https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/register/the-enemy-s-hope-deferred-k90ps6m57
Army, nation, and Allies are completely confident in the issue, but they are well aware that victory must be bought at a great price. At no time have they suffered from the illusions with which it has been the policy of the enemy Governments to feed their peoples. Since the moment when Russia withdrew from the field — and from the Alliance — they have fully realized that the struggle must be prolonged, and that until the Americans can come into line in strength the Allies would be fighting at a disadvantage. The enemy peoples were encouraged to expect that the hosts of the “War Lord” would make short work of the Allies before Amiens and Ypres, that they would break through in irresistible masses between the English and the French, that they would “roll up” our Armies and drive them back in disorder upon the Channel ports, and that they would press forward through the gap on the French capital. It was a splendid and exhilarating vision, like that of the capture of Paris in the first German onslaught, or of bringing England to her knees by a few months of unlimited piracy. Visions of the kind make a nation which worships force ready to suffer with patience a good deal at home, and we have never believed in any sudden “collapse” of the enemy from internal pressure.
Among the new German troops put in for the last attack here seem to have been the 3rd Guard Division, which includes the Kaiser’s famous pets, the Berlin “Cockchafers”, which have already had bitter experiences in this war. On Monday they came against the 25th Division and suffered very badly. According to rumour, the Kaiser himself has been watching the operations, and on former occasions his presence has notoriously failed to bring good luck.
May 3, 1918
The enemy's hope deferred
The lull in the offensive which has followed the recent German repulse does not mean, it need hardly be said, that Hindenburg and Ludendorff have delivered the last of the “sledge-hammer blows” over which their countrymen were so enthusiastic of late. Our soldiers and their gallant comrades have arrested the enemy onslaught and inflicted terrible losses upon the serried masses of picked troops who made it. But they well know that a further ordeal awaits them which may be even fiercer than that from which they have victoriously emerged.Army, nation, and Allies are completely confident in the issue, but they are well aware that victory must be bought at a great price. At no time have they suffered from the illusions with which it has been the policy of the enemy Governments to feed their peoples. Since the moment when Russia withdrew from the field — and from the Alliance — they have fully realized that the struggle must be prolonged, and that until the Americans can come into line in strength the Allies would be fighting at a disadvantage. The enemy peoples were encouraged to expect that the hosts of the “War Lord” would make short work of the Allies before Amiens and Ypres, that they would break through in irresistible masses between the English and the French, that they would “roll up” our Armies and drive them back in disorder upon the Channel ports, and that they would press forward through the gap on the French capital. It was a splendid and exhilarating vision, like that of the capture of Paris in the first German onslaught, or of bringing England to her knees by a few months of unlimited piracy. Visions of the kind make a nation which worships force ready to suffer with patience a good deal at home, and we have never believed in any sudden “collapse” of the enemy from internal pressure.
The sooner Germany and all her allies understand that the democracies are fighting for a permanent settlement, based upon principle, and not for a patchwork arrangement of details to meet the wishes of this member of the Alliance and of that, the nearer will the world be to peace. The enemy will fail to inveigle the Allies into a bad peace as they have failed, and will fail, to impose on them such a peace by their “destructive sword.”https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-bid-for-ypres-first-world-war-0836bgg65
MAY 2, 1918
The bid for Ypres
There has been practically no fighting on any part of the front. That the Germans will continue their efforts on the line of hills and Ypres seems inevitable, but after their utter failure of Monday last they have been conspicuously quiet. Meanwhile our guns have been doing good work against their transport and troops on the move.Among the new German troops put in for the last attack here seem to have been the 3rd Guard Division, which includes the Kaiser’s famous pets, the Berlin “Cockchafers”, which have already had bitter experiences in this war. On Monday they came against the 25th Division and suffered very badly. According to rumour, the Kaiser himself has been watching the operations, and on former occasions his presence has notoriously failed to bring good luck.
Today I have been in contact with the Guards, and heard more details of their fighting, for which they have received special mention by the Commander-in-Chief. There is a magnificent tale of a party of the Grenadier Guards near L’Epinette, commanded by a particularly gallant officer, who has already won the Military Cross and Bar. They had fought practically without stopping against ever-renewed troops for a day and a half, and the party was reduced to 18 men. Again the enemy came on, and the gallant 18 went out with the bayonet and threw them back. Fourteen survived, and as once more the Germans pushed forward, these 14 were last seen flinging themselves again with the bayonet against the advancing line, and one man only seems to have got home, after lying in a ditch till midnight.
Certain Coldstream Guards also fought when absolutely surrounded. Reduced to a handful of men, they fell back fighting, until hardly any won through and got away. One private, single-handed in a post, is said to have kept the enemy checked for 20 minutes, till he himself was killed by a bomb. Our losses were severe, but there is no question that the enemy’s were infinitely heavier, and as an exhibition of stubborn, bulldog fighting, it was magnificent.
It has been a most inclement May Day. Bitterly cold, with poor visibility over the battle front, in marked contrast to last year, when the closing days of April ushered in a spell of real summer heat. Today has been more like New Year’s Day.
Certain Coldstream Guards also fought when absolutely surrounded. Reduced to a handful of men, they fell back fighting, until hardly any won through and got away. One private, single-handed in a post, is said to have kept the enemy checked for 20 minutes, till he himself was killed by a bomb. Our losses were severe, but there is no question that the enemy’s were infinitely heavier, and as an exhibition of stubborn, bulldog fighting, it was magnificent.
It has been a most inclement May Day. Bitterly cold, with poor visibility over the battle front, in marked contrast to last year, when the closing days of April ushered in a spell of real summer heat. Today has been more like New Year’s Day.
may 1, 1918
The attack that failed
General Sixt von Armin tried on Monday to carry the main group of hills from the Scherpenberg to the Mont des Cats, and this time he failed utterly. He is believed to have put in at least eleven divisions on the ten-mile front between Meteren and Lock No 8 on the Ypres-Comines canal close to Ypres. The attack was preceded by the heaviest bombardment in the northern battle; the Germans attacked repeatedly and yet by nightfall had not made the smallest progress, suffering the most costly repulse since they began their offensive on March 21. If the words “victory and defeat” can be applied to a single phase of a prolonged battle, then the Allied forces north of the Lys emphatically won a very notable local victory. They broke up the German attack in a sheer trial of strength, and on ground which was none too favourable for defence.
The two most crushing failures experienced by the Germans have been their attack on Arras on March 28 and their prolonged onslaught on Monday. In the neighbourhood of Meteren they gained no ground, in spite of furious assaults. West of Mont Kemmel they pushed the French up the lower slopes of Mont Rouge and the Scherpenberg, but later in the day our Allies made strong counter-attacks which more than restored their line. They even swept the enemy out of the ruins of Locre, and are again in possession of that much-contested village.
On the road from Locre to Dranoutre the French advanced nearly a mile beyond the points they were holding last weekend. Within the old Ypres salient, the British line never yielded an inch through the whole of a day’s desperate fighting. Again and again the Germans sought to enter their positions, and each time they were compelled to retire with heavy loss. Though we name the localities where these heroic exploits were performed, the woods and villages from which the names are taken no longer exist. The spots are marked on the map, but nothing remains of the places themselves but a few heaps of ruins and some shattered tree stumps. Within the salient our troops are fighting in an area of desolation. Of all the many violent combats of the last few weeks, we know none of more hopeful augury to the Allies than this ten-mile German failure.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/german-bid-for-the-hills-lfnvtbz2t
Below here, the German troops have been throwing themselves furiously against the French in hopes of piercing through to the line of heights from the Scherpenberg to the Mont des Cats. The French resistance seems to have been as fine as possible. It is certain that a great weight of troops has been used. There are large numbers of aeroplanes, both ours and German, in the air over the Northern battle area. Most of our information comes from aeroplanes, as vision is impossible through the smoke from the artillery fire, and other means of communication are difficult.
On the road from Locre to Dranoutre the French advanced nearly a mile beyond the points they were holding last weekend. Within the old Ypres salient, the British line never yielded an inch through the whole of a day’s desperate fighting. Again and again the Germans sought to enter their positions, and each time they were compelled to retire with heavy loss. Though we name the localities where these heroic exploits were performed, the woods and villages from which the names are taken no longer exist. The spots are marked on the map, but nothing remains of the places themselves but a few heaps of ruins and some shattered tree stumps. Within the salient our troops are fighting in an area of desolation. Of all the many violent combats of the last few weeks, we know none of more hopeful augury to the Allies than this ten-mile German failure.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/german-bid-for-the-hills-lfnvtbz2t
april 30, 1918
German bid for the hills
The Germans are attacking heavily today on the Northern battlefront, but, so far as can be ascertained, have made little or no progress. It was a most turbulent night, with continuous artillery fire along almost the whole line in the recent battle areas. Shortly after 5am the attacks began on the British troops nearest the point of junction with the French, and thence spread northwards to beyond Voormezeele and south to include the French front west of Bailleul. Everywhere the Germans seem to have attacked with great weight and determination, and the struggle has been, and still is, of the fiercest description.Below here, the German troops have been throwing themselves furiously against the French in hopes of piercing through to the line of heights from the Scherpenberg to the Mont des Cats. The French resistance seems to have been as fine as possible. It is certain that a great weight of troops has been used. There are large numbers of aeroplanes, both ours and German, in the air over the Northern battle area. Most of our information comes from aeroplanes, as vision is impossible through the smoke from the artillery fire, and other means of communication are difficult.
The Commander-in-Chief in his dispatch of April 22 made special mention of the 3rd and 4th Australian Divisions for their gallant behaviour at Méricourt l’Abbé and Dernancourt, and also of the 5th Australian Division south of the Somme. To this Sir Douglas Haig has added messages of thanks to General Birdwood and the whole Australian Corps for their “gallant conduct and magnificent achievements”, with special mention of the “splendid service” of the Australian Division on the North. The behaviour of the Australians in these battles since they first came in to help to hold the German advance at the end of March has been superb. There was never a moment when, to use the slang phrase, the Australians were not “all over” the enemy.
Sir Douglas Haig also mentions the New Zealanders, and it has been largely owing to them that the Germans have, during the last month, failed to make any progress in the Hébuterne area. They tried again and again, and every time they have fallen off, shattered, from the New Zealanders’ defence.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hard-fighting-near-ypres-8bjnq87vk
It is impossible not to be struck by the cumulative evidence of the great losses the enemy are sustaining in these costly and unproductive local attacks. The narratives arriving from the front are confirmed by the reports of anxiety in Germany regarding their casualties. Near Festubert there has been some sharp fighting among the craters, and the Canadians have been creating diversions on their own account in the neighbourhood of Lens.
The southern battlefield has remained comparatively quiet since the brilliant action which ended in the recovery of Villers-Bretonneux. In the sector east of Ypres we are holding, with slight variations, the line of our old salient as it was fixed in 1914. Our Special Correspondent today refers to “the obvious threat to the Ypres salient”. The threat has been greatly emphasized by the loss of Mont Kemmel. Yet the stout defence of Voormezeele by the British, and the dashing recovery of Locre by the French, show that there is no lack of steadiness in the policy which guides the Allied operations. If the enemy want more ground, they must take it first and pay a heavy price in the process.
Sir Douglas Haig also mentions the New Zealanders, and it has been largely owing to them that the Germans have, during the last month, failed to make any progress in the Hébuterne area. They tried again and again, and every time they have fallen off, shattered, from the New Zealanders’ defence.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hard-fighting-near-ypres-8bjnq87vk
April 28, 1918
Hard fighting near Ypres
The Germans attacked Locre three times on Friday, and on each occasion were repulsed with heavy loss. At a fourth attempt they captured the village, but the undaunted French drove them out at nightfall.It is impossible not to be struck by the cumulative evidence of the great losses the enemy are sustaining in these costly and unproductive local attacks. The narratives arriving from the front are confirmed by the reports of anxiety in Germany regarding their casualties. Near Festubert there has been some sharp fighting among the craters, and the Canadians have been creating diversions on their own account in the neighbourhood of Lens.
The southern battlefield has remained comparatively quiet since the brilliant action which ended in the recovery of Villers-Bretonneux. In the sector east of Ypres we are holding, with slight variations, the line of our old salient as it was fixed in 1914. Our Special Correspondent today refers to “the obvious threat to the Ypres salient”. The threat has been greatly emphasized by the loss of Mont Kemmel. Yet the stout defence of Voormezeele by the British, and the dashing recovery of Locre by the French, show that there is no lack of steadiness in the policy which guides the Allied operations. If the enemy want more ground, they must take it first and pay a heavy price in the process.
The line of hills from Locre to Cassel furnishes a series of fine defensive positions, and the Channel ports perhaps look to the enemy a good deal farther off than they seemed during the rush to the Lys early this month. Their attempts to turn the range of hills have not carried them far and the obstacles in the low ground are more formidable than they look upon the map.
The whole area of operations presents many possibilities to the enemy, and they have still to show their hand south of Arras. But there is a growing conviction that the first swift advances will not recur, and also signs that in this offensive the Germans, so to speak, put their best goods in the shop-window. Their troops are not of uniform quality, and our own men, like the French, are in splendid heart. This will be a very long battle, and it is not going quite as Hindenburg and Ludendorff planned and expected.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2018-04-27/register/the-fall-of-kemmel-6sfb63j8x
april 27, 1918
Kemmel was lost by 9 in the morning. There had been heavy shelling throughout the night, with a great quantity of gas shells, and much use of long-range guns. An intense bombardment began between midnight and 1 o’clock, and continued till between 3 and 4, when the attack was delivered on a wide front. Penetration seems to have been made at two points — at the juncture of the French and British to the east of Kemmel and through the French on the west — and, pouring through on both sides, the enemy had Kemmel surrounded and the garrison cut off.
The whole area of operations presents many possibilities to the enemy, and they have still to show their hand south of Arras. But there is a growing conviction that the first swift advances will not recur, and also signs that in this offensive the Germans, so to speak, put their best goods in the shop-window. Their troops are not of uniform quality, and our own men, like the French, are in splendid heart. This will be a very long battle, and it is not going quite as Hindenburg and Ludendorff planned and expected.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2018-04-27/register/the-fall-of-kemmel-6sfb63j8x
april 27, 1918
The fall of Kemmel
The Germans are apparently now in possession of Kemmel. Yesterday I told how they were reported to have taken it in the morning, but later it was stated that the French still held the hill. This report, which came from a British airman, was, in fact, only melancholy testimony to the gallantry of the French defence, for what the airman saw was only the last stage, when the remnant of the French held the summit against the rising tide of Germans surrounding them on all sides. Looking down from above, the airman saw the clustered blue uniforms on the crest, but could not see the grey waves lapping up the slopes.Kemmel was lost by 9 in the morning. There had been heavy shelling throughout the night, with a great quantity of gas shells, and much use of long-range guns. An intense bombardment began between midnight and 1 o’clock, and continued till between 3 and 4, when the attack was delivered on a wide front. Penetration seems to have been made at two points — at the juncture of the French and British to the east of Kemmel and through the French on the west — and, pouring through on both sides, the enemy had Kemmel surrounded and the garrison cut off.
Some day we shall, perhaps, have a detailed account of the heroic resistance of the garrison after that. Certainly fighting went on on the hill for seven or eight hours, till mid-afternoon. The French troops had sworn that they would never leave Kemmel to the Germans while they lived, and they did not, but we can only roughly picture the scene of which the airmen caught a glimpse, as the Germans swarmed up the hill and the Frenchmen fought on in lessening numbers and in a gradually reducing area until at last only the hilltop was crowned with blue as the defenders, facing all ways, made their last stand.
When all is known I believe that last fight of the French troops on Kemmel Hill will stand as one of the most stirring episodes of the war. But the Germans have Kemmel Hill. For observation purposes, it must be useful to the enemy, as it has been to us, except so far as our guns can make him unable to use it. Meanwhile, our line has fallen back to between Kemmel and the next height of Scherpenberg. From this point the left of our line held.
When all is known I believe that last fight of the French troops on Kemmel Hill will stand as one of the most stirring episodes of the war. But the Germans have Kemmel Hill. For observation purposes, it must be useful to the enemy, as it has been to us, except so far as our guns can make him unable to use it. Meanwhile, our line has fallen back to between Kemmel and the next height of Scherpenberg. From this point the left of our line held.
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