The German offensive of 1918, 5

The German offensive of 1918, 5

This week's chapter examines the reinforcements from England, troops recalled from other theatres of war, British reorganisation, minor actions in May on Somme and Lys fronts, the Aisne reached, enemy across the Vesle, Soissons and Fere-en-Tardenois taken, Germans again on the Marne, the offensive checked, German attack in the Matz valley, enemy progress and check, Americans at Cantigny, air fighting in May

The advanced troops of the Germans pushed on with doubled speed to gain the Marne. The line laid down for the advancfl on May 28 had been reached within four and twenty hours

 

The resumption of the battle

The supreme purpose of the Germans is to smash the Allied Armies, and we believe their aim is foredoomed to failure https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-resumption-of-the-battle-6z0g0980x?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=newsletter_118&utm_medium=email&utm_content=118_30.05.2018%20Offensive%205%20(1)&CMP=TNLEmail_118918_3451206_118 May 28, 1918 After a pause which has lasted for nearly a month the Germans yesterday morning resumed attacks on an extensive scale in France and Flanders. Their assault in the north was delivered in the Ypres salient, on a front of five miles between Locre and Voormezeele. The southern attack was comparatively unexpected, and marked an extension of the battle area, being made on the heights of the Aisne, north-east of Soissons, and in the more open country between Berry-au-Bac and Reims. The operation in the south was by far the more important of the two, for the enemy seem to have joined issue in this region on a front of over thirty miles. They have left no gap in the actual battle-line. In effect they have extended their offensive as far as Reims, and have begun, as they sometimes do, on the two extreme flanks. However formidable the attack on the Aisne may prove to be, the point of greatest menace is still to be found before Amiens. Although the precise purpose of the enemy has still to be disclosed, we may take it as reasonably certain that the addition of another thirty miles to the battlefront does not imply any abandonment of the thrust at Amiens and the Somme estuary, or of the coincident threat to the Channel ports. On the other hand, it may imply an intention to menace Paris more directly. There is one point which should always be borne in mind in the discussions of the enemy’s intentions which are now so prevalent. It is natural that much should be said about the desire of the Germans to gain this city or that, and all of us are inclined to read into the German movements aspirations to gain a particular piece of coast, or a river line, or a great centre of communications. Yet one of the best of the German military writers quite correctly remarked the other day that all these purposes were comparatively subordinate. “Our objective,” he insisted, “is solely the smashing of the enemy’s forces.” This is a truism, no doubt, but it is necessary to remember it constantly when we are drawn into the topographical speculations which are inseparable from the present great operations in the West. The supreme purpose of the Germans is to smash the Allied Armies, and we believe their aim is foredoomed to failure.

 

The crossing of the Aisne

The Germans began their attack on Monday morning in greatly superior numbers, and their advance was pressed with great persistence https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-crossing-of-the-aisne-wvbcnqk9c?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=newsletter_118&utm_medium=email&utm_content=118_30.05.2018%20Offensive%205%20(1)&CMP=TNLEmail_118918_3451206_118 may 29, 1918 The German Crown Prince’s forces have swept over the Chemin des Dames and carried the northern heights of the Aisne east of Soissons along a distance of more than 20 miles. They have crossed the river between Vailly and Berry-au-Bac on a front of 18 miles, and therefore hold positions where the enemy have never set foot since the British began the first battle of the Aisne in September, 1914. From the Aisne they have swept forward in the centre and captured the passages of the Vesle at Bazoches and Fismes, 12 miles from their original line. The significance of this advance cannot be minimized, and the advance to the Vesle converts the attack which began on Monday into an operation of great importance and some menace. There appear to be indications that the whole line which the Germans selected for their assault was rather lightly manned. French troops confronted the left of the attack, and were holding practically the whole length of the Chemin des Dames as far as Craonnelle, where the ridge begins to fall away eastward. British troops held the next 15 miles of the area of attack from Craonnelle, across the Aisne, to Bermericourt, about five miles north of Reims. Thence the French were holding the line to Reims and beyond. The Germans began their attack on Monday morning in greatly superior numbers, and their advance was pressed with great persistence. They gained their initial success on the Allied left, where they forced back the French on a wide front. The British farther east fell back in conformity, and the net result of the whole attack was that the river line was lost. It is clear that the Allied retirement was deliberate, and was the outcome of a resolve swiftly made in view of the formidable character of the onslaught. The loss of positions which the Allies have sacrificed much to maintain is regrettable, and we fear that many heavy guns may have fallen into the hands of the enemy. The French have counter-attacked east of Venizel and British troops on the other wing of the advance have inflicted heavy losses on the enemy on the height of St Thierry. The holding of these important points on the flanks opens a prospect that the main rush in the centre may be the more quickly checked.

 

Americans' first big success

Photographs of the American advance taken from aeroplanes were placed in the hands of the commander of the attacking units four hours after his arrival https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/register/americans-first-big-success-5jj75ppq0?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=newsletter_118&utm_medium=email&utm_content=118_30.05.2018%20Offensive%205%20(1)&CMP=TNLEmail_118918_3451206_118 MAY 30, 1918 In an enterprise of minor importance compared with the grand-scale operations carried out by the French and British since the war began, the Americans west of Montdidier early on Tuesday gave proof of their mettle as cool, steady and productive fighters. They modestly offer as the result of their undertaking the recapture of the French town of Cantigny, and about 200 prisoners including five officers possessing valuable intelligence of the whereabouts of various divisions. It is needless to outline for the British public the details of the method of attack, as the procedure is the product of French and British instruction. The operation began with neutralization fire upon the enemy’s batteries from our heavies from 4.40 to 5 o’clock. This lasted one hour, and was followed by the combined heavies and light guns in another hour of preparation, diversion and destruction fire. Then at 6.45 the Americans, upon a front of 1¼ mile, hopped from their trenches and, under the protection of a well-directed rolling barrage from the light guns, with the heavies concentrating upon distant areas, advanced in two steady waves. They crossed the intervening zone to their objectives, a depth of nearly a mile, in exactly 40 minutes, preceded by 12 tanks. All of the latter have safely returned. There were sharp individual fights in Cantigny. The enemy in pairs and fours and in larger groups came up from their underground retreats and surrendered, being chiefly young Silesians and Brandenburgers. Photographs of the American advance taken from aeroplanes were placed in the hands of the commander of the attacking units in the forward positions four hours after his arrival there with his men. The liaison work was perfect. The French High Command, who oversaw the operations, were highly complimentary about the neatness and dispatch with which the Americans bent back the Germans and straightened out their first lines. The enterprise is an excellent example of what the Americans can do upon a larger scale, and a quick and convincing answer to the unsuccessful raids made against the same group of Americans by the Germans only a day before. The Americans have dug in in the new positions and propose to hold them.