[Ill.u.s.tration: SCHERPENBERG HILL]
=The German Offensive of 1918=
The front was quiet during the winter of 1917--1918, but 1918 opened darkly for the Allies.
The Treaty of Brest-Litowsk had sealed the defection of Russia, while Roumania, reduced to her own resources, was forced to sign the Treaty of Bukarest. Lastly, invaded Italy was only just recovering from the disaster at Caporetto. Already, in spite of the terms of the Brest-Litowsk Treaty, huge ma.s.ses of troops, guns and stores were being despatched to the Western Front. The blow fell on March 21, 1918.
The objectives, three in number, were the smashing of the British right wing at its junction with the French; the separation of the two Allied army groups; the driving back to the Channel coast of the two British armies, after they had been surrounded on the south. The long-coveted road "_Nach Paris_" would then at last be open.
But in spite of their colossal efforts the Germans were held.
By March 31, the German Imperial forces were exhausted, and General Foch was able to say: "_The wave has spent itself on the beach._" The peril seemed to be averted.
But the respite was only a short one. The German attack before Amiens was scarcely stayed (April 6) when the battle suddenly broke out again.
From the Arras sector to La Ba.s.see the whole line was ablaze as far as the Lys. While, in the first German offensive the British right had suffered severely, it was against the left wing of the same army that the new blow was struck.
The new offensive, although quickly prepared, was even more violent than the first.
On April 9, when the attack began, the German battle-front between the Lys and La Ba.s.see was held by twenty-one divisions in line and six in reserve, under the command of Von Quast (VIth Army).
Of these twenty-seven divisions only seven were in line on March 28.
Ten divisions were hurriedly brought up from the Belgian front (IVth Army--Von Arnim), which was holding the sector from the Lys to the Channel. Five others were despatched from the Artois front, and, lastly, five divisions were taken from General Ludendorff"s general reserve.
FOOTNOTE:
[Footnote 1: French: troupes des comtes = county regiments.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: ON APRIL 9--20, 1918, THE GERMANS BROKE THROUGH THE ALLIES" FRONT, SOUTH OF YPRES, AND ADVANCED TO NIEPPE FOREST AND THE CHAIN OF THE FLANDERS HILLS]
=THE BATTLE OF THE FLANDERS HILLS=
=The Break-Through= (_April 9, 1918._)
The Germans began the attack on the morning of April 9, after an intense bombardment with gas sh.e.l.ls, and under cover of a dense fog reached the first machine-guns. The sector was held by Portuguese troops, wedged in between the British, from Bois-Grenier to Neuve-Chapelle.
On the whole length of front attacked, between La Ba.s.see and Armentieres, in the Plain of Flanders, the only natural obstacles are the rivers and ca.n.a.ls. From the beginning of the battle the Portuguese were thrown into disorder by the extreme violence of the attack.
The twenty-one German shock divisions attacked in five columns: to the south, the first column in the direction of Givenchy; the second (General Kraevel), in front of Festubert; the third (Von Bernhardi) marched against La Couture and Richebourg-St.-Waast; the Carlowitz Corps, forming the fourth column, advanced against Estaires in the direction of Laventie; further north, the fifth column attacked in the direction of Fleurbaix, outflanking Bois Grenier and Armentieres on the west.
Under the pressure of the attack, a depression was formed in the line.
Fleurbaix, Laventie, Richebourg-St.-Waast and Neuve-Chapelle were lost, and the Germans reached the Lys between Estaires and the St. Maur Ferry.
To the north of the pocket the Allies resisted successfully at Fleurbaix; to the south, Givenchy, after a desperate struggle, remained in the hands of the British.
On the following day the German troops, continuing the push towards the centre, succeeded in crossing the Lys between Estaires and the St. Maur Ferry.
The battle extended northwards and the IVth Army (Von Arnim) attacked between Armentieres and Ploegsteert with the Eberhardt, Marschall and Sieger Corps.
The push continued on the 11th, and Armentieres, outflanked on the north and south, smashed by the sh.e.l.ls and drenched with gas, had to be evacuated.
On their left, the Germans, after crossing the Lawe, north of Locon, two miles from Bethune, captured Neuf-Berquin and Merville.
Givenchy, held by the British 55th Division, resisted all attacks and remained in their hands.
On the right, Nieppe and Steenwerk had to be evacuated. The German advance to the south of Armentieres becoming more p.r.o.nounced, the British straightened their front, to avoid too sharp a salient, and fell back to the Messines-Wytschaete Crest.
On the 12th the fighting continued furiously. Advancing along the Lille-Hazebrouck railway, the Germans reached the outskirts of Nieppe Forest. South-west of Merville they captured Calonne, and, further north, approached Bailleul.
North of the Lys, under pressure of Von Arnim"s army, the Messines-Wytschaete Crest, with the wood and village of Ploegsteert, had to be abandoned. The British line was withdrawn to Neuve-Eglise and Wulverghem. In these few days the gains of the Allied offensive of the last five months of 1917 were lost.
The 13th marked the culminating point of the battle in the central sector. Foch made his dispositions promptly, and French reinforcements were despatched to the critical points.
Von Bernhardi crossed the Clarence at Robecq on the 13th. On the same day Von Gallwitz made a strong push northwards between Hazebrouck and Bailleul, with the object of outflanking the line of the Flanders Hills, already attacked on the east and north-east by the IVth Army (Von Arnim).
Battles were fought south of Meteren, at Merris, Vieux-Berquin and on the eastern outskirts of Nieppe Forest. To the east of Bailleul, Neuve-Eglise (an important cross-road) was fiercely disputed. After changing hands many times on the 14th, it was finally abandoned the same night.
The loss of Neuve-Eglise led to that of Wulverghem, and the British were forced to fall back to the eastern slopes of Kemmel Hill, the first high point in the chain of hills called the Heights or Hills of Flanders.
From east to west this chain consists of Rouge Hill (flanked on the north-east by Scherpenberg), Vidaigne Hill, Noir Hill, Cats Hill, and lastly by the western bastion of Ca.s.sel.
After taking Neuve-Eglise on the night of the 14th, the Germans decided on a fresh and still more powerful effort.
Three picked divisions were hurled against the hills of Lille and Ravetsberg, to the east of Bailleul, which fell. The Germans entered Bailleul, pushing on thence to Meteren, which they also captured. The next day they tried to develop this success, but instead of the exhausted British, the Germans now found themselves faced by fresh French troops. In three days (April 12--14) Petain had brought up without a hitch five French divisions and one cavalry corps, which stayed the German rush at the foot of the hills.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ROUGE HILL, SEEN FROM SCHERPENBERG HILL]
On April 16 the Germans made their first attempt to turn the Flanders Hills from the south-west in the direction of Hazebrouck.
The French 133rd Infantry Division (Valentin), supported by the British 34th Division, vigorously repulsed the attack.
On the 17th a fresh and more powerful attack was made simultaneously from the north-east, towards Poperinghe, and from the south, on the Bailleul-Neuve-Eglise front.
At the same time an independent operation--which failed completely--was undertaken to the north of Ypres on the Belgian front. The Belgians repulsed the Germans and took 800 prisoners.
To the south three British divisions (34th, 49th, 19th) stayed the German advance.
A last effort, starting from Wytschaete, also broke down before the French 28th Infantry Division (Madelin).
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE GERMANS ATTACK THE CHAIN OF HILLS WHICH PROTECT YPRES]
=The Capture of Kemmel Hill= (_April 22--28, 1918._)
A period of comparative calm followed, during which the Germans prepared a fresh ma.s.s attack, in view of the capture of the Hills.