffords, Wrenford of the East Lancashires, and -Stewart of the Leicesters. - -[Illustration: General line of Army on March 21st.] - - - - -{113} - -CHAPTER V - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -Retreat of the Seventh and Nineteenth Corps - -Problem before General Gough--His masterful action--Arrival of -Thirty-ninth, Twentieth, and Fiftieth Divisions--Retreat of Tudor's -Ninth Scottish Division--Destruction of the South Africans--Defence -of the Somme--Arrival of the Eighth Division--Desperate fighting--The -Carey line--Death of General Feetham--"Immer fest daran"--Advance -Australia--Great achievement of General Watts. - -[Sidenote: Fifth Army. March 22.] - -The reader is now in a position to form some conception of the -situation of the Fifth Army upon the evening of March 21, and to -understand the problems which confronted its commander. He was of -opinion, and the opinion was shared by some at least of his corps -commanders, that had he had four or five divisions of reserves within -easy call, he could unquestionably have held the line. He had, -however, to deal with the situation as it stood, and no man could -have had a more difficult and responsible task. His own reserves -were already practically engaged. On the other hand, both his air -service and the reports of prisoners assured him that those of the -enemy were numerous and near. His line had been deeply dented in -four places: in the sector of the Sixteenth Division at Ronssoy, in -that of the {114} Twenty-fourth Division at Maissemy, in that of the -Fourteenth Division at Essigny, and in that of the Fifty-eighth -Division opposite La Fère. These various points are, it will be -observed, almost equidistant along the line, which tends to show that -the German attack was conducted upon a plan which threw such forces -upon limited areas that the result was almost a certainty, whatever -troops might be holding them. It was the misfortune and not the -fault of these gallant divisions that their thin ranks were in the -very places which huge hordes of the enemy had marked in advance as -their objectives. - -It must have been clear to General Gough and to his corps commanders -that a second day of battle, with the German reserves pouring up, -would certainly mean a penetration of the line at these various weak -points, and that the enemy would then be in a position to cut off -large portions of the force. These units, be they divisions or -corps, would no doubt fight to the last, but the end must surely be -annihilation. In that case the general situation would have been an -appalling one. It might indeed have been decisive for the whole war. -There was nothing between the Germans and Amiens. Pouring westwards -they would have destroyed all reserves almost before they could have -alighted from their trains or their motors, and within a few days -would have entirely cut off the British from the French, with the -estuary of the Somme between the two armies. Any hesitation would -have been fatal. An immediate decision was imperative. That -decision could only be that the British Army should retard the German -advance by an obstinate rearguard action, that it should endeavour to -preserve its line, and allow no unit to be cut off, {115} that it -should fall back in an orderly fashion upon its reserves, and that -when it met them it should turn at bay and prevent the enemy from -reaching his objective. This was the plan which General Gough -instantly formed, and which he proceeded with firmness and moral -courage to carry out. Orders were at once given that the weaker -portions of the line should drop back behind the obstacles which had -already been marked out as the best defensive lines. At the same -time with great foresight he gave orders that the old French Somme -trenches, from the river southwards, should be set in order as a last -line of defence. He despatched his chief army engineer, General -Grant, to carry out this order, and it was eventually a very vital -one in ensuring the safety of the army in the last stages of its -retreat. - -The orders to each corps commander were given in the form of general -indications, the details being left to his own judgment, for the -position of each corps and the pressure upon it formed a number of -independent problems. We shall turn to the north therefore, where, -upon the whole, the situation was least critical, and we shall follow -first the Seventh and then the Nineteenth Corps in their various -movements until a condition of equilibrium was at last safely -established. Let it be at once stated that the design was duly -carried out along the whole line, and that the operation, which at -the time was designated as a disaster, was really a remarkable -example of how by the coolness of commanders and the discipline of -their men, the most desperate situation may be saved and the most -powerful and aggressive foe foiled in his attempts. What complicated -the military problem of the Fifth Army was that the {116} German -threat was really aimed at Paris as much as at Amiens, and that if -they could have got through at Essigny and cut off the Fifty-eighth -Division there were hardly any reserves between them and the -all-important metropolis. - -[Sidenote: Seventh Corps. March 22.] - -The morning of March 22 again presented those conditions of fog and -low visibility which are favourable to the attack. There was no -advance in the early hours upon the new positions of the Ninth -Division, but the enemy directed his attention entirely to the Chapel -Hill front of the Twenty-first Division upon the right, which was -still held by the Lincolns. An attempt was made to relieve them by -the Scots battalion of the South Africans, who took over some of the -northern line. The defence was a splendid one, but by 4 o'clock in -the afternoon the Germans had gained most of this high ground by -outflanking it, and the South Africans at Revelon Farm, who had been -reinforced by the 11th Royal Scots Battalion from the 27th Brigade, -were badly enfiladed in consequence by rifle and machine-gun fire -from the south. Colonel M'Leod of the South African Scots, and many -officers and men, were among the casualties. There was a withdrawal -therefore of the right of the Ninth Division, and about 6.30 P.M. the -Germans had got as far as Heudicourt, and the brigade staff at Sorel -had to line up in order to resist his turning movement to the north. -So far round had the Germans penetrated that the Africans were -compelled to fall back due north for some distance until their rear -was clear, when they retreated with the rest of the division -westwards towards Nurlu. By two in the morning of March 23 the new -positions had been reached, and the attenuated {117} South African -Brigade, which had borne the brunt of the fighting, was taken into -divisional reserve. This difficult retreat was rendered possible by -the desperate resistance offered by the 6th Scots Borderers, who -formed a defensive flank south of Sorel and gave the troops to the -north time to gain the new position. One company of the 11th Royal -Scots was cut off in Revelon Farm, but managed to fight their way -back, bringing with them an officer and eighteen other prisoners. No -guns were lost by the Ninth Division save ten, which were without -teams and were therefore destroyed. - -[Sidenote: Seventh Corps. March 23.] - -At this period there was some dislocation between the left of the -Ninth Division and the right of the Forty-seventh, as is likely to -occur where each belongs to a different corps and army. For a time -there was a gap between them. This was partly overcome, however, on -the evening of the 22nd by means of the Second Division, which lay in -reserve behind the Forty-seventh and put its 99th Brigade under the -orders of the Ninth Division so as to ensure unity of command in this -position of danger. - -Turning to the right wing of the Seventh Corps allusion has been made -in the last chapter to the severe pressure upon the Sixteenth -Division and its determined resistance. It will be remembered that -it was reinforced by the 116th Brigade of the Thirty-ninth Division, -and all three brigades were involved in the same heavy fighting on -the morning of March 22, the German attack being relentless in its -vigour. In the course of this severe action the village of St. -Emilie was lost, and was afterwards retaken in a very gallant fashion -by the 1st Hertfords, a battalion which had greatly distinguished -itself {118} already at St. Julien and elsewhere. The orders were to -retreat, however, and in this movement the switch line from Saulcourt -dug and manned by the 117th and 118th Brigades proved invaluable. -The army policy was to fight rearguards and delay the enemy, and this -was most efficiently done during the evening of March 22, the flank -of the Twenty-first Division being covered in its retirement, and the -line held against vigorous attacks. Many of the guns of the -Thirty-ninth Divisional artillery were lost through their extreme -devotion in covering the retreat of the Sixteenth Division, for they -frequently carried on until the infantry were behind them. The enemy -was pressing his attacks with great vigour, and every withdrawal was -followed up by strong bodies of troops and of field artillery. - -[Sidenote: Seventh Corps. March 22.] - -During these operations General Hornby had been in command of the -division, but on March 23 General Feetham returned from leave and -took over the duties. All day the Thirty-ninth Division was fighting -rearguard actions as it fell back upon the Somme. In the course of -them General Hornby, now in command of the 116th Brigade, was -severely wounded. The roads running westwards to Peronne and Clery -were crowded with traffic, but the Thirty-ninth Division turned at -bay again and again, giving them time to get clear. By evening the -remains of the Sixteenth Division had been practically squeezed out -of the line, and the Thirty-ninth had the Sixty-sixth Division on its -right and the Twenty-first on its left. At night it held a line from -La Maisonnette along the canal to south of Ommiecourt. The enemy -appeared to be much exalted by the capture of Peronne, and the 118th -Brigade {119} on the right heard them singing lustily during the -night. - -[Sidenote: Seventh Corps. March 23.] - -On March 23 the German attack continued to be very heavy upon the -front of the two Scottish brigades of the Ninth Division, which were -in touch with the Fifth Corps in the north and with the Twenty-first -Division in the south. So close and violent was the fighting that -the 6th Scots Borderers were only extricated with difficulty. At 2 -P.M. the line was east of Bouchavesnes, but by 4 P.M. the -Twenty-first Division on the right had lost ground, and the flank and -even the rear of the Ninth was for a time exposed until the Natal -Regiment was thrown out south of Bouchavesnes to cover it. The three -brigades of the Twenty-first Division were engaged all day as they -slowly retreated before the swarming enemy. - -March 23 was a most arduous day for both the Highland and the Lowland -brigades, for each of them was attacked again and again with the -utmost violence. Though the attacks were repulsed each of them had -the effect of weakening still further these units which were already -much exhausted by hard fighting and incessant exertion. Gradually -they were pushed to the westward until they found themselves lining -the eastern edge of St. Pierre Vaast Wood, and manning the ridge -which extended from that forest to the ruins of Saillisel. Their -left at this period seems to have been in the air, as the 99th -Brigade had been returned to its division, and they had failed to -make contact with the Seventeenth Division, who were at the time just -west of Saillisel. At this period the front of the Ninth Division -seems to have covered 11,000 yards, and to have extended for at least -two miles into the area of the Third Army, {120} showing how -desperate were the exertions needed to cover the ground and to -prevent a break through. - -[Sidenote: Seventh Corps. March 24.] - -In the morning of March 24 the Scots could see the German infantry -streaming forward over the open ground which had been evacuated upon -the evening before. It was clear that a great attack was imminent, -and at 9 o'clock, after a very heavy cannonade, it developed along -the whole line. For three hours the Germans made repeated efforts to -force their way through the Ninth Division, but on each occasion they -were repulsed, and their losses at this point were exceedingly heavy. -About mid-day, however, they had gained so much ground upon the -flanks that the South Africans were almost surrounded, and shot into -from north and south. The general British line had fallen back to -the ridge east of Combles, 1000 yards behind, but General Dawson -found it impossible to withdraw in daylight, so that his brigade was -compelled to defend itself in its isolated position at Marrières Wood -as best it could. The result was a disaster, but one of a most -glorious kind, for the men fought until their last cartridges had -been expended, and a large proportion of the survivors were wounded -men. General Dawson was among the prisoners. It was reported -afterwards from German sources that he was taken while working a -machine-gun with his brigade-major lying dead beside him. The whole -defence was said by the Germans to have been one of the finest things -in the war. From that time forward the South African Brigade had -practically ceased to exist until it was reorganised in Flanders. -The supporting parties alone were left, and these were formed at once -into a composite battalion under Colonel Young, for no rifle {121} -could be spared from the fighting line at such a time. Whilst the -South Africans had been engaged in this death struggle the 27th -Lowland Brigade had been in a similar plight. All these battalions, -the 6th Scots Borderers and the 11th and 12th Royal Scots, were very -hard pressed, particularly the former. The Lowlanders extricated -themselves from an almost desperate situation and fell back from St. -Pierre Vaast to the position covering Combles. So great was the -general dislocation of troops that one portion of the 5th Camerons -found themselves that evening fighting with the Forty-seventh -Division, while another was with the Seventeenth. - -The main effort of the enemy upon March 24 was directed against the -Fifth and Seventh Corps in the centre of the British line, though his -energy at other points was sufficient to engage the full attention of -all the other units. Heavy and fresh masses were poured in at the -centre and the pressure was great. For the Seventh Corps it was the -fourth day of incessant and desperate fighting. There were few men -left, and these were very exhausted. Towards evening the left of the -Seventh had been turned, and had been compromised by the occupation -of Sailly Saillisel. All attempts at counter-attack, however -gallant, were destined to failure, or at the best evanescent success, -for there was not the weight to carry them through. At 4.15 the -report was: "The enemy is through on the right flank and has occupied -Combles, Morval, and Lesbœufs." The Seventh Corps then fell back -to the line Hem-Maurepas and threw out every stray unit it could get -together--troops of cavalry, Canadian motor-guns, crews and -machine-guns of tanks, and all the powdered débris {122} of broken -formations, in the direction of Bernafoy Wood to cover the exposed -flank. It was still out of touch with the Fifth Corps. This -movement gave the line an awkward angle from Peronne and made it -almost impossible to hold the stretch of river. For the time the -right of the Third Army was a good five miles behind the left of the -Fifth Army--the result, as Sir Douglas Haig has stated, of an -unauthorised local withdrawal due to misunderstanding of orders. The -line near Peronne was still held by the Thirty-ninth Division. -Throughout the morning of the 24th strong enemy forces were seen by -them pushing forwards between Clery and Rancourt, where they were -harassed by the British fire in enfilade, particularly on the roads, -where the artillery of the Sixteenth and Thirty-ninth Divisions -caused much havoc and confusion, doing great work at short range over -open sights. Many excellent targets were missed, however, owing to -that difficulty in liaison between the infantry and the guns, which -was one of the greatest problems of the operations. During the day -the average number of rounds fired per battery was 3000, most of -which were observed fire. - -As March 24 wore on the position of the Thirty-ninth Division became -untenable, as they heard upon one side of the loss of Saillisel, and -on the other of the forcing of the Somme at Brie, Pagny, and -Bethencourt. They moved back, therefore, at night with orders to -hold the line from Buscourt to Feuilleres. The average strength of -brigades at this time was not more than 20 officers and 600 men. -From the morning of March 25 the Thirty-ninth Division passed to the -command of the Nineteenth Corps, and its {123} further arduous work -will be found under that heading. During all this day Campbell's -Twenty-first Division, still fighting hard in a succession of -defensive positions, had its right upon the Somme, while its left was -in intermittent touch with the Ninth Division. - -The Ninth Division had fallen back, the two Scottish brigades being -continually in action until they reached the Maricourt-Montauban -line, where they supported the First Cavalry Division who were in -front of Bernafoy Wood. The general line at this period from -Montauban southwards was held by the Ninth Division, the First -Cavalry, the newly-arrived and most welcome Thirty-fifth Division -(Franks), the Twenty-first Division, now reduced to a single -composite brigade under General Headlam, and then some oddments under -Colonel Hunt. This brought the line to the Somme, on the south side -of which were the remains of the Sixteenth and Thirty-ninth -Divisions. This might sound an imposing force upon so short a front, -but save for the Thirty-fifth each division was _nominis magni -umbra_, none of them stronger than brigades. The Forty-seventh -Division was retiring at this time upon Contalmaison, and a gap of -several miles was appearing between the Fifth and Seventh Corps. -During the movements upon March 24 the guns of the 65th and 150th -R.F.A. did great work and earned the warm gratitude of the weary -infantry. The enemy targets round Combles were all that a gunner -could wish. - -All troops north of the Somme were upon March 25 transferred to the -Fifth Corps, and became part of the Third Army. The 27th Brigade was -drawn out of the line, and the 26th was under the orders of the {124} -Thirty-fifth Division which took over the defence of this sector, -relieving the exhausted Twenty-first Division. March 25 saw heavy -attacks on Bernafoy which was lost once, but regained by the 106th -Brigade. There was still a gap to the north, and no touch had been -made with the Seventeenth Division, though the cavalry had built up a -defensive flank in that direction. At 2 P.M. the Germans attacked -from Ginchy towards Trones Wood, names which we hoped had passed for -ever from our war maps. In the first onset they pressed back the -12th and 18th Highland Light Infantry of the 106th Brigade, but there -was a strong counter-attack headed by the 9th Durhams which retook -Favière Wood and restored the situation. A second attack about 3 -P.M. upon the Thirty-fifth Division was also repulsed. The German -pressure was so great, however, that the line of defence was taken -back during the night to the Bray-Albert position. The enemy -followed closely at the heels of the rearguards, though the guns were -active to the last so as to conceal the retreat as long as possible. -Early in the morning of March 26 the Lowland Brigade was again -attacked with great violence, but the 12th Royal Scots, upon whom the -main assault fell, drove it back with loss. Changes in other parts -of the line, however, necessitated a withdrawal across the Ancre, so -as to keep in touch with the Twelfth Division which had now come up -on the left. The Ninth Division upon this date numbered 1540 rifles -with 20 machine-guns. It was shortly afterwards drawn from the line -after as severe a spell of service as troops could possibly endure. -The story of the retreat of the Seventh Corps has been indicated -mainly from the point of view of this {125} northern unit, but it -will be understood that the Twenty-first, as tried and as worn as its -Scottish neighbour, was keeping its relative position to the south, -while the Sixteenth was conforming in the same way until the time -when it passed into the Nineteenth Corps. - -The Thirty-fifth Division, newly arrived from Flanders, did great and -indeed vital work in upholding the weakening line at the moment of -its greatest strain. A consecutive account of its work may make this -clear. Pushing through the remains of the Twenty-first Division on -March 24, Franks threw his men instantly into the thick of the fight, -attacking the Germans in front of Clery. Marindin's 105th Brigade -did great work that day, the 15th Cheshires on the right and 15th -Sherwood Foresters on the left, attacking and, for a time, carrying -the ridge of Clery, though it was impossible in view of the general -retreat to hold it for long. The Germans were staggered by the -sudden, unexpected blow, and they poured troops against their new -antagonist, losing very heavily in their reconquest of the ridge. -Finally the front line of the Sherwoods was practically annihilated, -and the Cheshires were in almost as bad a way, but with the help of -some Sussex men who were formed into an emergency unit, together with -some signallers, they were able to draw off, and a line of defence -was organised under General Marindin, but general orders arrived for -a withdrawal to the front Curlu-Maurepas, which was safely carried -out, the 17th Royal Scots covering the rear. It was a most ticklish -business, as touch had been lost with the Ninth Division, but the -wounded were safely evacuated, and all withdrew in good order, the -12th {126} Highland Light Infantry finally bridging the gap upon the -left. This battalion had lost in these operations its splendid -Colonel, Anderson, whose work has earned a posthumous V.C. The enemy -followed closely, and attacked again before dusk, but was driven off. -The attack was renewed on the morning of March 25, but still without -success, the 4th North Staffords bearing the brunt. The weary troops -of the Scottish division, who had been engaged for four long days, -were rallied here and formed into provisional fighting units, which -did good service by relieving the 106th Brigade at Maricourt, when it -was forced back. The pressure upon the division was desperately -severe, but was slightly eased by the arrival of a Northumberland -Fusilier battalion from the Twenty-first Division. That night the -order was to withdraw to the line Bray-Albert. - -[Sidenote: Seventh Corps. March 25. March 30.] - -The general command of the retiring line in this section, including -the Ninth, Twenty-first, and Thirty-fifth Divisions had for the time -fallen to General Franks, who handed his own division over to General -Pollard. The position was exceedingly critical, as not only were the -units weak, but ammunition had run low. The line was still falling -back, and the enemy was pressing on behind it with mounted scouts in -the van. In this retreat tanks were found of the greatest service in -holding the German advance. The route was through Morlancourt and -Ville-sur-Ancre to a defensive position upon the right bank of the -Ancre in the Dernancourt area, the orders being to hold the line -between that village and Buire. Both villages were attacked that -evening, but the Thirty-fifth Division on the right and the 26th -{127} Brigade on the left, drove back the enemy. By the morning of -March 28 the line seemed to have reached equilibrium in this part, -and the welcome sight was seen of large bodies of troops moving up -from the rear. This was the head of the Australian reinforcements. -During the day the enemy got into Dernancourt, but was thrown out -again by the 19th Northumberland Fusiliers Pioneer Battalion. The -104th Brigade also drove back an attack in front of Treux Wood. It -was clear that the moving hordes were losing impetus and momentum. -That same evening the Australians were engaged upon the right and -inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. On the night of March 30 the -Thirty-fifth Division, which had lost nearly half its numbers, was -relieved by the Third Australians. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 23.] - -We shall now follow the Nineteenth Corps in its perilous retreat. It -will be remembered that on the evening of the first day of the battle -it had been badly outflanked to the north, where the Sixty-sixth -Division had made so stout a resistance, and had also lost a great -deal of the battle zone in the south, which was made more disastrous -by the fall of Le Verguier at nine on the morning of March 22. The -supporting line formed by the Fiftieth Division had also been pushed -in at Pœuilly and other points, and it was with no little -difficulty that the depleted and exhausted corps was able to get -across the Somme on the morning of March 23, where they were ordered -to hold the whole front of the river, including the important -crossings at Brie. This, as a glance at the map will show, was a -very considerable retreat, amounting to no less than ten miles in two -days, but it was of the first importance to get a line {128} of -defence, and also to lessen the distance between the sorely tried -army and its reserves. It was hard indeed to give up ground and to -be back on the line of Peronne, but there was at least the small -solace that this was the ravaged ground which the Germans had -themselves turned into a waste land, and that there was no town of -any consequence nor any military point of importance in its whole -extent. - -By the late afternoon of March 23 the bulk of the Nineteenth Corps -was across the Somme. The Germans had followed closely, and there -was rearguard fighting all the way in which the Fiftieth Division -slowed down the pursuit of the enemy. The officers who were -entrusted with the defence of the line of river soon realised that -they had a difficult task, for the dry weather had shrunk it into -insignificance in this section, and owing to trees and thick -undergrowth the fields of fire were very limited, while the thin line -of defenders scattered over some twelve miles of front offered, even -after the advent of the Eighth Division, an ineffective screen -against the heavy advance from the east. Heneker's Eighth Division, -a particularly fine unit consisting entirely of Regular battalions, -had made heroic exertions to reach the field of battle, and fitted -itself at once into its correct position in that very complicated -operation in a way which seemed marvellous to soldiers on the spot. - -In the evening of March 23 a number of Germans, some of them cavalry, -were observed upon the farther side of the Somme and were heavily -punished by artillery fire. None got across before dark, but during -the night numerous bodies established themselves upon the western -side. Local reserves had {129} been placed near the probable -crossings, and these in several cases hunted the enemy across again; -but the fact was that the river could be forded anywhere, and that a -German concentration on a given point could always overpower the thin -local defence. The line of resistance was further weakened by the -First Cavalry Division, which had linked up the Nineteenth Corps with -the Eighteenth Corps on the south, being now ordered to join the -Seventh Corps in the north. The general order of the troops at this -moment was, that the newly arrived Eighth Division was on the extreme -right touching elements of the Eighteenth Corps at Bethencourt and -extending with the aid of one brigade of the Fiftieth as far as -Eterpigny, nearly eight miles. From Eterpigny to Biaches, south of -Peronne, were the remains of the Sixty-sixth Division, covering about -four miles, and joining the Thirty-ninth Division on the right of the -Seventh Corps near that point. The Twenty-fourth was lining up -between Hattencourt and Chaulnes. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 24. March 25.] - -It was on the front of the Eighth Division, at Bethencourt, at -Pargny, and at St. Christ, that the Germans made their chief -lodgments upon the western banks of the river on the morning of March -24. The Bethencourt attack was particularly formidable, both for its -energy and because it aimed at the junction of the two corps. By two -in the afternoon the German infantry were across in considerable -numbers, and had forced back the right flank of the Eighth Division, -which fell back hinging upon the river farther north, so as to oppose -the repeated efforts which were made to enfilade the whole line. -General Watts' responsibilities were added to next morning, March 25, -for the two much exhausted {130} divisions of the Seventh Corps which -were holding the northern bend of the river from Biaches to beyond -Frise were handed over to him when the rest of Congreve's Corps was -incorporated in the Third Army. These two divisions were the -Thirty-ninth and the Sixteenth, the former holding as far as Frise -and the latter the Somme crossings to the west of that point. March -25 was a day of great anxiety tor General Watts, as the enemy were -pressing hard, many of his own units were utterly exhausted, and the -possibilities of grave disaster were very evident. A real fracture -of the line at either end might have led to a most desperate -situation. The French were now at the south end of the river -position, but their presence was not yet strongly felt, and with -every hour the pressure was heavier upon the bent line of the Eighth -Division, on which the whole weight of the central battle had fallen. -By 10 o'clock on the morning of March 25, the defensive flank of the -Eighth Division had been pushed back to Licourt, and had been broken -there, but had been mended once more by counter-attack, and was still -holding with the aid of the Fiftieth. The cyclists of the Nineteenth -Corps, the armoured-car batteries, and other small units were thrust -in to stiffen the yielding line, which was still rolled up, until -after one o'clock it lay back roughly from Cizancourt to Marchelepot -and the railway line west of that place. Later in the day came the -news of fresh crossings to the north at St. Christ and Eterpigny -where the Sixty-sixth Division had been pushed back to Maisonette. -It was evident that the line was doomed. To stay in it was to risk -destruction. At 4.15 the order was given to withdraw to a second -position which had been prepared farther westward, {131} but to -retain the line of the Somme as the left flank. During these -operations the Eighth Division had performed the remarkable feat of -holding back and defeating fourteen separate German divisions during -thirty-six hours on a nine-mile front, and finally withdrew in -perfect order. Every unit was needed to cover the ground, and the -general disposition of divisions was roughly as drawn: - - Hattencourt. Estrees. Herbecourt. - Chantres. Assevillers. Frise. - _R._ 24 8 50 66 39 16 _L._ - - -It will be seen that General Watts' command had increased from two -divisions to six, but it is doubtful whether the whole six had the -normal strength of two. The new line had not yet been completed and -was essentially unstable, but none the less it formed a rallying -point for the retreating troops. It should be noted that from the -morning of March 25 General Fayolle took over the command south of -the Somme. - -The Twenty-fourth Division, which had suffered so severely in the -first two days of the action, was again heavily engaged during this -arduous day. In the morning it had been directed to counter-attack -in the direction of Dreslincourt in co-operation with the French -Twenty-second Division. In the meantime, however, the whole -situation had been changed by the right flank of the Eighth Division -being turned, so that General Daly's men as they went up for the -attack were themselves heavily attacked near Curchy, while the -junction with the French could not be made. They fell back therefore -upon their original position where hard fighting ensued all day, and -a most anxious situation developed upon the southern flank, where a -wide gap existed and the enemy was mustering {132} in force. Colonel -Walker, C.R.E. of this division, was killed that day. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 26.] - -On the morning of March 26 the new line had been occupied. The -Seventeenth Corps had retired in the night to the Bray-Albert line, -which left a considerable gap in the north, to the west of Frise, but -this was filled up by an impromptu line made up of stragglers and -various odds and ends from the rear of the army. It was in the -south, however, that the attack was most severe, and here it soon -became evident that the line was too long and the defenders too weak, -so that it could not be maintained against a determined assault. -Before the sun had risen high above the horizon it had been shaken -from end to end, the Twenty-fourth Division being hard put to it to -hold Fonches, while the Sixty-sixth were driven out of Herbecourt. -At 9.30 the order was given to withdraw, and with their brave -rearguards freely sacrificing themselves to hold back the swarming -enemy, the troops--some of them in the last stage of exhaustion--fell -back upon a second position. It was at this period of the battle -that Major Whitworth, the gallant commander of the 2/6 Manchester's, -stood at bay with his battalion, which numbered exactly 34 men. He -and 17 of his men were dead or wounded after this last stand, and 17 -survivors were all that could be mustered that evening. - -Before the right wing fell back to Vrely there had been a good deal -of fighting. The Twenty-fourth Division, which was now a mere -skeleton, was strongly attacked in the morning of March 27, and -Dugan's 73rd Brigade was pushed back towards Caix, the 8th Sussex -having very heavy losses, including Colonel Hill, and Banham, the -second-in-command. - -{133} - -The situation upon the other flank of the Twenty-fourth Division was -also particularly desperate, and the 9th East Surrey, under Major -Clark, sacrificed itself to cover the withdrawal of the 72nd Brigade. -There were few more gallant actions in the war. Major Clark, writing -from a German prison, gave a small account which enables us to get a -glimpse of the actual detail of such a combat. The enemy's infantry -were in force, he says, within 100 yards of his scattered line. "We -managed to get back some hundred yards when I saw that our position -was really desperate. The enemy were sweeping up from the south, and -several lines of them were in between us and our next defensive -line.... We were seen and the enemy began to surround us, so I -decided to fight it out. We took up position in a communication -trench, and used our rifles with great effect. Grant was doing good -work till shot through the head, and Warre-Dymond behaved admirably. -It was a fine fight, and we held them until ammunition gave out. -They then charged and mopped up the remainder. They were infuriated -with us. My clothing had been riddled with shrapnel, my nose -fractured, and my face and clothing smothered with blood. There are -3 officers and 59 men unwounded. The rest of the battalion are -casualties. It was a great fight, and the men were simply splendid. -I have the greatest admiration for them. It was a glorious end." -Such were the class of men whom the East End of London sent into the -New Army. - -The new position on March 26 may be depicted as follows: - - Rosières. Framerville. Froissy. - Rouvroy. Vauvillers. Proyart. - _R._ 24 8 50 66 39 16 _L._ - - -{134} - -The Germans followed up closely all along the line, the pressure -being great everywhere, but greatest on the left, where the -Thirty-ninth and Sixty-sixth disengaged themselves with difficulty, -both of them being heavily attacked, and the Cambridgeshires fighting -a fine rearguard action in Biaches. About two in the afternoon the -troops were solidly established in their new positions, but the -extreme north of the line was in a very unstable condition, as the -Sixteenth were fired upon from the north of the river and their left -was in no condition to meet an attack. On the right, however, there -was earlier in the day some very spirited fighting, for the Eighth -and Fiftieth Divisions, though very worn, were in far better shape -than their comrades who had endured the gassings and the losses of -the first day. - -The Fiftieth Division fought particularly hard to stop the enemy's -advance, turning at every rise, and hitting back with all the -strength that was left it. A very fine little delaying action was -fought by its rearguard this day upon the line -Lihons-Vermandovillers--Foucaucourt. The 5th and 8th Durhams, with a -few of the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers and a couple of batteries, -held up the advance for several hours and stood their ground with -such resolution that two platoons of the Northumberlands were never -seen again, for they held on to Foucaucourt until both they and the -village were submerged. As the day wore on and the pressure -increased, the Sixty-sixth Division was forced to let go of -Framerville, for these men had fought without sleep for five days and -nights. They staggered back through the rear ranks of the Fiftieth -Division, consisting of the 4th Northumberland Fusiliers, who at -once, under the {135} personal leading of General Riddell and Colonel -Anstey, both of them on horseback and in red-banded caps, rushed the -village once again. It was a fine advance which was much helped by -the way in which Captain Thompson in Vauvillers brought his -machine-guns to bear upon the flank of the Germans advancing to the -south of him. Brigade-Major Paget, a very rising officer, was killed -in this spirited affair. - -No gains could ever be held, as the general line was receding, but -all such successful blows were of use as slowing down the German -advance, teaching him caution, and gaining time--for time was the -very essence of the matter. If there were time the line could be -built up behind. If there were no time Amiens must fall. "I will -fight before Amiens, in Amiens, or behind Amiens!" cried Foch. Brave -words, but if Amiens went, the future was dark indeed. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 27.] - -At eight on the morning of March 27 the Germans were raging once more -along the whole line of the British breakwater. The gallant weary -Eighth Division was heavily attacked near Rosières and the stormers -reached the village, but Heneker's men counter-attacked in most -heroic fashion, and cleared them out again, taking a number of -prisoners. The 2nd Devons, 1st Sherwoods, and 22nd Durham Light -Infantry were the units engaged in this fine action. - -News was bad from the north end of the line, and it was understood -that the Germans were in Proyart, so both the Eighth and Fiftieth -Divisions, out of their scanty ranks, sent reinforcements (R.E. -details and the 2nd Devons) to help the Thirty-ninth Division. At 3 -P.M. on March 27 the Germans were in Framerville, and an hour later -were on the top of the {136} Eighth and Fiftieth once more, in front -of Harbonnière. The rearguard of the latter were the 4th and 6th -Northumberland Fusiliers. The German guns were in full blast that -morning, and the infantry full of ginger, but they could not break -that protective line, thin, disciplined, and flexible. The two -battalions could not cover the ground, and the Germans streamed past -their flank. In order to support the advanced line every available -man was assembled on the reverse slope of a rise, just out of sight -of the Germans. In front of them they could hear the roar of the -battle, ever growing nearer as the British line was rolled back. "We -were a mixed crowd," says one who was among them. "Staff officers in -red caps, clerks in spectacles, signalling officers, cooks, sappers, -and that extraordinary never-beaten infantry." It was indeed one of -the crises of the war, for the situation was desperate just south of -the Somme, and if the enemy was through at this point also the line -would be in fragments. The whole array waited over the curve of the -hill, and as the enemy, in eight or ten waves, poured over the brow -they fired at close range in the traditional Busaco fashion of the -peninsula. A bayonet charge as of old completed the transaction, and -the enemy broke and fled, with a barrage beating down upon his -supports. The British infantry from the top of the rise was treated -to the welcome, and, as it must be confessed, unusual sight of a -large force of Germans all shredded out and hurrying for the nearest -shelter, "like a football crowd caught in the rain." It is an -instance of the incurable levity of British troops that they broke -into the refrain of "Goodbyee! Goodbyee! There's a silver lining in -the skyee!" - -{137} - -In spite of their cheerfulness, however, the losses had been heavy, -both Colonel Robinson of the 6th and Colonel Wright of the 5th -Northumberland Fusiliers being among the casualties. Each of the -battalions now numbered little more than a hundred men. - -This brisk counter-attack was a healthy little reminder to the -Germans upon this section of the line that the British infantry might -be overborne by numbers or by strategy, but that they were still the -men who had in the previous year chased them again and again from the -most formidable positions which they could construct. But these -points of aggressive resistance were now rare and the men were worn -out. It does indeed seem to be an extreme example of the weakness of -the reserves at this period in France, that in spite of the fact that -the battle broke out upon March 21, no help save the one division had -in the course of a week reached the overmatched and exhausted troops. -It is true that the Higher Command may well have reckoned upon the -French as reserves, and this would have been perfectly true had they -been able to take over the ground in the south and contract the -British line. They did take over the ground, but they took over most -of the two British Corps as well, so that the Nineteenth Corps was -little the better for their presence. Unaided by either their own -people or by the French, the Nineteenth Corps still held on -desperately with dwindling numbers to a line which was far beyond -their strength. - -Bad as was the position of the Nineteenth Corps, it was made worse by -the ever-changing position in the north. When the Seventh Corps fell -back to the line of Bray it was behind the left flank of the -Nineteenth Corps. But now it was compelled to make {138} a further -move to the line Chipilly-Morlancourt, while all bridges were ordered -to be destroyed up to Cherisy. This disposition was absolutely -necessary in view of what was happening in the Third Army area; but -it made the position more and more difficult for the men in the -south, who had either to fall back or to see the gap of undefended -river upon their left rear grow wider and wider. General Watts is a -stubborn fighter with no idea of going back if it can be in any way -avoided, so he held on in the south and fought a brisk, successful -action there, while he sent such poor reinforcements as he could to -the Sixteenth Division in the north, stopping the dangerous rent with -any odds and ends upon which he could lay his hands. Three hundred -improvised infantry, six Lewis guns, and a battery in armoured cars -were the best that he could do, and these troops actually did hold -the river line in the north from the early morning of March 27 until -nightfall, against an ever-growing menace. But they could not cover -all the ground, and the enemy, as was foreseen, was coming over the -river and getting behind the British line. The Sixteenth Division -was practically destroyed, and the Thirty-ninth was in little better -case, though General Feetham showed great energy in re-organising all -the débris of units upon the road, so that the line of resistance was -very weak. In the afternoon a considerable party of Germans with -machine-guns had got across the river at Cherisy, west of Morcourt, -held by seventy men of the Sixteenth Division, and pushed on in the -most daring way south-west to Lamotte and Bayonvillers. They were -right across the rear of the Nineteenth Corps, and a great disaster -seemed inevitable, but weary as the {139} men were, and tired as were -their leaders, they were still capable of clear decision and swift -action. The river was for the moment abandoned, the left of the line -was swung south, and early upon March 28 they faced north in this -sector, along the track of the Amiens-La Fère railway. Roughly, the -new position may be traced as follows: - - Vrely. Gillancourt. - Warvillers. Caix. Wiencourt. Marcelcave. - +---------------------+ - _R._ 24 8 60 66 39 _L._ - - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 28.] - -This very difficult and remarkable disengagement was particularly -trying for the Thirty-ninth Division since it had farthest to go and -was in close contact with the enemy. It was carried out in broad -daylight in the morning of March 28, and with such skill that there -was no great loss in the 118th Brigade which covered it, but so close -was the enemy that both General Bellingham and his brigade-major, -Major F. Gunner, were captured while personally supervising the -withdrawal. After this operation the remains of the Thirty-ninth -Division were occupying the line from Marcelcave to Wiencourt -inclusive, along the railway track. Germans were found in Wiencourt, -and the two brigades, now reduced to two composite battalions under -Colonel Saint, attacked them with success, but eventually occupied a -line to the west. All the guns had been saved and were in action -once more. - -On the occasion of the reforming of the line as already described on -March 28, the Fiftieth Division had fallen back upon Caix, where it -held fast to the important bridge across the River Luce upon which a -number of troops from various units were converging. Many of these -were disorganised, and some, {140} to use the expression of a -spectator, "stone-cold"; but the same witness has recorded the -splendid moral effect produced by one battalion which, marching in -fours and with everything in most precise order, came swinging down -the road, with no change after its seven days of purgatory save that -two-thirds of its personnel had disappeared. This was Colonel -Hancock's 1st Battalion of Royal Fusiliers from the Twenty-fourth -Division--an object-lesson to all who saw it as to how discipline can -outlast the most terrific tests which a soldier can be asked to -endure. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 28.] - -The enemy, still working down from the north, had threatened the new -defensive flank at a point between Caix and Cayeux, but were held by -a very spirited attack made by the men of the 22nd Entrenching -Battalion. With considerable loss both to themselves and to the -Germans, they held the line of the river until reinforcements -arrived. The Thirty-ninth from the north and the Eighth and -Twenty-fourth from the south were all converging upon the one point -to take up their new positions. A Brigadier in command of the -infantry, with 800 men and 3 batteries, held the bridge; but the -Germans might have rushed it had it not been for a charge by the -151st Brigade, when the 5th and 7th Durhams drove back their -advancing line. This spirited attack was led by General Jackson in -person, who encouraged his men by blasts upon his hunting-horn. -Speaking of one of their military heroes, a French historian has -said: "Il avait la graine de folie dans sa bravoure que les Français -aiment." All soldiers love it, and it is a wise leader who knows how -to employ it. It was a time when every possible device was needed to -hold the men, for the enemy was close upon the bridge, {141} and the -safety of the remains of several divisions depended upon the bridge -being held. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 27.] - -Returning to the general survey of the line of the Nineteenth Corps -the Sixteenth Division was now rather a crowd of warlike particles -than an organised unit. It was ordered, however, that every -individual particle should be reassembled at Hamel so that the -nucleus of a division should exist once more. Hard marching and hard -fighting had reduced the Twenty-fourth Division to almost the same -condition, though, thanks to a miraculous survival of most of the -senior officers, the unit was still efficient. On the other hand, -the Sixty-first Division from the Eighteenth Corps, numbering at this -period 2400 men, was given to General Watts to help to form his new -line. It was at first intended with the aid of these new troops to -endeavour to clear the left flank, and for this purpose a -counter-attack upon Lamotte was ordered. The newly-arrived men from -the south, the 183rd and 184th Brigades, who could hardly stagger a -mile, did actually carry the twin village of Warfusee and hold the -edge of it for a time under very heavy fire--an operation in which -Major Bennett of the Oxfords did conspicuously fine work. Several -grand soldiers fell in this attack, including Captain Willick who had -commanded the 2/4 Berkshires after the fall of the heroic Dimmer. -His last speech to his men is worth recording. It was, "I know how -you feel, boys, tired and worn out, but we have to stop them from -breaking through." The support to this brave attack is said to have -been "one gun, firing wildly." - -The line sloped back now from Demuin in the south to the Somme at a -point opposite Sailly-le-Sec, the Sixty-first occupying the general -sector {142} just south of the Lamotte-Amiens Road. From there to -the river had been a gap which it was absolutely vital to fill. An -old line of trench existed here, extending from the river to Demuin, -and early in the battle General Gough, amid all his preoccupations, -had realised that it might be of great importance to have it ready as -a rallying place. He had therefore deputed General Grant, his own -chief of engineers, together with Colonel Harvey, his chief of staff, -to organise it and to endeavour to man it, with any spare troops that -they could find. This had been done, and after three days of -feverish work, Grant had prepared a line and had thrust into it a -most curious assortment of all sorts of details, made up of -entrenching troops, American sappers, the staffs of various army -schools, reinforcing units, and stragglers. On the third day General -Grant was recalled to his official duties, but General Carey happened -to be passing from the front to take over a divisional command, and -he was deflected and placed in charge of this assembly of military -samples, which included 500 cases out of hospital. There was a -sprinkling of machine-guns with trained instructors to use them, but -the line was thin and there was a want of cohesion in the elements -which formed it. The great thing, however, was that the gulf was -spanned between Watts in the south and Congreve in the north. There -was still a trench and a line of British soldiers between the Germans -and the open country that led to Amiens. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 28.] - -March 28 was a day of destiny along the line, for upon that date were -the first definite signs that the assault had failed so far as its -ultimate objective was concerned, and that the Germans were not -destined to overcome the British resistance. In the north, {143} -this was clearly indicated by the victory in front of Arras. In the -south, the situation was still obscure and dangerous; but the mere -fact that the day was got over without a catastrophe was in itself a -success, for on March 27 the prospects were very ominous. The line -now ran from Demuin to Marcelcave, and thence the improvised trench -garrison carried it on to the river. The First Cavalry Division, -which had come across from the north bank, formed a link between the -Sixty-first in the north of Watts' line, and what we will now call -the Carey line. The cavalry men were still full of fight, but they -had done wonderful work since the first day of the battle, cementing -every weak seam, and they were terribly reduced in numbers if not in -spirit. Nothing can exaggerate the debt which the infantry owed to -all three divisions of cavalry for their tireless support during that -awful week. They now tried to advance towards Lamotte, but they came -upon the right flank of a very strong German force moving south-west -from Cherisy, and though they endeavoured to harass it they were -unable to make much impression. The 61st was also terribly worn. -Upon this day the 184th Brigade lost Colonel Belton, its fifth -commander, and was taken over by Colonel Pagan of the Gloucesters. - -The southern end of the British line had troubles enough before, but -they were now accentuated by the fact that the Germans had made a -very rapid advance in the Montdidier sector which placed them in the -right rear of the Nineteenth Corps. On this right flank there was -much confused fighting, and a mixture of units which reached such a -point before the morning of March 29 that the Twenty-fourth, or what -remained of it, found that it had unwittingly {144} changed from the -right to the left flank of the Eighth Division. There could perhaps -be no clearer illustration of the dimensions to which the division -had shrunk. These confused movements caused loss of touch, and there -was a time when Corps Headquarters had completely lost the right of -the line, which was badly disorganised. It was a time of great -danger. Yet another division, however, the Twentieth, was given to -Watts, and though it was already worn to the bone, and could not -reckon a thousand men in all three brigades, it was still -battleworthy and formed an invaluable asset at such a time. They -were lined up, or perhaps dotted along would be a fitter term, upon -the front of Mezières-Demuin, and formed a frail barrier behind which -the hard-pressed men could have a brief breathing space while they -endeavoured to reform. By the late afternoon of March 28 this -operation was in progress, and before 11 P.M. the new positions were -actually occupied. The line, which was partly wired, now ran from -Mezières, through Demuin, Marcelcave, and Hamel to the Somme, but it -would be hard to add the exact alignment of the units, as in many -places they were inextricably mixed. The Sixty-first and the Cavalry -had been placed behind Carey's line, in order to support it should it -weaken. South of this was the Twentieth Division, reinforced by -fragments of other divisions, which among them had the strength and -spirit to beat off a strong German attack delivered by the force -which had been engaged by the cavalry in the morning. The country -here was seamed by the old French trenches, which were woefully out -of repair but none the less were of great value to the defence. -Carey's force was involved in this German {145} attack on March 28, -but with the help of the First Cavalry Division they managed to hold -their line. Upon that date the exhausted troops received the -following well-timed message from the Fifth Army commander: "By the -grand and stubborn way you are holding out and delaying the advance -of the enemy, the British and French reserves are being given the -necessary time to come up and assume the offensive. Your great -exertions and sacrifices are not being thrown away: they are of -immense importance, and your resistance and your deeds in this great -battle will live for all time, and will save our country." - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 29.] - -March 29 was another eventful and critical day for the Nineteenth -Corps, and began badly for them, since the remains of the Eighth and -Twenty-fourth Divisions had, as already explained, been thrust out of -their positions and were mostly on the west side of the Avre and out -of the line. The Fiftieth Division was only partly in position, the -fighting strength of the Sixty-sixth was reckoned at 750 bayonets, -and that of the Thirty-ninth at 500 bayonets. The Nineteenth Corps -at this moment was nominally composed of eight infantry -divisions--Eighth, Twentieth, Twenty-fourth, Sixteenth, Thirty-ninth, -Fiftieth, Sixty-first, and Sixty-sixth; but it is questionable -whether their united strength greatly exceeded that of a single full -division, to such a point had the army been reduced. On the other -hand, there was no direct evidence of excessive wastage upon the part -of the Germans, who could be seen in large well-organised bodies -moving in front of the British lines. The one consolation lay in the -fact that their heavy guns, and even a good many of their field-guns, -had been {146} left behind. The machine-guns, however, and their -newly-developed light field artillery were as energetic as ever. The -British artillery had been weakened by capture and destruction, but -it was greatly supplemented by several armoured-car batteries, -Canadian and British, which did splendid service during these -all-important days. - -About mid-day on March 29 the French, and the remains of the -Thirtieth Division under the French Higher Command, had abandoned -Mezières upon the right flank of the Nineteenth Corps, and by so -doing they exposed the right of the steadfast Twentieth Division. -The fighting extended from the River Avre to Demuin. The 59th -Brigade, which was in the south of the line, was forced to fall back, -but two battalions of the 60th Brigade were thrown out to cover the -flank and hold the German advance from getting behind the British -line. At 2 o'clock these two brigades gathered their thin ranks -together for a counter-attack, aided by the Fiftieth Division, which -had now been telescoped into a single weak brigade. It was a -remarkable attack, for most of the men were stumbling with utter -fatigue, and could hardly totter forward with their rifles at the -port. It was the Riflemen and Shropshires who made the advance upon -Mezières while their comrades stormed the surrounding woods. The 5th -Durhams, 6th Northumberland Fusiliers, and 22nd Entrenching Battalion -of the Fiftieth Division also did great things. There is evidence -from the prisoners that the Germans at that particular point had lost -very heavily and were much distressed, so that the combat was like -those closing rounds of a hard-fought boxing contest, where the two -exhausted combatants can {147} but push and paw as they lurch against -each other. The village was actually carried by the British, and a -temporary easement secured, together with a handful of the 352nd -Regiment, who stated that they had lost three entire companies in -their first advance upon Mezières. This spirited counter-attack was -covered by the guns of the Fiftieth Division which, under Major -Johnson, had worked very hard during those last trying days. - -About 2 o'clock on March 29 Watts' Corps was reinforced by another -skeleton division, the Eighteenth--2000 bayonets, in all. It was -merged with the Sixty-first and placed in the Berteaucourt-Bois de -Blangy line. The thin ranks of the Twenty-fourth were still able to -muster at the south end of the position, but only one brigade of the -Eighth Division, the Twenty-fifth, was in a condition for service. -This unit moved to the edge of Moreuil Wood, and co-operated with the -French One hundred and thirty-third Division which was holding the -line at that point. From this time onwards the -Moreuil-Ailly-sur-Noye Road and everything south of it was French. -As the British force dwindled its front also contracted, otherwise -the situation would have indeed been impossible. - -As it was, it continued to be desperately critical, for beyond the -telescoping of units and the contraction of front there was no help -for the British line, while the assailants were still very numerous -and aggressive. About noon on this day, March 29, the Thirty-ninth -Division, and indeed the whole army, sustained a severe loss in the -person of General Feetham, a leader of great valour and experience, -who was killed by a shell while walking with Colonel {148} Gosset, -his chief of staff, in the village of Demuin. His death was to some -extent revenged at once by his devoted troops, for a German attack -which followed at once down the valley of the Luce was driven back -with heavy loss by the rifles of the infantry. General Feetham was -replaced next day by General Blacklock. It is a remarkable fact that -Feetham was the second commander of the Thirty-ninth Division killed -within a fortnight, for General Cape, his _locum tenens_, fell upon -the 13th of March. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 30.] - -On the morning of March 30 the 61st Brigade of the Twentieth Division -was on the south end of the line covering the bridge over the Luce at -Hangard, while the 59th covered that at Dornart, the 60th lining up -from Dornart to Berteaucourt. The Fiftieth Division had been now -incorporated in the Twentieth. All the bridges had been prepared for -demolition. The enemy were slowly pushing the French out of the -Moreuil Wood upon the extreme right, small bodies of infantry -gradually infiltrating the whole position. The Germans soon -developed activity also in the Luce valley, and finally along the -whole corps front. The Second Cavalry Division was sent into Moreuil -Wood to help the French, but the whole right of the line began -gradually to crumble in face of the repeated assaults. The remains -of the Sixty-sixth and Twentieth Divisions were bent back, though the -latter continued for a long time to hold the Demuin-Marcelcave line -of road, but about 8 A.M. the Sixty-sixth Division was pushed out of -Aubercourt. There was some weakness farther north also, between -Villers and Marcelcave, but the never-failing First Cavalry Division -stiffened the yielding line. At 10 {149} o'clock the situation had -improved in Moreuil Wood, where Seely's Canadian cavalry, with the -3rd Cavalry Brigade in support, were making their presence felt. -They held the line along the edge of the wood from east of Moreuil, -but had lost touch with the Twentieth upon their left. Later in the -morning there was a strong German counter in this quarter which drove -the cavalry back into the wood. Here at a later hour they were -reinforced by the Eighth Division, if such a sonorous name can be -given to a handful of dazed and exhausted men. The line at mid-day -ran roughly as follows: - - Moreuil Wood. Demuin. W. of Aubercourt. W. of Marcelcave. - 2nd Cav. 20th. 66th. Carey. 61st. 1st Cav. - -The great bulk of the British force lay to the north of the Luce -River, and the Germans were making every effort to push the flank -backwards or aside and to ford the stream. A wood named Little Wood -lay in such a position as to help or hinder, such an attempt, and it -was the scene of some fierce fighting. It was first occupied by one -of the enemy's advanced parties. It was then retaken by some of the -West Yorkshires of the 60th Brigade. These in turn were pushed out -by the enemy. Finally, in the evening the 12th Rifles and 12th Rifle -Brigade, with some French and scattered units of the Fiftieth -Division, charged forward through the twilight, recaptured the wood, -and re-established the whole line in this quarter. Nine machine-guns -and fifty-three prisoners were taken. Well might General Watts -telegraph: "Well done, the Twentieth! Such a counter-attack after -all your hard work is splendid." - -Now at last there were signs of some relaxation {150} in the dreadful -strain. On this, the ninth day of the battle, the first British -reserves, save only the Eighth Division, began to appear in the line. -They were the 9th Australian Brigade, who came into the fight between -Demuin and Aubercourt with their usual brisk gallantry. Their attack -made some progress, and the 12th Lancers who advanced with them -shared something of the glory. Although the final objectives were -not attained, the line north of the Luce was stayed by their presence -and made firm for the morrow. On this evening several of those -heroic units which had fought themselves to the last point of human -endurance from the beginning of the battle were taken from that stage -where they had played so glorious and tragic a part. The remains of -the Thirty-ninth, the Fiftieth, the Sixteenth, and the Sixty-sixth -were all drawn back for re-organisation. It was theirs to take part -in what was a defeat and a retreat, but their losses are the measure -of their endurance, and the ultimate verdict of history upon their -performance lies in the one single undeniable fact that the Germans -could never get past them. Speaking of these troops an observer -remarked: "They had been fighting for nine days, but were very -cheerful and still full of vigour." The losses of some units and the -exertions of the individuals who composed them can seldom have been -matched in warfare. The 2/6th Lancashire Fusiliers, for example, had -fought in the rearguard of the Sixty-sixth Division for the whole -retreat under Captain Porter, the only officer left standing. They -were now reduced to about a hundred men. Many battalions were in no -better condition. Carey's nondescript force was also broken up on -the evening of March 30. They had {151} served a most useful purpose -at a critical moment of the battle, and their formation may have -prevented a disaster, but it should be emphasised that their -existence was not some impromptu effort, but had been pre-arranged by -the wise foresight of General Gough. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. March 31.] - -On March 31 there were signs that the German flood was reaching full -tide. They had acted to a wonderful degree up to their own saying: -"Immer fest daran!" but they had now far outstripped their artillery -support and the tenacious elastic British defence had worn them down. -There was no attack on the morning of this day, but about noon the -fighting broke out once more in the Moreuil Woods, the enemy pushing -their way through them and slowly driving back the line of the Eighth -and the Twentieth, while the French were again driven out of the -village of Moreuil. North of Marcelcave there was a day of quiet and -re-organisation. The Sixty-first was still holding the -Berteaucourt-Gentilles line, while the Eighteenth was holding the -line of the Luce. In the evening the Eighth and Twentieth were again -reinforced by the cavalry, and by the superior and heroic exertions -of every one concerned the position on the right flank was -maintained. The 2nd Berkshires distinguished themselves in this -fighting. There is something more than a name even in this stage of -the war in the old Regular battalions, for the chronicler finds that -they stand out amidst the other units out of all proportion to their -numbers. The 2nd Bedfords, 1st Royal Fusiliers, 2nd Scots Fusiliers, -and many others upheld the honour of the grand old force. - -The right wing had been considerably hustled in {152} the Moreuil -quarter on March 31, but on April 1 the Second Cavalry Division, -which included the Canadian Brigade, made a sudden fierce -counter-attack which threw the enemy back. Fifty prisoners and -thirteen machine-guns were the fruits of this action. The British -guns had played upon the wood during the whole night, and the enemy -had suffered severely, for the assailants found the brushwood to be -full of dead Germans. There was no other movement of importance on -this day. The reformed Fourteenth Division was brought back into the -battle and took the place of the Twentieth, the Fiftieth, and of the -cavalry upon the front to the south of the Luce. Speaking of the -latter troops after their nine days of martyrdom, a senior officer -who saw them at this stage said: "In the last attack they were driven -back about a mile towards Amiens, but after the first Bosch onrush -they stood like rocks, repelling attack after attack, -counter-attacking and regaining ground in such a manner that every -day I marvelled at the doing of it, and at the men who did it." - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. April 4.] - -April 2 and 3 were quiet days, but on the 4th there was a very -violent and general attack along the line of the Nineteenth Corps, -and of the Thirty-sixth French Corps (General Nollet) which lay to -the immediate south. The main weight of the battle fell upon the -Fourteenth Division in their new positions, and by nine o'clock in -the morning the Germans had gained some success to the north of the -main Amiens Road. The Australian 9th Brigade, which was south of the -road, held their line, but had to fall back 500 yards in order to -conform with the general position. At 11.30 the enemy was still -making progress, mostly {153} on the front of the Fourteenth -Division, and had reached the east edge of Hamel and of Bois de -Vaire. The Third Cavalry Division, those indomitable troops, were -thrown in to thicken the line of the Fourteenth, and the Canadian -motor guns from Villers-Bretonneux were also brought into the battle. -Later two battalions of the invaluable Australian infantry came up at -the double from the 15th Australian Brigade. If ever the arrival of -strong loyal men in a time of darkness brought joy and comfort with -it, it was when the Australians relieved the British line in these -later days of the second battle of the Somme. "God bless them!" was -the silent prayer that went down the weary line. Ground had been -lost south of Villers-Bretonneux, and the line was bent, but the -whole of the Third and Fifth Australian Divisions were streaming down -to their places in the defence. The end of the retreat was at hand. - -[Sidenote: Nineteenth Corps. April.] - -Upon the evening of April 4, the line which was to be permanent for -many months to come began to define itself, and order gradually -evolved out of ever-shifting chaos. Lee's Eighteenth Division was -now in touch with the Thirty-sixth French Corps at Hangard. Then at -the Bois l'Abbé lay the 9th Australian Brigade. North of this, at -the Bois de Gentilles, was the Third Cavalry Division. Thence in -succession came the 15th Australian Brigade, the 43rd Brigade, the -remains of the Twenty-fourth Division, the 8th Australian Brigade, -the other elements of the Fourteenth Division, the Fifth Australian -Division near Aubigny, and the Fifty-eighth Division in the north. -This summary will show how Australia had braced the line. Upon the -next day, April 5, Butler's Third Corps took over {154} the whole -area of the Nineteenth Corps, and the episode was at an end. - -The retreat of General Watts across the ravaged country, his attempt -to hold the long front of the Somme, his successive short retreats, -his continual stands, and his eventual success, will always remain -one of the most remarkable incidents in the war. This officer, who -at the beginning of hostilities was a "dug-out," hardly rescued from -a premature ending of his military career, showed in the highest -degree those qualities of never despairing, and of rapidly adapting -means to an end, which mark the competent soldier. He began with two -units under his control, and he ended with fifteen, but no general -ever had to handle more weary troops, or had more need of a clear -head and a high heart. The strain upon him had been -extraordinary--though indeed that is true of every corps and -divisional commander in the line. As to the special features of this -operation, it may be said to be remarkable for the improvisations of -troops, for the continual use of entrenching battalions as -combatants, for the work of the dismounted cavalry, for the -self-sacrifice and energy of the motor batteries, and very specially -for the degree of mobility attained by the heavy artillery and the -rapidity with which it came into action in successive positions. -Military critics will draw many deeper lessons from these operations, -but these at least are sufficiently obvious to catch the eye of the -least experienced student. - -The total losses of the Nineteenth Corps during this fourteen days of -battle came to from 35,000 to 40,000, killed, wounded, and missing. -The losses in guns were 41 heavy pieces and 73 field-guns, twelve -{155} of which were anti-tank guns in the forward line. The pressure -sustained by some of the divisions would be incredible if the facts -were not fully authenticated. Thus the Eighth English Division was -attacked from first to last by eighteen different German divisions, -including three of the Guards. Prisoners were taken from each so -that their identity could not be disputed. Yet this same Eighth -Division was engaged within three weeks in the victorious advance at -Villers-Bretonneux. The German oracle Clausewitz has said that a -retreating army should go back not like a hunted deer but like a -wounded lion. His commentators would hardly find a better example -than the British armies in the second battle of the Somme. - - - - -{156} - -CHAPTER VI - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -The Retreat of the Eighteenth Corps, March 21-29. - -Retreat of the Sixty-first Division--The Gloucesters at -Beauvais--Fall of Ham--Retreat of the Thirtieth and Thirty-sixth -Divisions--Great privations of the men--Fine feat at Le -Quesnoy--Summary of the experience of Maxse's Corps. - -[Sidenote: Eighteenth Corps. March 22.] - -It has been shown that Maxse's Eighteenth Corps, covering the St. -Quentin front, maintained its whole position on March 21, thanks to -the splendid conduct of the three battalions in the forward line, and -to the stout resistance in the zone of battle. It has also been told -how the Sixty-first Division, the most northern unit, withdrew on the -afternoon of March 22, very attenuated but still full of fight, to a -prepared position between Vaux and Villévêque. At 4 P.M. that day -the three brigades, or what was left of them, were in line 1500 yards -east of Beauvais, the 184th being in the centre, with the 182nd on -its right, and the 183rd on its left. As they faced their pursuers -they could plainly see the Germans pouring in successive waves from -Atilly. The central brigade was commanded by General the Hon. Robert -White, one of two gallant brothers who sowed their military wild oats -in the Jameson Raid, and this unit, reduced now to a mere handful of -{157} Gloucesters, Berkshires, and Oxfords, was exposed to a -scourging fire of shrapnel, which further thinned their ranks, their -General being one of the casualties. No field ambulances were -available at the moment, and as General White was led away badly -wounded he saw the German cavalry breaking into the south side of -Beauvais, while a large artillery dump west of the village was -exploded by the enemy fire. The whole situation was chaotic, but the -British infantry still hung together, retreating slowly and turning -continually upon their pursuers. Some twenty German aeroplanes were -quartering the district like so many fierce hawks, and diving with -great daring from time to time into the very streets of the village, -while the British falling back into cover fired up at them with their -rifles and light machine-guns. Two of them came crashing down upon -the roofs of the houses. It was rumoured that the enemy had already -got close to Ham upon the right rear of the division, and they were -round the left flank in the region of Holnon Wood. There was little -artillery support available, for sixty per cent of the forward guns -had been taken or destroyed in Holnon Wood, and the remaining -batteries were getting away with their reduced teams, so that the -retreat of the infantry was correspondingly slow in order to cover -the withdrawal. In the north the Scotsmen of the 183rd Brigade were -moving back near Villescholles in touch with the 72nd Brigade of the -Twenty-fourth Division, both of them being much helped in their -retirement by the 11th Hussars. All along the line the Germans were -pressing very closely, but the Sixty-first kept wonderfully steady, -though at Beauvais, where Colonel Wetherall had taken over the -command when {158} General White was wounded, the two parties were -continually intermingled, so ardent was the pursuit and so leisurely -the retreat. So mixed were the combatants that Major Howitt, -brigade-major of the 184th, was dragged out from among his men, and -was in the hands of the Germans for some exciting and instructive -hours. "I must say the officers treated me well, though the escorts -were very rough," says he. "For all my hatred I could not help -admiring them intensely, for their deployment, discipline, and -preparation were an eye-opener. They extended into battle order with -hardly a sound and lay down preparatory for the next assault, -bringing up mules dragging light trench-mortars, machine-guns, and -ammunition." Major Howitt finally broke away from his escort, and by -keeping so near to a burning ammunition dump that no one dared to -follow him, he succeeded in regaining his own lines. - -The defence of the line in front of Beauvais was kept up with -remarkable tenacity and ended by 150 men of the 2/5th Gloucester -battalion performing what was an extraordinary feat, even in this war -of miracles, for they held on to a line 2000 yards in length until -3.30 in the morning of March 23, holding up the whole German advance. -All night the enemy tried to rush or to bomb this thin line of -determined men, but it was not until the cartridges ran low that the -British made their retreat, sneaking round the outskirts of the -village which blazed behind them, and making their way to -Longuevoisin where they joined their comrades, who had already given -them up as lost, for they had been five miles behind the army. -Colonel Lawson was in command during this heroic episode, and was -ably supported by his {159} two lieutenants, Rickerby and Dudbridge. -Of the latter, it is recorded that in a later stage of the retreat he -was in such a condition of absolute exhaustion that he was wounded -three times in the course of a single day without ever observing it -until evening. Utter nerve fatigue has its compensations as well as -its terrors. - -The Thirtieth Division had held on to its ground until four in the -afternoon of March 22. Some units lingered to cover the retreat, the -2nd Yorkshires and the 17th Manchesters holding on to their redoubts -until six o'clock, when they were in danger of isolation. - -During their withdrawal both the Sixty-first Division and the -Thirtieth Division to the south of it were covered by the 59th and -60th Brigades of the Twentieth Division. These two fine brigades, -still intact and full of fight, allowed the weary soldiers to pass -through their ranks, while they opposed a tenacious resistance to the -pursuing Germans. When the Sixty-first and Thirtieth were across the -canal of the Somme the covering division fell back in orderly -fashion, and itself crossed the canal between Canizy and Bethencourt, -the 60th Brigade being on the right and the 59th on the left. The -60th Brigade was compelled to fight hard to make good its retirement, -and it struck back again and again at the German vanguard. In this -fighting the 12th Rifle Brigade particularly distinguished itself, -but its losses were heavy, and included its gallant Colonel, -Maclachlan. - -Early in the morning of March 23 it was known that the enemy had -crossed the line of the Somme at Ham. The Thirtieth Division had -retreated upon {160} this important little town, which had been -thrown into a state of defence by General Stanley of the 89th -Brigade, but his garrison was so utterly inadequate to cover the -ground that his dispositions were useless, as the Germans could get -round him on either side. He had with him in the first instance two -entrenching battalions, the 21st and 23rd, two companies of gas -engineers, the corps cyclists, and a mere handful of infantry. Late -on March 22 he was joined, however, by his own three attenuated -battalions of the King's, each of which had been heavily engaged in -different parts of the battle. At the same time the 90th Brigade -dropped back to the left of Ham and the 21st to the right. The -division was bare on both flanks, however, and it was determined to -continue the retreat. The bridges were blown up and such rolling -stock as was possible was destroyed, but there were very many stores -in the town which had to be abandoned to the enemy. It was a very -great disaster, for it supplied him with much, and indeed served him -as an advanced base, all ready-made for his operations in this part -of the field. As to the loss of the river line, it has already been -explained that in these higher reaches it is a very slight barrier. - -[Sidenote: March 23.] - -When the enemy had taken Ham he pushed along swiftly towards -Esmery-Hallon on the heels of the retiring Thirtieth Division. The -Thirty-sixth Division, which had been assisted in its retreat by the -61st Brigade of the Twentieth, had crossed the Somme to the east of -Ham, and was now to the right of the Thirtieth (right and left being -used all through these operations on the supposition that the unit is -turning and facing the enemy). The Thirty-sixth {161} Division -crossed the Somme Canal at St. Simon, closely pressed by the enemy, -and the 121st Field Company Royal Engineers and other sapper units -performed great work under heavy fire, destroying no less than -twenty-seven bridges. After the passing of the river by the Germans -there were constant rearguard actions, one of the most spirited of -which was at Villeselve, where the 9th Irish Fusiliers and the Royal -Dragoons fought together and drove in the German vanguard. The -general situation of Maxse's Corps upon the forenoon of March 23 was -that the Thirty-sixth Division was over the Somme and near Golancourt -and Bronchy, that the Thirtieth Division was dropping back upon -Esmery-Hallon, and that the Sixty-first Division, retreating in the -direction of Nesle had crossed the Somme at Voyennes and Offoy, -continuing its retreat to the Nesle Canal. Between the Thirtieth and -Sixty-first Divisions were the 60th Brigade on the right and the 59th -on the left, who were also covering the Nesle Canal, but were quite -ready to counter-attack should an opening present itself. - -A British corps does not allow itself to be driven without hitting -back, however great the odds may seem. A series of brisk skirmishes -was going on all along the line. In one of these, just south of Ham, -Colonel Watson with the 17th King's Liverpools came back on his -pursuers and held them up for a time. More serious was the -counter-attack organised by the main body north of Esmery-Hallon. -This attack struck southwards from Canizy and hit upon the right -flank of the Germans, staggering them for the instant. It was -carried out by the 60th Brigade and the 182nd Brigade, all under -General Duncan of the {162} former unit. This spirited advance was -led upon the field by Colonel Bilton of the Sixty-first Division, and -was delivered with such force that this small British detachment -drove back for some distance the great army which was rolling -westwards. It was impossible, of course, to recover ground -permanently, but it gained invaluable time and eased the pressure -upon the south end of the line for the whole of a critical evening. -It was clear, however, that the capture of Ham and the crossing of -the stream had turned the flank of the Twentieth and Sixty-first -Divisions, who were defending the higher reaches of the same river. -They were not to be frightened prematurely out of their positions, -however, and at Bethencourt the 11th Rifle Brigade drove back a -German attempt at crossing, while at Offoy the 12th Rifles also -inflicted a sharp repulse upon the pursuers. That evening, March 23, -the Sixty-first Division was practically amalgamated with the -Twentieth, and both were concentrated near Nesle. They received at -this time a most useful reinforcement in the shape of two batteries -(16 guns) of Canadian motor machine-guns under Captain Meerling. -There is not an officer or man of these much-tried battalions who -would not admit a deep debt of gratitude to these splendidly -efficient and energetic guns, which had such mobility that they were -always where they were most wanted. - -[Sidenote: March 24.] - -The troops had on the morning of March 24 got behind the Somme Canal, -which runs beside the river, all bridges had been broken, and patrols -were pushed across where practicable so as to keep in touch with the -enemy. It was not in this southern area, however, but at Bethencourt -that the Germans did actually get across in force, by which they -turned {163} the flank of the 25th Brigade of the Eighth Division in -the north and of the 59th Brigade in the south. An attack was -instantly organised by the 11th Rifle Brigade, who had lost their -Colonel, Cotton, the day before, and were now led by Major Bertie. -They succeeded by a fine effort in driving the Germans for the time -across the canal and gaining touch with the Eighth Division. The -Germans pushed across once more at Pargny, upon the other flank of -the Eighth Division, and also renewed their attempt in greater force -at Bethencourt, getting possession of the higher ground there. This -time it was the Highlanders and Royal Scots of the 183rd Brigade who -counter-attacked, acting as part of the Twentieth Division, and by -half-past two in the afternoon the position had once more been -re-established. The Canadian motor-guns were invaluable in this -operation. - -Upon the morning of March 24 the Sixty-first Division was barring the -road from Ham to Nesle. The German progress had been checked in this -direction by a spirited counter-attack carried out by the 5th -Cornwalls, the pioneer battalion of that division, together with a -mixed array of police, bandsmen, and other details, who advanced from -Offoy to a depth of five miles, under Major Bennett. This little -improvised force held on all night, and seems eventually to have -joined up with the French in the neighbourhood of Esmery-Hallon. - -The British were still holding the crossings at Voyennes and Offoy, -but very hard fighting had broken out to the south, and the Germans, -who had poured over in the neighbourhood of Ham, were now thrusting -hard for Canizy. The road bridges had all been destroyed, but there -was a railway bridge {164} at Ham which had been taken out of the -hands of the army authorities and left in charge of the railway -department. This was either uninjured or at any rate inadequately -destroyed, and was of immediate use to the enemy, enabling him to -keep uninterrupted pressure upon the retiring troops. Canizy was now -taken, but the 12th Rifles made an immediate counter-attack and -forced the Germans back from the village. In this spirited operation -they lost their gallant Colonel, Moore, who had led them with the -utmost fearlessness. - -Whilst the Germans were pushing forward at Canizy they had also -maintained strong and continuous pressure upon the Thirtieth Division -near Moyencourt, and upon the Thirty-sixth Division at Golancourt, -causing the Ulster men, whose left wing was entirely in the air, to -fall back westwards. The next line of defence, after the Somme had -been forced, lies along what is called the Libermont Canal between -Nesle and Libermont. It was necessary to fall back, fighting as best -they could, and to place this obstacle, narrow as it was, between the -weary soldiers and their pursuers. It was the third day since the -men had had a decent meal or an uninterrupted rest, and they were -very disorganised and broken. "Hundreds of men were streaming back," -says one observer. "They had been without food for days and were -done in completely. They were stopped and reformed at the bridges, -where as many as 2000 were collected." It is such plain sobering -sentences which help one to realise that war is not, as large scale -descriptions might seem to imply, a question of the moving of pieces -upon a board, but that underneath the strategy lie the countless -human tragedies, the {165} tortured frames, the broken nerves, the -prayers of brave men that they may still be brave, the torturing -anxiety of officers, the ever-pressing burden which sometimes breaks -the weary back which tries to hold it. Strategy reckons nothing of -these things, but their accumulation makes up the terrible human -tragedy of war, which brings humility to the most proud and fear to -the most valiant. All equally feel the weakness of nature, but he is -blessed who has the strength of spirit to cover and to combat it. - -By mid-day on March 24 the Thirtieth Division was over the Libermont -Canal, holding from Buverchy to Libermont, with the village and -bridge of Raincourt as a joining point between the 90th Brigade to -the north and the 89th to the south. It may be recorded, to descend -suddenly from divisions to individuals, that the first sign of the -new German advance was a single scout who appeared in the open in -front of the canal, and was engaged in a prolonged and deliberate -rifle duel by Lieutenant Harrop, with the result that he was finally -brought in as a wounded prisoner. The Twentieth Division had also -fallen back, the orders of brigades from the south being the 60th -with its flank on Buverchy, the 59th resting on Quiquery, and the -183rd to link up with the Eighth Division near Mesnil St. Nicaise. -The Thirty-sixth Division prolonged the line to the south of -Libermont. The French reinforcements from the south were beginning -by the afternoon of this day to get as far north as this section, and -if not very weighty at the moment they were of great moral use as a -promise for the future. - -From the new positions of the British line the German infantry could -now be seen advancing in {166} platoon columns in three lines on each -side of the Voyenne Road and heading for the Libermont Canal. -Several parties of horsemen could be seen also, who were conjectured -to be battery staffs, keeping up with the fight. The weak point was -still near Bethencourt, between the Twentieth and the Eighth -Divisions, where the gap tended to be wider as the enemy got more -troops across and endeavoured to push the 25th Brigade north as has -been described in dealing with the experiences of the Nineteenth -Corps. They were reported before evening as having got as far as -Morchain. The flank brigade of the Eighteenth Corps, the 183rd, was -ordered to extend as far to the north-west as Potte in the hope of -regaining touch, but though they reached that village they were still -unable to bridge the gap. During the night there were heavy attacks -upon Mesnil St. Nicaise in this region, which fell chiefly upon the -Rifle battalions of the 59th Brigade, which had been reinforced by -the 20th Entrenching Battalion and the 11th Durhams, the divisional -pioneer battalion. The general result was to force the British line -some little distance to the westward. At Buverchy in the evening the -German infantry also advanced in great numbers, but came under the -very efficient guns of the Thirtieth Division, and lost very heavily. -The enemy artillery was also very active so that both the Thirtieth -near Buverchy and the Thirty-sixth farther south had many casualties. -The French relief was making itself more felt, however, in this -southern section, where they were already outnumbering the British. -The latter were greatly worn--so much so that the 21st Brigade of the -Thirtieth Division could hardly be said to exist, only about 100 of -the Yorkshires {167} being left in the line. By evening the centre -of the position was near Moyencourt, some little distance to the west. - -[Sidenote: March 25.] - -In spite of the French reinforcements, which were not accompanied -with artillery, the attack was still markedly stronger than the -defence, so that March 25 was a most dangerous and critical day in -this quarter of the field. To trace the developments from the north -the enemy continued to press through the gap between the two corps, -the Nineteenth and the Eighteenth, making a series of heavy attacks -towards Mesnil-le-Petit and Nesle from the direction of Potte. This -movement, powerfully followed up, pushed back the left flank from -Quiquery to a point on the high ground 1000 yards west of Nesle. The -183rd Brigade, which was now a mere handful of Scottish infantry, -superb in quality but reduced to the last stage of exhaustion, -together with the thin ranks of the 59th Brigade of Rifles, could -not, even with the aid of the Canadian motor-guns, hold the heavy -masses who pressed down upon them. The French One hundred and -thirty-third Division moving up in support had dug a line between -Billancourt and Herly, but Nesle was abandoned to the enemy, the -Twenty-second French Division retiring from this sector and falling -back towards Roye. The 60th Brigade of the Twentieth Division, much -helped by the 23rd Entrenching Battalion--these valiant diggers made -their presence felt all along the line--still held stoutly to their -positions from Quiquery to Buverchy, but their left and left rear -were so compromised that it was clear they could not hold out longer. -To the south the French, who had relieved the Thirty-sixth Division -at Libermont, had been pushed back, and the British {168} position -was turned in their direction also. By the afternoon the French had -taken over the line as far north as Buverchy, and the Thirtieth -Division was ordered to fall back, but the Germans had advanced so -rapidly from Libermont and got so far to their right rear that it was -no easy matter either for the British or the French to get past them. -Many had to swim the canals which striate this part of the country, -and the 2nd Bedfords were especially hard-pressed before they were -able to get away. The Twenty-second French Division was doing all it -could to cover the approaches to Nesle upon the south, and the 184th -Brigade cheered them loudly as they passed through their ranks. -"They looked very fine men and seemed very much for it." General -Wetherall of this brigade was badly wounded by a shell splinter in -this period of the battle. And we have a vivid pen-picture drawn by -a spectator of Brigade-Major Hewitt, some of whose adventures have -already been recorded, holding Wetherall's wounded artery with one -hand, while he wrote brigade orders with the other, for more than two -hours on end. The 184th lost five commanders during the retreat. - -Even if the local pressure had not caused a rapid withdrawal at this -portion of the line, it would have been enforced by the general -strategic position, for the German advance in the south had been so -masterful that on this night of March 25 Roye was taken, which is far -to the south-west of Nesle. The 61st Brigade had been sharing the -hard fortunes of the Thirty-sixth Division, but now, as the latter -had been drawn out, it was restored to the Twentieth Division. So -severe had been the strain upon it that it only numbered about 500 -bayonets, and some battalions, {169} such as the 2/6th Royal -Warwicks, had not a single combatant officer left standing. None the -less, it was at once sent to man a supporting line stretching through -Gruny, Cremery, and Liancourt, and had hardly reached it before the -Germans were also at Liancourt. The brigade held them, however, and -so enabled the front line to fall back upon an organised position -whence, on the next morning, a swift retreat became necessary. - -After dark on March 25 the One hundred and thirty-third French -Division had come up to relieve the Twentieth and Sixty-first, but -the situation was such along the line of the Nesle Canal that no -fixed line could be formed, and the three divisions were finally -greatly mixed up in the darkness and there was a good deal of -confusion in their councils, since the general directions of the -French were to fall back to the south, while the line of retreat of -the British lay rather to the west. There was little time for -deliberation, for word had come in that the Germans were closing in -upon Liancourt, pressing south and west, in a way which threatened to -cut off the whole forward line. At midnight, the British, many of -them hardly able to move for fatigue, staggered off in such -formations as they could assemble, with orders to concentrate north -and east of Roye. Thanks largely to the presence of the remnants of -the 61st Brigade near Liancourt, this most hazardous march was -successfully accomplished, but as Roye was within the grasp of the -enemy the movement was continued so as to reach a line between -Hangest and Le Quesnel. The Germans were close upon them in the -north, so the 61st Brigade, now down to 400 men, acted as flankguard, -fending off their constant attacks. {170} The war has shown few -finer instances of disciplined and tenacious valour than in the case -of the three handfuls of men who represented what had once been the -12th King's, 7th Somersets, and 7th Cornwalls. The enemy were in -Liancourt, and their patrols were in actual hand-to-hand fighting -with a French detachment aided by some of the Somersets. Other -German troops pouring down from the north and using to the utmost the -gap which had opened between the corps, endeavoured to cut in and to -seize Le Quesnoy (not to be confused with Le Quesnel towards which -the troops were marching). It was, however, upon their line of -retreat, and about halfway to their destination, so that a German -occupation would have been serious. The post was most desperately -defended by Captain Combe, the brigade-major of the 61st Brigade, -with two Lewis guns and 100 men. Only eleven were left standing at -the end of this defence, but the village was held for the necessary -time, and the survivors only withdrew upon receipt of a positive -order. Thus the flank march of the British from Roye to Le Quesnel -upon the morning of March 26 was successfully accomplished, owing to -the devotion of their covering party to the north. "It was very much -of a rabble," says an officer, "and there was great difficulty in -sorting out the men and arranging the units." None the less the -future was to show that the force was no more beaten than were the -old contemptibles after Mons. - -[Sidenote: March 26.] - -The Thirtieth Division had been drawn out of the line on the arrival -of the French, but they were hardly started on their movement towards -the rest which they had earned so well, when this great pressure -arose, and every man who could still carry a {171} rifle was needed -once more in the line. On the morning of March 26 they were back -then, between Bouchoir and Rouvroy. The 21st Brigade had now -entirely disappeared, but the remains of the 2nd Yorks and the South -Lancashire Pioneer Battalion were added to the 89th Brigade which was -in the north at Rouvroy, while the 90th, under General Poyntz, filled -the gap to Bouchoir. The Thirtieth Division had got considerably to -the west of this line before they were recalled, and it was only by -some splendid marching that they were able at last to throw -themselves down upon the coveted ground before the German armies, -which were streaming along the Roye-Amiens road, were able to reach -it. As they faced the Germans the Twenty-fourth, now the mere shadow -of a division, was on their left at Warvillers, while the Sixty-first -and Twentieth were in support at Beaufort and Le Quesnel. Near -Erches the Thirty-sixth Ulster men, whose relief, like that of the -Thirtieth, had proved to be impossible, were still battling bravely, -retaking the village of Erches after it had fallen to the enemy. The -109th Brigade also distinguished itself greatly in this area, the -Irish Fusiliers Battalions of which it is composed holding on most -desperately to the village of Guerbigny, at the extreme south of the -corps front, and continuing a heroic defence during March 26, and -long after it was isolated upon March 27. The artillery of the -Ulster Division was particularly good in its covering fire during -these operations, gaining the very grateful acknowledgments of the -French troops and generals who were more and more concerned with this -southern sector of the line. Speaking generally the troops had now -reached the region of the old French trenches, {172} which -grid-ironed a considerable area of country, so that it was certain -that if men could be found to man them, the pursuit would no longer -continue at the pace of the last two days. - -Great work was done at this period by four of the Canadian motor-guns -at the cross-roads, north-west of Rouvroy, where they not only -inflicted heavy losses upon the enemy but delayed his advance while -the exhausted troops were settling down into this new position. -Every hour was of importance as giving reinforcements time to come up -from the rear, and the general orders to the divisional generals were -to hold on at all costs wherever defence was possible. A small body -of corps cyclists under Lieutenant Quartermain co-operated splendidly -with the motor-guns and did good service at this critical period of -the retreat, during which there was very little artillery support -behind the thin line of infantry. - -[Sidenote: March 27.] - -The German pressure on March 27 fell chiefly, as already shown, upon -the Twenty-fourth Division and the other units on the extreme south -of the Nineteenth Corps, which were forced back for some distance, -and so threatened the stability of the line in the south. The 17th -King's Liverpool, which was the flank battalion, held fast, however, -and flung back their left to form a defensive line to the north. A -small body of German cavalry performed a brilliant piece of audacious -work in the darkness of the early morning of this date, pushing -through the outposts of the Thirty-sixth Division in the south near -Guerbigny, and capturing the Brigade Headquarters of the 109th -Brigade, and also the chief staff officer of the division. - -The future was full of menace, for the Germans {173} were pressing on -in great numbers. An observer near Bouchoir that evening (March 27) -says: "I have never seen so many Germans in all my life--one huge -dark mass about a mile away. With glasses one could see howitzers, -machine-guns, trench-mortars, and field batteries, as well as -infantry. It was a most wonderful sight. They seemed to be coming -down the Roye Road, then moving off to the south, and some stopping -in a mass." - -The main German attack upon the extreme south of the corps line on -March 27 fell upon the Thirty-sixth Division in the direction of -Erches, with the result that the Ulster men fell slowly back upon -Arvillers, the 60th Brigade throwing back a defensive flank to -correspond. By 12.30 Bouchoir, held by the 90th Brigade, was gained -by the Germans, but the British formed a new line to the immediate -westward of the village. An attack upon Folies was thrown back by -the 59th Brigade. Towards evening some order came out of a rather -tangled position, which may well be obscure both to writer and -reader, since soldiers upon the spot found the greatest difficulty in -separating the various confused elements. As night fell upon March -27 after much desultory and inconclusive local fighting, there was no -great change in the British line which ran from Warvillers, still -held by the Twenty-fourth Division, to the west of Bouchoir, where -the Thirtieth held the line, and down to Arvillers held by the 60th -Brigade of the Twentieth Division, which was temporarily out of touch -with the Thirty-sixth Division. Hangest was held by the Sixty-first -Division, and Le Quesnel by the Sixty-first and the French. That -night the Twentieth Division was ordered to join the Nineteenth {174} -Corps, and their record under this new command will be found in the -preceding chapter. One would have thought that they had reached the -limits of human endurance, and their total numbers were not more than -a thousand, and yet they were but at the beginning of a new chapter -in their glorious history. The same words apply to their comrades of -the Sixty-first Division, who were also ordered north. They were -relieved by the French at Arvillers, and this portion of the line was -on March 28 pressed back to the west of Hangest. - -[Sidenote: March 28.] - -The removal of the Twentieth Division at so critical a time could -only be justified by the extreme and pressing need of the Nineteenth -Corps, for it had the effect of producing an almost impossible -position for the line in the south. Had it been possible to replace -it at once with a solid French division, it would have mattered less, -but as matters stood the One hundred and thirty-third French Division -had itself been involved in the retreat and was greatly worn. There -was so little time also to get it into its new positions that there -was never any solid bastion upon that corner of the line. The result -was speedily seen in the morning of March 28, when the Thirtieth -Division were first subjected to a very heavy bombardment, and then -looking south saw a general retreat going on from Arvillers, while -their left flank at Warvillers was also very weak, since the -Twenty-fourth Division was hardly strong enough to maintain itself. -By 2 P.M. both flanks were bare, and the enemy were well round them -in the north and in the south at Hangest. At one time it seemed -impossible for the division to get clear, and even now their -extrication seems miraculous to {175} the officers who effected it. -A rapid retreat was made through Mezières and on to Moreuil, which -only just avoided the closing pincers of the German advance. The -French, who were in the act of relieving the Thirtieth Division, came -away with them and had the same narrow escape. The block upon the -road which formed the only egress is described as having been -appalling, fugitives, refugees, and small disciplined columns of -troops being crowded together from one end of it to the other. "The -men were excellent," says an officer of the Thirtieth Division. -"Their discipline was not a bit shaken." Such words could not -truthfully be said of every unit, and yet soldiers can have seldom -been more highly tried in any operation in history. Even the -Imperial Guard may reach its breaking point, as the retreat from -Moscow has shown. At Moreuil there is only one bridge, and had the -German artillery been able to find it the result would have been a -Beresina. As it was, the troops got across and speedily reformed -upon the farther side of the river Avre. - -This may be taken as the limit of the retreat of the Eighteenth -Corps, since the stand in the north of the line and the thickening -French resistance in the south brought the momentum of the German -advance to a halt. How terrible the ordeal had been may be gathered -from the fact that the Twentieth Division, as already mentioned, was -not more than 1000 strong, the Thirtieth Division about 2000 strong, -the Sixty-first Division 2100 strong, and the Thirty-sixth Division -only a little stronger at the end of it. Again and again it had been -on the brink of absolute disaster, but always by the wise -dispositions of General Maxse and his divisional generals, seconded -{176} by the splendid tenacity of his men, the worst consequences had -been avoided. Rapid readjustments had been needed, but a fatal break -was always averted. The troops were handicapped in every possible -way, for not only was their artillery far below strength, but for -some reason the British Air Service during these days of stress was -very weak in this southern area, while the German machines were very -numerous and aggressive. The artillery officers were splendidly cool -and efficient all through, and in the case of the 92nd Brigade Royal -Field Artillery near Esmery-Hallon, it is said that the last gun was -just 25 yards from the Germans when it limbered up. For two days the -whole corps artillery was with the French, and did fine work with -them, but to the great detriment of their own infantry. Some of the -batteries remained for a long time with the French, and one French -general has left it upon record that the failure of the Germans to -capture Moreuil on April 4 was almost entirely due to the splendid -shooting of the 306th Brigade Royal Field Artillery. After the first -two days of the retreat no guns were abandoned by the Eighteenth -Corps. The total losses of guns might be put at about 90 field -pieces and 4.5 howitzers, with about 50 heavier pieces. - - - - -{177} - -CHAPTER VII - -THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME - -The Retreat of the Third Corps - -Movement across the Crozat Canal--Fight of the 173rd Brigade--Forcing -of the Canal Line--Arrival of the French--Fight of Frières -Wood--Splendid work of the Cavalry--Loss of Noyon--Final -equilibrium--General retrospect of the Battle. - -[Sidenote: March 22.] - -We shall now complete this slight survey of a vast subject by -following the fortunes of Butler's Third Corps upon the extreme right -of the whole British Army. It has already been shown that the -condition of this corps at the end of the first day of battle was -most perilous, as its left flank in the region of Essigny, where the -battle zone of the Fourteenth Division had been deeply pierced, was -completely turned. The Eighteenth Division in the centre had, it is -true, retained its ground, but the left brigade of the Fifty-eighth -Division upon the right, the only brigade of that unit which was -engaged, had also after a very desperate resistance lost their front -positions at Quessy opposite to La Fère. Therefore orders had been -given to draw off the troops during the night of March 21 across the -Crozat Canal, and a covering line had been built up from the 54th -Brigade, the Second Cavalry Division, and the 12th and 18th -Entrenching Battalions in order to hold the German pursuit and {178} -to give the somewhat dishevelled troops time to re-organise their -ranks. By 5 A.M. on March 22 they were over the canal and the -bridges had been destroyed. The artillery had been got over first to -cover the crossings, and the 54th Brigade, which had covered the rear -of the Fourteenth Division, was lined up from Jussy to Mennessis. -The Eighteenth Division (less the 54th Brigade) fell back in the line -of Frières Wood, behind the canal. Many guns had been lost but the -cavalry had thrown the 3rd and 5th Brigades of the R.H.A. into the -firing-line to support the infantry, and two new batteries of the -96th R.F.A., only arrived the day before from England, came in at the -nick of time. - -It was of the first importance to destroy the bridges along the -canal, but this was found to be no easy matter. They had all been -mined and prepared for destruction some time before by the French, -but either the lapse of time or faulty material had caused such -deterioration that the charges failed to explode, and had to be -renewed and discharged under circumstances of great difficulty and -danger. It was carried out none the less with great tenacity by the -British sappers, but several weak points remained, notably a canal -lock which had been so injured that the bed of the canal was exposed -for some distance. The railway bridges here, as elsewhere, were also -a source of weakness. - -As the corps turned to face the enemy upon the south side of the -canal the general line of battle showed the 41st Brigade just south -of St. Simon, connected up on the left by the only surviving -battalion of the 42nd Brigade with the 61st Brigade of the Twentieth -Division who were in support of {179} the Thirty-sixth Ulsters at -that place. Then came the 43rd and 54th Brigades, facing Jussy and -Mennessis with the 3rd and 5th Dismounted Cavalry Brigades in -support. South of this point were the 4th Cavalry Brigade, the 55th -Brigade, and the 53rd Brigade, all in the Frières area. Then came -the 173rd Brigade in the Vouel neighbourhood with the 18th -Entrenching Battalion and the 6th Dismounted Cavalry Brigade. This -force had already lost heavily, and many of the men were suffering -from gas, but they were sustained by the certainty that French -reinforcements would speedily reach them from the south, as a system -of mutual lateral support had been agreed upon between the commanders. - -A line of trenches had been begun in this neighbourhood by the French -some time before, and it had been carried on by Italian labour, but -it was still very unfinished, with many gaps, so that the tired -soldiers had to lay down their rifles and take to their trenching -tools to get some cover. It was already clear that they would need -it, for with early daybreak on March 22 the Germans showed that they -had reached the north bank of the canal at Jussy. It was again very -misty, and they were able to bring up their machine-guns and small -artillery with perfect impunity and place them under cover. It was -not until between 10 and 11 A.M. that the mist began to lift, and the -British outposts peering through it could see the flash of the guns -among the plantations on the farther side. At an earlier hour the -Germans had tried to cross at Jussy, but had been driven back. It -was already evident, however, that they were in a position to repair -the bridges in such a way as to find a passage wherever they desired. -The general {180} situation might be described as a curious -reproduction of the first action of the war when the two armies lay -upon either side of the Mons Canal. - -The French Sixth Army on the right had acted with loyal promptitude, -and the One hundred and twenty-fifth Division, under General Diebold, -was already moving up from the south. One would have imagined that -the most efficient relief would have been to replace the two British -brigades in the south of the Oise, and so re-unite the Fifty-eighth -Division. For some reason this was not done, and General Worgan's -173rd Brigade continued to be a lone unit. A very welcome -reinforcement consisted of nine batteries of French 75's. It was -understood also that the whole Fifth French Corps, under General -Pellé, was due at Noyon that evening, and that the Third British -Corps would be relieved by it as soon as possible, but further help -was slow in materialising. - -At about 1 P.M. on March 22 the enemy made their first crossing of -the canal in the region of the 173rd Brigade. They advanced from -Fargniers in the direction of Tergnier village. The range of vision -in this water-sodden region was not more than fifty yards, which -greatly handicapped Colonel Dervicke-Jones of the 8th London, who was -in local command of this sector, as it put his machine-gun defence -out of action. The troops were spread over a front of 3000 yards, so -that the various companies were widely separated. The first German -advance was made across a lock gate by a number of men dressed in the -uniforms of some of the 1st London, taken the day before--a ruse -which was the more successful as a number of genuine stragglers had -actually been in in this fashion during the morning. An {181} attack -followed during which C Company of the 8th Londons, while holding the -enemy in front, were attacked by these pretended comrades upon the -right rear, so that they were almost entirely destroyed. A road was -thus opened across the canal, and the enemy opened out both north and -south of the Quessy-Tergnier Road, cutting off those of the 3rd and -8th London who were on the farther side. These men fought to a -finish, and only a few of them ever got back. Colonel Dervicke-Jones -had taken up a position in an old French reserve line called the Butt -line, with two companies of his battalion and some machine-guns, and -was able to hold up the enemy all day in his immediate front, and to -prevent several battalions from deploying out of Tergnier. The -artillery also got on to the German infantry in this part of the -field with good results. This Butt position was maintained until the -morning of March 23. Farther up the line, in the region of the -Fourteenth Division, other troubles had developed, and the pressure -of the enemy was great. At 4.30 P.M. the defenders were reinforced, -but the enemy were already across at several points and were -advancing upon Cugny. There was desultory fighting along the whole -corps front, and though there was promise of immediate French relief, -no French troops seem to have been actually engaged upon March 22. -About 6 o'clock in the evening the enemy was across at Jussy Bridge -and also at Montagne, but a fine counter-attack was made at this -point by the 7th Bedfords and 6th Northamptons of the 54th Brigade, -aided by the 16th Lancers, which drove the German infantry across -once more and caused considerable losses. In spite of this success -the general situation upon {182} the evening of March 22 was not -cheering, and the task of the Third Corps which had been ordered to -stand fast and form the southern hinge upon which the whole retreat -should turn, was clearly a very difficult one. It was the more -alarming, as the rapid progress of the enemy at Beauvais and Vaux at -the centre of the army led to a demand for cavalry which could not be -complied with without denuding the line to a dangerous and almost -impossible extent. - -[Sidenote: March 23.] - -It was soon clear on the morning of March 23 that the Butt position -on the right could not be maintained. The French had taken it over, -but they were unable to hold it. A line was built up near Noreuil, -where the remains of the 8th and 3rd Londons, aided by some French -details, endeavoured all day to check the German advance. The main -attacks were driving down from the north, and were heralded by a very -severe machine-gun barrage, which rained bullets over the British -position. The defence was much aided by a French armoured car upon -the Quessy-Rouez road, and by a battery of 75's. The 4th London were -to the south of the village and less exposed to the force of the -advance. About six, after an hour of intense shelling, the Germans -closed in upon Noreuil, the defenders, after a stout resistance which -occasionally came to hand-to-hand fighting, being driven westwards. -Colonel Burt, commanding the 6th Cavalry Brigade, barricaded his -headquarters in the village and held the Germans off a long time by -his deadly fire. It was not until long after the lines had been -withdrawn that this brave officer had to be specially summoned to -leave his post and fall back on Chauny. Finally, the retreat became -general, but was rallied at the end of the Noreuil valley, where -{183} some 200 men collected, and with a good field of fire to help -them, remained for some time on the defence. Late at night this -small force was ordered to fall back to a new line at Chauny. - -It has already been stated that two companies (C and D) of the 8th -London (Post Office Rifles) had been cut off when the Germans got -across the lock gate on the afternoon of March 22. These men, under -Captain Gunning, had made a remarkable defence, crawling out with -Lewis guns on to the lock gates in order to enfilade the advancing -Germans. In the afternoon of March 23 they found themselves with the -Germans on three sides of them and the canal on the fourth. Captain -Gunning and Captain Kelly with the survivors then fought their way -through to Condren, where they still continued their resistance. -These soldiers, who made so admirable a resistance, were largely men -who had been combed from the Army Service Corps. - -Whilst the 23rd of March had brought this heavy fighting to the 173rd -Brigade, it had been a day of severe trial to all the other units of -the corps front. The 54th Brigade was still covering the crossing at -Jussy and Montagne, but the pressure was rapidly increasing as fresh -German divisions made their presence felt. The situation was the -more serious as General Butler already knew that the enemy were -across the canal at Ham and had turned his left flank, but it was -still hoped that a counter-attack in this quarter might throw him -back, and so it was determined to hold on to the line. An emergency -force of odds and ends, dismounted troopers, labour men, and returned -leave men were gathered together at Crisolles and placed under the -command of General {184} Harman to co-operate with General Greenly -who now led the remains of the Fourteenth Division, in guarding the -left wing. Meanwhile there was very brisk fighting at Jussy, where -the German infantry had once again, under the cover of many guns, got -a footing upon the south side of the canal. They were at once -vigorously attacked by a small body of the 11th Royal Fusiliers and -of the Scots Greys and penned up in the village of Jussy. At 11 A.M. -the Germans had also got across at Mennessis, but came under the fire -of four machine-guns of the Canadian Mounted Brigade which inflicted -heavy losses upon them. None the less at a second effort the Germans -were across once more, driving back by the weight of their attack the -worn ranks of the 7th Bedfords and of the 9th Scottish Rifles. At -11.30 they were half a mile south of Jussy, and might have got round -the flank of the Bedfords but for the interposition of 200 Canadian -dragoons. "These grim, square-faced men, with their parchment skins -and their granite features, were a glad sight to our weary eyes," -says one who was fighting beside them. There was a time when it was -doubtful whether in this quarter there was anything but a line of -dismounted troops between the enemy and Paris. - -Every man who could be spared was hurried up to hold the weak points -of the line, including the 8th Sussex, the pioneer battalion of the -Eighteenth Division, the rest of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade, and -the 7th Cavalry Brigade, but the mischief had gone too far, and the -situation upon the right of the line was even worse than at Jussy. -The counter-attack of the French One hundred and twenty-fifth -Division in the direction of Tergnier had not been a {185} success, -which is not to be wondered at, for the French infantry had come fast -and far, their ammunition was not plentiful, and they were working -over strange ground against an aggressive and victorious enemy. Next -to the French on that front was the 7th Queen's. Colonel Bushell -found himself at one period in command of the left of the French as -well as of his own Surrey men, and he led on this mixed following -under an intense fire, being himself severely wounded and yet -rallying them again and again. Little progress could be made, but at -least he held the line firm for a time. This gallant colonel, after -having his wound dressed, returned to the field of battle, fell -insensible, and had at last to be carried off. Next to the 7th -Queen's was the 8th East Surreys (both of 55th Brigade), which was -also in the thick of the battle, as was the neighbouring 12th -Entrenching Battalion. This line made a very fine resistance, but -was slowly pressed back by weight of numbers until at 4 P.M. they -were on the line Noreuil-Frières-Faillouel, to the left of the spot -where the 173rd Brigade was still holding its ground. The remains of -the 7th Buffs fell back also with the rest of the 55th Brigade, -fighting hard, through Frières Wood, where to the south-west of the -wood they found some old French trenches, in which, with the aid of -the survivors of the Queen's, they, under Colonel Ransome, organised -a line for the rest of that arduous day. This resistance held up -some strong drives of the enemy which were evidently intended, in -conjunction with the attack from Jussy in the north, to cut off all -the troops in the woody country round Frières, and it acted as a most -efficient screen during the withdrawal of the rest of the line. - -{186} - -The whole eastern limit of the British area was spotted at this -period by small bodies of men who were working desperately to keep -the German infantry from sweeping in from that side. At Noreuil, as -has been shown, were the remains of the 173rd Brigade. At Frières -Wood were the decimated 55th Brigade. Opposite Jussy were the 54th -Brigade and the dismounted cavalry, slowly retiring before the -ever-increasing pressure. In between these organised bodies were -many smaller units all striving hard for the same end. Among these -may be mentioned two companies of sappers, 80th and 92nd Field -Companies R.E., who were extended upon the road north of Noreuil in -touch with the 173rd Brigade on one side. These valiant men not only -held their position all day, but actually made a counter-attack under -Lieutenant Richardson in the evening, when they advanced until they -were nearly surrounded. Finally they fought their way back to the -Caillouel area. - -As evening drew in the situation had become more and more difficult. -The enemy had been driving in from every quarter all day without a -respite, and the troops, many of whom had been engaged for more than -two days without a moment for rest or re-organisation, were in a -great state of exhaustion. Only a handful of several battalions -remained as a fighting force. The confusion was made worse by the -fact that the light blue uniforms of the French were mistaken for the -grey of the Germans, so that misleading and alarming reports were -continually brought in to the commanders. All reserves were in the -fight, and the need of relief was urgent. About 4 o'clock the -Faillouel position was found to be no longer tenable, and the troops -fell {187} back through the village, which was immediately occupied -by the enemy who were pushing up their troops in motor-lorries in -this quarter. By 5 o'clock the right wing had come back 500 yards, -and by evening the main position was at Caillouel, when the 54th -assembled, numbering 650 bayonets all told, the three battalions of -Bedfords, Northamptons, and Royal Fusiliers being each a little over -200 strong. Detachments of the Scots Greys and 20th Hussars joined -them at that village. - -The 53rd Brigade, fighting upon the left of the 55th Brigade, was as -heavily engaged on March 23 as the other units of the Third Corps on -the south side of the canal. At noon they had lent the 10th Essex to -support their neighbours, and they consisted henceforth of only two -weary battalions, the 6th Berks and 7th West Kents. At 3 o'clock in -the afternoon they were heavily attacked and were pushed slowly back, -struggling hard to keep the line. Major Tween led a counter-attack -of his battalion headquarters, and checked the German advance at a -critical moment, but was mortally wounded in the gallant endeavour. -The two battalions were so weak that they had been telescoped into -one, but good steel remains tough be it ever so thin, and the line -still held. At 5.30 the 9th French Cuirassiers, long-booted giants, -came up to help them, as did the 79th Field Company and various small -details. At 7 the remains of the 55th Brigade were falling back -through their ranks. When they had passed, the 53rd was also -withdrawn as far as Commenchon, while the 55th reassembled at -Bethencourt to the north. Three gallant Cuirassier regiments of the -1st French Cavalry Division covered the rear. All {188} the troops -that night were worn to rags, for it is to be remembered always that -the great local disparity of force enabled the Germans to bring up -perpetually lines of perfectly fresh men with a new impetus and -inspiration, against men, many of whom had been gassed on the first -day, and who were now weary to death and hardly able either to stand -or to think, to order or to understand an order. On the whole long, -tormented, struggling line there was no time or place where the -pressure was greater than here. In spite of all the ardour of the -attack the stubborn constancy of the defence may be measured by the -fact that, save for one battery which was destroyed by shell-fire -upon the afternoon of the 23rd, no guns were lost in this corps -either upon March 22 or 23. On the other hand, so great had been the -destruction of machine-guns, especially upon the first day, that only -two were left out of forty-eight in the Eighteenth Division, though -these were augmented by six new ones on March 24. - -The Sixth French Army, on the right of the British, was doing all it -could to send up help, but it seems certain that none of this force -was actually engaged before March 23, though it is stated upon good -authority that in the liaison plans of the army the aid from the -south was promised for the very first day. Any delay was not due to -want of energy or loyalty of officers and men upon the spot. By the -evening of March 23 the French units in the fighting-line were the -One hundred and twenty-fifth Division, which made the unsuccessful -counter-attack towards Tergnier, the First French Dismounted Cavalry -Division, who fought side by side with the Eighteenth British -Division, the Ninth and the Tenth French {189} Divisions, both of -which were on the extreme left of the Third Corps, and can hardly be -said to have been engaged. As the French troops were now -predominating in this sector, the command passed on the evening of -March 23 to General Humbert, a dark, wiry little French veteran, -commanding the Third Army. General Butler continued, of course, to -command his own corps. - -[Sidenote: March 24.] - -On the morning of March 24 the situation to the south of the Crozat -Canal was as follows. The Fifty-eighth Division still held its -original line from Barisis to the Buttes de Rouy, with a party -holding the bridgehead at Condren. Then on the general line north -and north-east of Chauny were the broken but indomitable remains of -the Londoners of the 173rd Brigade, mixed up with fragments of the -French One hundred and twenty-fifth Division, the 18th Entrenching -Battalion, and troopers of the 6th Dismounted Cavalry Brigade, -together with the dust of smaller broken units. Up to La Neuville -was covered by the worn brigades of the Eighteenth Division -supporting the French Cuirassiers. North of that was the 326th -Regiment of the Ninth French Division, and north of that what was -left of the British Fourteenth Division up to a point within a mile -of Cugny, which was in German hands. On the extreme left flank on -this sector the Thirty-sixth Division and the 61st Brigade were in -Ollezy and Eaucourt. There had been some fighting on the front of -the Fifty-eighth Division during the night, but otherwise it was -quiet, and the soldiers were able to snatch a few hours of sleep. - -Once again there was a thick morning fog, under cover of which the -German infantry broke suddenly {190} upon the One hundred and -twenty-fifth French Division, north-east of Chauny, driving them back -towards Abbecourt. This placed the British troops at Condren in a -perilous position, but it was essential to hold the line of the Oise, -and any abandonment of the bridge would have been fatal. The -Fifty-eighth Division was ordered to stand fast therefore, and the -173rd Brigade was reinforced by the 16th and 18th Entrenching -Battalions. These entrenching battalions are, it may be remarked, -entirely apart from the Labour Corps, and were soldiers, well -officered and organised, formed from those units which remained over -after the re-organisation of the three-battalion brigades. Apart -from these were the labour battalions who also in those hard days -were occasionally the final weight which tilts the balance where the -fate of armies and finally of empires was in the scale. Manfully -they rose to the occasion, and the Empire owes them a very special -word of thanks. During the afternoon all the British and French -troops in this quarter passed over the Oise, mostly in the Abbecourt -district, blowing up the bridges behind them and passing under the -command of General Duchesne of the Sixth French Army. This left a -blank upon the right of the Eighteenth Division upon the north of the -river, but General Seely brought up his cavalry and endeavoured to -cover it, while the Second Dismounted Cavalry Division was pushed out -upon the left of the Fourteenth Division in the north, to preserve -the connection between the Third and Eighteenth Corps. The Third -Cavalry Division under General Harman was thrown in also at this -point, and about 2.30, having mounted their horses, they charged most -gallantly in order to re-establish {191} the line north of Villeselve -on the front of the Ulster Division. The Royal Dragoons were -prominent in this fine charge in which they sabred many of the enemy, -took over 100 prisoners, and relieved the pressure upon the Irish -Fusiliers of the 109th Brigade at a time when it was very heavy. - -The whole corps front was slowly falling back during the day, partly -on account of the steady pressure of the German attack and partly in -order to conform with the line to the north. The Fourteenth -Division, moving south-west through Crisolles, found itself in the -evening on the west side of the Noyon Canal, covering the two -crossings at Haudival and Beaurains. A vamped-up detachment of -stragglers and nondescripts under Colonel Curling were placed to fill -up the gap between the Fourteenth Division and Noyon. The left of -the Fourteenth Division at Guiscard was covered by General Harman's -detachment, and it is characteristic of the adaptability of the -British soldier that seventy Northumberland Hussars who had become -cyclists were suddenly whipped off their machines, put upon horses -and sent up to reinforce the thin ranks of the cavalry. - -The centre of the line covering Caillouel was held all day by the -Eighteenth Division, with the First French Cavalry Division still -acting as a breakwater before the advancing flood. In spite of the -gallant Cuirassiers the pressure was very great from the 54th Brigade -who were in the north, through the 55th and down to the 53rd, which -covered the north of Noyon. Some of the edge was taken from the -German attack by the efficient work of the 82nd Brigade Royal Field -Artillery and the 3rd and 5th Royal Horse Artillery, who were hard at -it from {192} morning to night. The French infantry on the left of -the Eighteenth Division lost Guivry towards evening, but they held -fast to Beaugies until after nightfall. About ten o'clock, however, -the German infantry was into Beaugies, and the situation became -dangerous as they were getting round the left flank of the Eighteenth -Division, so that there was a general retreat to the rearward -position called the Crepigny Ridge, which was not fully reached and -occupied until 3 A.M. on March 25. That evening the Fifty-eighth -Division reported that early in the day they had blown up all bridges -and also the Royal Engineer dump at Chauny. So intersected is the -whole country at the back of the line of the Fifth Army by -watercourses, that the total number of bridges blown up during the -retreat amounted to about 250; and only in two cases, that of the Ham -Road bridge and that at Chipilly, was the result unsatisfactory. - -[Sidenote: March 25.] - -In the early morning of March 25 the Germans, who were still marching -rapidly and fighting hard, were close to Guiscard, pushing on so -swiftly that special troops had to be detailed to cover the heavy -guns. General Butler had so far as possible pulled his dismounted -troopers out of the fight and had restored them to their proper role, -so that now he possessed a force of about 2000 horsemen, who were -ready to execute the all-important functions of mounted infantry, so -invaluable in a retreat. Under Generals Greenly and Pitman these -horsemen did great work during the remainder of the operations. - -Since the German pressure was still very heavy and the enemy were -sweeping onwards in the north, it was necessary to continue the -withdrawal of {193} the line north of the Oise, while holding fast to -the southern bank along its whole length. The first movement in this -withdrawal was to the line Mondescourt-Grandru, and the second to the -line Appilly-Babœuf-Mont de Béthéricourt. By 8.30 the Eighteenth -Division in the middle of the line was effecting this retirement, the -northern flank, which was the post of danger, being covered by the -11th Royal Fusiliers of the 54th Brigade. It was a most difficult -and delicate business with the enemy pressing down continually -through the woods and villages with which the country is studded. On -the south the 53rd Brigade and the French Cuirassiers were -withdrawing through Mondescourt in some disorder. When the troops -were rallied and rearranged, there were no French troops upon the -right. At 10 A.M. the 54th Brigade had reached the Grandru position, -but were out of touch both with the French on their left and with the -55th Brigade on their right. They therefore continued to fall back -upon Béthéricourt. At 1 o'clock a strong German infantry attack, in -many lines, developed upon the right near Appilly and a heavy -machine-gun barrage burst out over the 53rd Brigade and their -immediate comrades upon the right, the 289th French Regiment. Up to -3 o'clock the Allies in this quarter were retiring under a very heavy -fire, much helped by four valiant cars of the French Cavalry's -Mitrailleuses Automobiles, who did splendid service in covering the -exhausted infantry. The German infantry, pressing eagerly forward in -expectation of that general débacle which never occurred, was riddled -by the fire of these motor-guns and left swathes of dead behind them. -The attack had the effect, however, of driving back {194} the Allied -line to such a point that a French force which was defending Mont -Béthéricourt was entirely isolated and in great peril of destruction. -Under these circumstances the French officer in command appealed to -General Sadleir-Jackson of the 54th Brigade to make a great effort to -rescue his imperilled men. Sadleir-Jackson without hesitation led -back his men into the village of Babœuf, cleared it of the -Germans, captured ten machine-guns with nearly 300 prisoners, and -regained touch with the French, who were enabled to withdraw. The -7th Bedfords and 11th Royal Fusiliers were the heroes of this -chivalrous exploit, where we were able to repay the loyalty which the -French have so often shown to us. It should be added that a company -of the 12th Entrenching Battalion, which like all the other -entrenching units had gone through this severe infantry fighting -without light artillery, signals, or any of the ordinary adjuncts of -well-equipped infantry, was still so full of military spirit that -without orders it joined in this victorious charge. - -On March 25 the Germans were within shelling distance of Noyon, and -the British evacuated successfully nearly 2000 wounded from that -town. The counter-attack of the 54th Brigade had stopped the German -advance for a time, and the Eighteenth Division was able to get -across the river Oise, the guns and transport passing in the -afternoon while the infantry got across that night and in the morning -of March 26, without serious molestation, being covered by their -sappers and pioneers, who blew up the bridges as soon as the troops -were safely across. At two in the morning of March 26 the French -abandoned Noyon. At this time there were no {195} British troops -upon the north of the river save the remains of the Fourteenth -Division which were finally relieved upon this date, and the Second -and Third Cavalry Divisions, now under Generals Pitman and Portal, -who harassed the German advance at every opportunity, and rendered -constant help to the French rearguards. The Second Cavalry Division -secured the high ground immediately west of Noyon, and held it until -it could be handed over to the French infantry. The general line of -the cavalry was facing north-east from west of Noyon, through Suzoy -to Lagny, where they were in touch with the Tenth French Division. -The left of the Second Cavalry Division had been prolonged by the -addition of the Canadian Dismounted Brigade. These men soon found -themselves involved in some hard fighting, for the Germans attacked -the French at Lagny and drove them out. On one occasion this day, at -the Bois des Essarts, the troopers of the Second British Cavalry -Division galloped through the French infantry to hold off the -attacking Germans, an episode in which Lieutenant Cotton and other -officers gained the honour of mention in the French order of the day. -The left of the cavalry was compelled to fall back finally to Dives, -and the Canadians after a determined struggle were driven out of the -woods which they occupied. Finally, the 3rd Cavalry Brigade -(Bell-Smyth), consisting of the 5th and 16th Lancers with the 4th -Hussars were nearly surrounded, and had the greatest difficulty in -fighting their way out. Before night they were in touch once more -both with the French and with their comrades of the 4th Brigade. On -the morning of March 27 word came that the British cavalry was -imperatively {196} needed at the junction between the French and -British armies. It was despatched forthwith to do splendid service -in the north after having played a glorious part in the south. - -[Sidenote: March 28.] - -From now onwards the fighting upon the Roye and Montdidier front -(both towns passed soon into German possession) was no longer -connected with the Third Corps. The position to the south of the -Oise showed that the Fifty-eighth British Division held from Barisis -to Manicamp. Thence to Bretigny was the One hundred and twenty-fifth -French Division. Thence to the east of Varennes were the Fifty-fifth -French Division, with cavalry, and the First French Division up to -Sempigny. Thence the line ran in an irregular curve through Lassigny -to Canny, the enemy being well past that line on the north, and the -direction of attack being rather from the north-west. On the morning -of March 28 orders were issued that the remains of the Third Corps -should be transferred to the north, where they should join their -comrades of the Fifth Army, from whom they were now separated by a -considerable distance. Within the next two days, after some -difficulties and delays in extricating the artillery, these orders -were carried out, though it was not till some days later that the -Fifty-eighth London Division could be relieved. This unit had not, -save for the 173rd Brigade, been engaged in the recent fighting, but -it had held a line of over ten miles of river, along the whole of -which it was within touch with the enemy. One effort of the Germans -to get across at Chauny on March 31 was met and repelled by the 16th -Entrenching Battalion, who killed many of the assailants and captured -nearly 100 prisoners. - -{197} - -So ended the vicissitudes of the Third Corps, which had the strange -experience of being swept entirely away from the army to which it -belonged, and finding itself under French command, and with French -troops fighting upon either wing. Its losses were exceedingly heavy, -including 20 heavy and 100 field-guns, with about 15,000 killed, -wounded, or missing. The Fourteenth Division was the chief sufferer -with 5880 casualties, 4500 of which came under the head of "Missing," -and represent the considerable detachments which were cut off in the -first day of the battle. The losses of some of the battalions -approached annihilation. In spite of all pressure and all -misfortunes there was never a time when there was a break, and the -whole episode was remarkable for the iron endurance of officers and -men in the most trying of all experiences--an enforced retirement in -the face of an enemy vastly superior both in numbers and in artillery -support. When we realise how great was the disparity it is amazing -how the line could have held, and one wonders at that official -reticence which allowed such glorious epics to be regarded as part of -a great military disaster. Against the two and a half British -divisions which were in the line on March 21 there were arrayed seven -German divisions, namely, the Fifth Guards, First Bavarians, -Thirty-fourth, Thirty-seventh, One hundred and third, Forty-seventh, -and Third Jaeger. There came to the Third Corps as reinforcements up -to March 26 two British cavalry divisions, one French cavalry -division, and three French infantry divisions, making eight and a -half divisions in all, while seven more German divisions, the Tenth, -Two hundred and eleventh, Two hundred and twenty-third, Eleventh -{198} Reserve, Two hundred and forty-first, Thirty-third, and -Thirty-sixth, came into line, making fourteen in all. When one -considers that these were specially trained troops who represented -the last word in military science and efficiency, one can estimate -that an unbroken retreat may be a greater glory than a victorious -advance. - -Every arm--cavalry, infantry, and artillery--emerged from this -terrible long-drawn ordeal with an addition to their fame. The -episode was rather a fresh standard up to which they and others had -to live than a fault which had to be atoned. They fought impossible -odds, and they kept on fighting, day and night, ever holding a fresh -line, until the enemy desisted from their attacks in despair of ever -breaking a resistance which could only end with the annihilation of -its opponents. Nor should the organisation and supply services be -forgotten in any summing up of the battle. The medical arrangements, -with their self-sacrifice and valour, have been already dealt with, -but of the others a high General says: "A great strain was also cast -upon the administrative staffs of the army, of corps and of -divisions, in evacuating a great mass of stores, of hospitals, of -rolling stock, of more than 60,000 non-combatants and labour units, -while at the same time supplying the troops with food and ammunition. -With ever varying bases and depots, and eternal rapid shifting of -units, there was hardly a moment when gun or rifle lacked a -cartridge. It was a truly splendid performance." - -We have now traced the movements and the final positions of the eight -corps which were involved in this terrible battle from the foggy -morning which {199} witnessed the German attack, up to those rainy -days of early April which showed a stable line--a line which in spite -of occasional oscillations continued from that date until the great -British victory in August, to mark the point of equilibrium of the -giant forces which leaned from east and from west. In this account -we have seen the Seventeenth and Sixth Corps in the north fall back -upon Arras and the Vimy Ridge, where they turned and dealt their -pursuers such a blow that the battle in that sector was at an end. -We have seen the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Corps struggling hard to -make a line from Arras to Albert and down to the Somme; we have seen -the Nineteenth Corps covering a huge front and finally holding firm -near Villers-Bretonneux, and we have seen the Eighteenth and Third -Corps intermixed with our French Allies helping to determine the line -in the southern area of the great field of battle. That line running -just to the west of Montdidier, Moreuil, and Albert was destined for -four months to be a fixed one, though it was advanced during that -time by the splendid audacity of the Australians, who gave their -opponents no rest, and finally, with the help of the British Eighth -Division, entirely re-won the town of Villers-Bretonneux when it was -temporarily lost, and extended our outposts a mile or more to the -east of it, as will be presently described. Save for this action -there was no movement of importance during that time, though the -general set of the tide was rather eastwards than westwards. - -One cannot leave so vast a theme as the second battle of the Somme -without a few words as to the general impression left upon the mind -of the writer by the many documents bearing upon the subject {200} -which he has had to peruse. In the first place, we cannot possibly -deny that it was a great German victory, and one which was well -earned, since it depended upon clever and new dispositions entailing -laborious preparation with the intelligent and valiant co-operation -of officers and men. The overpowering force of the blow, while it -removed all reproach from those who had staggered back from it, -depended upon the able way in which it was delivered. Having said so -much, we must remind the German commentator that he cannot have it -both ways, and that if a gain of guns, prisoners, and ground which -fails to break the line is, as we admit, a victory to the Germans, -then a similar result is a victory to the British also. He cannot -claim the second battle of the Somme to be a victory, and yet deny -the term to such battles as Arras, Messines, and Passchendaele. The -only difference is that the Germans really did try to break the line -upon March 21, and failed to do so, while no such design was in -General Haig's mind during the battles of 1917, save perhaps in the -last series of operations. - -[Illustration: Position at the Close of the Great Retreat, March 30] - -There was a regrettable tendency after the battle to recriminations -in the Press, and General Gough, who had been the head of the Fifth -Army, was sacrificed without any enquiry as to the dominant force -which he had to face, or as to the methods by which he mitigated what -might have been a really crushing disaster. It can be safely stated -that in the opinion of many of those who are in the best position to -know and to judge, there was absolutely nothing upon the military -side which could have been bettered, nor has any suggestion ever been -made of anything which was left undone. {201} The entrenching had -been carried out for several months with an energy which raised -protests from the men who had to do it. There might almost be room -for the opposite criticism that in the constant work of the navvy the -training of the soldier had been unduly neglected; but that was the -result of the unavoidable scarcity of non-military labour. The -extension of the front was undoubtedly too long for the number of men -who had to cover it; but this was done at the express request of the -French, who had strong military reasons for drawing out and training -a number of their divisions. It was taking a risk undoubtedly, but -the risk was forced upon the soldiers, and in any case the French -have taken risks before now for us. The blowing up of the bridges -was well done, and the only exception seems to have been in the case -of railway bridges which, for some reason, were taken out of the -hands of the army commander. The reserves were insufficient and were -perhaps too far back, but the first item at least depended upon the -general weakness of manpower. Nowhere can one lay one's hand upon -any solid ground for complaint, save against the rogues and fools of -Brest-Litovsk, who by their selfish and perjured peace enabled the -Germans to roll a tidal wave of a million men from east to west, with -the certainty that they would wash away the first dam against which -they struck. If there is any military criticism to be made, it lies -rather in the fact that the French help from the south was nearly -sixty hours before it made itself felt at the nearest part of the -British line, and also in the surprising number of draft reserves -kept in England at that date. Within a month of the battle 350,000 -had been sent to the {202} front--a very remarkable feat, but a sign, -surely, of an equally remarkable omission. Had ten emergency -divisions of infantry been made out of the more forward of these -drafts, had they been held ready in the rear zones, and had the -actual existing reserves been pushed up to the front, it is safe to -say that the German advance would have been stopped earlier and would -probably not have got beyond the Peronne-Noyon line. If, as was -stated in Parliament, it was confidently expected that the German -attack would strike exactly where it did, then it does seem -deplorable that the nearest reserve to the Fifth Army, a single -division, had, through our weak man-power, to be kept at a three -days' journey from the point of danger. If, instead of searching the -record of the General for some trace of weakness, our critics had -realised the rapidity of his decision, with the moral courage and -grasp of actuality which he showed by abandoning his positions--no -easy thing for one of his blood and record--and falling back unbroken -upon a new line of defence beyond the German heavy artillery, they -could not have failed to admit that the country owes a deep debt of -gratitude to General Gough. Had he hesitated and his army been -isolated and destroyed, the whole war might well have taken a most -sinister turn for the worse. - -Granting, however, that the disaster was minimised by the prompt -appreciation of the situation by the General in command, by the -splendid work of his four corps-commanders, and by the co-operation -of every one concerned, it is still undeniable that the losses were -very heavy, and the result, even after making every allowance for -German wastage, a considerable military disaster. In killed, {203} -wounded, and missing in the Fifth Army alone the figures could not be -less than 50,000, including Feetham and Malcolm, army divisional -generals, with Dawson, Bailey, White, Bellingham, and numerous other -brigadiers and senior officers. In field-guns 235 were so lost or -destroyed out of 600, in medium heavies 108 out of 494, in 8-inch or -over pieces 19 out of 98. Great quantities of stores, especially at -Ham, fell into the hands of the enemy, but so far as possible they -were burned or made useless. Bad as the episode seemed at the time, -it is clear now to any one who looks back upon it that it had no evil -effect upon the result of the war. The Germans were exposed to very -heavy losses which they could ill afford. They have admitted to -180,000 in documents published since the armistice but this may be an -understatement. They were drawn away from their famous lines to -which they did not return until they were so reduced that they could -not hold them. Finally, it led to that concentration of power in the -hands of Marshal Foch which was worth many sacrifices to attain. Sir -Douglas Haig, from his many services and long experience, might well -have put forward claims to the supreme place, and it is -characteristic of the nobility of this great soldier that it was in -response to a telegram from him to the Prime Minister, in which he -named General Foch for the position, that the change was eventually -carried through. - - - - -{204} - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE SOMME FRONT FROM APRIL 1 ONWARDS - -The last waves of the storm--The Twelfth Division at Albert--The -Forty-seventh Division at Aveluy Wood--The Australians in the -south--Capture of Villers-Bretonneux by the Germans--Recapture by -Australians and Eighth Division--Fierce fighting--The first turn of -the tide. - -[Sidenote: April 1918.] - -The limit and results of the second battle of the Somme had been -defined when the Australians, New Zealanders, Second Canadians, and -fresh British divisions took the place of their exhausted comrades -towards the end of March. The German reserves, great as they were, -were nearly exhausted, and they had no more men to put into the -fight. The final line began to clearly define itself, running from a -few miles east of Arras where the Seventh and Sixth Corps had struck -back so heavily at the German pursuit, through Neuville Vitasse, -Boyelles, Ayette, Bucquoy, Hebuterne, Auchonvillers, Aveluy, just -west of Albert, Denancourt, Warfusee, and Marcelcave. The worst -storm was over, but even as the sinking sea will still send up one -great wave which sweeps the deck, so the German battle front would -break from time to time into a spasm of energy, which could effect no -great purpose and yet would lead to a considerable local engagement. -These episodes must at least be indicated in the order of their -occurrence. - -{205} - -One great centre of activity was the ruined town of Albert, for the -Germans were able to use it as a covered approach, and thus mass -their troops and attempt to break through to the westward. The order -of divisions in this sector showed that the Sixty-third and -Forty-seventh, still fighting in spite of their wounds, were to the -immediate north-west. The Twelfth Division was due west. South-west -was the Third Division of Australians and south of these the Fourth. -On each of these, and sometimes upon all of them, the strain was very -great, as the Germans struggled convulsively to burst the bonds of -Albert. It should be noted that the Fifth Army had for the time -passed out of being, and that all the southern end of the line was -now held by the Fourth Army under General Rawlinson. - -[Sidenote: April 4.] - -The main attack upon the Albert sector was on April 4, when the -Germans made a violent effort, and the affair reached the proportions -of a considerable battle. About eight in the morning the action -began by a severe and sudden attack upon the Australian Division 1000 -yards south of Albert, and also on the railway near Denancourt. The -Australians fought as Australians have always fought in this war, but -the onset was very heavy, supported by a shattering fire, and they -were forced to yield some ground. - -[Sidenote: April 5.] - -North of the Australians was the Twelfth Division with the 35th and -36th Brigades in the line, in that order from the south. The -temporary recoil of the Australians rendered the 35th Brigade -vulnerable, and the Germans with their usual quick military -perception at once dashed at it. About 1 o'clock they rushed forward -in two waves, having built up {206} their formation under cover of -the ruined houses of Albert. The attack struck in between the 7th -Suffolks and 9th Essex, but the East Anglians stood fast and blew it -back with their rifle-fire, much helped by the machine-guns of the -5th Berks. Farther north the attack beat up against the left of the -Forty-seventh and the right of the Sixty-third Divisions, but neither -the Londoners nor the naval men weakened. The pressure was -particularly heavy upon the Forty-seventh, and some details of the -fighting will presently be given. The next morning, April 5, saw the -battle still raging along the face of these four divisions. The -Germans attempted to establish their indispensable machine-guns upon -the ridge which they had taken on the south, but they were driven off -by the Australians. The 36th Brigade in the north of the Albert -sector had lost some ground at Aveluy, but about noon on April 5 the -9th Royal Fusiliers with the help of the 7th Sussex re-established -the front, though the latter battalion endured very heavy losses from -an enfilade fire from a brickfield. The 5th Berks also lost heavily -on this day. So weighty was the German attack that at one time the -4th Australians had been pushed from the high ground, just west of -the Amiens-Albert railway, and the 35th Brigade had to throw back a -defensive wing. The position was soon re-established, however, -though at all points the British losses were considerable, while -those of the Germans must have been very heavy indeed. - -It has been stated that to the north of the Twelfth Division, -covering Bouzincourt and partly occupying Aveluy Wood, was the -Forty-seventh Division (Gorringe), which had been drawn out of the -line, {207} much exhausted by its prolonged efforts, some days -before, but was now brought back into the battle. It stood with the -15th and 20th London of the 140th Brigade on the right, while the -23rd and 24th of the 142nd Brigade were on the left. Units were -depleted and the men very weary, but they rose to the crisis, and -their efforts were essential at a time of such stress, for it was -felt that this was probably the last convulsive heave of the dying -German offensive. It was on April 5 that the German attack from the -direction of Albert spread to the front of the Forty-seventh -Division. The bombardment about 8 A.M. reached a terrific pitch of -intensity and was followed by an infantry advance through clouds of -gas and smoke. The main attack fell upon the left of the divisional -line, and was met by a sustained rifle, Lewis gun, and artillery -fire, which could not be faced by the stormers. At one time the left -of the 23rd London was penetrated, but a rally re-established the -position. The enemy were rushing forward in mass formations, and -their desperate tactics offered targets which ensured very heavy -losses. - -About 9 o'clock the right brigade was also involved in the fighting, -the enemy advancing in force towards Aveluy Wood. Here also the -assault was very desperate and the defence equally determined. The -15th (Civil Service Rifles) was heavily attacked, and shortly -afterwards the Blackheath and Woolwich men of the 20th Battalion saw -the enemy in great numbers upon their front. The whole line of the -division was now strongly engaged. About 10 A.M. a company of the -24th London was driven from its position by concentrated -rifle-grenade {208} fire, but a support company sprang to the front -and the line was unbroken. At 10.30, however, things took a grave -turn, for a sudden rush brought the assailants into the line between -the two left flank battalions, outflanking and destroying the -outlying company of the 23rd London. These men fought bravely to the -end and took heavy toll of the enemy. At the same time the 20th -London came under a shattering shell-fire which put every Lewis gun -out of action. It was also enfiladed by machine-guns from the corner -of Aveluy Wood, where the Germans had penetrated the line. The 20th -threw out a defensive flank and held on. The 15th on their right -were still in their original positions. - -At 11.40 the 23rd London, which had suffered from the German -penetration of its left company, was exposed all along its line to -machine-gun fire from its left rear, where the enemy had established -three posts. The result was that the position in Aveluy Wood had to -be abandoned. The 22nd London from the reserve brigade was now -pushed up into the firing-line where the pressure was very great. -The weight of the attack was now mainly upon the 20th, who held their -posts with grim determination in spite of very heavy losses, chiefly -from trench mortars and heavy machine-guns. It was a bitter ordeal, -but the enemy was never able to get nearer than 300 yards to the line -of the 20th, and if they caused heavy losses they endured as much -from the British fire. About 12.40 the enemy seemed to be mustering -at the south end of the wood for a grand final attack, but the -gathering was dispersed by the machine-guns of the Londoners. - -At four in the afternoon, after a truly terrible day, the -Forty-seventh Division determined to counter-attack, {209} and the -22nd Battalion was used for this purpose. They had already endured -heavy losses and had not sufficient weight for the purpose, though -eight officers and many men had fallen before they were forced to -recognise their own inability. The failure of this attack led to a -further contraction of the line of defence. The Sixty-third Division -on the left had endured a similar day of hard hammering, and it was -now very exhausted and holding its line with difficulty. For a time -there was a dangerous gap, but the exhausted Germans did not exploit -their success, and reserves were hurried up from the Marines on the -one side and from the 142nd Brigade on the other to fill the vacant -position. - -When night fell after this day of incessant and desperate fighting -the line was unbroken, but it had receded in the area of Aveluy Wood -and was bent and twisted along the whole front. General Gorringe, -with true British tenacity, determined that it should be -re-established next morning if his reserves could possibly do it. -Only one battalion, however, was available, the pioneer 4th Welsh -Fusiliers, who had already done conspicuous service more than once -during the retreat. An official document referring to this attack -states that "no troops could have deployed better or advanced more -steadily under such intense fire, and the leadership of the officers -could not have been excelled." The casualties, however, were so -heavy from the blasts of machine-gun fire that the front of the -advance was continually blown away and no progress could be made. -Two platoons upon the left made some permanent gain of ground, but as -a whole this very gallant counter-attack was unavailing. - -{210} - -This attack near Albert on April 4 and 5 was the main German effort, -but it synchronised with several other considerable attacks at -different points of the line. One was just north of Warfusee in the -southern sector, where once again the Australians were heavily -engaged and prevented what at one time seemed likely to be a local -break-through. As it was the line came back from Warfusee to Vaire, -where the Australian supports held it fast. Farther north the Fourth -Australian Division was sharply attacked opposite Denancourt, and had -a very brisk fight in which the 13th Brigade, and more particularly -the 52nd Regiment, greatly distinguished itself. The object of the -fight was to hold the railway line and the position of the Ancre. -The tenacity of the Australian infantry in the face of incessant -attacks was most admirable, and their artillery, ranging upon the -enemy at 1500 yards, as they came over the higher ground behind -Denancourt, inflicted very heavy losses. One gun fired 1250 rounds -without a stop. - -The village of Hangard and Hangard Wood were at that time the points -of junction between the French and British armies. The extreme right -unit of the British was Smith's 5th Brigade of the Second Australian -Division (Rosenthal). The 20th Battalion on the southern flank was -involved on this and the following days in a very severe and -fluctuating fight in which Hangard Wood was taken and lost several -times. Colonel Bennett, an Australian veteran whose imperial -services go back as far as the Suakin expedition, had to cover 3500 -yards with 600 men, knowing well that there were no reserves behind -him and that the point was vital. With heavy losses he managed, with -the 19th Battalion beside him, to {211} dam the German flood until -help could arrive. So fierce was the fighting that 750 dead Germans -were picked up in the Hangard Wood. On April 7 the wood was -abandoned, but under no compulsion and in accordance with the general -movement of the line. - -[Sidenote: April 5 and 6.] - -About 10 A.M. on April 6 the enemy renewed his attack upon the -junction between the Forty-seventh and Sixty-third Divisions, but it -was the British turn to mow down advancing lines with machine-gun -fire. No progress was made, and there were such signs of German -weakening that the British made a sudden local advance, capturing two -machine-guns and some prisoners. In this affair it is characteristic -of the spirit which still remained in the weary British troops, that -Corporal March of the 24th London went forward and shot the opposing -German officer, bringing back his maps and papers. - -The German commanders were well aware that if the line was to be -broken it must be soon, and all these operations were in the hope of -finding a fatal flaw. Hence it was that the attacks which began and -failed upon April 4 extended all along the northern line on April 5. -Thus the New Zealand Division on the left of the points already -mentioned was involved in the fighting, the right brigade, consisting -of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, being fiercely attacked by some -2000 storm troops who advanced with great hardihood, and at the -second attempt recaptured the farm of La Signy. The German officers -seem upon this occasion to have given an example to their men which -has often been conspicuously lacking. "A tall Wurtemburger," says -the New Zealand recorder, "ran towards our line with nine of his men. -In one hand he carried a cane and over his arm a {212} light -waterproof coat. He was a fine big fellow over six feet high.... -Just at the critical moment some Lewis-gunners took a hand in the -business, the officer was shot dead, and most of the others were -killed or wounded." - -On the left of the New Zealanders the attack was extended to the road -between Ayette and Bucquoy. Here a brigade of the Thirty-seventh -Division in the south and of the Forty-second in the north were -heavily attacked and Bucquoy was taken, but before the evening the -defenders returned and most of the lost ground was regained. The -right of the Thirty-seventh Division had advanced in the morning upon -Rossignol Wood, that old bone of contention, and had in a long day's -struggle got possession of most of it. Three machine-guns and 130 -men were the spoils. - -[Sidenote: April 21, 22.] - -From this time onwards there were no very notable events for some -weeks in the Somme line, save for some sharp fighting in the Aveluy -Wood sector on April 21 and 22, in which the Seventeenth, -Thirty-fifth, and Thirty-eighth Divisions were all involved. The -enemy tried hard to improve his position and did succeed in gaining -some ground. The attacks were costly to both sides but the results -were futile. The British outposts, and particularly those of the -Australians, maintained an aggressive attitude throughout, and it was -more and more impressed upon the German mind that in spite of his -considerable advance and large captures, it was an unbeaten army -which lay before him. - -[Sidenote: April 24.] - -On the morning of April 24 a very determined attack was made by the -Germans upon the front of Butler's Third Corps in the area of -Villers-Bretonneux. {213} This small town is of great importance, as -it stands on a curve of the rolling downs from which a very -commanding view of Amiens is obtained, the cathedral especially -standing out with great clearness. Already the city had suffered -great damage, but the permanent loss of Villers-Bretonneux would mean -its certain destruction. The attack was urged by four German -divisions and was supported by tanks which did good service to the -enemy and broke in the British line, held mainly at this point by -Heneker's Eighth Division which had hardly recovered from its heroic -services upon the Somme. - -It is suggestive of the value of the tanks whether in German or in -British hands that where the attack was unsupported by these machines -it broke down under the British fire, as on the right of Cator's -Fifty-eighth Division to the south and on the left of the Eighth -Division. There were fifteen German tanks in all, so their array was -a formidable one, the more so in a mist which was impenetrable at -fifty yards. It was for the British now to experience the thrill of -helpless horror which these things can cause even in brave hearts -when they loom up out of the haze in all their hideous power. The -2/4th Londons on the south of the village were driven back to the -line Cachy-Hangard Wood, so that their neighbours of the 2/2nd London -had to conform. The 2/10th London counter-attacked at once, however, -and penetrated Hangard Wood, doing something to ease the situation. -The 2nd Middlesex and 2nd West Yorks were overrun by the tanks, much -as the Roman legionaries were by the elephants of Pyrrhus, and even -the historical and self-immolating stab in the belly was useless -against these monsters. The 2nd Rifle {214} Brigade were also -dislodged from their position and had to close up on the 2nd -Berkshires on their left. The 2nd East Lancashires had also to fall -back, but coming in touch with a section of the 20th Battery of -divisional artillery they were able to rally and hold their ground -all day with the backing of the guns. - -The 2nd Devons in reserve upon the right were also attacked by tanks, -the first of which appeared suddenly before Battalion Headquarters -and blew away the parapet. Others attacked the battalion, which was -forced to move into the Bois d'Aquenne. There chanced to be three -heavy British tanks in this quarter, and they were at once ordered -forward to restore the situation. Seven light whippet tanks were -also given to the Fifty-eighth Division. These tanks then engaged -the enemy's fleet, and though two of the heavier and four of the -light were put out of action they silenced the Germans and drove them -back. With these powerful allies the infantry began to move forward -again, and the 1st Sherwood Foresters carried out a particularly -valuable advance. - -Shortly after noon the 173rd Brigade of the Fifty-eighth Division saw -the Germans massing behind tanks about 500 yards east of Cachy, with -a view to attacking. There were three whippets still available, and -they rushed out and did great work, catching two German battalions as -they deployed. - -The Fifty-eighth had good neighbours upon their right in the shape of -the Moroccan corps, a unit which is second to none in the French Army -for attack. These were not engaged, but under the orders of General -Debeney they closed up on the left so as to shorten the front of -General Cator's division, a great assistance with ranks so depleted. -His {215} troops were largely lads of eighteen sent out to fill the -gaps made in the great battle, but nothing could exceed their spirit, -though their endurance was not equal to their courage. - -On the evening of April 24 General Butler could say with Desaix, "The -battle is lost. There is time to win another one." The Germans not -only held Villers-Bretonneux, but they had taken Hangard from the -French, and held all but the western edge of Hangard Wood. The -farthest western point ever reached by the Germans on the Somme was -on this day when they occupied for a time the Bois l'Abbé, from which -they were driven in the afternoon by the 1st Sherwoods and 2nd West -Yorks. They had not attained Cachy, which was their final objective, -but none the less it was very necessary that Villers-Bretonneux and -the ground around it should be regained instantly before the Germans -took root. - -For this purpose a night attack was planned on the evening of April -24, and was carried out with great success. The operation was -important in itself, but even more so as the first sign of the turn -of the tide which had run so long from east to west, and was soon to -return with such resistless force from west to east. - -For the purposes of the attack the fresh 13th Australian Brigade -(Glasgow) was placed under the General of the Eighth Division, and -was ordered to attack to the south of Villers, while the 15th -Australian Brigade made a similar advance upon the north. Each of -these was directed to pass beyond the little town, which was to be -cleared by an independent force. On the right of the Australians was -the {216} balance of the Eighth Division, which had to clear up the -Bois d'Aquenne. - -[Illustration: Rough Sketch of the General Position of Troops at the -Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, April 24-25] - -The attack was carried out at 10 P.M., the infantry having white -arm-bands for identification in the darkness. There was no artillery -preparation, and the advance was across unknown country, so that it -may be placed among the most hazardous operations in the war. In the -case of the 13th Australian Brigade, the 52nd Battalion was on the -right in touch with the British, while the 51st was on the left, with -the 50th in support. From the onset the machine-gun fire was very -severe, especially against the 51st Regiment, but the admirable -individuality of the Australian soldiers was of great service to -them, every man getting forward through the darkness as best he -could. The weather was ideal, for there was sufficient moon to give -direction, but not enough to expose the troops to distant fire. The -German flares were rather a help to the attack by defining the -position. The Australian front got as far forward as Monument Wood, -level with the village, but the 173rd Brigade on their right was in -some difficulty, and they themselves were badly enfiladed from the -town, so they could not maintain their more advanced position. The -2nd Northamptons, attached to the 13th Australian Brigade, had been -told off to take the town itself, but both their colonel and their -adjutant were killed during the assembly, and some confusion of -orders caused the plans to miscarry. On the north of the town the -15th Australian Brigade, with the 22nd Durhams attached, had been an -hour late in starting, but the 60th and 59th Regiments got up, after -some confused fighting, to a point north of the town, which was -entered after dawn and {218} cleared up by the 2nd Berkshires, aided -by a company of the Australian 58th Battalion. - -The German tanks had done good work in the attack, and some of the -British tanks were very useful in the counter-attacks, especially -three which operated in the Bois d'Aquenne and broke down the -obstinate German resistance in front of the Eighth Division. -Daylight on April 25 found the British and Australian lines well up -to the village on both sides, and a good deal of hard fighting, in -which the troops got considerably mixed, took place. One unusual -incident occurred as two blindfolded Germans under a flag of truce -appeared in the British line, and were brought to Colonel Whitham of -the 52nd Australian Regiment. They carried a note which ran: "My -Commanding Officer has sent me to tell you that you are confronted by -superior forces and surrounded on three sides. He desires to know -whether you will surrender and avoid loss of life. If you do not he -will blow you to pieces by turning his heavy artillery on to your -trenches." No answer was returned to this barefaced bluff, but the -messengers were detained, as there was considerable doubt as to the -efficiency of the bandages which covered their eyes. - -By 4 P.M. on April 25 the village had been cleared, and the troops -were approximately in the old front line. The 22nd Durham Light -Infantry had mopped up the south side of the village. About a -thousand prisoners had been secured. The 54th Brigade of Lee's -Eighteenth Division, which had been in support, joined in the -fighting during the day, and helped to push the line forward, winning -their way almost to their final objective south of the village and -then having to yield 200 yards to a counter-attack. {219} The fast -whippet tanks were used during this action, and justified themselves -well, though, as in the case of all tanks, the value of the -instrument depends mainly upon the courage of the crew who handle it. -One British tank, under the command of a leader named Craig, seems to -have been all over the field wherever it was most needed, so that -some weeks after the fight the present chronicler in visiting the -field of battle still heard the legend of his prowess. As to the -German resistance a skilled observer remarks: "The enemy handled his -machine-guns with great boldness. The manner in which he pushes -forward numbers of guns, relying upon the daring and initiative of -the crews to use them to best advantage, may lead to a greater number -being lost, but he certainly inflicts enormous casualties in this -way." - -[Sidenote: April 26.] - -There was an aftermath of the battle on April 26 which led to some -very barren and sanguinary fighting in which the losses were mainly -incurred by our gallant Allies upon the right. There was a position -called The Monument, immediately south of Villers, which had not yet -been made good. The Moroccan Division had been slipped in on the -British right, and their task was to assault the German line from -this point to the north edge of Hangard Wood. Part of the -Fifty-eighth Division was to attack the wood itself, while on the -left the Eighth Division was to complete the clearance of Villers and -to join up with the left of the Moroccans. The Eighth Division had -already broken up three strong counter-attacks on the evening of -April 25, and by the morning of April 26 their part of the programme -was complete. The only six tanks available were given to the {220} -Moroccans. At 5.15 on the morning of April 26 the attack opened. It -progressed well near the town, but on the right the Foreign Legion, -the very cream of the fighting men of the French Army, were held by -the murderous fire from the north edge of Hangard Wood. The 10th -Essex and 7th West Kents, who had been lent to the Fifty-eighth -Division by the 53rd Brigade, were held by the same fire, and were -all mixed up with the adventurers of the Legion, the losses of both -battalions, especially the West Kents, being terribly heavy. The -Moroccan Tirailleurs in the centre were driven back by a German -counter-attack, but were reinforced and came on again. Hangard -village, however, held up the flank of the French. In the evening -about half the wood was in the hands of the Allies, but it was an -inconclusive and very expensive day. - -The battle of Villers-Bretonneux was a very important engagement, as -it clearly defined the _ne plus ultra_ of the German advance in the -Somme valley, and marked a stable equilibrium which was soon to turn -into an eastward movement. It was in itself a most interesting -fight, as the numbers were not very unequal. The Germans had five -divisions engaged, the Fourth Guards, Two hundred and twenty-eighth, -Two hundred and forty-third, Seventy-seventh Reserve, and Two hundred -and eighth. The British had the Eighth, Fifty-eighth, Eighteenth, -and Fifth Australian, all of them very worn, but the Germans may also -have been below strength. The tanks were equally divided. The -result was not a decided success for any one, since the line ended -much as it had begun, but it showed the Germans that, putting out all -their effort, they could get no {221} farther. How desperate was the -fight may be judged by the losses which, apart from the Australians, -amounted to more than 9000 men in the three British divisions, the -Fifty-eighth and Eighth being the chief sufferers. - -As this was the first occasion upon which the Germans seem to have -brought their tanks into the line of battle, some remarks as to the -progress of this British innovation may not be out of place--the more -so as it became more and more one of the deciding factors in the war. -On this particular date the German tanks were found to be slow and -cumbrous, but were heavily armed and seemed to possess novel -features, as one of them advanced in the original attack upon April -24 squirting out jets of lachrymatory gas on each side. The result -of the fighting next day was that two weak (female) British tanks -were knocked out by the Germans while one German tank was destroyed -and three scattered by a male British tank. The swift British -whippet tanks were used for the first time upon April 24, and seem to -have acted much like Boadicea's chariots, cutting a swathe in the -enemy ranks and returning crimson with blood. - -Treating the subject more generally, it may be said that the limited -success attained by tanks in the shell-pocked ground of the Somme and -the mud of Flanders had caused the Germans and also some of our own -high authorities to underrate their power and their possibilities of -development. All this was suddenly changed by the battle of Cambrai, -when the Germans were terrified at the easy conquest of the -Hindenburg Line. They then began to build. It may be said, however, -that they never really gauged {222} the value of the idea, being -obsessed by the thought that no good military thing could come out of -England. Thus when in the great final advance the tanks began to -play an absolutely vital part they paid the usual price of blindness -and arrogance, finding a weapon turned upon them for which they had -no adequate shield. If any particular set of men can be said more -than another to have ruined the German Empire and changed the history -of the world, it is those who perfected the tank in England, and also -those at the German headquarters who lacked the imagination to see -its possibilities. So terrified were the Germans of tanks at the end -of the war that their whole artillery was directed to knocking them -out, to the very great relief of the long-suffering infantry. - -From this time onwards this front was the scene of continuous -aggressive action on the part of the Australians, which gradually -nibbled away portions of the German line, until the day came for the -grand advance of August 8. One of the most successful of these was -on May 19, when the village of Ville-sur-Ancre was taken by a sudden -assault with 20 machine-guns and 360 prisoners. A second very sharp -fight, which may be mentioned here, though it is just beyond the -scope of this volume, was on July 1 and following days in the Aveluy -sector, near the Ancre, where the Twelfth and Eighteenth Divisions -had three bouts of attack and counter-attack, in which the 37th and -54th Brigades were heavily engaged, the honours of the action being -about equally divided between the British and the Germans. - - - - -{223} - -CHAPTER IX - -THE BATTLE OF THE LYS - -April 9-12 - -The Flanders front--Great German onslaught--Disaster of the -Portuguese--Splendid stand at Givenchy of the Fifty-fifth -Division--Hard fight of the Fortieth Division--Loss of the -Lys--Desperate resistance of the Fiftieth Division--Thirty-fourth -Division is drawn into the Battle--Attack in the north upon the -Ninth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-fifth Divisions--British -retreat--General survey of the situation. - - -Nearly a hundred German divisions had been used against the British -alone in the great offensive which began on March 21 and ended in the -first week of April. At this time the British forces in France, -including Portuguese and Overseas divisions, numbered sixty in all. -Of these no less than forty-four had been engaged in the great -battle, and all of these were either still in the line, tied to the -Amiens front, or else had been drawn out in a shattered and -disorganised condition, having lost on an average not less than from -4000 to 5000 men each. It will be seen that there was only a very -small margin over, and that if the Germans by a supreme effort had -burst the line and reached the estuary of the Somme, it would have -been possible to have caused a great military disaster. Especially -would this have been the case if the northern flank {224} of the -British could have been driven in as well as the southern, for then -the mutilated and shaken army would have been hurled in upon itself -and would have found itself crowded down upon a sea-coast which would -have given few facilities for embarkation. In the hopes of a débacle -in the south the Germans had prepared out of their huge reserves a -considerable force in the north which would have formed the second -claw of their deadly embrace. When the first claw missed its grip -and could get no farther it was determined that the other should at -least go forward and endeavour to reach the Channel ports. Although -the Somme estuary had not been attained, none the less the Germans -knew well that three-quarters of the whole British force had been -engaged, and that most of it was not fit to take its place in a -renewed battle. Therefore they had reason to hope for great results -from their new offensive in Flanders, and they entered upon it with a -good heart. - -The omens were certainly propitious, but there were two factors which -were in favour of the British--factors which could not yet have been -adequately appreciated by the Germans. The first was the new unity -of command under General Foch, a soldier famous for his writings in -peace and for his deeds in war. This great leader, who had -distinguished himself again and again since the first month of the -war, when he had played a vital part in checking the German rush for -Paris, was selected with the cordial consent of every one concerned, -and especially of Sir Douglas Haig, as Generalissimo of the Allied -forces. Therefore a common control and a common policy were ensured, -so that the German chiefs could not {225} turn their whole force upon -half of the Allies with the assurance that the other half would find -the operations outside their war map. Hence the British in Flanders, -though they would have to fight their own battle for a week or two, -could count confidently upon receiving help at the end of that time. - -The second and more immediate factor, was that by a fine national -effort a splendid stream of efficient drafts had been despatched from -England during the great battle--young soldiers it is true, but full -of spirit and most eager to meet the Germans and to emulate the great -deeds of their elders. Their training had been short, but it had -been intense and practical, with so excellent a result that one could -but marvel at the old pre-war pundits who insisted that no soldier -could be made under two years. These high-spirited lads flocked into -the depleted battalions, which had often to be reformed from the -beginning, with a skeleton framework of officers and N.C.O.'s upon -which to build. It was of course impossible to assimilate these -drafts in the few days at the disposal of the divisional generals, -but at least they had adequate numbers once more, and they must be -taught to be battle-worthy by being thrown into the battle, as -Spartan fathers have taught their boys to swim. - -One more sign of the times was the quick appreciation by the American -authorities of the desperate nature of the crisis all along the -Allied line. With magnanimous public spirit they at once gave -directions that such American troops as were available and had not -yet been formed into special American divisions should be placed -under British or French command and fitted temporarily into their -organisation. The few complete organised American divisions {226} in -France had been on the Alsace line, but some of these were now -brought round to thicken the French army on the Oise. But most -important of all was the effect upon the shipment of American troops, -which had averaged about 50,000 a month and now rose at a bound to -250,000, a number which was sustained or increased for several months -in succession. This result was helped by the whole-hearted -co-operation of the British mercantile marine, which was deflected -from its other very pressing tasks, including the feeding of the -country, in order to carry these troops, and actually handled about -two-thirds of them whilst the British Navy helped to find the -escorts. So efficiently were the transport arrangements carried out -both by British and Americans; that when a million men had been -conveyed they were still able to announce that the losses upon the -voyage were practically nil. Even the lie-fed bemused German public -began to realise in the face of this fact that their much boomed -submarines were only one more of their colossal failures. - -The German attack upon the British lines by the army of General von -Quast in Flanders broke on the morning of April 9. There had been -considerable shelling on the day before along the whole line, but as -the hour approached this concentrated with most extreme violence on -the nine-mile stretch from the village of Givenchy in the south to -Fleurbaix, which is just south of Armentières in the north. This -proved to be the area of the actual attack, and against this front -some eight German divisions advanced about 6 o'clock of a misty -morning. So shattering had been their bombardment and so active -their wire-cutters, who were covered {227} by the fog, that the -advanced positions could hardly be said to exist, and they were able -to storm their way at once into the main defences. - -The point upon which this attack fell was held the by four divisions, -all of which formed part of Horne's First Army. The general -distribution of the troops at that time was that the Second Army -stretched from the junction with the Belgians near Houthulst Forest -down to the Messines district where it joined the First Army. The -First Army had weakened itself by an extension to the south, and -Plumer's force was about to extend also, and take over the Laventie -district, when the storm suddenly burst upon the very point which was -to be changed. - -Two corps were involved in the attack, the Fifteenth (De Lisle) in -the Armentières region, and the Eleventh (Haking) in the region of -Givenchy. The latter had two divisions in the line, Jeudwine's -Fifty-fifth West Lancashire Territorials defending the village and -adjacent lines, while the Portuguese Second Division (Da Costa) -covered the sector upon their left. The depleted Fiftieth Division -(Jackson) was in immediate reserve. On the left of the Portuguese -was Ponsonby's Fortieth Division which had lost five thousand men in -the Somme battle only a fortnight before, and now found itself -plunged once more into one of the fiercest engagements of the war, -where it was exposed again to very heavy losses. - -The main force of the German attack fell upon the Portuguese line, -and it was of such strength that no blame can be attached to -inexperienced troops who gave way before so terrific a blow, which -would have been formidable to any soldiers in the world. The -division held the line from 2000 yards south of {228} Richebourg -l'Avoué to the east of Picantin, a frontage of 9350 yards, or more -than half of the total front of the assault. The division had all -three brigades in the line, and even so was very extended to meet a -serious assault. The 3rd Brigade from the First Portuguese Division -was in immediate support. The 5th Brigade was on the right, covering -Le Touret, the 6th in the middle, and the 4th on the left, covering -Laventie. Behind the whole position lay the curve of the River Lys, -a sluggish stream which moves slowly through this desolate plain, the -Golgotha where so many men have died, Indians, French, British, and -German, since the first months of the war. In all that huge flat -canalised space it was only at Givenchy that some small ridge showed -above the dreary expanse. - -The Portuguese had been in the line for some months, but had never -experienced anything to approach the severity of the shattering -bombardment which poured upon them from four in the morning. When an -hour or two later the storming columns of the German infantry loomed -through the thick curtain of mist, the survivors were in no condition -to stand such an attack. All telephone and telegraph wires had been -cut within the first half-hour, and it was impossible to direct any -protective barrage. The artillery in the rear, both British and -Portuguese, had been much weakened by a concentration of gas-shells -extending as far as Merville, so that the infantry were left with -insufficient support. The gunners stood to their work like men, and -groups of them continued to fire their guns after the infantry had -left them exposed. These brave men were killed or captured by the -enemy, and their batteries were taken. In the rear the roads had -been so {229} shattered by the German fire that it was impossible to -get a tractor or lorry up to the heavy guns, and there was no way of -removing them. All observers agree that the crews of the heavy guns -did excellently well. The whole front had fallen in, however, and in -spite of scattered groups of infantry who showed the traditional -Portuguese courage--that courage which had caused the great Duke to -place them amongst his best soldiers--the position was in the hands -of the enemy. By mid-day they were at Le Touret upon the right, and -the guns there were blown up and abandoned. About the same time they -had reached Estaires upon the left and Bout Deville in the centre. -Before evening the German line was four miles from its -starting-point, and had reached the River Lawe, a small affluent of -the Lys. From this time onwards the Fiftieth Division, coming up -from the rear, had taken over the front, and the Portuguese were out -of the battle. The Germans in their day's work had taken 6000 -prisoners and 100 guns, many of them in ruins. It should be -mentioned that the Portuguese ordeal was the more severe, as -breast-works had taken the place of trenches in this sector. All -were agreed that General da Costa did what was possible. "He is a -fine man, who does not know what fear is," said a British officer who -was with him on the day of the battle. - -The caving in of the front of the line had a most serious effect upon -the two British divisions, the Fifty-fifth and the Fortieth, who were -respectively upon the right and the left of the Portuguese. Each was -attacked in front, and each was turned upon the flank and rear. We -shall first consider the case of the Fifty-fifth Division which -defended the lines of {230} Givenchy with an energy and success which -makes this feat one of the outstanding incidents of the campaign. -This fine division of West Lancashire Territorials, containing -several battalions from Liverpool, had some scores to settle with the -Germans, by whom they had been overrun in the surprise at Cambrai at -the end of the last November. At Givenchy they had their glorious -revenge. - -The position of the Fifty-fifth Division was a strong one, extending -for some thousands of yards from the hamlet of Le Plantin in the -south to Cailloux in the north, with a section of the old British -line a thousand yards in front, a deserted trench half full of water -and festooned with rusty wire. There were outpost companies along -the scattered line of ruined houses, and a few posts were thrown far -out near the old trench. The village line consisted of a series of -well-concealed breast-works and loopholed walls without any -continuous trench, the whole so cunningly arranged that it was -difficult to get the plan of it from in front. Each post or small -fort had its own independent scheme of defence, with good enfilade -fire, concrete emplacements, belts of wire, and deep ditches. - -Very early in the day the left flank of the position had been -entirely exposed by the retirement of the Portuguese, so that during -the whole long and desperate struggle the general formation of the -division was in the shape of an L, the shorter arm being their proper -front, and the longer one facing north and holding up the German -attack from inside the old lines. The northern defensive flank does -not seem to have been entirely improvised, as some precautions of -this nature had already been taken. The new front extended from the -hamlet of Loisne upon the {231} stream of that name, through a second -hamlet called Le Plantin, and so down to the canal. The first strain -of the fighting fell chiefly upon the 165th Brigade (Boyd-Moss), -consisting of three battalions of the famous King's Liverpool -Regiment. The 6th and 7th Battalions were in the line with the 5th -in support at Gorre, but as the day wore on and the pressure -increased, units from both the other brigades were drawn into the -fight, so that all participated in the glory of the victory. By 8.30 -the flank was entirely naked, and the Germans in small but audacious -bodies, with a constant rattle of rifle and machine-gun fire, were -pushing in between the outer posts of the British division, -overwhelming and obliterating some of them by a concentrated fire of -trench mortars. Some of these isolated garrisons held out in the -most desperate fashion, and helped to take the pressure off the main -village line. One particularly brilliant example was that of Captain -Armstrong of the 1/4th South Lancashires, who with A Company of that -battalion defended a moated farm, literally to the death, having been -warned that it was a key position. - -About mid-day the German attack was still creeping in, and had gained -one important outpost called Princes' Island. The 10th Liverpool -Scots from the 166th Brigade, a battalion which has a great record -for the war, had come up to thicken the line of defenders. Amid the -crash and roar of constant shells, and a storm of bullets which beat -like hail upon every wall and buzzed through every crevice, the -stubborn infantry endured their losses with stoic patience, firing -steadily through their shattered loopholes at any mark they could -see. At 1 o'clock some audacious stormers had got so far forward on -{232} the left that they were in the rear of the Brigade -Headquarters, and were only held there by spare men from the -transport lines who chanced to be available. The attack was drifting -down more and more from the new ground, so about this hour the 5th -South Lancashires, also of the 166th Brigade, were sent across to the -north of Loisne to hold the stream. Each flank was attempted in turn -by the wily assailants, so that when the left proved impervious they -charged in upon the right, and captured Windy Corner, which is near -the canal upon that side, continuing their advance by attacking Le -Plantin South from the rear and the flank, so that the defenders were -in an impossible position. Having taken this point it seemed as if -the Germans would roll up the whole long thin line from the end, and -they actually did so, as far as Le Plantin North. Here the British -rallied, and the survivors of the 6th and 7th King's made a furious -advance, pushed the Germans back, retook Le Plantin South, and -captured a number of prisoners. The position was still serious, -however, as the Germans held Windy Corner, and had penetrated between -the British right and the canal, so as to get into the rear of the -position. A great effort was called for, and the men responded like -heroes. The 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers from the 164th Brigade -(Stockwell) had come up, and these fine soldiers, with the weary -remains of the two King's Liverpool battalions, rushed the whole -German position, dragging them out from the pockets and ruins amid -which they lurked. In this splendid counter-attack more than 700 -prisoners were taken in all, with a number of machine-guns. At the -end of it the British right was absolutely intact. - -{233} - -Whilst these stirring events had taken place on the right flank, -there had been heavy fighting also on the left. Here the British -defence had been based upon two small but strong forts, called -Cailloux North and Route A Keep. The latter fell early in the -action, the German infantry coming upon it so unexpectedly in the fog -that the machine-guns were at the moment mounted upon the parapet and -elevated for indirect fire. They were put out of action, and the -place was surrounded and taken. This greatly weakened the left wing -of the defence. Farther still to the left the Germans were pushing -through Loisne, and the fort called Loisne Central was heavily -engaged. This portion of the line was held by the 166th Brigade. -Once the German wave actually lapped over into the little fort, but -the place was not taken, and its machine-guns still clattered and -flashed. All day the Germans were held at this point though the -pressure was great. During the night the 13th King's Liverpools from -the 9th Brigade were sent as a reserve to the weary line. At 7.40 on -the morning of April 10 the enemy, under cover of a murderous -barrage, attacked Loisne once more, striving hard to break in the -left of the British defence. The garrison suffered terribly, but -none the less the stormers were shot back into their shell-holes and -lurking-places. Two successive attacks on the forts of Cailloux and -Festubert had no better success and were less strongly urged. At -seven in the evening they again, with a sudden rush, got a footing in -the fort of Loisnes, and again were driven out, save for twenty-one -who remained as prisoners. Another day had passed, and still -Lancashire stood fast and the lines were safe. On April 11 the whole -position {234} was swept by a heavy shell-storm, and the German -infantry clustered thickly in front of the crumbling barricades. The -guns both of the Fifty-fifth and of the Eleventh Division played -havoc with them as they assembled, so that the attack was paralysed -on the right, but on the left the two little forts of Festubert East -and Cailloux were both overwhelmed. The former, however, was at once -retaken by a mixed storming party from the 5th and 13th King's -Liverpools. Late in the evening Cailloux Keep was also stormed, and -once more the position was intact. - -There was now only Route A Keep in possession of the enemy, and it -was determined to regain it. The guns had quickly registered upon it -during the day, and at midnight they all burst into a concentrated -bombardment which was followed by a rush of two companies, one drawn -from the Liverpool Scots and the other from the 13th King's -Liverpools. The place was carried by assault, and the garrison held -it strongly on the 12th and 13th against a series of attacks. It was -a most murderous business, and the brave little garrisons were sadly -cut about, but they held on with the utmost determination, having -vowed to die rather than give the fort up. The survivors were still -there, crouching among the ruins and exposed to constant heavy -shelling, when on April 15 the old epic was ended and a new one was -begun by the relief of the Fifty-fifth Division by Strickland's First -Division. The episode will live in history, and may match in -tenacity and heroism the famous defence of Ovillers by the German -Guards. The casualties were heavy, but it may be safely said that -they were small compared with those of the attacking battalions. - -{235} - -The story has been carried forward in this quarter for the sake of -connected narrative, but we must now return to the events of April 9, -and especially to the effect produced upon the Fortieth Division by -the exposure of their southern flank. This fine unit, with its -terrible wounds only half healed, was exposed all day to a desperate -attack coming mainly from the south, but involving the whole of their -line from Laventie to Armentières. The division, which is -predominantly English, but contains one brigade of Highland troops, -fought most valiantly through the long and trying day, enduring heavy -losses, and only yielding ground in the evening, when they were -attacked in the rear as well as in front and flank. - -In the morning the Fortieth Division had the 119th Brigade (18th -Welsh, 21st Middlesex, and 13th East Surrey) on the right, while the -121st Brigade (20th Middlesex, 12th Suffolks, and 13th Yorks) was on -the left, joining up with Nicholson's Thirty-fourth Division which -held the Armentières front. The right of the Fortieth was involved -in the heavy initial bombardment and also in the subsequent infantry -advance, which established a footing in the front trenches of the -119th Brigade. Whilst a counter-attack was being organised to drive -the stormers out, it was found that the right and the rear of the -position were threatened by the advance through the Portuguese. The -120th Scottish Brigade in reserve was ordered to form a defensive -flank, but the 10/11th Highland Light Infantry, the nearest unit, -found itself almost overlapped, and the brigade had to fall back upon -the bridges at Nouveau Monde in order to protect the river crossings. -The 2nd Scots Fusiliers covered the bridge-head, while the {236} -whole of the 119th Brigade fell back to the line of the Lys, save -only the garrison of Fleurbaix. The 121st Brigade was still holding -its line in the Bois Grenier sector. By 1 o'clock the bulk of the -Fortieth Division was across the Lys, the bridges being destroyed one -by one as the day advanced. The destruction was not in all cases -complete, and in that of the Pont Levis at Estaires was absolutely -checked by a chance shell which destroyed the leads, and prevented -the explosion. The enemy, under cover of machine-guns mounted in the -houses of Bac St. Maur, were able to cross the river here and get a -footing upon the northern bank. The 74th Brigade from the -Twenty-fifth Division and the 150th from the Fiftieth were coming up, -however, and it was still hoped that the German advance might be -checked. So severe had the fighting been that the 18th Welsh had -only 5 officers and 120 men standing in the evening. - -The 121st Brigade were in the meanwhile endeavouring to hold the -Fleurbaix defences on the left of the line. At 11.30 A.M. the -Germans were in the east of the village, but the 12th Suffolks, who -formed the garrison, put up a most determined resistance, in which -they were aided by a company of the 12th Yorkshires Pioneer -Battalion. It was not till 5.30 that the village was nearly -enveloped, and the troops had to make their way as best they could to -the north bank of the Lys. The 20th Middlesex and 13th Yorkshires, -with their flank badly compromised, still held on to the Bois Grenier -sector. These battalions on the left were taken over by the -Thirty-fourth Division, with whom they were now in close liaison. - -{237} - -On the morning of April 10 the two brigades which had crossed the -river were in very evil case, having sustained heavy losses. They -were concentrated about Le Mortier. The 74th Brigade was in position -south of Croix du Bac in touch on the right with the 150th Yorkshire -Territorials. All day the enemy were pushing west and north, but -meeting a strong resistance from the British who had an excellent -trench, the Steenwerck switch, to help them. Some ground was lost, -but much of it was regained in the evening by a spirited -counter-attack of the 14th and 10/11th Highland Light Infantry, the -2nd Scots Fusiliers, and the 21st Middlesex, which advanced over 600 -yards. The pressure was great and unceasing, however, so that the -morning of April 11 found the line farther back again. The two -brigades were reduced to about 1000 men, who were concentrated at -Strazeele, while the 92nd and 93rd Brigades of the Thirty-first -Division came up in their place. A brave counter-attack by the 93rd -Brigade at Le Verrier gained its objective, but created a dangerous -gap between it and the 92nd Brigade on its right, which was filled, -however, by the 11th East Yorkshires. On the 12th the remains of all -three brigades were strung out to cover Strazeele and Hazebrouck from -the east and south-east, but next day they were relieved by the -welcome appearance of the First Australian Division, whose advent -will afterwards be explained. It had been a very desperate term of -service, in which for three days the sappers of the 224th, 229th, and -231st Field Companies Royal Engineers had to fight as hard as the -infantry. The Fortieth, like the other divisions described, were -driven back, but only as the buffer is driven back, {238} with the -ultimate result of stopping the force which drove it. They were much -aided by the guns of the Fifty-seventh Division under General Wray. -The losses of the division were 185 officers and 4307 other ranks. -When one reflects that the losses on the Somme three weeks before had -been equally heavy, one can but marvel. - -We shall now follow the fortunes of the Thirty-fourth Division -(Nicholson), which was on the immediate left of the Fortieth, -covering a sector of 8000 yards, including the town of Armentières. -On the north, near Frelinghien, it joined the right of the -Twenty-fifth Division. On the night of April 7 the enemy fired an -enormous number, 30,000 or 40,000, gas-shells into Armentières, and -soaked it to such an extent with mephitic vapours that it became -uninhabitable. Otherwise there was no warning of an impending -attack, which came indeed as a surprise to all the forces engaged. - -On April 9 the division lay with the 103rd Brigade upon the right -section and the 102nd upon the left, with the guns of the -Thirty-eighth Division behind them. The main attack on this day was -entirely upon the two divisions, the Portuguese and the Fortieth, to -the south. There was heavy shelling, however, of the back areas, -especially Armentières and Erquinghem. When as the day advanced -everything on the right had given way or weakened, the 103rd Brigade -threw back a long thin defensive line, facing south, which ended in -the direction of Fleurbaix. At the same time the reserve 101st -Brigade was ordered up to cover Bac St. Maur Bridge. One battalion -of the Reserve Brigade, the 11th Suffolks, got into Fleurbaix, when -by a happy chance {239} they were able to reinforce their own -comrades of the 12th Battalion. These two sturdy East Anglian units -held the village in a very desperate fight for many hours. The 15th -and 16th Royal Scots of the the same brigade had some hard fighting -also as they continued the defensive line formed by the 103rd -Brigade, and tried to prevent the victorious Germans from swarming -round and behind the Thirty-fourth Division. Some idea of the danger -may be gathered from the fact that of two brigades of artillery -engaged one was firing south-west and the other due east. The -original front was never in danger, but it was a desperate conflict -upon the refused flank. - -During the afternoon the Germans crossed the Lys at Sailly and Bac -St. Maur, though the bridge at the latter place had been destroyed. -Their progress, however, had slowed down and become uncertain. The -74th Brigade of the Twenty-fifth Division had come under the orders -of General Nicholson, and was at once directed against the village of -Croix du Bac, with the ultimate design of recovering the Bac St. Maur -crossing. The 74th Brigade succeeded in clearing Croix du Bac of the -enemy, but night fell before they could get farther. The morning -found this brigade sandwiched in between the Fortieth and -Thirty-fourth Divisions, while the 147th Brigade had also moved up in -support. It was soon found, however, that the enemy had got so far -west in the south that they outflanked the 74th Brigade, who had to -retire on April 10 through Croix du Bac and Steenwerck. On the same -morning the Twenty-fifth Division had been attacked near Frelinghien, -and the Germans penetrated as far as the northern bend of the Lys, -north of Armentières. {240} The left of the Thirty-fourth Division -was now entirely in the air. It was clear, therefore, that a -retirement north of the Lys was necessary, and about 3 P.M. in a -sedate and orderly fashion it was started and carried through, -covered by the fire of the 147th Brigade. The Thirty-fourth drew off -in fine order, the rearguards stopping from time to time, especially -in the streets of Armentières, for the purpose of beating back the -advancing German patrols. All bridges were destroyed, and no -unwounded prisoners were left. The men of the Thirty-fourth were -loud in praise of the way in which the Yorkshire Territorials of the -147th Brigade covered their right flank during this difficult and -dangerous extrication. We will now, having traced the effects upon -the Fifty-fifth to the south, and upon the Fortieth and Thirty-fourth -Divisions to the north, return to the situation created on April 9 by -the breaking of the Portuguese. - -Jackson's Fiftieth Division, without its artillery, had only arrived -from the Somme on April 8, having lost half its old soldiers, so that -50 per cent of the personnel were drafts. It had also suffered -severely in officers, and was very battle-weary and exhausted. It -was placed in billets at Merville, with two battalions of the 151st -Brigade holding redoubts at Lestrem south of the Lys close to -Estaires. - -As soon as it was seen that the situation was serious, about 8 -o'clock in the morning, the division was put in motion. The 151st -Brigade was ordered to extend its left into Estaires, while the 150th -prolonged the line north of Estaires. The 149th was held in reserve, -though one of its battalions, the 4th Northumberland Fusiliers, was -sent in to {241} strengthen the right. The intention was that the -Fiftieth Division should hold the line until the reserves could be -brought to the point of danger. - -By two in the afternoon the Germans could be seen all along the -front, and some of the Portuguese had made their way through and -between the ranks. A very heavy fire was opened by both lines of -infantry, and the Germans advancing by short rushes made continuous -progress towards the eastern bank of the stream. Yorkshire and -Durham stood solid upon the farther side, however, and 5000 recruits -endured a long and terrible baptism of fire from the afternoon to the -evening of that spring day. It was on the right at Lestrem, where -the British were to the east of the Lys, that the pressure was most -severe, and eventually the 151st Brigade found it impossible to hold -this point, while farther to the north, upon the left of the -Yorkshire men, the German infantry of the 370th Regiment had won a -footing upon the western bank of the Lys at Sailly and Bac St. Maur. -The British guns were beginning to concentrate, however, and -invaluable time had been gained by the resistance of the Fiftieth -Division. As night fell the 5th Durhams were still holding Estaires, -while the 5th and 6th Northumberland Fusiliers from the reserve were -standing firm along the stretch north and east of Estaires. Farther -north still were the 4th East Yorks, 4th Yorks, and 5th Yorks in that -order from the south, all very weary, but all holding tenaciously to -their appointed line. During the night the Fifty-first Highland -Division (Carter-Campbell) came up on the right of the 151st Brigade -to cover the weak point at Lestrem and all the line to the south of -it. A brigade of the Twenty-fifth Division also came up {242} to -Steenwerck north of where the river line had been broken, but it was -too late for an effective counter-attack, as considerable forces were -already across, which were spreading out north and south on the -western bank. - -The fall of night made no change in the battle, and the darkness was -lit up by the red glare of the incessant fire. For many hours the -line was held, though the Germans had brought up fresh divisions for -their attack. Early in the morning of April 10, however, they won a -footing in Estaires, which was desperately defended by the 5th -Durhams. By 8.45, after long-continued street fighting, the Germans -held the whole town, with the exception of the south-western -extremity. The fight raged all day backwards and forwards through -this little straggling place, the infantry upon either side showing -the most determined valour. About 9.30 the 6th Northumberland -Fusiliers, under Colonel Temperley, made a brilliant counter-attack, -crossing 1500 yards of open country with only three batteries to -cover the movement. Before 10 o'clock they were into Estaires and -had cleared the main street, rushing house after house and driving -the Germans down to the river edge, where they rallied and remained. -The 149th Brigade had promptly sent forward its machine-guns, and -these were mounted on the highest houses at the south end of the -town, to fire on any enemy reserves coming up south of the Lys. They -raked the Germans on the farther bank and caused heavy losses. All -day the remains of the 5th Durhams and 6th Northumberlands fought -desperately in Estaires, and held nearly all of it in the evening, -which was in a way a misfortune, since it allowed the Germans to -{243} concentrate their heavies upon it during the night in a -whole-hearted fashion which rendered it absolutely untenable. The -morning of April 11 found Estaires a No Man's Land between the lines -of infantry. In spite of a fresh advance by the 4th and 5th -Northumberland Fusiliers, it was found impossible to regain the -place, while the Germans gradually extended their line from the river -crossings which they had retained all through. By mid-day on April -11, the British line was 500 yards west of the town. - -In the southern portion of the line the 151st Brigade of Durhams had -been slowly forced back from the Lestrem sector until they were on -the line of the Lys, which they reached in the evening of April 10. -At that date the 150th Yorkshire Brigade was still firm upon the -river, but the left-hand battalion, the 5th Yorks, had thrown back -its flank, since the enemy, brushing aside the right wing of the -Fortieth Division, had crossed the stream and turned the Fiftieth -from the north. The Fortieth was still fighting hard, as already -described, and endeavouring to hold back the attack, so that the -German advance was slow. Early in the morning of April 11 the attack -became very severe, and broke through to the west of Estaires--the -river at this point runs from west to east--driving back the Durham -Brigade, which was absolutely exhausted after forty-eight hours of -ceaseless fighting without assistance. Their resistance had been an -extraordinarily fine one, but there comes a limit to human powers. -The whole division was at the last extremity, but fortunately at 12 -o'clock on the 11th, two brigades of the Twenty-ninth Division -(Cayley) came up in relief. {244} So close was the fighting, -however, and so desperate the situation, that General Riddell of the -149th Northumberland Fusiliers Brigade refused to disengage his men -from the battle, since the confusion of a relief might have led to -disaster. He was at the time holding the line astride the Meteren -Becque, north of Estaires, covering about 1000 yards of vital ground. -Here the Germans attacked all day, making prodigious efforts to push -the 4th and 5th Northumberland Fusiliers out of Trou Bayard. The -ground between this point and Pont Levis, the bridge at the east end -of Estaires, was dead flat, and afforded no particle of cover. -Fifteen British machine-guns stationed beside the infantry swept all -this expanse, and cut down each wave of attack. Four times the place -was supposed to have fallen, and four times the Germans fell back, -leaving long grey swathes of their dead. It was not until 3 P.M. -that the stubborn Northumbrians found that their right was completely -exposed, and were forced to retire from a position which they had -sold at a terrible price. - -Instead of dying down the German advance was attaining a greater -proportion with every day that passed, for it seemed to their -commanders that with so favourable an opening some very great success -lay within their power. In spite of the arrival of the Fifty-first -and Twenty-ninth Divisions the battle raged most furiously, and the -weight of the attack was more than the thin line could sustain. The -Germans had rapidly followed up the 151st Brigade as it drew out, and -there was a fierce action round Merville and Robermetz in the early -afternoon of April 11. The exhausted Durhams turned furiously upon -their pursuers, and there was fierce hand-to-hand {245} work in which -even General Martin and his Headquarters Staff found themselves -handling rifles and revolvers. The Thirty-first Division (Bridgford) -had come up and taken position in the rear of the Twenty-ninth, with -their left flank facing east to hold off the enemy, who were now -close to Steenwerck in the north. By nightfall Merville had gone, -and so had Neuf Berquin, which lay between the 151st and the 149th -Brigade, rather in the rear of the latter's right. At this period -the Twenty-ninth Division, with the Thirty-first behind it, was on -the left or north of the 149th Brigade, covering the ground between -Neuf Berquin and Steenwerck. The enemy had turned the right of this -line as already described, and now through the events in the north, -which will soon be narrated, the left of the Twenty-ninth Division -was also turned, and the situation became most dangerous, for the -enemy was in great force in front. A consultation was held by the -various general officers affected, and it was decided to make a side -slip under the cover of darkness to the line of Vierhouck-Meteren -Becque. The British had to fight, however, to gain this position, so -far had the enemy outflanked them, and when the 149th Brigade, with -their indomitable Northumbrians, now reduced to a few hundred men, -had cut their way through to Vierhouck it was only to find it empty -and the British line about 1000 yards to the west of it, where the -4th Guards Brigade of the Thirty-first Division had just begun to -arrive. The Northumbrians held on to Vierhouck none the less on the -morning of April 12, and the Guards Brigade came forward. - -Whilst this stern fighting had been in progress, and while the -Fifty-fifth kept its iron grip upon {246} Givenchy and Festubert, the -Fifty-first Highland Division to its north, along the line of the -Lawe Canal, had been very hard pressed. All three brigades had been -engaged in most desperate defence and counter-attack, the fighting -being so close that two at least of the Brigadiers had been compelled -to drop maps and binoculars, while they seized rifles from their -orderlies. The canal was half dry and offered a poor front, but it -was sustained until the Germans got across in the north where the -left flank of the 153rd Brigade was turned and had to fall back. The -Gordons and Black Watch of this unit fought most fiercely in the -neighbourhood of Vieille Chapelle, and the Germans will long remember -their meeting with the clansmen. Finally their line swung back west -of Lestrem, keeping in touch with the right flank of the Fiftieth -Division. - -At this period the 184th Brigade was the only one in the Highland -Division which was still capable of service, for the others had lost -so heavily and were so wearied that rest was absolutely necessary. -The Sixty-first Division (Colin Mackenzie), still very weak after its -service on the Somme, came up in the Robecq sector, and, with the aid -of the surviving Highland Brigade, formed a barrier to the terrific -German pressure, the whole coming under General Mackenzie. This line -was held by these troops up to the 23rd of April. - -Meanwhile, to revert to the early days of the battle, the German -attack was raging with great fury upon the centre and left of this -line, and finding a gap between the Twenty-ninth Division and the -149th Brigade it poured through it with most menacing results, but -the 4th Guards Brigade counter-attacked {247} and retrieved the -situation west of the Vieux Berquin-Neuf Berquin Road, as will be -told in detail in the next chapter. Farther north, however, the -German attack made more progress and rolled forward to the south of -the village of Merris. The 6th Northumbrians with only two officers -left standing--one of them their gallant Colonel, Temperley,--still -held on to their old stance at Vierhouck, though reduced to the -strength of a company, and in such a state of physical exhaustion -that the men fell to the ground fast asleep between the attacks. One -young soldier woke up during his nap to find the Germans among them, -on which he sprang up, shot the German officer, and organised a -charge which re-established the line. As darkness fell on the -evening of April 12 the survivors of the Fiftieth Division were drawn -from the line, though some were so entangled with other units that -they stayed and shared in the severe fighting of April 13. - -As already shown the Givenchy bastion was held firm, which meant that -the Fifty-first Division was also to some extent helped to resist -attack, since an enfilade fire from the Fifty-fifth would beat upon -any advance against them. Such advances were repeatedly made upon -April 11 and were splendidly countered. North of this point the -Fiftieth, Twenty-ninth, and Thirty-first Divisions had all suffered -heavily, while the line had been bent back in a curve from the La -Bassée Canal to a maximum depth of ten miles, ending on the night of -April 12 in a position from west of Merville through the two Berquins -to Merris. The Twenty-ninth Division, which is a particularly good -comrade in a tight place, had been very hard pressed, with its -brigades sent {248} hither and thither wherever a leak was to be -stopped. It was in this action that Colonel Forbes Robertson, one of -the heroes of Cambrai, earned the coveted Cross by fighting on -horseback at the head of his men like some knight of old, and -repeatedly restoring the line when it was broken. In spite of all -valour, however, the general movement was westwards. Whilst these -misfortunes had occurred in the southern sector, others not less -serious had occurred in the north, owing to the great extension of -the German attack. It is to these that we must now turn. - -The enemy had achieved a considerable success upon April 9 when they -succeeded in establishing themselves across the Lys at Sailly and Bac -St. Maur, because by doing so they had got to the south-west of -Armentières. They had prepared another attack in the north, and it -was evident that if it had any success the Armentières position would -be impossible. Early in the morning of April 10 the usual shattering -and pulverising bombardment which preceded a full-dress German attack -broke out upon the right of the Second Army, involving the front from -the Ypres-Comines Canal in the north down to the Lys River at -Armentières, thus joining up with the battle of yesterday, and -turning the ten-mile front into one of twenty. The chief points in -this line are Hollebeke in the north, Wytschaete in the centre, and -Messines in the south, with Ploegsteert Wood and village and Nieppe -as the final connecting links with Armentières. It was all classic -and sacred ground drenched with the blood of our bravest. There can -be few regiments in the British Army which have not at one time or -another left their dead upon this shell-pitted slope, or upon the -levels which face it. - -{249} - -The order of the Second Army from the north at this time was -Twenty-second, Eighth, Second, and Ninth Corps. It was the Ninth -Corps (Hamilton-Gordon) which was now attacked. The order of -divisions upon this front was Campbell's Twenty-first Division -astride the Ypres-Menin Road, the Ninth (Tudor) in the Hollebeke -district, the Nineteenth (Jeffreys) covering 6000 yards east of -Messines and Wytschaete from Ravine Wood in the north to the Douve in -the south, and finally the Twenty-fifth Division (Bainbridge) on the -right, which was already in a most unfavourable position, as its -right flank was menaced by the driving in of the Fortieth and threat -to the Thirty-fourth on the preceding day, while one of its brigades, -the 74th, had been taken away to cover Steenwerck from the German -advance at Bac St. Maur. It was upon these divisions, and, in the -first instance, upon the two southern ones that the new German attack -from the Fourth Army of our old enemy General von Armin broke on -April 10. It should be remembered that, like so many of their -fellow-units, both of these divisions had been very heavily engaged -in the south, and that their losses within the last two weeks had -been very great. Verily we have travelled far from the day when it -was laid down as an axiom that a corps which had lost a quarter of -its numbers would not stand to its work until time had effaced the -shock. - -Since the main assault on April 10 fell upon the Nineteenth Division -the story can be most plainly told from their central point of view. -The left of their line was held by the 58th Brigade (Glasgow), -consisting of the 6th Welsh and 9th Welsh Fusiliers. The right was -held by the 57th Brigade (Cubitt) {250} which contained the 10th -Warwick, 8th Gloucester, and 10th Worcesters. The 56th (Heath) was -in reserve. It was upon these troops that there fell the strain of -an attack which can seldom have been exceeded in severity. The total -German force on the corps front was eleven divisions, and of these no -less than five were directed on the morning of April 10 upon the -depleted ranks of General Jeffreys' unit. - -A very thick mist prevailed, and through this protective screen the -German infantry advanced about 6 o'clock, driving swiftly through all -the forward posts, and putting them out of action in exactly the same -fashion as on March 21. The enemy were in great numbers, and their -advance was swift and resolute. Within half an hour of the first -alarm they had made a lodgment in the main position of the 57th -Brigade, and had also broken in the face of the left wing of the -Twenty-fifth Division to the south. The garrisons of the outlying -posts were never seen again, and it was observed that they were -greatly hampered by their camouflage screens which they had no time -to tear away in the face of so rapid and overwhelming an attack. At -6.40 the enemy were deep in the position of the 57th Brigade, -especially near Gapard Spur, which marked the centre of that unit. -At 7.30 the whole brigade was in difficulties, which was more marked -in the centre than on either flank, but was serious at every point of -the line. The 8th North Staffords of the Reserve Brigade were -brought up at this hour to help in the defence of this weakening -sector. Before they could arrive upon the scene the enemy had made -such progress that he had reached the crest of the ridge and had -occupied the village of Messines. The 68th Brigade in the north -{251} had not yet been attacked, but General Glasgow seeing his right -flank entirely exposed had thrown back a defensive line. Close to -this line was a post named Pick House, and upon this the mixed -elements of the left of the 57th Brigade, chiefly men of the 10th -Warwicks, now rallied and formed a strong centre of resistance. The -Twenty-fifth Division to the south had been also very hard pressed, -and was in immediate danger of losing the important knoll, Hill 63, -so that the reserve brigade of the Nineteenth Division had to send -the two remaining battalions, the 4th Shropshires and 9th Cheshires, -to strengthen their defence. There was thus no longer any support -for the Nineteenth Divisional fighting line in their great need, save -for the 5th South Wales Borderers, their pioneer battalion, and the -81st Field Company R.E., both of whom were thrown into the battle, -the pioneers pushing bravely forward and connecting up with the 10th -Warwicks at Pick House. Meanwhile the 8th North Staffords had made a -fine attempt to retake Messines, and had actually reached the western -edge of the village, but were unable to gain a permanent footing. -Their right was in touch with the 8th Gloucesters, and some sort of -stable line began to build itself up before the Germans. They had -been unable to occupy Messines in force, owing to the rifle-fire -which became more deadly with the rising of the mist. The scattered -groups of infantry lying upon the ridge on either side of Messines -were greatly heartened by the splendid work of A Battery, 88th -R.F.A., under Captain Dougall, which remained among them, firing over -open sights at the advancing Germans. "So long as you stick it I -will keep my guns here!" he shouted, and the crouching men {252} -cheered him in return. He was as good as his word, and only withdrew -what was left of his battery, man-handling it across almost -impossible ground, when he had not a shell in his limbers. This -brave officer received the Victoria Cross, but unhappily never lived -to wear it. - -The 8th North Staffords, still lying opposite Messines, extended -their left down the Messines-Wytschaete Road in an endeavour to join -up with the men at Pick House. Thus a frail curtain of defence was -raised in this direction also. Shortly after mid-day things began to -look better, for the gallant South African Brigade (Tanner) of the -Ninth Division was despatched to the rescue. So severe had been its -losses, however, that it numbered only 1600 bayonets, and had hardly -been re-organised into battalions. Late in the afternoon it -advanced, the 1st Battalion on the left, 2nd on the right, and though -it had not the weight to make any definite impression upon the German -front it entirely re-established the line of the road from Messines -to Wytschaete, and reinforced the thin fragments of battalions who -were holding this precarious front. The South Africans incurred -heavy losses from machine-gun fire in this very gallant attack. - -The Ninth Division had hardly relinquished its Reserve Brigade when -it found that it was itself in urgent need of support, for about 2 -o'clock on August 10 the attack spread suddenly to the northern end -of the line, involving the 25th, 26th, and 58th Brigades, all under -General Tudor, who was now responsible for the Wytschaete front. So -infernal was the barrage which preceded the attack, that the right of -the Ninth Division in the vicinity of Charity {253} Farm was driven -in, and the 58th Brigade, with both flanks in the air and smothered -under a rain of shells, was compelled also to fall back upon its -support line. About 4 P.M. the 58th Brigade was broken near Torreken -Farm, and the 6th Wiltshires, who were the flank battalion on the -right, were cut off and lost heavily. The enemy were driving hard at -this period towards Wytschaete, but the 9th Welsh stood fast in a -cutting to the south of the village, and held the Germans off with -their rifle-fire. So ended a most trying and unfortunate day, where -the overborne troops had done all that men could do to hold their -ground, fighting often against five times their own number. The -prospects for the morrow looked very black, and the only gleam of -light came with the advent, about midnight, of the 108th Brigade -(Griffiths) from the Ulster Division, with orders to fight alongside -the exhausted 57th, whose commander, General Cubitt, was now -directing the local operations to the west of Messines. The -Wytschaete front was also strengthened by the inclusion in the Ninth -Division of the 62nd and later of the 64th Brigade of the -Twenty-first Division. Farther south the 75th Brigade north of -Armentières had been driven back by the enemy's attack, and the 7th -Brigade on its left, finding its flank uncovered, had hinged back -upon Ploegsteert Wood, where it held its line as best it might. Thus -on the left, the centre, and the right there had been the same story -of unavailing resistance and loss of valuable, dearly-bought ground. -Even more serious, however, than the local loss was the strategical -situation which had been created by the German advance in the lower -sector, by their crossing the Lys, and by the fact that on the night -of {254} April 10 they were closing in upon Steenwerck and La Crêche -far to the right rear of the defenders of the Messines line. It was -a situation which called for the highest qualities of generals as of -soldiers. - -By the morning of April 11 General Plumer, dealing out his reserves -grudgingly from his fast diminishing supply, placed the 147th Brigade -of the Forty-ninth Yorkshire Territorial Division (Cameron) behind -the Twenty-fifth Division in the Ploegsteert region, and a brigade of -the Twenty-ninth Division to the north of it. Such succours were -small indeed in the face of what was evidently a very great and -well-prepared attack which had already shaken the whole northern -front to its foundations. The Higher Command had, however, some -points of consolation. If the vital sectors could be held there was -the certainty that strong reinforcements would arrive within a few -days from the south. The Amiens line was now certainly stabilised, -and if once again an equilibrium could be secured then the last -convulsive efforts of this titanic angel of darkness would have been -held. With no illusions, but with a dour determination to do or die, -the British line faced to the east. - -The immediate danger was that a gap had opened between Messines and -Wytschaete, while another was threatened farther south between -Ploegsteert and the Nieppe-Armentières Road. The pressure upon the -Damstrasse was also very great in the region of the Ninth Division. -The first disposition in the Messines area was to strengthen the line -of resistance by pushing up the three battalions of the 108th -Brigade, the 1st Irish Fusiliers on the left near Pick House, the 9th -Irish Fusiliers west of Messines, and the 12th Irish Rifles in the -Wulverghem line. The {255} attack on the morning of April 11 was not -heavy in this direction, but was rather directed against the -Twenty-fifth Division in the Ploegsteert district, where it came -ominously close to Hill 63, a commanding point from which the -Messines position of the British would be taken in reverse. General -Jeffreys of the Nineteenth Division determined none the less to stand -his ground, but he threw out a defensive flank along the -Messines-Wulverghem Road, and mounted machine-guns to hold any attack -from the south. Meanwhile the 57th, South African, and 108th -Brigades, in spite of this menace to their right rear continued to -hold the Messines front. There was severe fighting on this sector -during the afternoon in which the remains of the 2nd and 4th -(Transvaal Scots) Battalions were pushed back for some distance, but -counter-attacked under the lead of Captain Green, regaining most of -the ground that they had lost, and connecting up with the 5th South -Wales Borderers, who were still holding fast near Pick House. This -line was maintained until the general withdrawal. It was further -strengthened by the 146th Brigade, one of the three units of the -Forty-ninth Division, which were all engaged at different points. -One battalion, the 7th West Yorkshires, called on suddenly to fill a -gap, made a very fine advance under heavy fire, and restored the -situation. It remained in the line until, on April 16, it was almost -annihilated by a terrific German attack upon it. - -But the situation on the right rear was getting worse and worse. In -the evening it was definitely known that Hill 63 had at last fallen -after a long and obstinate struggle. The Twenty-fifth, and later -{256} the Thirty-fourth Divisions had held up against great odds, but -the main force of the enemy was now striking upon that line, and the -British were forced to withdraw from Le Bizet towards Nieppe. These -German gains enforced a completely new re-arrangement of the forces -in the north if they were to avoid being taken in the rear. This -change of a wide and far-reaching character was quickly and safely -effected during the night of April 11 and 12. It involved moving -back the three northern corps into their battle zones, leaving only -outposts in advance. They still covered Ypres, but the retirement -meant that all that had been won in the mud-and-blood struggle of -1917 had passed into German keeping, and coupled with the loss of -Messines it seemed to threaten that the old salient might be renewed -in as disastrous a fashion as ever. This retirement was rather in -the nature of a precaution against the possibilities of the future. -What was of most immediate importance was the withdrawal of the lines -which were at such close grips with the enemy to the west of -Messines. By the morning of April 12 the general line of the -Nineteenth Corps was Steenwerck Station, Pont-d'Achelles, Neuve -Eglise, Wulverghem, Wytschaete. No immediate German attack followed -on the withdrawal. This abstention on the part of the enemy was due -in part to the wonderful work done by a small nest of four -machine-guns on the Messines-Wulverghem Road under the command of -Lieutenant Hodgson. This small unit had already fought for -forty-eight hours, but on this third day of the battle their services -were invaluable, for they shot down hundreds of Germans as they -endeavoured to debouch from Messines and descend the slope. Save for -two {257} wounded men none of this band of heroes ever returned. -Among other detachments who behaved with great heroism were a few men -of the 5th South Wales Borderers, B Company, under Captain Evans, who -maintained themselves at Pick House, north and east of Messines, for -three days, until they were at last rescued by the 58th Brigade from -the north. - -Whilst these fresh dispositions and general retrogressions had been -made on this front the Thirty-fourth Division to the south had also -been compelled to rearrange its positions. It has already been -described how, under cover of the 147th Brigade, they withdrew in -absolute order across the Lys. April 11 saw such continued pressure, -however on the right of the Twenty-fifth and the whole of the -Thirty-fourth Divisions that it became clear early in the afternoon -of April 11 that further retirement was imperative. This began at -dusk, the three brigades retiring by the Armentières-Bailleul Road, -while the 147th still acted as rearguard. They retired through the -74th and 88th Brigades near Bailleul Station, fighting back all the -way and considerably harassed by the German guns. On the morning of -the 12th the general line was Steam-mill-Bailleul Station-southern -border of La Crêche to a point about 500 yards north-east of Pont -d'Achelles on the Bailleul Road. Along this line the order of battle -from the south was the 147th, 75th, 101st, 74th, 102nd, and 88th -Brigades. Nieppe, which had been evacuated, was occupied by the -enemy later in the day, and on the evening of April 12 the line was -pushed a little farther back to De Seule. - -There was no fighting on the new line opposite {258} Messines on -April 12, but the battle was, as has been shown, raging furiously -elsewhere, and the situation in the south, where the enemy was making -progress, must deeply affect that in the north. Had an aviator taken -a swift flight from Hollebeke to Givenchy on this day, following the -deep curve which had formed in the British line, his observations -would have been roughly as follows: in the Hollebeke district he -would have found no extreme pressure, and that the Ninth Division, -reinforced by the 58th Brigade, was holding the line not far westward -of their original position. From there onwards he would have skirted -the new line of the Ninth Corps, as already indicated, and would have -seen the remains of the Nineteenth Division covering the north of it, -the Twenty-fifth Division, also in fragments, about Neuve Eglise, and -the Thirty-fourth Division near Steenwerck. He would next observe -with consternation or joy according to his colours, that there was a -considerable gap before Bailleul. At the other side of this gap he -would come upon elements of the Thirty-first and Twenty-ninth -Divisions, hard-pressed and worried by the advance which the enemy -had made through Merville on their right. He would catch a glimpse -also of some thin lines of resistance, still farther south, which -represented all that was left of the Fiftieth Division. Finally, he -would see the Fifty-first and the Fifty-fifth on the extreme south, -both of them standing firm in their positions. Looking eastwards he -would see pouring across the Lys the legions of Prince Rupprecht of -Bavaria, hurrying to improve their blow, while behind the British -lines he would see new divisions, the Fifty-ninth Midlanders at -Wulverghem, the Thirty-third {259} near Bailleul, the Sixty-first -near Robecq, the 4th Guards Brigade followed by the First Australians -near Hazebrouck, all hastening with heavy hearts but the most grim -determination to throw themselves across the path of this German -invasion which already threatened the most vital points in Flanders. -Far to the south also our aviator would perhaps have seen the smoke -of many trains, and out at sea might have made out the little dots -which marked in the one case French, in the other British, -reinforcements. Such was the general panorama upon the Flanders -front on the evening of April 12. - - - - -{260} - -CHAPTER X - -THE BATTLE OF THE LYS - -April 13-May 8 - -Desperate situation--Sir Douglas Haig's "win or die" message--Epic of -the 4th Guards Brigade at Hazebrouck--Arrival of First Australian -Division--Splendid services of Thirty-third Division--Loss of -Armentières, Bailleul, and Neuve Eglise--The First Division at -Givenchy--Fall of Kemmel--Battle of Ridge Wood--Great loss of -ground--Equilibrium. - - -Up to April 13 twenty-eight German divisions had been traced in the -battle of Flanders. Since the whole British Army consisted of sixty -divisions, and only thirteen had been engaged in Flanders, one can -gather how terrible had been their task. - -By the fourth day of the battle the purpose of the enemy became more -clear. It was evident now that his attack consisted really of three -movements. The northern of these, consisting of about six divisions, -had for its task to drive through Wytschaete and Messines to -Bailleul. At present it was held up in the north by the Ninth -Division, but had made its way in the south until Neuve Eglise was -the only village which intervened between it and Bailleul. The -central attack, consisting of the main force, had taken Armentières -and penetrated ten miles deep, capturing Merville, reaching the -Clarence River, touching Robecq, and threatening St. Venant. This -{261} deep penetration reacted upon the British flanks to north and -south of it. Finally, there was an advance by seven or eight -divisions in the south, which had been held at Givenchy, but had bent -the line back the from that point, Bethune being the immediate -objective. The hammering of the Germans was remorseless and -terrific. All that the British needed was a little time, but it -seemed as if it would be denied them. Help was coming, but it did -not arrive so quickly as the new divisions which Von Armin and Von -Quast were pouring over the Messines Ridge and across the plain of -the Lys. - -The position was very menacing, as was shown by an order of the day -from the British Commander-in-Chief which is unique perhaps in our -military annals--a stern call to duty and to death, pitched on the -very note which would arouse the historic tenacity of the British -soldier. Documents have been avoided in this chronicle, but this one -at least must be quoted in full. It was addressed to all ranks of -the British Army under his command. - -"Three weeks ago to-day," said Sir Douglas Haig, "the enemy began his -terrific attacks against us on a fifty-mile front. His objects are -to separate us from the French, to take the Channel ports, and -destroy the British Army. - -"In spite of throwing already 106 divisions into the battle, and -enduring the most reckless sacrifice of human life, he has, as yet, -made little progress towards his goals. We owe this to the -determined fighting and self-sacrifice of our troops. - -"Words fail me to express the admiration which I feel for the -splendid resistance offered by all ranks of our army under the most -trying circumstances. - -{262} - -"Many amongst us now are tired. To these I would say that victory -will belong to the side which holds out the longest. - -"The French Army is moving rapidly and in great force to our support. - -"There is no other course open to us but to fight it out. Every -position must be held to the last man: there must be no retirement. -With our backs to the wall, and believing in the justice of our -cause, each one of us must fight to the end. - -"The safety of our homes and the freedom of mankind depend alike upon -the conduct of each one of us at this critical moment." - -No words can describe the danger of the crisis more clearly than this -clear call from a leader remarkable for his judgment and restraint, -exhorting his men to fight to the death with their faces to the -raging German line, and their backs to those all-important harbours -on which the fate of the world was now depending. The German -vanguard was forty miles from Calais on the day that the appeal was -made, and there was no strong line to be forced, save that strongest -of all lines which was formed by Sir Herbert Plumer and his men. - -A new unit had come into line on April 13. This was the Thirty-third -Division under General Pinney. It was at once thrust in to fill the -gap in front of Bailleul, where it found itself involved from that -date onwards in most desperate fighting, in which it was associated -with the Thirty-first Division. The narrative of the services and -trials, both of them very great, which were rendered and endured by -these divisions may be best told in consecutive form, as a too strict -adhesion to the order of dates produces an {263} effect which makes -it difficult to follow the actual happenings. We shall first -consider the operations at Hazebrouck and Meteren, where these two -divisions and the First Australian Division were chiefly concerned, -and we shall afterwards return to the north and follow the fortunes -of the Nineteenth, Twenty-fifth, Forty-ninth, Thirty-fourth, and -other divisions which were holding the northern curve. - -[Sidenote: Central Area. April 12.] - -The line was very weak on April 12 in front of central Hazebrouck, -and yet it was absolutely vital that this important railway junction -should not fall into German hands. The need was pressing and -desperate, for the German attack was furious and unremitting, while -the British line was so thin, and composed of such weary units, that -it seemed impossible that it could hold. The exhausted remains of -the Fiftieth Division, who had been at it continually ever since the -breaking of the Portuguese front, were hardly capable now of covering -or defending any serious front. Yet if the ground could be held, the -First Australian Division, brought hurriedly back from the Somme and -in the act of detraining, would be in the line within twenty-four -hours. There have been few moments more heavy with fate during the -whole of the campaign. Everything depended for the moment upon -Pinney's Thirty-third Division, upon the worn remnants of the -Twenty-ninth Division, upon the 92nd and 93rd Brigades, and upon the -4th Guards Brigade of the Thirty-first Division who were brought up -from Pradelles, and thrown hurriedly across the path of the advancing -Germans. - -Of the Thirty-first Division the 92nd and 93rd Brigades had already -been heavily engaged on April 11 as already recorded. The Guards -Brigade {264} had been delayed in its journey and was still fresh. -General Reedman of the 92nd Brigade was in local command, and the -situation was a particularly difficult one. At all costs Hazebrouck -must be covered until reinforcements could arrive, for if the line -were cut there was no end to the possible evils. When Merris fell -General Reedman still held the heights west of Merris with the 10th -East Yorkshires, while the 11th East Lancashires were to the south, -and the remnants of the 86th and 87th Brigades of the Twenty-ninth -Division held on to Vieux Berquin. This line held until 5 P.M. on -April 13 in spite of very stormy attacks and very little help from -the guns. About that hour the right of the line gave way under -severe pressure, and Vieux Berquin was taken, but the Germans were -bottled up in it and were unable to get forward. There they remained -until the great turn of the tide. We must now, however, turn our -gaze to the immediate south and follow the phases of the wonderful -stand made by the remaining brigade of the Thirty-first Division, the -4th Guards Brigade, who found themselves involved in a desperate -battle in front of Hazebrouck. - -Without enumerating a number of obscure hamlets which are rather -confusing than helpful, it may be said that the brigade under General -Leslie Butler covered the north of the main road from Merville to -Hazebrouck, with their right resting upon the Bourre, a small -sluggish stream. Vierhouck represented roughly the centre of their -line. It was a country of flat cultivated fields, with many roads -and watercourses lined with willows, which cut the view. There were -untouched farms with their human and animal on every side. To the -west lay the great {265} forest of Nieppe. On the right were the 3rd -Coldstream, on the left the 4th Grenadiers, with the 2nd Irish in -close support. They were in position on the morning of April 12, and -at once found the enemy in front of them, who after a strong -preliminary bombardment advanced in great numbers along the whole -line. The rifle-fire of the Guardsmen was too deadly, however, and -the attack dissolved before it. The German machine-gunners were -exceedingly aggressive, "not to say impudent" as a Guards officer -explained it, and many losses were sustained from their fashion of -pushing forward upon the flanks, and worming their way into every -unoccupied crevice. Nothing could exceed both the gallantry and the -intelligence of these men. Having cleared their front the Guards -endeavoured to advance, but the Coldstream on the right met with -murderous fire from the village of Pures Becques, and the movement -could get no farther, nor were the Grenadiers much more fortunate on -the left, though Captain Pryce with his company broke into some -outlying houses, killing a number of Germans, seven of whom fell to -that officer's own automatic. This whole gallant episode occurred -under the very muzzles of a German battery, firing with open sights -at a range of 300 yards. - -At this period the brigade seems to have got ahead of the general -British line, and to have had both flanks entirely exposed to every -sort of enfilade fire. About four in the afternoon the right company -of the Coldstream, numbering only forty men, had to turn south to -face the enemy. The Germans had thrust into the centre of the -Coldstream also, but No. 2 Company of the supporting Irish, acting -without {266} orders upon the impulse of the moment, and aided by the -surviving Coldstream, completely re-established the line. The Irish, -who were led by Captain Bambridge, were almost annihilated in their -dashing effort to ease the pressure upon their English comrades. -Their leader was wounded, Lieutenant Dent was killed, and only eleven -men of the company were left standing. On the left the Germans were -500 yards in the rear, and here a rearrangement was called for and -steadily carried out. An hour later another violent attack was made -at the junction of the two battalions, but it also was driven back in -disorder. The Germans had brought their guns well forward and into -the open, but they met their match in Lieutenant Lewis of the 152nd -Brigade Royal Field Artillery, who directed the scanty British -artillery, and handled his pieces in a way which was much appreciated -by the weary Guardsmen. - -The readjustment of the line enabled the 4th Guards Brigade to link -up with the 12th Yorkshire Light Infantry, pioneer battalion of their -own division, which was holding the line at La Couronne, and fought -that day with the utmost tenacity and resolution. On the left flank -of the Yorkshiremen, near Vieux Berquin, were the worn remains of the -Twenty-ninth Division. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -{267} - -[Illustration: Rough Sketch of Guards' Position, April 13] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Night fell upon a sorely-tried but unconquered line. The two front -battalions had lost at least a third of their effectives. Under the -screen of darkness the position was re-organised, and it was hoped -that the Fifth Division, drawn back from Italy, would be able to -effect a relief. This could not be fully accomplished, however, and -at best only a small contraction of the front could be effected, so -that the morning {268} of April 13 found the exhausted Coldstream and -Grenadiers still facing the German attack. Their line had been -strengthened by the 210th Field Co. of the Royal Engineers. The -front to be held was still very wide for so weakened a force. - -It had been a hard day, but it was only the prelude of a harder one. -On April 13 the morning began with thick mist, of which the Germans -took advantage to rush their machine-guns to very close quarters. At -early dawn the Coldstream found themselves once more heavily -attacked, while an armoured car came down the road and machine-gunned -the outposts at a range of ten yards. After severe mixed fighting -the attack was driven back. At 9.15 it was renewed with greater -strength, but again it made no progress. It is typical of the truly -desperate spirit of the men, that when every man save one in an -outpost had been killed or wounded, the survivor, Private Jacotin of -the Coldstream, carried on the fight alone for twenty minutes before -he was blown to pieces with a grenade. - -The left flank of this battalion had also been heavily attacked, the -enemy, with their usual diabolical ingenuity, shouting as they -advanced through the fog that they were the King's Company of the -Grenadier Guards. They were blown back none the less into the mist -from which they had emerged. The 12th Yorkshire Light Infantry was -also four separate times attacked, but held to its appointed line. -This gallant unit fairly earned the title of the "Yorkshire Guards" -that day, for they were the peers of their comrades. Meanwhile, -however, outside the area of this grim fight the Germans had taken -Vieux Berquin, pushing back the scanty line of defence at that point, -so that they were able to bring up trench-mortars and guns {269} to -blast the Yorkshire battalion at La Couronne out of its shallow -trenches. Captain Pryce, on the extreme left of the Guards, found -the Germans all round him, and his Grenadiers were standing back to -back and firing east and west. The company was doomed, and in spite -of the gallant effort of a party of Irish Guards, who lost very -heavily in the venture, the whole of them perished, save for Sergeant -Weedon and six men who reported the manner in which their comrades -had met their end. Captain Pryce had led two bayonet charges, first -with eighteen men, which was entirely successful, and later with -fourteen men, who buried themselves in the grey of the German ranks, -and there remained. Such was the end of No. 2 Company of the 4th -Grenadiers, and of its commander. This brave man received a -posthumous V.C. in the record of which it is stated that with forty -men he had held up a German battalion for ten hours and so saved a -break through. - -Apart from this flank company the centre company of the Grenadiers at -this period consisted of six unwounded men, while the right company -was twenty strong. All the officers were down. They were hemmed in -on two sides by the enemy, but they were still resisting as the -shades of night fell upon them. By dawn the Grenadier battalion had -ceased to exist. - -The 3rd Coldstream on the right were hardly in better case. The -right company was surrounded, and fought until there was only a -handful left. A few survivors fell back upon the Fifth Division and -the Australians who were now well up to the line. The orders to the -Guards had been to keep the Germans out until the Australians could -arrive. They had {270} been faithfully obeyed. The total casualties -had been 39 officers and 1244 rank and file, the greater part from -two weak battalions; 17 per cent of the brigade mustered after the -action. Soldiers will appreciate the last words of the official -report which are: "No stragglers were reported by the A.P.M." It is -an episode which needs no comment. Its grandeur lies in the bare -facts. Well might General de Lisle say: "The history of the British -Army can record nothing finer than the story of the action of the 4th -Guards Brigade on April 12 and 13." - -Whilst the Guards had made their fine stand to the east of -Hazebrouck, the rest of the Thirty-first Division, covering a front -of 9000 yards, had a most desperate battle with the German stormers. -The fine north country material which makes up the 92nd and 93rd -Brigades had never been more highly tried, for they were little more -than a long line of skirmishers with an occasional post. In some -parts of the line they were absolutely exterminated, but like their -comrades of the Guards, they managed somehow or other to retain the -positions and prevent a penetration until reinforcements arrived. -The remains of the Twenty-ninth Division on the left had also fought -with the utmost devotion and held the line at the price of a heavy -drain upon their weakened ranks. It has been calculated that the -line held by the 31st Division upon these days was 5½ miles long, and -that it was attacked by the 35th and 42nd German divisions, the 1st -Bavarian Reserve, and 10th, 11th, and 81st Reserve divisions. - -It would be well to continue the action upon the Hazebrouck front by -giving at once an account of the operations of the First Australian -Division under {271} General Sir Harold Walker, which had the -remarkable experience of being sent from Flanders to the Amiens -front, being engaged there, and now being back in the Flanders front -once more, all in little over a week. They detrained on April 12, -and on the 13th their 2nd Brigade (Heane) found themselves in front -of Hazebrouck with the remains of the 92nd British Brigade on their -left and with the hard-pressed 4th Guards Brigade in front of them. -In the evening the remains of the Guards were withdrawn through their -line, and they were facing the pursuing Germans. On their left the -Australians were in touch with the 1st Cameronians of the 19th -Brigade in the Meteren area. - -This fierce fighting was going on in a country which was new to war, -with unbroken soil, whole cottages, and numerous refugees, who by -their flight before the German vanguard complicated a situation which -was already so chaotic that it was very difficult for the generals on -the spot to grasp the relative positions of the attack and the -defence. - -[Sidenote: Central Area. April 14 onward.] - -On April 14 the Germans, advancing behind a deadly barrage, came -forward through Merris and Vieux Berquin. They soon found, however, -that they had before them fresh and steady troops who were not to be -driven. The immediate German objective was the high ground from Mont -de Merris to Strazeele. The 2nd Australian Brigade was on the right -and the 1st (Leslie) on the left. Both were equally attacked, and -both met their assailants with a shattering fire which piled the -level plain with their bodies. Three lines swept forward, but none -reached the shallow trenches of the "digger" infantry. The 3rd and -4th Battalions held the line {272} to the north where the pressure -was greatest. The One hundred and twenty-third French Division was -in support, but there was never any need to call for their -co-operation. Strazeele, however, was blown to pieces by the German -guns. - -April 15 and 16 were comparatively quiet, and the Australians busily -strengthened their lines. On the 17th a sharp attack was made upon -the 1st and 4th Battalions on the left and centre of the 1st -Australian Brigade, the advance coming up the valley between Merris -and Meter en. This also was cut to pieces by rifle and gun-fire, so -that it made no progress whatever. - -The 3rd Australian Brigade (Bennett) had been in reserve, but it was -destined for severe service after Meteren had passed out of the hands -of the Thirty-third Division in the manner elsewhere described. They -had actually relieved some of the worn elements of the British -Thirty-third and of the French One hundred and thirty-third Divisions -to the west of Meteren, and on April 22 and 23 they endeavoured by -two separate movements upon either flank to fight their way back into -the little town. The first operations carried out by the 11th and -12th Battalions were successful, but the final push into the town by -the 9th and 10th met with heavy opposition, and the casualties were -so great that the attempt had to be abandoned. The three Australian -brigades were shortly relieved, after their very valuable spell in -the line. They were destined soon to find themselves with their -comrades on the Somme once again. - -Whilst the 1st Brigade had won a complete defensive victory in the -north of the line, the 2nd {273} Brigade had done equally well in the -south. The 7th and 8th Battalions were in the line, and both were -heavily engaged, especially the latter, which faced Vieux Berquin. -The German attack was once again a complete failure, and it was clear -that the Australians had the historical honour in Flanders as well as -on the Somme, of saying, "Thus far and no farther," upon the sector -which they manned. - -We pass on to the movements of the Thirty-third Division, which -arrived upon the scene of action on April 11, and from that time -onwards played an ever increasing part in this great world crisis. -General Pinney had the experience of first being denuded of large -part of his own proper force, which was given away, brigade by -brigade, to points of danger, and afterwards of not only seeing them -reunited under his hand, but of having the remains of four divisions -and a great number of details under him, and so being in actual -command of the whole operations to the south and west of Bailleul. -To his coolness, firmness, and well-tried fortitude, the nation owed -much during those few desperate days. - -The 100th Brigade (Baird) was moved forward at once to come under the -orders of General Bainbridge, who, with his Twenty-fifth Division, -had endured so much in the Ploegsteert district and was in urgent -need of help. We shall follow them from the date of their detachment -to that of their return to their own unit. On April 11, after dusk, -they took their position, covering Neuve Eglise, the 16th King's -Royal Rifles on the right of the line, the 2nd Worcesters in the -centre, and the 9th Highland Light Infantry in reserve, the 148th -Brigade being on the left, and the 75th Brigade on their right, the -{274} latter much exhausted by two days of battle. Immediately to -the north lay the much enduring battle line of the Nineteenth -Division, which has already been fully described. Two points can -hardly be described simultaneously, but these facts are to be read in -conjunction with those already given in the last chapter, and it is -to be understood that the whole situation at Neuve Eglise reacted -from hour to hour upon that farther north, since a German capture of -the town would place the enemy in the rear of General Jeffreys and -his men. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 13.] - -On April 12 there was no direct attack upon this area, but about 4 -P.M. the 75th Brigade on the right, which was much worn, was driven -back and a gap created, which was filled in by such reserves as could -be got together at the shortest notice. In the morning of April 13 -it was found that this flank was still very open, the nearest -organised unit being the 88th Brigade of the Twenty-ninth Division, -which was also stretching out its left in the hope of making -connection. The enemy, however, pushed through early on April 13, -getting to the rear of the 100th Brigade, and swinging north into -Neuve Eglise which they captured. The Glasgow Highlanders, the only -battalion of the Highland Light Infantry which wears Highland -costume, attacked at once with all the vigour of fresh troops, and -cleared the Germans out of the town at the point of the bayonet. The -enemy had filtered into the brigade line, however, and parties of -them were in the rear of the Worcesters. The hardest part of all was -borne by the 16th King's Royal Rifles, who, being the flank -battalion, bore all the weight of an advance which had enveloped them -upon three sides, front, flank, {275} and rear. Of this gallant -battalion there were hardly any survivors. The Worcesters threw back -their right flank, therefore, in order to cover Neuve Eglise upon the -south and south-east, while the Twenty-fifth Division were on the -north and north-east. - -The mishaps of a dark day were still not over, for the enemy about -4.30 made a determined attack and again punctured the over-stretched -line. Some of them drove their way once more into Neuve Eglise, -brushing aside or scattering the thin line of defence. Another -strong force broke into the front of the 100th Brigade and drove a -wedge between the Glasgow Highlanders and the Worcesters. The -headquarters of the latter battalion was in the Municipal Building of -Neuve Eglise, and put up a desperate, isolated resistance for many -hours, Colonel Stoney and his staff finally making their way back to -their comrades. In this defence the Chaplain, the Rev. Tanner, -greatly distinguished himself. The survivors of the 2nd Worcesters -had also maintained themselves in Neuve Eglise as house neighbours to -the German stormers, but after mid-day on April 14, finding -themselves entirely cut off, they fought their way out, leaving the -Square round the Church and Mairie piled with corpses. The town was -now entirely German, with results already described upon the northern -section of the outflanked line. Once more the Worcesters, the heroes -of the old Gheluvelt battle, had placed fresh laurels upon their -faded and battle-stained colours. The remains of the 100th Brigade -were now reassembled on the Ravelsberg ridge, west of Neuve Eglise, -where they faced their enemy once more. So worn was it that the -survivors of the Rifles {276} and of the Highlanders were clubbed -together to form one very weak composite battalion. On their right -now was a collection of odds-and-ends under General Wyatt about a -thousand strong, while on their left was the 103rd Brigade of the -Thirty-fourth Division, with the 148th in support. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 14 onwards.] - -This latter brigade had aided in the defence of Neuve Eglise, and -done very severe service, two of the battalions, the 4th Yorkshire -Light Infantry and the 4th York and Lancasters, having sustained -heavy losses. During the two days in which the fate of the village -hung in the balance these battalions were engaged in constant defence -and counter-attack, especially on April 13, when in one desperate -sally they captured a German colonel and nearly a hundred of his men. -When the village fell on April 14 the gallant Yorkshiremen still held -on close to it and gave no ground until they were ordered that night -into reserve. The other battalion of the brigade, the 5th York and -Lancaster, had been ordered to Steenwerck, where also it had borne a -distinguished part in the fight. - -The Germans were now nursing their wounds and also digesting their -gains, so that there was a very welcome pause which was mainly in -favour of the defence, who had good hope of reinforcement. A number -of French batteries appeared as the forerunners of relief, and helped -to break up an advance upon the Ravelsberg on the morning of April -16. A second attack had no better luck. Some posts were taken but -were won back again with the help of the 9th Northumberland Fusiliers -of the 103rd Brigade. - -April 17 saw a fresh attack which was preceded by {277} a barrage -which tore gaps in the thin line of the Highlanders. It developed -into an infantry attack, which gave the enemy possession of an -orchard near the line. The Highlanders, aided by some of the 6/7th -Scots Fusiliers of the 177th Brigade, tried hard to win it back, but -could at best only block the exits. After dark that night the -brigade was relieved by the 148th Brigade, and staggered out of the -line with only 800 men unscathed. General Baird's infantry had -endured an ordeal which exceeded what the most disciplined troops -could be expected to survive: 58 officers and 1424 men had fallen in -their splendid defence of Neuve Eglise. - -The other brigades of the Thirty-third Division had meanwhile been -involved in situations hardly less critical than those which had -faced Baird's Brigade at Neuve Eglise. Maitland's 98th Brigade, -which found itself on April 12 in the Ravelsberg area, was placed to -the north of Bailleul as a support to that place, and the narrative -of its doings will be found in the subsequent account of the defence -of Meteren. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 12.] - -The 19th Brigade (Mayne) of the Thirty-third Division had been -detailed to cover Meteren to the west of Bailleul against the -northward sweep of the Germans. At 9.40 on April 12 it was known -that the enemy had got through at Merville, that their cavalry had -been seen at Neuf Berquin, and by noon that this swiftly advancing -tide was submerging Merris only three miles south of Meteren. -General Pinney, deprived of two of his brigades, had only under his -hand the 19th Brigade, with the 18th Middlesex Pioneers, 11th and -222nd Field Companies Royal Engineers, and the 33rd British -Machine-gun {278} Corps under Colonel Hutchinson, an officer who -until he was gassed, was a tower of strength to the defence. At -mid-day the place was under heavy shell-fire. There is a windmill in -a prominent position south of the town overlooking the dead flats of -Flanders. In and around this was stationed the 1st Queen's West -Surrey. East of the town, facing Bailleul, was the 5th Scottish -Rifles, while the 1st Scottish Rifles (The Cameronians) were in -reserve. The whole situation was under the direct control of General -Pinney, and he was reinforced in the course of the day by several -very welcome units--9th Corps Cyclists, 22nd New Zealand Entrenching -Battalion, and others. Strazeele was included in the line of -defence, which joined up in the night with the hard-worked -Twenty-ninth Division. - -The situation on April 12 in this quarter of the field was most -alarming. Everything in the south seemed to be in a state of chaos, -and the line was for the moment absolutely fluid. The fall of -Merville and of Estaires had been exploited with extraordinary energy -by the Germans, who were rushing on at the very heels of the retiring -and often disorganised troops, who were dead-beat after two days and -nights of constant exertion. It was all important to build up some -sort of line south of Meteren, but events were moving so fast that it -was doubtful if it could be done. It was here that the value of the -new machine-gun organisation, perfected during the winter, was -brilliantly exemplified. Colonel Hutchinson was able to throw -forward the whole of his guns to make up for the local weakness of -the infantry, and he ran great risks in doing so, since he had only -broken men and stragglers to man the gaps between his gun {279} -positions. The crisis was such, however, that any risk had to be -taken, and the 33rd Battalion of the Machine-gun Corps saved the -situation. On the other hand it is not too much to say that a humble -hero, Driver Sharples, whose motor-lorry was handy, saved the 33rd -Battalion, for he not only rushed up eight guns under heavy fire, -with their crews, but he brought up afterwards on his own initiative -the wire and other essentials which enabled them to hold their -position. It was a supreme example of what can be done by one brave, -clear-headed man. The German tide was flowing at a rate which was -measured as 1½ miles in forty minutes, but now it was to reach its -limit, when it came under the fire of these eight guns upon Windmill -Hill. The advance was not only from Merris in the south but even -more along the Bailleul-Meteren Road, which was crowded with their -troops. By dusk the infantry of the 19th Brigade had taken the place -of the weary fragments who lined the front, and the immediate danger -of a complete rupture of the line was over. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 13.] - -At 5.30 A.M. on April 13 the attack upon Meteren commenced with a -strong advance against the 1st Queen's at the Windmill, and gained -some ground in the centre. The usual tactics of rushing up -machine-guns was tried, but in spite of the mist they had very -limited success. The 98th Brigade was now in support, and the 2nd -Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were ordered forward to cover Meule -Houck Hill on that side. At 10.30 the Queen's were again fiercely -attacked, and after changing hands three times the windmill in their -position remained with the stormers. At noon a well-knit line had -been formed in front of Meteren, with the Yorkshiremen {280} of the -92nd Brigade in touch on the right, while their brother Yorkshiremen -of the 147th Brigade were on the left, drawn respectively from the -Thirty-first and the Forty-ninth Divisions. There were cheering -rumours that the First Australians and the hundred and thirty-third -French were both speeding upon their way, but the need of the present -was very great, for the German guns were many, while there was hardly -one to aid in the defence. - -At 4 P.M. the Germans were beating once more along the whole front of -the division, but by 5.30 were back in their own line, what was left -of them, much the worse for the venture. News came, however, that -Vieux Berquin had fallen, and that Meteren was to be taken next day -at all costs. Meanwhile, in spite of the severe fighting, the losses -had not been heavy, save in the 1st Queen's, which had borne all the -brunt of three separate attacks. Colonel Kemp-Welch and his men had -a very severe ordeal that day. Cavalry appeared more than once in -front of the position, and one body, 200 strong, were cut to pieces -by a sudden concentration of machine-guns. The splendid machine-guns -still played a prominent part in the battle. One of them having been -submerged by a rush of the enemy, Corporal Hurd returned -single-handed, advancing 200 yards beyond the line, and brought it -back upon his shoulder. At one time the supplies of belts ran short, -but they were brought up in most dashing fashion. "At noon," says an -officer, "the fighting limbers with belt-boxes, barrels, and S.A.A. -were galloped through a hail of shell to our gun positions in a style -reminiscent of the Royal Horse Artillery upon an Aldershot -field-day." The result was great. {281} "Gunners and gun-commanders -report having piled the dead enemy before their guns." - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 14] - -Shortly after dawn on April 14 the 1st Queen's was in the wars once -more, and from six to eight there were constant attacks along the -whole line from Strazeele on the right to Bailleul Station on the -left, the latter forming the front of the Thirty-fourth Division. -The 1st Cameronians, those stern descendants of the Covenanters, beat -the enemy away from Strazeele about noon. At one time there were -renewed attacks upon both the Queen's and the Cameronians. It is -difficult to know which was the more admirable, the perseverance of -the attacks or the tenacity of the defence. About five in the -evening another fierce wave of storm-troops swept up from the south; -and for one critical moment found a gap in the line. Two companies -of the stalwart labourers of the 2nd New Zealand Entrenching -Battalion threw themselves into the breach, and the position was -restored. When night fell, the whole line, though shaken, was still -intact, and the assault had been a complete and a costly failure. -Such operations, which littered the fields of Flanders with their -dead, go far to explain the German weakness in the latter part of -this campaign of 1918. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 15.] - -April 15 was quiet in the morning on the front of Meteren, but the -afternoon proved to be disastrous at Bailleul, since Ravelsberg and -Mont de Lille were stormed by the Germans, with the result that the -town had to be vacated. The Thirty-fourth Division had been -withdrawn from this position, and the Fifty-ninth North Midlanders -(Romer) had taken their place, but this division had, as already -described, suffered extraordinary losses on the Somme front, {282} -and was in no condition to undertake another considerable operation. -It had already been partly engaged in Flanders, and its losses had -been increased. Under these conditions it is not surprising that the -determined assault of the Germans should have forced the line. It -would appear upon the map that this German success entirely -outflanked the position of the Thirty-third Division, but fortunately -a switch line had been constructed which was now manned by the -remains of the Thirty-fourth Division, while the Fifty-ninth passed -through it and concentrated in the rear. In this way an extension of -the German success was prevented, in spite of great energy upon the -part of the enemy, who had his patrols a kilometre to the west of the -town before night. The 98th Brigade had now taken the place of the -19th in the line, the 4th King's Liverpools relieving the Queen's at -the Windmill, while the 5th Scottish Rifles relieved the Cameronians -near Strazeele. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 15 onwards.] - -In the efforts to stop the German advance from Bailleul the 147th -Brigade of Cameron's Forty-ninth Yorkshire Division played an -important part. This unit, containing the 4th, 6th, and 7th -Battalions of the West Riding Regiment found themselves in the front -line on the evening of April 15, and held hard to a defensive -position north-west of Bailleul. For two more days, April 16 and 17, -they maintained the fight, inflicting and receiving heavy losses, but -with the balance well in their favour. The dour Yorkshiremen made it -clear at last to their equally dour assailants, that there was no -road through their ranks, however they might thin them. - -In the early morning of April 16 the enemy by a very sudden and -violent attack broke through the {283} switch line and made a -lodgment in the eastern outskirts of Meteren. In spite of determined -counter-attacks made during the morning by the 1st Middlesex, the 4th -King's, and the gallant New Zealand Trench Battalion, it was not -possible to clear these houses to which the enemy's machine-gun -parties clung with great bravery. Evening found them still in -possession, but all efforts to debouch to the north and west had been -stopped. The Australians were coming up on the right, so that the -Thirty-third were able to shorten their line. - -One farm west of Meteren was penetrated by a pushful party of -Germans, but they were beaten out of it and destroyed by the 11th -Field Company of sappers, who took a number of prisoners. - -On April 17 the 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders had come into -the line, relieving the 18th Middlesex Pioneers. About 10 A.M. this -battalion was violently attacked, but drove back its assailants, as -did the Thirty-fourth Division on the left at about the same hour. -At six in the evening another very severe attack developed upon the -front of the 4th King's. For a time the line appeared to be -penetrated, but the 1st Middlesex and units of the One hundred and -thirty-third French Division, which had newly arrived, made a brisk -counter-attack, and the situation was completely restored. It must -indeed have been discomposing to the enemy to find that each success -which he won, whether it was the taking of Neuve Eglise, of Bailleul, -or later of Mount Kemmel, instead of being an opening which led to -victory, was only a passage to further trials and further losses in -an unending vista. The edge of the attack had now been completely -blunted in this quarter. April 18 {284} was quiet, and on the 19th, -as the Australians and French were up, arrangements were made for -drawing the Thirty-third out of the line which they had so splendidly -made good. Their losses in the six days amounted to 145 officers and -3302 men. A few days later Monsieur Clemenceau arrived to convey to -General Pinney and his battle-worn men the thanks of the French -Republic for their iron defence of an essential line. - -The Thirty-fourth Division was last mentioned in this narrative when -it fell back from Nieppe on April 12, and was afterwards compelled to -take position on the right of the Twenty-fifth Division in the De -Seule neighbourhood. Among other losses during the retreat was a -tried soldier, General Gore of the 101st Brigade. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 13 onwards.] - -On the 13th the enemy made several tentative attacks, but had no -success. Late in the afternoon, however, he had succeeded in -penetrating the line of the Twenty-fifth Division between Neuve -Eglise and De Seule. This success left the left flank of the -Thirty-fourth in the air. The 103rd Brigade had moved to the -Ravelsberg Ridge, however, and so gave a definite line upon which to -withdraw, extending from Bailleul Station to Crucifix Corner, which -was a very important position. The 103rd Brigade was now on the left -of the line, and the 102nd on the right. There followed, on April -15, a day of very severe fighting, the enemy making continual and -very fiery attacks along the whole line, especially upon the three -points, Steam Mill, Mont de Lille, and Crucifix Corner. The latter -was carried by the enemy and then was retaken by the 9th -Northumberland Fusiliers. Mont de Lille was held by the 74th {285} -Brigade, and Steam Mill by the 147th, each the centre of a very -deadly combat. Steam Mill was lost and yet again retaken by the -Yorkshire Territorials who were aided by the 1st Middlesex from the -Thirty-third Division. It was a long and arduous day of battle, -inexpressibly trying to the wearied troops engaged. General -Nicholson had under his hand six brigades that day, and senior -officers upon the spot have testified to the masterly use which he -made of them. That night the Fifty-ninth came up into the front line -and relieved the exhausted infantry. The relief, however, was but a -momentary one, for on the afternoon of April 15 the Germans delivered -yet another strong attack upon the Ravelsberg line, now held by the -Forty-ninth, Fifty-ninth, and Thirty-third Divisions. The -Fifty-ninth, as already described, fell back through the -Thirty-fourth Division, which again found itself in the front line. -The two flank divisions both fell back to conform, and lined up with -the remains of the Thirty-fourth on the new line near St. Jans -Cappel, which held firm from April 16. - -On April 17 there was yet another day of heavy fighting upon this -line, both flanks and the Meule Hook being strongly attacked, but the -position was successfully held, and one more limit seemed to have -been reached in the advance. The same six brigades under General -Nicholson, reduced now to the strength of battalions, were still -throwing an iron bar across the German path. From the right the -147th, 74th, 101st, 102nd, 103rd, and 88th, all of them with set -teeth, held on to the appointed line which receded under pressure and -was yet again re-established. The 88th, under that remarkable young -soldier, {286} General Freyberg, had some especially hard work to do. - -Late on April 20 this goodly fellowship in arms was dissolved, the -three separate brigades returned to their divisions, and the -Thirty-fourth was relieved by the French. The artillery of the -Thirty-eighth Welsh Division fought throughout these awful days at -the back of the infantry, who could not say too much for these guns -or for General Topping who commanded them. Save two howitzers hit on -April 9, no gun of this division was lost during all this close and -severe fighting. South of the Lys many of the Royal Army Medical -Corps remained with their wounded, and were taken prisoners, sharing -with their charges the wretched treatment which was still meted out -to British captives, especially behind the lines and before reaching -the camps in Germany. - -It should be added that the sappers of the 207th, 208th, 209th Field -Companies and the 18th Northumberland Fusiliers Pioneers fought like -ordinary infantry, and did splendid and essential service in holding -the line. - -We shall now turn to Jeffreys' Nineteenth Division which we left on -the 12th of April, holding on to the Wulverghem-Wytschaete front, -with formidable enemies in front of them, but an even more formidable -menace upon their right flank, whence came constant rumours that the -enemy had at last penetrated the hard-pressed Twenty-fifth Division, -had occupied Neuve Eglise, and was pushing up along the lines of the -northward roads which would turn the whole of the position. Late at -night on April 12 it had been ascertained that these reports were -premature. {287} The units of the 108th Ulster Brigade on the right -of the line and connecting with the Twenty-fifth Division had been -penetrated and driven back, but were strengthened and stayed by the -advent of the 8th Gloucesters. The situation was obscure on the -right, and there was a dangerous gap which was filled early in the -morning of April 13 by the energy and initiative of Captain Macintosh -of the 94th Field Company Royal Engineers, who with a handful of the -10th Worcester's pushed his way in, and showed a bold front to the -enemy. - -The 2/5th Sherwood Foresters from the 178th Brigade (Stansfeld) of -the Fifty-ninth North Midland Division had also been ordered to face -south and with the help of some machine-guns to hold off the turning -movement from that quarter. All these movements were carried out in -pitch darkness and amid a situation so confused that it was -impossible to define which was the attacking line and which the line -of defence. The general scheme of the battle in this area on the -morning of April 13 was that the Twenty-fifth Division, with the help -of the 148th Brigade of Yorkshire Territorials, was fighting -desperately in and around Neuve Eglise to the north of those units of -the 100th Brigade, whose defence of the town has already been -described. Next to them on the north lay the remains of the 108th -Brigade, then the battalion of Sherwood Foresters, and then the 57th -Brigade with the 8th Gloucesters on the southern flank. All the -morning the roar of battle rose from Neuve Eglise where the German -stormers fought hand to hand with the British infantry, who had been -strengthened by the addition of that fine battalion, the 4th -Shropshires from the Nineteenth {288} Division. The contest swung -and swayed as fresh German troops were thrown into the struggle, but -at last about half-past ten in the morning the attack was defeated, -the German infantry fell back in sullen groups under the constant -fire of the defenders, and the British line was pushed forward to the -south of the village. - -During the day, which was spent under heavy fire of artillery and the -imminent menace of attack from the grey clouds seen gathering upon -the Messines Ridge, the remaining battalions of the 178th Brigade, -the 2/6th and the 7th Sherwood Foresters, were pushed into the line -to relieve the exhausted 108th Brigade. It was clear that great -German concentrations were being made upon Neuve Eglise, and that the -village was in danger, so every arrangement was made to accommodate -the line to the situation which would arise if that important point -were taken, and the Wulverghem position became in consequence -untenable. This new line would run from Meteren through Kemmel and -Spy Farm to Spanbrockmolen. The night of April 13 would have been -quiet upon the front of the Nineteenth Division had it not been for -the constant pre-occupation and alarm caused by the varying fortunes -of the fighting at Neuve Eglise, in which they were well aware that -their own fate was concerned. The attack had been renewed with fresh -forces, and the Twenty-fifth Division was extremely exhausted and -could only be helped by other units which were in no better case. -Again and again the Germans were deep in the village. Again and -again they were evicted. It seemed to be the beginning of the end, -however, when it was announced towards morning that the Twenty-fifth -Division was {289} out of touch with the British troops upon its -south flank, and that the Germans filtering through this gap had got -to Nordhoek, west of Neuve Eglise, and were pushing to the north in -the rear of the British position, By morning of April 14 Neuve Eglise -had been abandoned, though it does not appear to have been solidly -occupied by the enemy until mid-day, and snipers of both armies -infested the ruins. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 14.] - -The loss of the village and of the low ridge which adjoined it had a -most sinister effect upon the general strategic position to the -north, and it was indeed fortunate that measures had been taken in -advance to deal with the new situation. The Nineteenth Division on -April 14 found itself shelled heavily all day, while it was -machine-gunned and trench-mortared from the right where its flank was -now in the air. The position of the right-hand unit, the 4th -Shropshires, south of the Neuve Eglise-Wulverghem Road, became -impossible, as the Germans were in the rear, and indeed upon three -sides of them. - -Major Wingrove stuck to his position till mid-day, and no battalion -could have given a more cogent example of steadiness and fortitude in -adversity. About 2 P.M. the Germans began to emerge in force from -the villages, beating up against the gallant Shropshires, who retired -slowly and steadily, taking toll of their assailants, while the -Sherwood Foresters of the 178th Brigade helped them to hold the enemy -at arm's length. - -As the day wore on the pressure became more insistent, until about -seven in the evening Major Wingrove, of whom it has been stated by -his General that "his tenacity, gallantry, and determination had held -the much-tried and isolated line up to this {290} time," was severely -wounded. When his inspiring presence was removed there was a break -to the north of Neuve Eglise and the Twenty-fifth Division, now -reduced to a handful, were retreating westwards, while the Nineteenth -was being rolled up from the south. - -General Jeffreys' force was now in so dangerous a position that it -had actually to form a front to the west as well as to the east, a -difficult manoeuvre which was carried out with great coolness and -skill by Colonel Sole of the 10th Worcesters, who was in charge of -the new line, aided by Major Parkes of the 8th Gloucesters. The men -were rallied, led into their new positions, and a dangerous -penetration was narrowly averted. Later a new line was built up with -the Forty-ninth Yorkshire Territorial Division in the place of the -Twenty-fifth Division on the right, reinforced by the 71st Brigade -from the Sixth Division. Next to them on the left was the 178th -Sherwood Foresters Brigade, then the 108th Brigade, and finally the -58th Brigade, standing just in their old positions. The changes in -the British line were such that whereas it used to face east, it now -faced almost south from near Meteren to Kemmel and Spanbrockmolen. -The latter marked the point of junction upon the left with the right -of the Ninth Division. This line was not fully occupied till April -16. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 15.] - -On April 15 the intermediate positions were attacked, the 9th Welsh -Fusiliers, on the extreme left of the line, and the remains of the -6th Wiltshires being heavily engaged. No impression was made. At a -different point the Germans had better results to show with the 108th -Brigade, and made some {291} progress, but the Sherwood Foresters -once more mended the line. In the evening it was reported that the -enemy had taken Crucifix Corner and were moving westwards. The -strength of all battalions had now fallen to such a point, owing to -constant shelling and incessant attacks, that it was very difficult -to form more than a line of outposts. By evening of April 15 all the -troops concerned, the remains of the Twenty-fifth, the Forty-ninth, -and the Nineteenth Divisions were on the general line Meteren-Kemmel, -facing south to the German advance, but also threatening the German -right flank if they should press too far to the west. The remnant of -the 108th Ulsters was relieved that night. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 15.] - -A heavy attack was made at 6 A.M. on the morning of April 16 upon the -front of the Ninth Division, which had withdrawn in conformity with -the new northern line. The 62nd Brigade of the Twenty-first Division -had, as already stated, been put under the orders of General Tudor of -the Ninth Division, for his unit had been greatly weakened by the -terrible losses of the South Africans. The North Countrymen of the -62nd fought desperately against great odds, but they were pushed out -of Spanbrockmolen, and later out of Wytschaete. - -They found a new line to the north, however, and the Germans tried in -vain to bend it. The 58th Brigade had thrown back its own line to -correspond, and joined up with the 62nd at Lacache Farm. Late that -evening the worn and weary troops were deeply comforted by the sight -of a small group of blue-clad men with classical helmets surveying -the German lines through their glasses. It was the vanguard and the -observers of the Twenty-eighth and One {292} hundred and thirty-third -French Divisions which were coming up to the aid of the Ninth. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 17.] - -It was clear that the commanding position of Kemmel, a hill which -overlooks a wide range of country, was the immediate objective of the -enemy in this quarter. About 10 A.M. on April 17 they put down a -heavy barrage, and then pushed on in force with the intention of -breaking in the British line and capturing the hill. The battalions -attacked were the three Sherwood Foresters units, with the 8th North -Staffords and 10th Warwicks of the 57th Brigade. This attack was a -complete failure. Weary as they were the sturdy Englishmen stood -fast to their lines, and beat their assailants back in blood and -ruin. Machine-gun fire from the crest of the hill contributed to the -result, and the guns also did their share. The only German gain was -a post called Donegal Farm between the Nineteenth and the Forty-ninth -Divisions. A fresh attack was made upon the 10th Warwicks in the -evening, but this also was thrown back with heavy loss. - -Meanwhile, on the northern sector, the Ninth Division endeavoured to -regain the ground which they had lost the day before, but their -efforts had no great success, save that the 7th Seaforths of the 26th -Brigade in a very brilliant advance fought their way into Wytschaete -once more, and took possession of the village which they held until -the following day, when the general position forced them to abandon -it. On April 18 the fighting died down upon this front, and in the -evening the gallant Nineteenth Division, after most glorious service, -was relieved by the French Twenty-eighth Division, which took over -the defence of Kemmel Hill. The total losses {293} of this division -had been nearly 4000 men, which, coming on the top of the heavy -losses on the Somme in the previous fortnight, formed such a record -as had seldom been equalled. Nor was their ordeal yet at an end, and -many a stout battle was still to be fought before a rest should come. - -All these stirring episodes, including the glorious destruction of -the 4th Brigade of Guards, the formation of a permanent line by the -Australians, the defence of Meteren and Bailleul by the Thirty-third -and other divisions, the fighting at Neuve Eglise, and the defence of -the Wytschaete and Messines fronts by the Nineteenth and Ninth -Divisions with odd brigades to help them, all came within the area of -Plumer's Second Army, which still consisted of the Ninth and -Fifteenth Corps in the line. It should be mentioned that of fourteen -divisions contained in this army on March 21 no less than twelve had -been sent down to the Somme, while the remaining two, the Forty-ninth -and Twenty-ninth, were under orders to go at the moment when the -great battle in Flanders broke out. - -[Sidenote: Southern Area. April 14.] - -We shall now for a moment turn to the left flank of the First Army in -the south which had so far, in spite of heavy attacks, lost very -little ground. It has already been described how the Fifty-fifth -Lancashire Division stood like a rock at Givenchy and Festubert, -while the Fifty-first and afterwards the Fourth Division struggled -desperately to hold back the attack on their left. The former had -been relieved on April 16 by Strickland's First Division, while the -Highlanders and Fourth Division also had been drawn out, and gave -place to Deverell's Third Division, which had done so splendidly and -lost so heavily upon the Somme. - -{294} - -After the repulse from the Fifty-fifth Division, the Germans had -contented themselves with shelling Givenchy, but they had pushed on, -as already narrated, to the north of the position, and had got as far -as Locon. The result was that the First Division had a long frontage -which faced due north and a shorter frontage to the east. - -[Sidenote: Southern Area. April 16.] - -The Fourth Division held the front at this period to the east of -Robecq, being on the right of the Sixty-first, with the 184th Brigade -between them. It was used on April 14 for a counter-attack which was -carried out at night, and which achieved a local success by the -recapture of the village of Riez, with 150 prisoners. This operation -was carried out by the 11th Brigade, with the 1st Hants and 1st -Somersets in the lead, and was a very workmanlike little action which -was the more valuable when coming at a period of general recoil. - -[Sidenote: Southern Area. April 18.] - -On April 18 the new German attack upon the First Division at Givenchy -began with a bombardment of great violence. Their plan upon this day -was to carry Givenchy and Festubert by storm, and to win the line of -the canal as far west as Gorre. They would then capture the high -ground at Hinges, and so command the canal right up to Robecq. No -doubt they calculated, and with justice, that if they could overcome -the men on the spot they would find that the reserves had all been -drawn away to the north. Their plan was wrecked, however, by the -fact that the men on the spot were not to be overcome. Eighteen -German battalions moved forward to the attack, and all of them -suffered heavily without gaining any appreciable advantage. So heavy -was the slaughter that many German companies were {295} reduced -before evening to twenty or thirty effectives, while the three -battalions of one regiment were left under the respective command of -one lieutenant and two sub-lieutenants. There have been few more -costly failures, considering the scale of the operations, in the -whole campaign. - -The infantry attack was on the two flanks of the British line which -looked northwards, the one attack being in front of Hinges and the -other covering the space from Loisne to the south of Givenchy, -including Festubert. Three German regiments, the 98th, 361st, and -202nd Reserve, advanced in this quarter. They had constructed two -bridges during the night to cross a broad ditch in front of the -British line, but machine-guns were trained upon them, and the troops -which tried to cross were exposed to heavy losses, which left both -the bridges and the banks heaped with bodies. The mist, the smoke, -and the dust from the shells were so thick, however, that a hundred -yards was the limit of visibility. The German shell-storm continued -to be very heavy, but the British were snugly ensconced in trenches -with a parapet and parados, both of which were several feet thick, so -that no very great harm was done. The worst losses were at the -advanced keep at Festubert, which was blown to bits, only eight men -of the garrison surviving. - -The First Division had two brigades in the line, the 1st on the right -holding from Givenchy to Le Plantin, and the 3rd to the left from Le -Plantin to Festubert. The fighting was particularly severe in the -latter sector of the line. As the garrison looked north they saw -through the rising mist about 8.15 in the morning the enemy advancing -in small groups {296} of light machine-guns, coming over a slight -rise some 900 yards east of Festubert. These troops pushed bravely -on, though they had no cover but shell-holes, and they suffered very -severely. The 1st Gloucester, under Colonel Tweedie, on the right -and the 1st {297} South Wales Borderers on the left, battalions with -the halo of the first Ypres battle round their heads, held the line -and littered the open ground with their steady rifle-fire. There was -a gap in the defences at a point called Willow Road, and into this -the enemy poured more quickly than they could be shot down. Their -rush carried them through, and into the houses and gardens of Le -Plantin. A company of the Gloucesters under Captain Handford was cut -in two, but both sections stood fast, Lieutenant Hall on one side, -and the company commander on the other, closing in on the centre and -preventing reinforcement, while Lieutenant Gosling attacked with the -reserve company. The Germans ran field-guns right up, but the crews -were shot down. So matters remained until the afternoon, the -stormers being in the British position, but so pinned down by -rifle-fire that they could not raise their heads. On the other hand, -German snipers in the houses and trees were very deadly to any -runners or other exposed defenders. Whilst matters were in this -stage in the Le Plantin area, they were even more critical at -Festubert. The enemy, moving up behind a good barrage, overran a -part of the South Wales Borderers and forced their way into an -orchard just south of the keep known as Route A. Thence they tried -to get into the rear of the defence. About eleven Sergeant-Major -Biddle of D Company ran the gauntlet to Brigade Headquarters to -explain the situation and ask for help. Captain Smith got together a -party of odds and ends, under twenty in number, who made their way up -the west side of Festubert and prevented the extension of this -dangerous German movement. - -[Illustration: DEFENCE OF GIVENCHY BY THE FIRST DIVISION, APRIL 18, -1918.*] - -* This rough plan was drawn by an officer engaged in the action. - - -By two o'clock the attack was definitely defeated, {298} and by three -the Germans were retiring along the whole line. They found it, -however, very difficult to disengage themselves from their advance -positions. They tried to crawl back from shell-hole to shell-hole, -while the British stood up all along the parapets and shot them in -scores. Absolutely demoralised, many of the Germans threw away their -arms. Their retirement probably cost as much as their advance. -Those who had got into Le Plantin had to run the gauntlet between two -halves of the Gloucesters in getting out, and few of them escaped. -The performance of the 1st Gloucesters was remarkable, for they were -at one time attacked front, flank, and rear by a force estimated at -four battalions. It is recorded that the barrels of their new Lewis -guns were worn smooth by the intensity of one day of battle. The 1st -Brigade on the right of the defence from the canal to Le Plantin was -also heavily attacked, though their ordeal was not so long or severe -as that of their comrades on the left. The 1st Black Watch, the -flank battalion next to the Gloucesters, had some especially heavy -fighting, but kept their ground intact, and did their full share -towards the victorious result. The whole affair was a fine feat of -arms, for the German gun power had greatly increased since April 9, -while the repulse was even more decisive. It proved to be a final -one, as the Germans made no further attempt to force their passage to -Bethune. During all this long fight the Third Division beyond Loisne -on the left was holding the line firmly against all German pressure. -So ended April 18. Before the evening of the 20th all outlying posts -had been cleared of the Germans. On this same date, April 18, there -was a sharp {299} action to the immediate left of this Givenchy -fighting, when the Fourth Division held up a German attack, and -afterwards countered, capturing the Bois Paquan in the Kobecq sector. -Two hundred prisoners were the fruits of this action, but they were -dearly bought, for many officers and men were killed or wounded. -Among the former were two grand soldiers, Colonel Armitage of the 1st -Hants and Brigade-Major Harston of the 11th Brigade. This forward -movement was continued later by the Sixty-first Division, who did -very good work on April 23, General Pagan of the 184th Brigade being -a leader in the advance, which was notable for a fine attack by the -2/5th Gloucesters under Colonel Lawson. Shortly afterwards General -Colin Mackenzie of this division, who had done splendid work from the -first days of the war, was wounded while reconnoitring in front of -his line and had to return to England. - -There now followed a short pause in the German attack, and we may -look around and follow the general line of the defence at this period -before the action was renewed. On the extreme north of the Second -Army the Belgians had relieved the Thirtieth Division, and thus -shortened the British line. Then came the Ninth and Twenty-first -British Divisions near Wytschaete. South and west of this point the -front line had been taken over by General de Mitry with the -Thirty-sixth French Corps, which now succeeded the Ninth British -Corps in this sector. The Thirty-fourth and One hundred and -thirty-third French Divisions were in the line, with the Second -French Cavalry Corps in co-operation. This most welcome and indeed -vital reinforcement had taken over Kemmel, Mont Rouge, Mont Noir, -Mont Vidaigne, {300} and Mont des Cats, the range of kopjes which -screen the Ypres plain from the south. On the right of the French -was the weary Fifteenth Corps, with the First Australian Division as -the flank unit near Meteren. The British divisions in the north were -in close support to the French, the Nineteenth and Thirty-fourth -being near Poperinghe, and the Twenty-fifth behind Kemmel. Such was -the general position in that northern sector, to which the battle was -now more and more confined. Before following the further events it -should be mentioned that on April 17 the Belgians in the -neighbourhood of Bixschoote had been exposed to a very severe attack -from four German divisions, which would have shaken the whole line of -defence had it succeeded. It was met, however, with very great -courage, and the Belgians proved themselves to be valiant soldiers, -well worthy to be admitted upon entirely equal terms into the -battle-line of the larger nations. They fought the action with -heroic gallantry, and gave the Germans a severe check, killing some -2000 of them, and taking 700 prisoners with several guns. It was a -notable performance, and the more welcome in a period of such stress. - -[Illustration: Position of the Line in Flanders, April 9] - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 25.] - -On April 25, at an early hour of the morning, the Germans made an -attack upon the northern line from a point north of Bailleul to the -east of Wytschaete, a distance of about ten miles. The whole of this -front, save the extreme eastern portion, was held by the French, who -made a very gallant resistance to as fierce an assault as the war has -seen. The main German objective was the very important height of -Mount Kemmel, a bluff five hundred feet high, wooded upon the sides. -This was held by the Twenty-eighth {301} French Division, who fought -most gallantly, but were finally overpowered by the four German -divisions which were brought against it, including a division of -Alpine troops, especially trained for hill fighting. The Allied line -was pushed back along its whole front, Dranoutre and St. Eloi falling -into the hands of the Germans, together with 6000 prisoners. It was -the darkest hour of the Flemish battle, and was the more depressing -as it came after a week of equilibrium in which the tide of invasion -seemed to have been finally dammed. The German infantry had -penetrated through the joining point of the French and British near -Wytschaete, and at the same time through the French at Dranoutre, so -that they were able to assail Kemmel Hill from both sides. It had -fallen by nine o'clock. The Ninth Division in the north was forced -to fall back upon the line of La Clytte, after enduring heavy losses -in a combat lasting nine hours, during which they fought with their -usual tenacity, as did the 64th and 146th Brigades, who fought beside -them. - -The Germans, having got through the French upon the right flank, had -got round to the rear of the 27th Brigade, with the result that the -12th Royal Scots were almost entirely destroyed, and the Scottish -Borderers were also very hard hit. None the less, with the enemy in -front and rear, the Lowland infantry held out, finally making their -way back in orderly fashion during the night. Farther north the line -of the 64th and the 146th Brigades was broken and the remnants -reformed in Cheapside, where their reserve battalions thickened their -array. The 26th Highland Brigade threw back all attacks in front, -and formed a defensive flank to the south, withdrawing at leisure and -in order after dark. - -{302} - -Even the Ninth Division has seldom had a harder day, or a more -honourable one. On the 26th General Cameron of the Forty-ninth -Division took over this sector, and the Ninth went out of the line -with very special messages of thanks from both the British and the -French marshals. - -Some small British units were involved in the disaster of Mount -Kemmel as they were on the hill helping in the defence. Among these -were the 19th Lancashire Fusiliers (Pioneers), the 456th Field -Company R.E., and part of the 49th Battalion Machine-gun Corps, all -drawn from the Forty-ninth Division. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 26.] - -A determined effort was at once made to retrieve the situation, and a -counter-attack upon the new German line was ordered for 3 A.M. on -April 26. It was carried out by the Thirty-ninth French Division on -the right, and by the Twenty-fifth Division (Bainbridge) on the left. -The French advance was held by severe machine-gun fire on the line of -the Kemmel Brook. The British advancing from La Clytte had more -success, but were unable to maintain the ground which they had won. -They went forward with Griffin's 7th Brigade on the left and -Bethell's 74th on the right. The water was up to the men's waists as -in the cold of the early morning they splashed their way across the -Kemmel Brook. It was dismal and desperate work, but the spirit of -the men, in spite of all that this division had endured, was still -high, and they beat down all obstacles until they had forced their -way into the village of Kemmel, where they secured 200 prisoners. -Their own losses were heavy, however, including Colonel Cade of the -1st Wilts, Colonel {303} Stewart of the 4th South Staffords, Colonel -Reade of the 10th Chesters, and several other senior officers. It -was now found that the flanks of both brigades were in the air, and -as the losses were increasing through the enfilade fire, they were -ordered to withdraw. It was still early, and the morning mist -screened what would otherwise have been a very murderous operation. -The final line held by the Twenty-fifth Division was about 1000 yards -in advance of the starting-point. - -It should be remembered that in this difficult and gallant night -attack against a victorious enemy the young 19-year-old recruits, who -now made up a considerable proportion of the decimated division, -showed a very fine spirit and kept up with the veterans beside them. - -Having repulsed the counter-attack of the French and of the -Twenty-fifth Division, the enemy tried with great energy to improve -his advantage, and Von Armin thundered during the whole of April 26 -against the Allied line, trying especially to drive in the northern -sector at Wytschaete and Eloi. The fighting on this line was very -desperate during the day, and in spite of every effort the troops -were pushed back from their forward positions. The strain fell -chiefly upon the remains of the 26th Brigade of the Ninth Division, -the Twenty-first Division, the 21st Brigade of the Thirtieth -Division, and the Thirty-ninth Division. The 21st Brigade defended -the northern portion of the line, and one of the outstanding feats of -the day was the defence of the Old Bluff from morning to dusk by that -grand battalion, the 2nd Bedfords. Farther south the two points -called the Brasserie and the Spoil-Bank were eventually {304} won by -the Germans, but they were defended with great determination by units -of the Thirty-ninth Division, the 1st Herts, the Cambridgeshires, and -the Sussex battalions. It was a day of struggle, and the most that -the Allies could say was that they had prevented a break in their -line. That night there was another general withdrawal along the -front which brought the Allied position into very much the same -trenches as had been occupied in the autumn of 1914. Such a result -of four years' fighting might well have caused depression, and yet -these brave hearts never for one instant relinquished their high -hopes of the victory to come. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 26 onwards.] - -The enemy had gained a spectacular advantage at Kemmel, and high -hopes were raised in Germany that some great ulterior result would -come of it, but in spite of strong efforts it was not destined that -there should be any particular consequences from their victory. -Observation can be obtained from a balloon as easily as from a hill, -and the space upon the summit was so limited that the Allied guns -could make it almost untenable. Strong efforts were at once made to -push on upon the line Locre-La Clytte, which was held by the French. -They repulsed three strong attacks on April 27, and though in the -evening the Germans got into Locre, they were thrown out again by our -tenacious Allies. Again on the morning of April 29 the enemy -attacked along the whole line from Mont Vidaigne to Zillebeke Lake. -This attack was repulsed with severe loss to the enemy, and must have -gone far to convince him that he was not destined to develop his -Kemmel success. The battle involved not only the front of the -Thirty-sixth French Corps, but also that of the Twenty-fifth, -Forty-ninth, and {305} Twenty-first Divisions, all of which stood -like a wall and beat off every assault. These attacks extended from -north of Kemmel to Voormezeele. The Twenty-fifth Division was next -to the French on the right of the line, in the British centre was the -Forty-ninth, while on the left the Twenty-first Division connected up -with the Ninth, which was out of the direct line of attack. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. April 29.] - -The 75th Brigade formed the fighting line of the Twenty-fifth -Division on this day of battle. They found themselves on the western -side of the Kemmel Brook, while the 3rd Prussian Guards lay on the -farther side and advanced to the attack. To do this they had to pass -over the smooth slope which led down to the stream, and they fell in -heaps in the attempt. They huddled for shelter behind a group of -huts, but the guns got on to them and blew them to pieces. Four -distinct attacks were all equally murderous and unsuccessful. The -8th Border Battalion was particularly conspicuous in the defence. -Next to them, near Ridge Wood, were the well-tried Yorkshiremen of -the Forty-ninth. For some reason the Germans at this point advanced -in close formation with bayonets fixed. Such tactics received the -slating which they deserved. Both the West Riding Battalions of the -147th Brigade and the York and Lancasters of the 148th were in the -firing-line, and they amply repaid themselves for many a distressful -hour. Once for three minutes the Germans made a lodgment, but at the -end of that time a rush of bayonet-men pitchforked them out of their -only gain. The Twenty-first Division held the line above Ridge Wood -and on towards Voormezeele. Upon them came the heaviest attack of -all, and the slaughter {306} of the Germans, coming on at a range of -400 yards under machine-gun and rifle-fire, was very murderous. The -Leicester Brigade did particularly well this day, and so did the worn -89th Brigade of the Thirtieth Division, which had come under the -orders of General Campbell of the Twenty-first Division. The German -attack struck very hard against the front of this unit near the -Brasserie on the Vierstraat-Ypres Road, and all three battalions, the -17th, 18th, 19th King's Liverpools, had desperate fighting, the 17th -coming in for particularly rough treatment. It had each flank -penetrated and one company surrounded, but still managed to shake -itself clear. - -The Belgians were also involved in this wide-spread attack, and both -their lines in the north and those of the French round the -Sharpenberg and Mont Rouge were held intact. This severe check, -inflicted upon a force which was not less than twelve divisions, -marked the beginning of the collapse of the great German offensive in -Flanders, which had now lasted for twenty days of constant battle. - -Early in May the Franco-British line still lay from Kemmel village in -the south to Ypres in the north, taking Voormezeele upon the way. If -the Germans could succeed in bursting through here they would partly -encircle Ypres, and would probably cause an evacuation, an event -which might be of no great military importance, but could not fail to -have a moral and political repercussion. Ypres stood like an -oriflamme of war amid the ranks of the British Army. Here it was -that in October 1914 they had said to the Germans, "Thus far and no -farther!" Now in the fourth year the words still held good. If -after all the efforts, all the self-sacrifice, all {307} good blood -so cheerfully shed, it was now to pass from their hands, no consoling -lectures upon strategy could soften the heavy blow which it would be -to those who relaxed the grip which their comrades had the held so -firmly. Yet it was this and no less which was at stake in these -early days of May. A crushing German victory with the capture of the -coast was no longer to be feared. But an important local success, -which would reverberate through the world, was still well within -their hopes and their power. - -At the moment of this important attack the southern sector of this -line was held by the One hundred and twenty-ninth and Thirty-second -French Divisions, the latter being next to the British just to the -south of Vierstraat. To the north of the French lay the 30th -Composite Brigade (Currie), which had been formed by telescoping the -remains of the Thirtieth Division into a single unit. It had two -splendid though attenuated Regular battalions, the 2nd Bedfords and -2nd Yorkshires in the line with the 17th King's Liverpools in -immediate support. Still farther to the north lay Pinney's -well-tried Thirty-third Division with the 98th Brigade (Maitland) in -front. Their battle line consisted of the 2nd Argyll and Sutherland -Highlanders, the 4th King's Liverpools, and the 1st Middlesex, from -south to north. Farther north still from the Voormezeele region to -the southern suburbs of ruined Ypres lay Marden's Sixth Division -which was not involved to any great degree in the fighting. - -[Sidenote: Northern Area. May 8.] - -In the centre of the position was a well-marked line of trees forming -the edge of Ridge Wood. Behind the British line was the village of -Dickebush with the Dickebush Lake. These two points were the first -{308} objectives of the German attack, which broke with great -violence at 7.30 in the morning of May 8. It was preceded by a -lavish use of mustard gas shells, a hellish device which was used -more and more from this time forward. This poison may be kept out of -the lungs by a mask, but cannot be kept from the body, where it -raises such blisters and irritation as may prove fatal in the same -fashion as a bad burn. When enough has been poured into any position -it can be made untenable by troops, since in heavy weather it hangs -about for days, and has the unpleasant property of appearing to have -vanished and yet becoming active again when exposed to moisture. -Many a battalion which has crossed a dew-moistened field within the -battle area has had reason afterwards to regret it. - -Coming after so deadly a preparation the first rush of the Germans -met with success, and they penetrated the line, both of the -Thirty-second French Division and of the 30th Composite Brigade. -Their advance brought them roughly to the south end of Dickebush -Lake, whereupon the 98th Brigade threw back a flank from Ridge Wood -to the lake, so as to cover themselves from a southern attack. - -At seven in the evening a strong attempt was made to re-establish the -line, the 19th Brigade (Mayne) being thrown into the battle. The -counter-attack was made by the 1st Cameronians, advancing across the -Hallebast-La Clytte Road, but they were in full view of the enemy -whose machine-gun fire was sweeping the very grass from the ground in -front of their feet. They could not get forward, and many of them -never got back. A fine advance was made, however, by the composite -King's Liverpools with the {309} help of some of the Bedfords. It -actually reached the old front line, but had lost so heavily that it -was unable to retain it in the face of a renewed German assault, but -stuck on as near as it could. - -It should be explained that this King's Liverpool unit was really the -old 89th Brigade which had been worn down to such an extent that the -17th, 18th, and 19th King's were now compressed into one battalion, -750 strong. Their heavy losses upon the Somme had been greatly -increased in Flanders, and included Colonel Watson, the gallant and -veteran leader of the 17th Battalion. Now under Colonel Rollo their -sentiment was that of one of their officers who wrote, "We are still -the 89th Brigade, call us what they like and put us in what division -they please. The old spirit remains as ever." This was the unit -whose swan song is here recorded. Next day the survivors made good -their line, and handed it over intact to their relief. - -To the north of this composite battalion (which was independent of -the 30th Divisional Brigade already mentioned) the counter-attack was -made by the 5th Scottish Rifles near Dickebush Lake, and by the 2nd -Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at Ridge Wood. Both of these -battalions won home and gained their full objectives. The great -German local effort, urged by four strong divisions, the Fifty-second -and Fifty-sixth in front, the Twenty-ninth and Thirty-first in -support, had been held. Each of these convulsive efforts of Von -Armin's tired army brought the final equilibrium and ultimate -retirement more close. - -The fighting died down entirely in this quarter, and the Fourteenth -French Division took it over {310} from the British. Indeed this day -of strenuous battle may be said to have marked the end of the great -Battle of the Lys, which had raged ever since April 9. The Germans -had been fought to a standstill. They had in the course of a month's -fighting won ground, prisoners, and guns, but it is possible in -winning a battle to lose a war, and this is exactly what they had -accomplished. An expensive and barren success had been achieved by a -lavish use of their reserves, and on the day when those reserves were -vitally needed, they had been wastefully strewn over the plains of -the Somme and of Flanders. Never had the British Army been more -severely tried than at this time when their General issued his famous -"back to the wall" appeal, and never had the individual soldier risen -to a greater height. "The British Army," says an Italian observer -who was present throughout the crisis, "impresses one with its -inherent moral soundness. The German," he adds, "uses almost -exclusively machine-guns and bombs, but the Englishman loves his -rifle, and knows much better how to use it. He is a better marksman, -he is more contemptuous of danger, and he is calmer, steadier, and -feels himself individually superior to his enemy. The cheerfulness -of the men is due in great measure to the noble, dignified, serene -example of their officers, so simple in their gentlemanly bearing, so -conscious of the reasons and the end of the war, so proud of their -country and of its unshakeable prestige." It is a noble tribute, but -none who know the men could say that it was a strained one. - -No account of the battle of the Lys can close without a word as to -the splendid work done by General Plumer, never wearied, never -flurried, during {311} those fateful days. Hardly less arduous was -the experience of General Horne in the southern sector. The three -corps commanders, too, who bore the brunt, and very especially -General de Lisle, who only took over his command on the second day of -the battle, will always be associated with one of the most desperate -incidents of the war. But above and behind all is the commanding and -heroic figure of Douglas Haig, impassive, serene, still working as he -had worked four years before, at the mending of broken lines and the -bracing of weak ones, until the hour should strike for his tremendous -revenge. - - - - -{312} - -CHAPTER XI - - THE BATTLES OF THE CHEMIN DES DAMES AND - OF THE ARDRES - -May 27-June 2 - -The rest cure of the Aisne--Attack upon the Fiftieth Division--Upon -the Eighth--Upon the Twenty-first--5th Battery R.F.A.--Glorious -Devons--Adventure of General Rees--Retreat across the Aisne--Over the -Vesle--Arrival of Nineteenth Division--Desperate fighting--Success of -4th Shropshires--General Pellé's tribute--General prospect of the -Allies midway through 1918. - - -It had been determined to rest four of the crippled British divisions -which had been heavily engaged first on the Somme and then in the -battle of the Lys. These divisions were the Twenty-fifth -(Bainbridge), Twenty-first (Campbell), Eighth (Heneker), and Fiftieth -(Jackson), all forming the Ninth Corps (Hamilton-Gordon). Each of -them had been cut to pieces twice in the course of little more than a -month, and should by every pre-war precept have been incapable of -exertion for a long time to come. They were reconstituted with -numbers of recruits under fresh officers, both leaders and men with -slight experience of actual warfare. They were then sent, via the -outskirts of Paris, the direct route being under fire from the German -guns in front of Amiens, and they were thrust into the French line -just north {313} of the Aisne in the region of the Chemin des Dames. -The intention was to give them repose, but the change was looked upon -with misgiving by the divisional generals, one of whom wrote to the -present chronicler at the time saying, "They think it will be a rest -cure, but to my mind it is more likely to be a fresh centre of storm." - -As a matter of fact the Germans, who had now made two colossal -thrusts, the one on March 21 on the Somme, the other at the Lys on -April 9, were planning a third desperate attack at this very point. -The competent military historian of the future with all the records -before him will no doubt be able to pronounce how far it was wise for -the German high command to leave two unfinished tasks in order to -undertake a third one. On the face of it, it seemed an unlikely -thing to do, and that perhaps is why they did it. The line at this -position had few natural advantages and was not strongly held. In -the opinion of British generals it would have been wise if it could -have been drawn south of the Aisne, since a broad river is a good -friend in one's front, but a treacherous enemy in one's rear. There -were reasons, however, why it was not easy for the French to abandon -the north bank, for they had spent much time, labour, and human life -in capturing Craonne, the California Plateau, and other positions -within that area, and it was a dreadful thing to give them up unless -they were beaten out of them. They held on, therefore--and the -British divisions, now acting as part of the French army, were -compelled to hold on as well. The Fiftieth Northern Territorial -Division had a frontage of 7000 yards from near Craonne to -Ville-aux-Bois, including the famous California {314} Plateau; on -their immediate right was the Regular Eighth Division, and to the -right of that in the Berry-au-Bac sector, where the lines cross the -Aisne, was the Twenty-first Division, this British contingent forming -the Ninth Corps, and having French troops upon either side of them. -The Twenty-fifth Division was in reserve at Fismes to the south of -the river. The total attack from Crecy-au-Mont to Berry was about -thirty miles, a quarter of which--the eastern quarter--was held by -the British. - -Confining our attention to the experience of the British troops, -which is the theme of these volumes, we shall take the northern unit -and follow its fortunes on the first day with some detail, remarking -in advance that the difficulties and the results were much the same -in the case of each of the three front divisions, so that a fuller -account of one may justify a more condensed one of the others. The -position along the whole line consisted of rolling grass plains where -the white gashes in the chalk showed out the systems of defence. The -Germans, on the other hand, were shrouded to some extent in woodland, -which aided them in the concentration of their troops. The defences -of the British were of course inherited, not made, but possessed some -elements of strength, especially in the profusion of the barbed wire. -On the other hand, there were more trenches than could possibly be -occupied, which is a serious danger when the enemy comes to close -grips. The main position ran about 5000 yards north of the Aisne, -and was divided into an outpost line, a main line of battle, and a -weak system of supports. The artillery was not strong, consisting of -the divisional guns with some backing of French 75's and heavies. - -{315} - -The Fiftieth Division, like the others, had all three brigades in the -line. To the north the 150th Brigade (Rees) defended Craonne and the -slab-sided California Plateau. On their right, stretching across a -flat treeless plain, lay the 151st Brigade (Martin). To the right of -them again was the 149th Brigade (Riddell), which joined on near -Ville-aux-Bois to the 24th Brigade (Grogan) of the Eighth Division. -It may give some idea of the severity with which the storm broke upon -the Fiftieth Division, when it is stated that of the three brigadiers -mentioned one was killed, one was desperately wounded, and a third -was taken before ten o'clock on the first morning of the attack. - -The German onslaught, though very cleverly carried out, was not a -complete surprise, for the experienced soldiers in the British lines, -having already had two experiences of the new methods, saw many -danger signals in the week before the battle. There was abnormal -aircraft activity, abnormal efforts also to blind our own air -service, occasional registering of guns upon wire, and suspicious -movements on the roads. Finally with the capture of prisoners in a -raid the suspicions became certainties, especially when on the -evening of May 26 the Germans were seen pouring down to their front -lines. No help arrived, however, for none seems to have been -immediately available. The thin line faced its doom with a courage -which was already tinged with despair. Each British brigade brought -its reserve battalion to the north bank of the Aisne, and each front -division had the call upon one brigade of the Twenty-fifth Division. -Otherwise no help was in sight. - -The bombardment began early in the morning of {316} May 27, and was -said by the British veterans to be the heaviest of the war. Such an -opinion meant something, coming from such men. The whole area from -Soissons to Rheims was soaked with gas and shattered with high -explosives, so that masks had to be worn ten kilometres behind the -lines. A German officer declared that 6000 guns were employed. Life -was absolutely impossible in large areas. The wire was blown to -shreds, and the trenches levelled. The men stuck it, however, with -great fortitude, and the counter-barrage was sufficiently good to -hold up the early attempts at an infantry advance. The experiences -of the 149th Infantry Brigade may be taken as typical. The front -battalion was the 4th Northumberland Fusiliers under Colonel Gibson. -Twice the enemy was driven back in his attempt to cross the shattered -wire. At 4 A.M. he won his way into the line of outposts, and by -4.30 was heavily pressing the battle line. His tactics were good, -his courage high, and his numbers great. The 6th Northumberland -Fusiliers, under Colonel Temperley, held the main line, and with the -remains of the 4th made a heroic resistance. At this hour the -Germans had reached the main lines both of the 151st Brigade on the -left and of the 24th on the right. About five o'clock the German -tanks were reported to have got through on the front of the Eighth -Division and to be working round the rear of the 149th Brigade. Once -again we were destined to suffer from the terror which we had -ourselves evolved. The main line was now in great confusion and -breaking fast. The 5th Northumberland Fusiliers were pushed up as -the last reserve. There was deep shadow everywhere save on the -California Plateau, where General Rees, with his {317} three -Yorkshire battalions, had repulsed repeated assaults. The French -line had gone upon his left, however, and the tanks, with German -infantry behind them, had swarmed round to his rear, so that in the -end he and his men were all either casualties or captives. - -Colonel Gibson meanwhile had held on most tenaciously with a nucleus -of his Fusiliers at a post called Centre Marceau. The telephone was -still intact, and he notified at 5.45 that he was surrounded. He -beat off a succession of attacks with heavy loss to the stormers, -while Temperley was also putting up a hopeless but desperate fight. -Every man available was pushed up to their help, and they were -ordered to hold on. A senior officer reporting from Brigade -Headquarters says: "I could hear Gibson's brave, firm voice say in -reply to my injunctions to fight it out, 'Very good, sir. -Good-bye!'" Shortly afterwards this gallant man was shot through the -head while cheering his men to a final effort. - -The experience of the Durhams of the 151st had been exactly the same -as that of the Northumberlands of the 149th. Now the enemy were -almost up to the last line. The two brigadiers, Generals Martin and -Riddell, together with Major Tweedy of the reserve battalion, rushed -out to organise a local defence, drawing in a few scattered platoons -for the purpose. As they did so they could see the grey figures of -the Germans all round them. It was now past six o'clock, and a -clear, sunny morning. As these officers ran forward, a shell burst -over them, and General Martin fell dead, while Riddell received a -terrible wound in the face. In spite of this, he most heroically -continued to rally the men and form a centre of resistance {318} so -as to cover Pontavert as long as possible. The 5th Northumberland -Fusiliers with a splendid counter-attack had regained the position of -Centre d'Evreux, and for the moment the pressure was relieved. It -was clear, however, both to General Jackson and to General Heneker -that both flanks were exposed, and that their general position was an -acute salient far ahead of the Allied line. The Twenty-first -Division was less affected, since it already lay astride of the -river, but the French line on the left was back before mid-day as far -as Fismes, so that it was absolutely necessary if a man were to be -saved to get the remains of the two British divisions across the -Aisne at once. - -Pontavert, with its bridges over river and canal, was in the hands of -the Germans about 7 A.M., but the bridge-heads at Concevreux and -other places were firmly held, and as the men got across, sometimes -as small organised units, sometimes as a drove of stragglers, they -were rallied and lined up on the south bank. The field-guns had all -been lost but the heavies and machine-guns were still available to -hold the new line. Some of the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers were -entirely cut off, but fought their way through the Germans, and -eventually under Major Leatheart reported themselves at the bridges. -So rapid had been the hostile advance that the dressing-stations were -captured, and many of our doctors and wounded fell into the hands of -the Germans to endure the hard fate which these savages so often -reserved for the brave but helpless men who fell into their power. -It is a terrible fact which should not be forgotten, that among these -torturers the nurses and the doctors held in many cases a prominent -position. - -The 150th Brigade, under General Rees, which {319} was defending the -Craonne position, had endured an even heavier ordeal than the others. -It was on the extreme left of the British line, on the right of the -French 118th Regiment. This latter seems to have been entirely -destroyed or taken early in the attack. The British brigade lay in -front of Craonne upon the edge of the California Plateau, with the -5th Yorks on the right and the 4th East Yorks on the left. The 4th -Yorks were in brigade reserve in Craonelle, immediately behind the -fighting line. The Germans got through the French on the left, also -through a gap down the Corbeny railroad on the right of the 150th and -left of the 151st Brigade. Colonel Thomson of the 5th Yorks, a very -brave and experienced soldier who was said by those who knew him best -to be worth half a battalion in his own person upon the day of -battle, was in charge on the right, and hung on with tooth and claw -to every inch of ground, but his little force, already greatly -weakened by the cannonade, was unable to resist the terrible -onslaught of the German infantry. Two counter-attacks were attempted -by reserve companies, but each was swept away. The Germans were on -the flank in Craonne and enfiladed the line with a machine-gun. -Colonel Thomson's last words over the telephone to Headquarters were, -"Good-bye, General, I'm afraid I shall not see you again." He was -killed shortly afterwards. Major Haslett of the East Yorks made an -equally desperate resistance on the other flank, and finally he and a -wounded sergeant-major were captured with their empty pistols in -their hands. Meanwhile the Brigade Headquarters at La Hutte were -practically surrounded and under a terrible fire. General Rees -endeavoured to get into touch with his only {320} remaining -battalion, the 4th Yorks, but they had already been overrun by the -enemy. Colonel Kent, with sixteen men, had thrown himself into a -house in Craonelle, and had fought until the whole party were killed -or wounded. The enemy was now several miles to the rear of the few -survivors of the 150th Brigade, who endeavoured to make their way -back as best they might. It gives some idea of how completely they -were cut off that General Rees, after many adventures and escapes, -was finally stopped and taken by encountering the main line of the -German traffic coming down the road which he had to cross. This was -late in the day of May 27, when the enemy was well across the Aisne. -It may be of interest to add that General Rees was taken before the -Kaiser next morning, whom he found upon the California Plateau. The -emperor behaved with courtesy to his prisoner, though he could not -refrain from delivering a monologue of the usual type upon the causes -of the war and the iniquity of Great Britain in fulfilling her treaty -obligations. - -Some account must now be given of the experiences of Heneker's Eighth -Division which occupied the centre of the British line. This -division, like the others, had been sent to the Aisne for a rest cure -after its terrific exertions upon the Somme. Full of raw soldiers -and inexperienced officers it would have seemed to be entirely unfit -for battle, but it had the two solid assets of experienced leading in -the senior officers and great regimental traditions, that ever -present stand-by of the British Army. Young as were the troops they -took General Heneker's orders literally when he issued the command -that the posts were to be held at all costs, and, as a consequence, -{321} hardly a single battalion existed as a fighting unit after the -engagement. - -The British field-batteries were mostly to the north of the river, -and were greatly damaged by the preliminary German fire. They were -accurately located by the enemy, and were smothered in poison and -steel. So were the Gernicourt defences, which formed an important -tactical position with a permanent garrison on the right of the -division. All three brigades were in the line, the 25th on the -right, the 24th in the centre, and the 23rd on the left. The outpost -line was utterly overwhelmed in the first rush, the experience being -much the same as on March 21, for each small body of men found itself -isolated, and could only do its best to hold its own patch of ground. -Thus at 5.15 A.M. a pigeon message was sent, "H.Q. 2nd Berks, -consisting of Colonel Griffin, Captain Clare, and staff, are -surrounded. Germans threw bombs down dug-out and passed on. -Appeared to approach from right rear in considerable strength. No -idea what has happened elsewhere. Holding on in hopes of relief." -Their position was typical of many similar groups along the front, -marooned in the fog, and soon buried in the heart of the advancing -German army. The right of the 25th Brigade had been thrust back, but -on the left the 2nd Berkshires made a desperate resistance. The -whole front was intersected by a maze of abandoned trenches, and it -was along these that the enemy, shrouded in the mist, first gained -their fatal footing upon the flank. The 2nd East Lancashires were -brought up in support, and a determined resistance was made by the -whole brigade within the main zone of battle. The German tanks were -up, however, and {322} they proved as formidable in their hands as -they have often done in our own. Their construction was cumbrous and -their pace slow, but they were heavily armed and very dangerous when -once in action. Eight of them, however, were destroyed by the French -anti-tank artillery. At 6.30 the 25th Brigade, in shattered -remnants, was back on the river at Gernicourt. - -The attack on this front was developing from the right, so that it -came upon the 24th Brigade an hour later than upon its eastern -neighbour. The 2nd Northamptons were in front, and they were driven -in, but rallied on the battle zone and made a very fine fight, until -the German turning movement from the south-east, which crossed the -Miette south of the battle zone, took the line in flank and rear. In -the end hardly a man of the two battalions engaged got away, and -Haig, the brigadier, with his staff, had to cut their way out at the -muzzle of their revolvers, shooting many Germans who tried to -intercept them. The 23rd Brigade was attacked at about the same -time, and the 2nd West Yorkshires managed to hold even the outpost -line for a time. Then falling back on the battle position this -battalion, with the 2nd Devons and 2nd Middlesex near the Bois des -Buttes, beat off every attack for a long time. The fatal turning -movement threatened to cut them off entirely, but about 7.30 General -Grogan, who had set his men a grand example of valour, threw out a -defensive flank. He fell back eventually across the Aisne south of -Pontavert, while the enemy, following closely upon his heels, -occupied that place. - -Many outstanding deeds of valour are recorded in all the British -divisions during this truly terrible {323} experience, but two have -been immortalised by their inclusion in the orders of the day of -General Berthelot, the French general in command. The first -concerned the magnificent conduct of the 5th Battery R.F.A., which, -under its commander, Captain Massey, stuck to its work while piece -after piece was knocked out by an overwhelming shower of German -shells. When all the guns were gone Captain Massey, with Lieutenants -Large and Bution and a handful of survivors, fought literally to the -death with Lewis guns and rifles. One man with a rifle, who fought -his way back, and three unarmed gunners who were ordered to retire, -were all who escaped to tell the heroic tale. The other record was -that of the 2nd Devons, who went on fighting when all resistance -round them was over, and were only anxious, under their gallant -Colonel Anderson-Morshead, to sell their lives at the price of -covering the retreat of their comrades. Their final stand was on a -small hill which covered the river crossing, and while they remained -and died themselves they entreated their retiring comrades to hurry -through their ranks. Machine-guns ringed them round and shot them to -pieces, but they fought while a cartridge was left, and then went -down stabbing to the last. They were well avenged, however, by one -post of the Devons which was south of the river and included many -Lewis guns under Major Cope. These men killed great numbers of -Germans crossing the stream, and eventually made good their own -retreat. The main body of the battalion was destroyed, however, and -the episode was heroic. In the words of the French document: "The -whole battalion, Colonel, 38 officers, and 552 in the ranks, offered -their lives in ungrudging sacrifice to the sacred cause of the {324} -Allies." A word as to the valour of the enemy would also seem to be -called for. They came on with great fire and ardour. "The Germans -seemed mad," says one spectator, "they came rushing over the ground -with leaps and bounds. The slaughter was frightful. We could not -help shooting them down." - -Whilst this smashing attack had been delivered upon the Fiftieth and -Eighth Divisions, Campbell's Twenty-first Division on the extreme -right of the British line had also endured a hard day of battle. -They covered a position from Loivre to Berry-au-Bac, and had all -three brigades in action, six battalions in the line, and three in -reserve. Their experience was much the same as that of the other -divisions, save that they were on the edge of the storm and escaped -its full fury. The greatest pressure in the morning was upon the -62nd Brigade on the left, which was in close liaison with the 25th -Brigade of the Eighth Division. By eight o'clock the posts at Moscou -and the Massif de la Marine had been overrun by the overpowering -advance of the enemy. About nine o'clock the 7th Brigade from the -Twenty-fifth Division came up to the St. Aubœf Wood within the -divisional area and supported the weakening line, which had lost some -of the outer posts and was holding on staunchly to others. The -Germans were driving down upon the west and getting behind the -position of the Twenty-first Division, for by one o'clock they had -pushed the 1st Sherwood Foresters of the Eighth Division, still -fighting most manfully, out of the Gernicourt Wood, so that the -remains of this division with the 75th Brigade were on a line west of -Bouffignereux. This involved the whole left of the Twenty-first -Division, which had to swing back the 62nd {325} Brigade from a point -south of Cormicy, keeping in touch with the 7th Brigade which formed -the connecting link. At 3.20 Cormicy had been almost surrounded and -the garrison driven out, while the 64th Brigade on the extreme right -was closely pressed at Cauroy. At six in the evening the 7th Brigade -had been driven in at Bouffignereux, and the German infantry, beneath -a line of balloons and aeroplanes, was swarming up the valley between -Guyencourt and Chalons le Vergeur, which latter village they reached -about eight, thus placing themselves on the left rear of the -Twenty-first Division. Night fell upon as anxious a situation as -ever a harassed general and weary troops were called upon to face. -The Twenty-first had lost few prisoners and only six guns during the -long day of battle, but its left had been continually turned, its -position was strategically impossible, and its losses in casualties -were very heavy. It was idle to deny that the army of General von -Boehm had made a very brilliant attack and gained a complete victory -with, in the end, such solid trophies as 45,000 Allied prisoners and -at least 400 guns. It was the third great blow of the kind within -nine weeks, and Foch showed himself to be a man of iron in being able -to face it, and not disclose those hidden resources which could not -yet be used to the full advantage. - -The capture of Pontavert might have been a shattering blow to the -retreating force, but it would seem that the Germans who had pushed -through so rapidly were strong enough to hold it but not, in the -first instance, strong enough to extend their operations. By the -afternoon of May 27 they were over at Maizy also, and the force at -Concevreux, which {326} consisted of the remains of the Fiftieth and -part of the Eighth and Twenty-fifty Divisions, was in danger of -capture. At 2 P.M. the Germans had Muscourt. The mixed and -disorganised British force then fell back to near Ventelay, where -they fought back once more at the German advance, the Fiftieth -Division being in the centre, with the 75th and 7th Brigades on its -right. This latter brigade had been under the orders of the -Twenty-first Division and had helped to hold the extreme right of the -position, but was now involved in the general retreat. Already, -however, news came from the west that the Germans had not got merely -to the Aisne but to the Vesle, and the left flank and rear of the -Ninth Corps was hopelessly compromised. Under continuous pressure, -turning ever to hold up their pursuers, the remains of the three -divisions, with hardly any artillery support, fell back to the south. -On the western wing of the battle Soissons had fallen, and Rheims was -in a most perilous position, though by some miracle she succeeded in -preserving her shattered streets and desecrated cathedral from the -presence of the invaders. - -The Eighth Division had withdrawn during the night to Montigny, and, -in consequence, the Twenty-first Division took the general line, -Hermonville-Montigny Ridge, the 64th Brigade on the right, with the -62nd and 7th in succession on the left. Every position was -outflanked, however, touch was lost with the Eighth on the left, and -the attack increased continually in its fury. Prouilly fell, and the -orders arrived that the next line would be the River Vesle, Jonchery -marking the left of the Eighth Division. On the right the -Twenty-first continued {327} to be in close touch with the French -Forty-fifth Division. All units were by this time very intermingled, -tired, and disorganised. The 15th Durhams, who had fought a -desperate rearguard action all the morning upon the ridge north of -Hervelon Château, had almost ceased to exist. The one gleam of light -was the rumoured approach of the One hundred and thirty-fourth French -Division from the south. It had been hoped to hold the line of the -River Vesle, but by the evening of May 28 it was known that the -Germans had forced a passage at Jonchery, where the bridge would have -been destroyed but for the wounding of the sapper officer and the -explosion of the wagon containing the charges. On the other hand, -the Forty-fifth French Division on the right was fighting splendidly, -and completely repulsed a heavy German attack. When night fell the -British were still for the most part along the line of the Vesle, but -it was clear that it was already turned upon the west. Some idea of -the truly frightful losses incurred by the troops in these operations -may be formed from the fact that the Eighth Division alone had lost -7000 men out of a total force of about 9000 infantry. - -About eight in the morning of May 29 the enemy renewed his attack, -pushing in here and there along the line in search of a gap. One -attempt was made upon the Twenty-first Division, from Branscourt to -Sapicourt, which was met and defeated by the 1st Lincolns and 6th -Leicesters. Great activity and movement could be seen among the -German troops north of the river, but the country is wooded and -hilly, so that observation is difficult. Towards evening, the right -flank of the fighting line was greatly comforted by the arrival of -the French Division already {328} mentioned, and the hearts of the -British were warmed by the news that one of their own divisions had -come within the zone of battle, as will now be described. - -When the Ninth Corps was sent to the Aisne, another very weary -British division, the Nineteenth (Jeffreys), had also been told off -for the French front with the same object of rest, and the same -actual result of desperate service. So strenuous had the work of -this division been upon the Somme and in Flanders, that the ranks -were almost entirely composed of new drafts from England and Wales. -Their destination was the Chalons front, where they remained for -exactly twelve days before the urgent summons arrived from the -breaking line on the Aisne, and they were hurried westwards to -endeavour to retrieve or at least to minimise the disaster. They -arrived on the morning of May 29, and found things in a most critical -condition. The Germans had pushed far south of the Aisne, despite -the continued resistance of the survivors of the Eighth, -Twenty-fifth, and Fiftieth British Divisions, and of several French -divisions, these débris of units being mixed up and confused, with a -good deal of mutual recrimination, as is natural enough when men in -overwrought conditions meet with misfortunes, the origin of which -they cannot understand. When troops are actually mixed in this -fashion, the difference in language becomes a very serious matter. -Already the Allied line had been pushed far south of Fismes, and the -position of the units engaged was very obscure to the Higher Command, -but the British line, such as it was, was north of Savigny on the -evening of May 28. Soissons had fallen, Rheims was in danger, and it -was doubtful whether even the line of the Marne could {329} be held. -Amid much chaos it must, indeed, have been with a sense of relief -that the Allied generals found a disciplined and complete division -come into the front, however young the material of which it was -composed. - -A gap had opened in the line between the Thirteenth French Division -at Lhery and the One hundred and fifty-fourth near Faverolles, and -into this the 57th and 58th Brigades were thrust. The artillery had -not yet come up, and the rest of the Allied artillery was already -either lost or destroyed, so there was little support from the guns. -It was a tough ordeal for boys fresh from the English and Welsh -training camps. On the left were the 10th Worcesters and 8th -Gloucesters. On the right the 9th Welsh Fusiliers and 9th Welsh. It -was hoped to occupy Savigny and Brouillet, but both villages were -found to be swarming with the enemy. Remains of the Eighth and -Twenty-fifth Divisions were still, after three days of battle, with -their faces to the foe on the right of the Nineteenth Division. They -were very weary, however, and the 2nd Wiltshires were brought up to -thicken the line and cover the divisional flank north of Bouleuse. -This was the situation at 2 P.M. of May 29. - -The tide of battle was still rolling to the south, and first Savigny -and then Faverolles were announced as being in German hands. A mixed -force of odd units had been formed and placed under General -Craigie-Hackett, but this now came back through the ranks of the -Nineteenth Division. On the right also the hard-pressed and -exhausted troops in front, both French and British, passed through -the 2nd Wiltshires, and endeavoured to reform behind them. The -Nineteenth Division from flank to flank became the {330} fighting -front, and the Germans were seen pouring down in extended order from -the high ground north of Lhery and of Treslon. On the right the -remains of the Eighth Division had rallied, and it was now reinforced -by the 2nd Wilts, the 4th Shropshire Light Infantry, and the 8th -Staffords, the latter battalions from the 56th Brigade. With this -welcome addition General Heneker, who had fought such a long uphill -fight, was able in the evening of May 29 to form a stable line on the -Bouleuse Ridge. By this time the guns of the Nineteenth Division, -the 87th and 88th Brigades Royal Field Artillery, had roared into -action--a welcome sound to the hard-pressed infantry in front. There -was a solid British line now from Lhery on the left to the eastern -end of the Bouleuse Ridge, save that one battalion of Senegal -Tirailleurs was sandwiched in near Faverolles. Liaison had been -established with the Thirteenth and One hundred and fifty-fourth -French Divisions to left and right. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: British Line on Chemin des Dames] - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - -The early morning of May 30 witnessed a very violent attack along all -this portion of the line. By 6 A.M. the enemy had worked round the -left flank of the 10th Worcesters at Lhery, driving before them some -of the troops, French and British, who were exhausted from the long -battle. It is difficult for either writer or reader to imagine the -condition of men who have fought a losing battle for three days -without cessation. If Foch saved up his reserves during these weeks -of agony, it was surely at a precious cost to the men who bore the -weight. The left company of the 10th Worcesters lost all its -officers and 60 per cent of its men, and Lhery had to be left to the -enemy. Meanwhile, the Senegalese, who, like all tropical troops, are -more formidable in attack than in defence, were {331} driven in near -Faverolles, the Germans making a frontal attack in eight lines. They -pushed through the gap, outflanked the 9th Welsh Fusiliers on the -left and the 2nd Wiltshires on the right, cutting off a platoon of -the former battalion. Both these battalions suffered very heavily, -the Welsh Fusiliers especially being cut to pieces. At both ends of -the line the remains of the front battalions had to fall back upon -their supports. The 74th Composite Brigade, already referred to as -being under General Craigie-Hackett, fought on the left of the -Nineteenth Division, and was ordered to hold the Lhery-Rohigny Road. -The pressure, however, upon these tired troops and upon the remains -of the 10th Worcesters continued to be very great, and by 11 A.M. the -situation was critical on the left of the line, the flank having been -driven in, and the 8th Gloucesters enfiladed so that the D'Aulnay -Wood could no longer be held. These changes enabled the Germans to -close in upon the 9th Welsh and the remains of the 9th Welsh -Fusiliers, attacking them in front and flank. The troops on their -right gave way, and the assailants were then able to get round the -other flank of these two devoted battalions, and practically to -surround them, so that very few won their way back. The whole front -line had gone with the exception of the 10th Warwicks on the left. -For a time it seemed as if there was nothing to limit this powerful -thrust of the enemy, but in the usual miraculous fashion a composite -party of odds and ends, drawn from stragglers and details, hastily -swept together by General Jeffreys, were hurried up to the high -ground south of Ville-en-Tardenois. With the aid of four -machine-guns from the Nineteenth Division this force {332} held the -victorious enemy from coming further, covered the left flank of the -10th Warwicks, and formed a bastion from which a new wall could be -built. A second bastion had been made by the 5th South Wales -Borderers, pioneers of the Nineteenth Division, who had dug in south -of Rohigny and absolutely refused to shift. Up to 2 P.M. the 2nd -Wilts also held their ground north of Bouleuse. Between these fixed -points the 57th and 58th Brigades were able to reorganise, the 15th -Warwicks and 9th Cheshires covering the respective fronts. On the -right the Twenty-eighth French Division had relieved the One hundred -and fifty-fourth, while the 4th Shropshires and 8th North Staffords, -both still intact, formed a link between the two Allies. Touch had -been lost on the left, and patrols were sent out to endeavour to -bridge the gap. At this period General Jeffreys of the Nineteenth -Division commanded the whole British line. A serious loss had been -caused by the wounding of General Glasgow, the experienced leader of -the 58th Brigade. General Heath of the 56th Brigade took over the -command of both units. - -The Germans had reached their limit for the day, though some attempt -at an attack was made in the afternoon from the wood of Aulnay, which -was beaten back by the British fire. It was rumoured, however, that -on the left, outside the British area, he was making progress south -of Rohigny, which made General Jeffreys uneasy for his left wing. Up -to now the British had been under the general command of the Ninth -British Corps, but this was now withdrawn from the line, and the -Nineteenth Division passed to the Fifth French Corps under General -Pellé, an who left a most pleasant impression upon the {333} minds of -all who had to deal with him. On May 31 the front consisted of the -French Fortieth on the left, the French Twenty-eighth on the right, -and the British Nineteenth between them, the latter covering 12,000 -yards. The weary men of the original divisions were drawn out into -reserve after as severe an ordeal as any have endured during the -whole war. The 74th Composite Brigade was also relieved. Some idea -of the losses on the day before may be gathered from the fact that -the two Welsh battalions were now formed into a single composite -company, which was added to the 9th Cheshires. - -The morning of the 31st was occupied in a severe duel of artillery, -in which serious losses were sustained from the German fire, but upon -the other hand a threatened attack to the south-west of -Ville-en-Tardenois was dispersed by the British guns. About two -o'clock the enemy closed once more upon the left, striking hard at -the 6th Cheshires, who had been left behind in this quarter when the -rest of the 74th Composite Brigade had been relieved. The 10th -Warwicks were also attacked, and the whole wing was pushed back, the -enemy entering the village of Ville-en-Tardenois. The Warwicks -formed up again on high ground south-east of the village, the line -being continued by the remains of the 10th Worcesters and 8th -Gloucesters. Whilst the left wing was driven in, the right was also -fiercely attacked, the enemy swarming down in great numbers upon the -French, and the 9th Cheshires. The former were driven off the -Aubilly Ridge, and the latter had to give ground before the rush. - -General Jeffreys, who was on the spot, ordered an immediate -counter-attack of the 2nd Wilts to retrieve {334} the situation. -Before it could develop, however, the French were again advancing on -the right, together with the 4th Shropshires. A local counter-attack -had also been delivered by the 9th Cheshires, led on horseback with -extreme gallantry by Colonel Cunninghame. His horse was shot under -him, but he continued to lead the troops on foot, and his Cheshire -infantry followed him with grim determination into their old -positions. The ground was regained though the losses were heavy, -Colonel Cunninghame being among the wounded. - -The attack of the 2nd Wiltshires had meanwhile been developed, and -was launched under heavy fire about seven in the evening, moving up -to the north of Chambrecy. The position was gained, the Wiltshires -connecting up with the Cheshires on their right and the Gloucesters -on their left. Meanwhile, advances of the enemy on the flank were -broken up by artillery fire, the 87th and 88th Brigades of guns doing -splendid work, and sweeping the heads of every advance from the -Tardenois-Chambrecy Road. So ended another very severe day of -battle. The buffer was acting and the advance was slowing. Already -its limit seemed to be marked. - -On the morning of May 31 the British position extended from a line on -the left connecting Ville-en-Tardenois and Champlat. Thence the 57th -Brigade covered the ground up to the stream which runs from Sarcy to -Chambrecy. Then the 56th Brigade began, and carried on to 1000 yards -east of the river Ardres. The line of battalions (pitiful remnants -for the most part) was from the left, 10th Warwicks, 10th Worcesters, -8th Gloucesters, 2nd Wilts, 9th Cheshires, 8th Staffords, and 4th -Shropshires. {335} Neither brigade could muster 1000 rifles, while -the 58th Brigade in reserve was reduced to 350. The three sapper -field companies, the personnel of the trench-mortar batteries, and -every straggler who could be scraped up was thrust forward to thicken -the line. - -The German attack was launched once more at 4 P.M. on June 1, -striking up against the Fortieth French Division and the left of the -British line. Under the weight of the assault the French were pushed -back, and the enemy penetrated the Bonval Wood, crossed the -Tardenois-Jonchery Road, and thrust their way into the woods of -Courmont and La Cohette. Here, however, the attack was held, and the -junction between the French and the Warwicks remained firm. The -front of the 57th Brigade was attacked at the same time, the 8th -Gloucesters and the 2nd Wilts on their right being very hard pressed. -The enemy had got Sarcy village, which enabled them to get on the -flank of the Gloucesters, and to penetrate between them and the -Wiltshires. It was a very critical situation. The right company of -the Gloucesters was enfiladed and rolled up, while the centre was in -deadly danger. The left flank and the Worcesters held tight, but the -rest of the line was being driven down the hill towards Chambrecy. A -splendid rally was effected, however, by Captain Pope of B Company, -who led his west countrymen up the hill once more, driving the enemy -back to his original line. For this feat he received the D.S.O. At -this most critical period of the action, great help was given to the -British by the 2nd Battalion of the 22nd French Regiment, led in -person by Commandant de Lasbourde, which joined in Pope's -counter-attack, {336} afterwards relieving the remains of the -Gloucester's. Lasbourde also received the D.S.O. The success of the -attack was due partly to the steadiness of the 10th Worcesters on the -left, who faced right and poured a cross-fire into the German -stormers. It was a complete, dramatic little victory, by which the -high ground north of Chambrecy was completely regained. - -A withdrawal of the whole line was, however, necessary on account of -the German penetration into the left, which had brought them complete -possession of the Wood of Courmont on the British left rear. The -movement was commenced at seven in the evening, and was completed in -most excellent order before midnight. This new line, stretching from -Quisles to Eligny, included one very important position, the hill of -Bligny, which was a prominence from which the enemy could gain -observation and command over the whole valley of the Ardres, making -all communications and battery positions precarious. - -The general order of units in the line on June 2 was much the same as -before, the 5th South Wales Borderers being held in reserve on the -left, and the 2/22nd French on the right of the Nineteenth Division. -These positions were held unbroken from this date for a fortnight, -when the division was eventually relieved after its most glorious -term of service. The British Ninth Corps was busily engaged during -this time in reorganising into composite battalions the worn and -mixed fragments of the Eighth, Twenty-fifth, and Fiftieth Divisions, -which were dribbled up as occasion served to the new battle-line. A -composite machine-gun company was also organised and sent up. - -Several days of comparative quiet followed, during {337} which the -sappers were strengthening the new positions, and the Germans were -gathering fresh forces for a renewed attack. Congratulatory messages -from General Franchet d'Esperey, the French Army Commander, and from -their own Corps General put fresh heart into the overtaxed men. -There was no fresh attack until June 6. On that date the line of -defence from the left consisted of the Fortieth French Division, the -Eighth Division Composite Battalion (could a phrase mean more than -that?), the 10th Warwicks, 10th Worcesters, 8th Gloucesters, 58th -Brigade Composite Battalion, 9th Cheshires, 8th North Staffords, 4th -Shropshires, and Twenty-eighth French Division. At 3 A.M. there -began a tremendous bombardment, mostly of gas-shell, which gave way -to the infantry advance at 4 A.M., the attack striking the right and -centre of the British line, in the section of the all-important -Bligny Hill. As the enemy advanced upon the front of the 58th -Composite Battalion, the men who were the survivors of the 2nd Wilts, -9th Welsh Fusiliers, and 9th Welsh, fired a volley, and then, in a -fashion which would have delighted the old Duke, sprang from their -cover and charged with the bayonet, hurling the Germans down the -slope. It was a complete repulse, as was a second attack upon the -front of the Gloucesters and Worcesters who, with a similar -suggestion of the legendary Peninsula tactics, waited till they could -see their foemen's eyes before firing, with the result that the -storming column simply vanished, flinging itself down in the long -grass and hiding there till nightfall. There was no attack on the -left of the line, but the 9th Cheshires and the North Staffords both -had their share in the victory. The Twenty-eighth French {338} -Division on the right had given a little before the storm, and the -British line was bent back to keep touch. Otherwise it was -absolutely intact, and the whole terrain in front of it was covered -with German dead. - -The German is a determined fighter, however, and his generals well -knew that without the command of Bligny Hill no further progress was -possible for him in the general advance. Therefore they drew -together all their strength and renewed the attack at 11 A.M. with -such energy and determination that they gained the summit. An -immediate counter by the 9th Cheshires, though most gallantly urged, -was unable to restore the situation, but fortunately a battalion was -at hand which had not lost so grievously in the previous fighting. -This was the 4th Shropshires, which now charged up the hill, -accompanied by the remains of the undefeated 9th Cheshires. The -attack was delivered with magnificent dash and spirit, and it ended -by the complete reconquest of the hill. For this feat the 4th -Shropshires received as a battalion the rare and coveted distinction -of the Croix de Guerre with the palm. This local success -strengthened the hands of the French on the right, who were able in -the late afternoon to come forward and to retake the village of -Bligny. June 6 was a most successful day, and gave fresh assurance -that the German advance was spent. - -There was no further close fighting in this neighbourhood up to June -19, when the young soldiers of the Nineteenth and other divisions -were withdrawn after a sustained effort which no veterans could have -beaten. In the official report of General Pellé to his own Higher -Command, there occurs the generous {339} sentence: "L'impression -produite sur le moral des troupes françaises par la belle attitude de -leurs alliés a ét très bonne." Both Allies experienced the -difficulty of harmonising troops who act under different traditions -and by different methods. At first these hindrances were very great, -but with fuller knowledge they tended to disappear, and ended in -complete mutual confidence, founded upon a long experience of loyalty -and devotion to the common end. - -From this date until the end of June no event of importance affecting -the British forces occurred upon the Western front. The German -attack extended gradually in the Aisne district, until it had reached -Montdidier, and it penetrated upon the front as far south as the -forest of Villers-Cotteret, where it threatened the town of -Compiègne. In the middle of June the German front was within forty -miles of Paris, and a great gun specially constructed for the -diabolical work was tossing huge shells at regular intervals into the -crowded city. The bursting of one of these projectiles amidst the -congregation of a church on a Sunday, with an appalling result in -killed and wounded, was one of those incidents which Germans of the -future will, we hope, regard with the same horror as the rest of the -world did at the time. - -The cause of the Allies seemed at this hour to be at the very lowest. -They had received severe if glorious defeats on the Somme, in -Flanders, and on the Aisne. Their only success lay in putting limits -to German victories. And yet with that deep prophetic instinct which -is latent in the human mind, there was never a moment when they felt -more assured of the ultimate victory, nor when the language of {340} -their leaders was prouder and more firm. This general confidence was -all the stranger, since we can see as we look back that the situation -was on the face of it most desperate, and that those factors which -were to alter it--the genius of Foch, the strength of his reserves, -and the numbers and power of the American Army--were largely -concealed from the public. In the midst of the gloom the one bright -light shone from Italy, where, on June 17, a strong attack of the -Austrians across the Piave was first held and then thrown back to the -other bank. In this most timely victory Lord Cavan's force, which -now consisted of three British Divisions, the Seventh, Twenty-third, -and Forty-eighth, played a glorious part. So, at the close of the -half year Fate's curtain rang down, to rise again upon the most -dramatic change in history. - - - - -{341} - -INDEX - - -Ablainzeville, 32, 34, 35 - -Acklom, Colonel, 112 - -Aisne, British on the, 312-338 - -Albert, 64, 65, 66, 69, 70, 73, 76, 199, 204, 205, 206, 207, 210 - -Allenby, General Sir Edmund, 1 - -Allgood, Brigadier-General, 43 - -America, preparations by, 5 - -Amiens, 65, 114, 135, 152, 213, 312 - -Anderson, Colonel, V.C., 126 - -Anderson-Morshead, Colonel, 323 - -Anstey, Colonel, 135 - -Armentières, 226, 227, 235, 238, 240, 248, 260 - -Armin, General von, 249, 261, 303, 309 - -Armitage, Colonel, 299 - -Armstrong, Captain, 231 - -Arras, 6, 42, 44, 199, 204 - -Aveluy Wood, 204, 206, 207, 208, 209, 212 - -Ayette, 34, 35, 36 - - - -Bac St. Maur, 236, 238, 239, 241, 248, 249 - -Bailey, Brigadier-General, 78, 203 - -Bailleul, 44, 45, 257, 258, 259, 260, 262, 273, 278, 281, 282, 283, -293 - -Bainbridge, General Sir E., 50, 249, 273, 302, 312 - -Baird, Brigadier-General, 273, 277 - -Bambridge, Captain, 266 - -Banham, Major, 132 - -Bapaume, 56, 59, 60, 62 - -Barisis, 80, 81, 105 - -Barrett, Colonel Moulton, 40 - -Beal, Lieutenant, 25 - -Beaumetz, 50, 51, 55 - -Beaumont Hamel, 64, 65, 67, 74, 141, 144, 153 - -Beauvais, 156, 157, 158 - -Bellingham, Brigadier-General, 139, 203 - -Bell-Smyth, General, 195 - -Below, General Otto von, 9 - -Belton, Colonel, 143 - -Bennett, Brigadier-General, 210, 272 - -Bennett, Major (Cornwalls), 163 - -Bennett, Major (Oxfords), 141 - -Bernafoy Wood, 62, 122, 123, 124 - -Berney, Dr., 45 - -Berthelot, General, 323 - -Bertie, Major, 163 - -Bertincourt, 56, 58 - -Bethell, Brigadier-General, 302 - -Bethencourt, 122, 129, 159, 162, 163, 166, 187 - -Biddle, Sergeant-Major, 297 - -Bilton, Colonel, 162 - -Blackall, Colonel, 52 - -Blacklock, General, 148 - -Bligny, 336, 337, 338 - -Boehm, General von, 325 - -Bois d'Aquenne, 214, 216, 218 - -Boyd-Moss, Brigadier-General, 231 - -Boyelles, 24, 37 - -Braithwaite, General, 63, 64 - -Bridgford, General, 26, 245 - -British Armies, general disposition of, in March 1918, 5-7 - -Buchoir, 171, 173 - -Bucquoy, 63, 71, 74, 204, 212 - -Bullecourt, 10, 16, 19 - -Burt, Colonel, 182 - -Bushell, Colonel, 185 - -Bution, Lieutenant, 323 - -Butler, General, 10, 81, 104, 106, 153, 177, 183, 189, 192, 212, 215 - -Butler, Brigadier-General Leslie, 264 - -Buverchy, 165, 166, 167, 168 - -Byng, General Sir Julian, 6, 13, 41, 61 - - - -Cachy, 213, 214, 215 - -Cade, Colonel, 302 - -Cailloux, 230, 233, 234 - -California Plateau, 313, 315, 316, 319, 320 - -Cambrai, 6, 10, 47, 48, 63, 80, 221 - -Cameron, General, 254, 282, 302 - -Campbell, General, 86, 88, 123, 249, 306, 312, 324 - -Campbell, Brigadier-General, 31 - -Canizy, 159, 161, 163, 164 - -Cape, General, 148 - -Carey, General, 142, 143, 144, 150 - -Carter-Campbell, General, 47, 241 - -Cator, General, 105, 111, 213, 214 - -Cavan, General Lord, 340 - -Cayley, General, 243 - -Chalmers, Captain, 70 - -Chambrecy, 334, 336 - -Chandler, Captain, 92 - -Chapel Hill, 86, 87, 88, 89, 92, 116 - -Charlton, Colonel, 98 - -Chauny, 182, 183, 188, 190, 192, 196 - -Chemin des Dames, battle of, 312-338 - -Clare, Captain, 321 - -Clark, Major, 133 - -Clarke, Colonel Stanley, 42 - -Clemenceau, M., 6, 7, 284 - -Clery, 118, 125 - -Combe, Captain, 170 - -Combles, 59, 120, 121 - -Congreve, General, V.C., 10, 61, 80, 130, 142 - -Contalmaison, 61, 62, 63, 123 - -Contescourt, 103, 104 - -Cope, Major, 323 - -Cotton, Colonel, 163 - -Cotton, Lieutenant, 195 - -Cowper, General, 104 - -Craig, ----, 219 - -Craigie-Hackett, General, 329, 331 - -Craonelle, 319, 320 - -Craonne, 313, 315, 319 - -Croisilles, 17, 18, 23 - -Croix du Bac, 237, 239 - -Cronin, Lieutenant, 37 - -Cross, Lance-Corporal, 28 - -Crossthwaite, Colonel, 107 - -Crown Prince, the, 9 - -Crozat Canal, 110, 111, 112, 177, 189 - -Crozier, Brigadier-General, 31 - -Cubbon, Major, 69 - -Cubitt, Brigadier-General, 249, 253 - -Cunningham, Lieutenant, 85 - -Cunninghame, Colonel, 334 - -Curling, Colonel, 191 - -Currie, Brigadier-General, 307 - - - -Da Costa, General, 227, 229 - -Daly, General, 93, 131 - -Dann, Colonel, 112 - -Dawes, Colonel, 59 - -Dawson, General, 120, 203 - -Debeney, General, 214 - -De Lisle, General, 227, 270, 311 - -De Mitry, General, 299 - -Demuin, 141, 142, 143, 144, 146, 148, 150 - -Dennis, Captain, 108 - -Dent, Lieutenant, 266 - -Dernacourt, 75, 126, 204, 205, 210 - -Dervicke-Jones, Colonel, 180, 181 - -Deverell, General, 14, 293 - -Diebold, General, 180 - -Dimmer, Colonel, V.C., 99, 141 - -Doignies, 49, 50 - -Dougall, Captain, V.C., 251 - -Downie, Colonel M'Alpine, 100 - -Duchesne, General, 190 - -Dudbridge, Lieutenant, 159 - -Dugan, Brigadier-General, 132 - -Duncan, Brigadier-General, 161 - - - -Eardley-Wilmot, Colonel, 26 - -Ecoust, 17, 19, 20 - -Elstob, Colonel, 102 - -Epehy, 88, 92 - -Ervillers, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 59, 63 - -Esmery-Hallon, 160, 161, 176 - -Esperey, General Franchet d', 337 - -Essigny, 80, 103, 104, 105, 106, 114, 116, 177 - -Estaires, 229, 236, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 278 - -Evans, Captain, 257 - - - -Failes, Captain, 49 - -Fanshawe, General Sir E. A., 10, 47 - -Fayolle, General, 131 - -Feetham, General, 118, 138, 147, 148, 203 - -Fergusson, General Sir Charles, 10 - -Festubert, 233, 234, 246, 293, 294, 296, 299 - -Fins, 55, 57 - -Fismes, 314, 318, 328 - -Flesquières, 47, 49 - -Fleurbaix, 226, 236, 238 - -Foch, Marshal, 135, 203, 224, 325, 330, 340 - -Forbes, Brigadier-General, 31 - -Franks, General, 123, 125, 126 - -Frelinghien, 238, 239 - -Freyberg, Brigadier-General, 286 - -Frières Wood, 178, 185, 186 - -Frise, 130; 132 - - - -Gauche Wood, 86, 87, 88 - -Gavrelle, 41, 44 - -German East Africa, operations in, 2 - -Gibson, Colonel, 316, 317 - -Girdwood, Brigadier-General, 36 - -Givenchy, 226, 227, 228, 230, 246, 247, 258, 293, 294, 295 - -Glasgow, Brigadier-General, 215, 249, 251, 332 - -Goodman, Brigadier-General, 100 - -Gore, Brigadier-General, 284 - -Gorringe, General, 47, 53, 206, 209 - -Gosling, Lieutenant, 297 - -Gosset, Colonel, 148 - -Gough, General Sir Hubert, 6, 9, 12, 80, 81, 114, 115, 142, 151, 200, -202 - -Grant, General, 115, 142 - -Grant, ----, 133 - -Green, Captain, 255 - -Greenly, General, 106, 184, 192 - -Gribble, Captain, V.C., 56 - -Griffin, Brigadier-General, 50, 302 - -Griffin, Colonel, 321 - -Griffiths, Brigadier-General, 102, 253 - -Grogan, Brigadier-General, 315, 322 - -Gunner, Major F., 139 - -Gunning, Captain, 183 - - - -Haig, Field-Marshal Sir Douglas, 6, 122, 200, 203, 224, 261, 310, 311 - -Haig, Brigadier-General, 322 - -Haking, General, 227 - -Haldane, General Sir Aylmer, 10, 13, 18, 22 - -Hall, Lieutenant, 297 - -Ham, 82, 101, 157, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 183, 203 - -Hamilton-Gordon, General, 249, 312 - -Hancock, Colonel, 140 - -Handford, Captain, 297 - -Hangard Wood, 210, 211, 213, 215, 219, 220 - -Hangest, 173, 174 - -Hargicourt, 93, 94 - -Harman, General, 184, 190, 191 - -Harper, General, 10, 47 - -Harrop, Lieutenant, 165 - -Harston, Brigade-Major, 299 - -Hartigan, Major, 91, 92 - -Harvey, Colonel, 142 - -Haslett, Major, 319 - -Havrincourt, 50, 54 - -Haybittle, Captain, 110 - -Hazebrouck, 237, 258, 263, 264, 270, 271 - -Headlam, General, 123 - -Heane, Brigadier-General, 271 - -Heath, Brigadier-General, 250, 332 - -Heneker, General, 98, 128, 135, 213, 312, 318, 320, 330 - -Henin, 37, 40 - -Henin Hill, 18, 22, 23, 24, 26, 52 - -Hermies, 50, 51, 54 - -Heudicourt, 88, 116 - -Higginson, Brigadier-General, 107 - -Hill, Colonel, 132 - -Hilliard, Brigadier-General, 43 - -Hindenburg Line, the, 6, 10 - -Hoath, Colonel, 56 - -Hodgson, Lieutenant, 256 - -Hollebeke, 248, 249, 250 - -Holnon Wood, 157 - -Horn, Colonel, 73 - -Hornby, General, 118 - -Horne, General Sir H., 41, 227, 311 - -Houthulst Forest, 6, 7, 227 - -Howitt, Major, 158, 168 - -Hull, General, 86, 90 - -Humbert, General, 189 - -Hunt, Colonel, 123 - -Hurd, Corporal, 280 - -Hutchinson, Colonel, 278 - -Hutier, General von, 9 - - - -Impey, Colonel, 68 - -Ireland, Colonel, 91 - -Italy, operations in, 4, 340 - - - -Jackson, General, 227, 240, 312, 318 - -Jackson, Brigadier-General, 140 - -Jacob, General Sir C., 8 - -Jacotin, Private, 268 - -James, Colonel, 38 - -Jeffreys, General, 53, 249, 250, 255, 274, 286, 290, 328, 331, 332, -333 - -Jeudwine, General Sir Hugh, 227 - -Johnson, Major, 147 - -Jones, Captain, V.C., 56 - -Jussy, 178, 179, 181, 183, 184, 185 - - - -Kelly, Captain, 183 - -Kemmel, Mount, 283, 292, 299, 300, 301, 302, 304, 305 - -Kemmel, village, 302, 306 - -Kemp-Welch, Colonel, 280 - -Kent, Colonel, 320 - -Kerensky, 3 - -Kidd, Lieutenant, 92 - - - -La Bassée, 6 - -La Fère, 8, 79, 111, 112, 114, 177 - -Lagnicourt, 47, 49, 50 - -Lamotte, 138, 141 - -Large, Lieutenant, 323 - -Lasbourde, Commandant de, D.S.O., 335, 336 - -La Vacquerie, 79, 80 - -Laventie, 227, 228, 235 - -Lawford, General, 31 - -Lawrie, General, 47, 53 - -Lawson, Colonel, 158, 299 - -Leatheart, Major, 318 - -Lee, General, 105, 109, 153, 218 - -Le Fleming, Colonel, 98 - -Lenin, 3 - -Lens, 6 - -Le Plantin, 230, 231, 232, 295, 297, 298 - -Le Quesnel, 169, 170, 173 - -Le Quesnoy, 170 - -Leslie, Brigadier-General, 271 - -Lestrem, 240, 241, 243, 246 - -Lettow Vorbeck, General, 2 - -Le Verguier, 94, 95, 127 - -Lewis, Lieutenant, 266 - -Liancourt, 169, 170 - -Libermont, 164, 165, 167, 168 - -Loisne, 230, 232, 233, 295, 298 - -Longueval, 69, 61 - -Louverval, 49, 50 - -Ludendorff, General, 8 - -Lumsdon, Brigadier-General, 43 - -Lys, battle of the: the Flanders front, 223-224; German hopes, 224; -factors in favour of the Allies, 224-226; disaster to and retirement -of Portuguese, 227-229; Fifty-fifth Division at Givenchy, 230-234; -loss of the Lys, 235-246; German attack in the north, 249-256; -British retreat, 256-257; general review of the situation, 258-259; -loss of Armentières, 260; Sir Douglas Haig's "Win or Die" message to -his armies, 261-262; 4th Guards Brigade at Hazebrouck, 263-270; -arrival of First Australian Division, 270-273; loss of Neuve Eglise, -275, 287-289; Nineteenth Division, 286-287, 289-293; enemy attack on -First Division at Givenchy, 294-298; attack on and fall of Kemmel, -300-304; battle of Ridge Wood, 306-309; review of month's fighting on -Flanders front, 310-311 - - - -M'Carter, Dr., 45 - -M'Cullagh, Colonel, 45 - -Macintosh, Captain, 287 - -M'Intosh, Private, 46 - -Mackenzie, General Colin, 98, 246, 299 - -Maclachlan, Colonel, 159 - -MacLeod, Colonel, 42 - -M'Leod, Colonel, 116 - -Maissemy, 80, 93, 94, 99, 100, 104, 114 - -Maitland, Brigadier-General, 277, 307 - -Malassise Farm, 91, 92 - -Malcolm, General, 93, 203 - -Mametz, 62, 63 - -Marcelcave, 139, 143, 144, 148, 151, 204 - -March, Corporal, 211 - -Marden, General, 47, 307 - -Maricourt, 62, 64, 123 - -Marindin, Brigadier-General, 125 - -Marshall, General, 2 - -Martin, Brigadier-General, 97, 245, 315, 317 - -Marwitz, General von, 9 - -Massey, Captain, 323 - -Maude, General Sir F. S., 2 - -Maxse, General Sir Ivor, 10, 81, 98, 104, 156, 161, 175 - -Mayne, Brigadier-General, 277, 308 - -Meerling, Captain, 162 - -Mezières, 146, 147, 175 - -Mennessis, 178, 179 - -Merris, 247, 264, 277 - -Merville, 228, 240, 244, 245, 247, 258, 260, 277, 278 - -Mesopotamia, operations in, 2 - -Messines, 227, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 258, 260, -293 - -Meteren, 263, 272, 277, 278, 280, 281, 283, 293, 300 - -Mitchell, Colonel, 43 - -Monchy, 8, 10, 37 - -Montauban, 62, 65, 123 - -Montdidier, 196, 199, 339 - -Moore, Colonel, 164 - -Moreuil, 147, 148, 149, 151, 175, 199 - -Mory, 26, 27, 28, 29 - -Moyencourt, 164, 167 - -Moyenneville, 30, 32, 33, 34 - - - -Nesham, Major, 25 - -Nesle, 161, 162, 163, 164, 167, 168, 169 - -Neuf Berquin, 245, 247, 277 - -Neuve Eglise, 260, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 283, 286, 287, 288, 289, -290 - -Neuville Vitasse, 37, 39, 40, 42 - -Nicholson, General, 16, 235, 238, 239, 285 - -Nieppe, 248, 256, 257, 265, 284 - -Nollet, General, 152 - -Noreuil, 182, 186 - -Noreuille, 17, 19 - -Noyon, 180, 191, 194, 195 - -Nugent, General, 102 - - - -Offoy, 162, 163 - -O'Gowan, General Wanless, 26 - -Oppy, 41, 44 - -O'Sullivan, Sergeant, 28 - - - -Pagan, Brigadier-General, 143, 299 - -Paget, Brigade-Major, 135 - -Palestine, operations in, 1, 2 - -Parkes, Major, 290 - -Passchendaele, 6 - -Peirs, Colonel, 95 - -Peizière, 88, 89 - -Pellé, General, 180, 332, 338 - -Pereira, General, 53 - -Peronne, 98, 118, 122, 128 - -Piave, Italian victory on the, 340 - -Pinney, General, 262, 263, 273, 277, 278, 284, 307 - -Pitman, General, 192, 195 - -Ploegsteert, 253, 254, 255 - -Plumer, General Sir Herbert, 8, 227, 254, 262, 293, 310 - -Pœuilly, 96, 97, 127 - -Polderhoek Château, 7 - -Pollard, General, 126 - -Ponsonby, General, 21, 31, 227 - -Pope, Colonel, 98 - -Pope, Captain, D.S.O., 335 - -Portal, General, 195 - -Porter, Captain, 150 - -Poyntz, Brigadier-General, 100, 171 - -Pozières, 62, 63, 64 - -Prior, Colonel, 49 - -Proctor, Captain, D.S.O., 97 - -Pryce, Captain, V.C., 265, 269 - - - -Quartermain, Lieutenant, 172 - -Quast, General von, 226, 261 - - - -Ransome, Colonel, 185 - -Rawlinson, General Sir Henry, 8, 205 - -Reade, Colonel, 303 - -Reed, General, V.C., 38, 41, 42, 43 - -Reedman, Brigadier-General, 264 - -Rees, Brigadier-General, 96, 315, 316, 318, 319, 320 - -Regiments: - -_Artillery_-- - -Royal Field Artillery, 17, 59, 69, 90, 110, 123, 176, 178, 191, 251, -266, 323, 330 - -Royal Horse Artillery, 178, 191 - -_Cavalry_-- - -Royal Dragoons, 161, 191 - -Scots Greys, 184, 187 - -6th Lancers, 195 - -12th Lancers, 160 - -16th Lancers, 181, 195 - -3rd Hussars, 110 - -4th Hussars, 195 - -11th Hussars, 96, 157 - -20th Hussars, 187 - -Northumberland Hussars, 191 - -_Guards_-- - -Coldstream, 265, 266, 268, 269 - -Grenadier, 265, 268, 269 - -Irish, 265, 266, 269 - -_Infantry_-- - -Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 25, 43, 100, 279, 283, 307, 309 - -Bedford, 69, 101, 151, 168, 181, 184, 187, 194, 303, 307, 309 - -Berkshire, 68, 99, 100, 107, 141, 151, 157, 187, 206, 214, 218, 321 - -Black Watch, 42, 43, 246, 298 - -Border, 305 - -Buffs (East Kent), 67, 107, 108, 109, 185 - -Cambridge, 134, 304 - -Cameron Highlanders, 42, 43, 121 - -Cheshire, 125, 251, 303, 332, 333, 334, 337, 338 - -Devons, 135, 214, 322, 323 - -Duke of Cornwall's, 163, 170 - -Durham Light Infantry, 89, 124, 134, 135, 140, 146, 166, 216, 218, -241, 242, 243, 244, 317, 327 - -East Lancashire, 16, 93, 112, 214, 264, 321 - -East Surrey, 27, 28, 98, 109, 110, 133, 185, 235 - -East Yorkshire, 30, 31, 32, 34, 237, 264, 319 - -Essex, 43, 69, 108, 187, 206, 220 - -Gloucester, 50, 56, 143, 250, 251, 287, 290, 296, 297, 298, 299, 329, -331, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337 - -Gordon Highlanders, 37, 39, 42, 99, 157, 158, 246 - -Hampshire, 43, 52, 294, 299 - -Hertford, 117, 304 - -Highland Light Infantry, 25, 36, 124, 126, 235, 237, 273, 274, 275, -276, 277 - -Inniskilling Fusiliers, 102, 103 - -King's Liverpool, 22, 39, 40, 101, 160, 161, 170, 172, 231, 232, 233, -234, 282, 283, 306, 307, 308, 309 - -King's Own Royal Lancaster, 37, 38 - -King's Own Scottish Borderers, 42, 43, 117, 119, 121, 301 - -King's Royal Rifles, 7, 22, 105, 146, 149, 162, 164, 166, 167, 273, -274, 275 - -Lancashire Fusiliers, 36, 93, 94, 150, 232, 302 - -Leicester, 19, 88, 89, 112, 306, 327 - -Lincoln, 17, 19, 87, 88, 89, 90, 116, 327 - -Liverpool Scottish, 231, 234 - -1st Artists, 69 - -London Rifle Brigade, 44 - -1st London, 111, 180 - -2nd London, 213 - -3rd London, 111, 112, 181, 182 - -4th London, 111, 112, 182, 213 - -8th London (Post Office Rifles), 112, 180, 181, 182, 183 - -10th London, 213 - -15th London (Civil Service), 207, 208 - -15th London (Queen's Westminsters), 44 - -17th London, 53, 54 - -18th London, 54, 57, 58 - -19th London, 54, 58 - -20th London, 58, 207, 208 - -22nd London, 208, 209 - -23rd London, 57, 207, 208 - -24th London, 207, 211 - -Manchester, 31, 35, 58, 93, 101, 102, 132, 159 - -Middlesex, 27, 213, 235, 236, 237, 277, 283, 285, 307, 322 - -Munster Fusiliers, 91 - -Norfolk, 49, 69, 70 - -Northampton, 69, 181, 187, 216, 322 - -North Staffordshire, 19, 93, 98, 112, 126, 250, 251, 252, 292, 330, -332, 334, 337 - -Northumberland Fusiliers, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 24, 38, 39, 40, 89, 96, -97, 112, 126, 127, 134, 136, 137, 146, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, -247, 276, 284, 286, 316, 317, 318 - -Oxford and Bucks, 56, 83, 84, 99, 141, 157 - -Queen's (West Surrey), 67, 93, 95, 185, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282 - -Rifle Brigade, 93, 149, 159, 162, 163, 166, 167, 214 - -Royal Fusiliers, 7, 15, 22, 67, 68, 140, 151, 184, 187, 193, 194, 206 - -Royal Irish Fusiliers, 161, 171, 191, 254 - -Royal Irish Rifles, 102, 103, 254 - -Royal Scots, 14, 15, 18, 24, 37, 42, 90, 100, 116, 117, 121, 124, -125, 163, 239, 301 - -Royal Scots Fusiliers, 20, 37, 40, 151, 235, 237, 277 - -Royal West Kent, 67, 68, 93, 107, 187, 220 - -Seaforth Highlanders, 43, 292 - -Sherwood Foresters, 19, 125, 135, 214, 215, 287, 288, 289, 290, 291, -292, 324 - -Scottish Rifles, 42, 184, 271, 278, 281, 282, 308, 309 - -Shropshire, 39, 40, 146, 251, 287, 289, 330, 332, 334, 337, 338 - -Somerset Light Infantry, 105, 170, 294 - -South Lancashire, 171, 231, 232 - -South Staffordshire, 19, 52, 303 - -South Wales Borderers, 251, 255, 257, 297, 332, 336 - -Suffolk, 14, 16, 18, 23, 24, 26, 38, 69, 206, 235, 236, 238, 239 - -Sussex, 68, 95, 125, 132, 184, 206, 304 - -Warwick, 56, 169, 250, 251, 292, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, 337 - -Welsh, 28, 235, 236, 249, 253, 329, 331, 333, 337 - -Welsh Fusiliers, 53, 54, 55, 57, 59, 209, 249, 290, 329, 331, 337 - -West Lancashire, 227, 230 - -West Riding, 71, 72, 282, 305 - -West Yorkshire, 32, 33, 70, 72, 149, 213, 215, 255, 322 - -Wiltshire, 55, 101, 253, 290, 302, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, -337 - -Worcester, 50, 56, 99, 250, 273, 274, 275, 287, 290, 329, 330, 331, -333, 334, 335, 336, 337 - -York and Lancaster, 276, 305 - -Yorkshire, 24, 98, 159, 166, 171, 235, 236, 237, 240, 241, 243, 307, -317, 319, 320 - -Yorkshire Light Infantry, 35, 71, 72, 266, 268, 269, 276 - --------- - -Entrenching Battalions, 96, 106, 107, 112, 140, 146, 166, 167, 177, -179, 185, 189, 190, 194, 190 - -Royal Army Medical Corps, 45, 77, 286 - -Royal Engineers, 19, 23, 37, 67, 107, 135, 161, 186, 187, 237, 251, -268, 277, 283, 286, 287, 302 - -Royal Naval Division, 53, 58, 62, 63, 67, 206, 209 - -_Overseas Forces_-- - -Australians, 61, 64, 66, 71, 72, 75, 127, 150, 152, 153, 204, 205, -206, 210, 212, 215, 216, 218, 220, 221, 222, 237, 259, 283, 269, 270, -271, 272, 273, 280, 283, 284, 293, 300 - -Canadians, 41, 121, 146, 149, 152, 153, 162, 167, 172, 184, 195, 204 - -New Zealanders, 64, 65, 66, 72, 75, 204, 211, 212, 278, 281, 283 - -South Africans, 86, 87, 88, 90, 116, 117, 119, 120, 121, 252, 255, 291 - - - -Rheims, 316, 326, 328 - -Ricardo, Brigadier-General, 102 - -Richards, Lieutenant, 85 - -Richardson, Colonel, 111 - -Richardson, Lieutenant, 186 - -Rickerby, Lieutenant, 159 - -Rickman, Colonel, 34 - -Riddell, Brigadier-General, 96, 97, 135, 244, 315, 317 - -Ridge Wood, 305, 307, 308, 309 - -Robecq, 246, 259, 260, 294 - -Roberts, Colonel, 24 - -Robertson, General, 47, 53 - -Robertson, Colonel Forbes, V.C., 248 - -Robinson, Colonel, 96, 137 - -Rœux, 43 - -Roisel, 94, 95 - -Rollo, Colonel, 309 - -Romer, General, 18, 281 - -Ronssoy, 80, 90, 91, 93, 113 - -Rosenthal, General, 210 - -Rossignol Wood, 64, 71, 72, 74, 212 - -Roumania, 3 - -Rouvroy, 171, 172 - -Roye, 167, 168, 170, 196 - -Russell, General Sir A., 72 - -Russia, events in, 3 - - - -St. Emilie, 92, 117 - -St. Leger, 24, 26, 29 - -St. Pierre Vaast, 119, 121 - -St. Quentin, 10, 98, 100, 156 - -Sadleir-Jackson, Brigadier-General, 106, 194 - -Sailly Saillisel, 58, 59, 119, 121, 122 - -Saint, Colonel, 139 - -Salonica, 2 - -Scarpe River, 41, 43, 45 - -Scott, General, 66 - -Seely, General, 190 - -Sensée River, 13, 14, 24 - -Sharples, Driver, 279 - -Shute, General, 35, 36 - -Smith, Brigadier-General, 210 - -Smith, Captain, 297 - -Soissons, 316, 326, 328 - -Sole, Colonel, 63, 290 - -Solly-Flood, General, 31 - -Somme, the second battle of the: effects of German and Austrian -successes in Russia, 3; in Roumania, 3; in Italy, 4; disposition of -the British Armies, 5-7; enemy preparations for the Great Offensive -of March 21, 1918, 8-10; the German plan, 8; examination of the -British positions, 10-12; general situation on 20th March, 12; attack -on the Sixth Army Corps, 14; loss of Bullecourt, 16; Croisilles -abandoned, 18; losses of the Fifty-ninth Division, 21; capture of -Henin Hill by the enemy, 23; hard fighting by Fortieth Division, 25, -27-31; East Yorkshires at Ervillers, 30-32; West Yorkshires at -Moyenneville, 33-34; recapture of Ayette, 36; successful resistance -before Arras, 37-43; German advance checked in the north, 44-45; work -of the R.A.M.C., 45; of the Artillery, 46; attack on Sixth and -Fifty-first Divisions, 48-53; attack on and retirement of the Fifth -Corps, 53-57; continued German pressure, 57-63; fighting before -Albert, 64-70; defence of Twelfth Division, 66-70; enemy advance -stayed in this sector, 70; results of first week's fighting on Third -Army front summarised, 76-77; losses of Third Army, 77-78; Fifth Army -front on 21st March, 80; its fortifications, 81; position and number -of reserves, 82; story of a redoubt, 83-85; attack upon the Seventh -Corps, 86-92; on the Nineteenth Corps, 92-98; on the Eighteenth -Corps, 98-104; on the Third Corps, 104-112; retreat of the Fifth -Army, 113; the problem before General Gough, 113-115; his plans, -115-116; the Seventh Corps, 116-127; destruction of the South African -Brigade, 120; the Nineteenth Corps, 127-155; defence of the Somme, -127-131; the East Surreys, 133; the Carey line, 142-145; General -Feetham killed, 147; advance of Australians, 152-153; General Watts' -achievement, 154; losses of Nineteenth Corps in the retreat, 154; the -Eighteenth Corps, 156-176; defence of Beauvais by the Gloucesters, -158-159; enemy capture Ham, 160; defence of Le Quesnoy, 170; -experiences of Maxse's Eighteenth Corps summarised, 175-176; Third -Corps, 177-203; Germans force the Crozat Canal line, 178-182; arrival -of the French, 180; fight at Frières Wood, 186; loss of Noyon, -194-195; losses of the Third Corps, 197; end of the retreat, 199; -general observations and criticism, 199-203; losses of Fifth Army, -21st to 28th March, 203; attack upon Albert, 205-209; fighting at -Aveluy Wood, 207-209; Germans capture Villers-Bretonneux, 212-215; -recapture by Australians and Eighth Division, 215-219; turn of the -tide, 220 - -Sorel, 88, 116, 117 - -Stanley, Brigadier-General, 100, 101, 160 - -Stansfeld, Brigadier-General, 287 - -Steenwerck, 237, 239, 242, 245, 249, 254 - -Stewart, Colonel (Leicester), 112 - -Stewart, Colonel (South Staffs), 303 - -Stockley, General, 94 - -Stockwell, Brigadier-General, 232 - -Stokes-Roberts, Colonel, 93 - -Stone, Brigadier-General, 94 - -Stoney, Colonel, 275 - -Strazeele, 237, 272, 278, 281 - -Strickland, General, 234, 293 - - - -Tanner, Brigadier-General, 252 - -Tanner, Rev. --, 275 - -Temperley, Colonel, 242, 247, 316, 317 - -Thompson, Captain, 135 - -Thomson, Colonel, 319 - -Thorne, Colonel, 112 - -Topping, General, 286 - -Tudor, General, 86, 249, 252, 291 - -Tweedie, Colonel, 296 - -Tweedy, Major, 317 - -Tween, Major, 187 - -Twiss, Colonel, 33, 34 - - - -Vierhouck, 245, 247, 264 - -Vieux Berquin, 247, 264, 266, 268, 271, 272, 280 - -Ville-en-Tardenois, 331, 333, 334 - -Villers-Bretonneux, 153, 155, 199, 212, 213, 215, 219, 220 - -Vimy Ridge, 6 - - - -Walker, General Sir Harold, 271 - -Walker, Colonel, 132 - -Wannan, Private, 46 - -Warden, Colonel, D.S.O., 28 - -Warre-Dymond, --, 133 - -Watson, Colonel, 161, 309 - -Watts, General Sir H., 10, 73, 80, 86, 92, 94, 129, 130, 131, 138, -141, 142, 143, 144, 147, 149, 154 - -Weedon, Sergeant, 269 - -Wetherall, Brigadier-General, 83, 85, 157, 168 - -Whelan, Lieutenant, 91, 92 - -White, Brigadier-General Hon. R., 156, 157, 158, 203 - -Whitham, Colonel, 218 - -Whitworth, Major, 132 - -Williams, General, 100 - -Willock, Captain, 141 - -Wingrove, Major, 289 - -Witteycombe, Brigadier-General, 102 - -Wood, Brigadier-General, 107 - -Woods, Lieutenant, 24 - -Worgan, Brigadier-General, 111, 180 - -Wray, General, 238 - -Wrenford, Colonel, 112 - -Wright, Colonel, 137 - -Wulverghem, 254, 256, 258 - -Wyatt, General, 276 - -Wytschaete, 248, 249, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 260, 291, 292, 293, -299, 301, 303 - - - -Young, Colonel, 120 - -Ypres, 256, 306 - - - -THE END - - - -_Printed in Great Britain by_ R. & R. 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