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The British Army in the West, Dec
1917-Nov 1918
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This week's chapter
examines Mr Lloyd George as war premier, Caporetto and the Rapallo
conference, the German offensive of Mar 21, the campaign for the Channel
ports, unity of command, the strategy of Marshal Foch, the Allied
counter-offensive, the achievements of the British Army, the contributions to
victory of the Canadian and Australian armies, the Armistice, Sir Douglas
Haig's review of the war
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The offensives of 1915, 1916 and 1917 were most of them
delivered in the belief that the supreme crisis of the struggle had come. In
fact, it did not come until the full summer of 1918, and even then only when
the enemy had first exhausted himself by an effort of unparalleled violence
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'Our backs to the wall'
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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 on to the end
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april 13, 1918
‘Our backs to the wall’These grave words reveal the nature of the crisis which is swiftly developing in France. Though meant to inspire our gallant troops, who are fighting desperately for every foot of ground against heavy odds, they must be taken to heart by every man and woman in these islands. “The conduct of each one of us,” both here and across the Atlantic, should be guided by the thought that the whole fortunes of the Allies are now at stake, and that no sacrifice can be too great, no effort too small, in the supreme task of giving help to the brave men who are battling day and night against the overwhelming German hordes. Sir Douglas Haig tersely declares that the objects of the enemy are “to separate us from the French, to take the Channel ports, and destroy the British Army”.
Their leading divisions on the left centre of their battlefront are only forty miles from Calais, a situation without precedent since the war began. While guarding the northern gates, we have still to be prepared for the blow at Amiens and the line of the Somme estuary which may be attempted at any moment. For the present, however, the eyes of the world are turned towards the northern battle, where Sir Herbert Plumer is steadfastly endeavouring to stem the oncoming tide of the German legions. A glimpse of the desperate nature of the fighting is furnished by our Correspondent’s statement that, in opposing von Bernhardt’s troops on the River Lawe, the headquarters staff of two brigades plunged into the struggle with rifles, while one general led his orderlies into the fray. “Each one of us must fight on to the end,” says Sir Douglas Haig, and in this crisis that must be the motto of us all. Heavy though the onslaught of the enemy has been, we believe that our heroic soldiers, and the French hurrying to their aid, will yet save the day.
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General Foch and the Battle
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The British and French governments have now agreed to confer
upon General Foch the title and powers of Commander-in-Chief of the Allied
Armies in France
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The British and French governments have now agreed to confer upon General Foch the title and powers of Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Armies in France. The decision was clearly not premeditated, but has been rendered imperative by the military position in France and Flanders. Until recently the French and British Armies fought, for all practical purposes, in watertight compartments. The point of contact between the two Allied Armies remained clearly marked until the Germans began their great offensive between Arras and La Fère on March 21. In consequence of the retirement of our Fifth Army, and the hasty concentration of French reinforcements, units of both forces found themselves temporarily intermingled. The French were gradually taking over part of our battle line, and very soon were holding about half the battle front. The battle, in short, was at first exclusively British, but it became half French. In these circumstances the compromise adopted by the Supreme War Council at Versailles last winter was rapidly extended, and General Foch, at the joint desire of the British, French and United States Governments, undertook the task of co-ordinating the action of the Allied Armies with the supreme direction of strategy. This arrangement was hardly in working order when fresh complications arose as a consequence of the new offensive initiated by the enemy north and south of Armentières last week. Pressed by superior forces, the British line astride the Lys was slowly withdrawn for a considerable distance, and our Army again became in need of French help. The advent of French units in the northern battle signifies that, for a period the end of which cannot be foreseen, the old conditions under which the French and British Armies fought on separate fronts are over. There has been a fusion of resources, further emphasized by the decision of the United States government to merge many of their available battalions in French and British brigades to complete their training.
The step does not deprive the British Commander-in-Chief of any of his direct authority over the British Army, and we believe that the British peoples will fully share the entire confidence reposed in General Foch by his own countrymen.
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A deliberate withdrawal
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It must be unpleasant to give up ground which has been won at
the cost of gallant lives, but it cannot be too often repeated that local
gains have little significance in this gigantic struggle
april 18, 1918
We have fallen back from our positions in the Passchendaele area, where we have given the enemy most of the ground won in last year’s Flanders fighting. This retirement was compelled by the changed situation in the area of the Messines Ridge. We here have known that the retirement was in progress, but obviously it would have been indiscreet to report it. It must be unpleasant to give up ground which has been won at the cost of gallant lives, but it cannot be too often repeated that local gains have little significance in this gigantic struggle. The Germans now have the blasted shell-hole area behind them over which to bring their troops and transport, and from experience we know what that means.The whole country below Meteren is one German cemetery, except that the dead are still unburied, and one hears of machine-gun barrels having to be again and again renewed as, day after day, Germans continued to come on over open ground. Under our terrific shell fire others besides the actual combatants in the fighting line have been tested to the uttermost. The gallantry of our transport in bringing up ammunition could not have been surpassed. Runners and stretcher-bearers, as always, have shown perfect heroism, and officers of the Army Medical Corps have worked indefatigably under fire. Great credit, too, is given to a certain detachment of Cyclists.
This failure of the main attack has cost the Germans very dear. We hear of battalions being reduced to less than 50 per cent of their strength, and of one regiment, the Second Grenadiers, which lost five battalion commanders in three days, and of single companies being reduced from 120 to 30 men by our artillery before they got into the fighting line. Our guns and aeroplanes have wrought such havoc that there are roads heaped with wrecked transport and dead horses.
The weather along the battle front continues dull, but the wind has changed to westerly and it is milder. There has been no rain, beyond light showers, for eight days, and under the prevailing easterly wind the ground has dried a good deal. Visibility today was fairly good, and the aeroplanes were very active. I hear that the enemy has wrecked the tower of Albert Church, with the famous leaning figure of the Virgin. |
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