100 Years Ago

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/register/fochs-counter-stroke-7hw2jsqhz

JULY 19, 1918

Foch’s counter stroke

By a brilliant counter-stroke against the vulnerable western side of the new German salient General Foch has swiftly transformed the battle position, and possibly destroyed the prospects of the new German offensive. He attacked at dawn yesterday on a front of 27 miles between the Aisne and the Marne, from a point over six miles west of Soissons to a point six miles north-west of Chateau-Thierry. He effected complete surprise and accomplished remarkable results. By 1pm yesterday his troops had made great progress along the whole line of attack. Everywhere they drove the enemy headlong. At some points they advanced eight miles, and at no point less than three.

It is already realized that the counter-stroke is one of the most brilliant operations of the war. It may even prove to bear comparison with the battle of the Ourcq, fought in September, 1914, by General Manoury, which led to the victory on the Marne. Manoury rolled up the extreme right flank of the German Army, while Foch has attacked a portion of a continuous front; but the main object is in each case the same, for by attacking the exposed side of a very dangerous salient Foch hopes, like Manoury, to compel the withdrawal of the enemy northward across the river. There has really been no Allied counter-stroke of this character and magnitude since the first great battle of the Marne. The operation is a direct retaliation upon the German offensive, shrewdly conceived and fought by the attacking troops with a dash which proved invincible.

Two considerations stand out. The first is that the recovery of Prunay probably marks the complete repulse of the German offensive east of Reims. The second is that by advancing eight miles to the ravine through which the River Crise flows the Allies can command by gunfire the two railways by which the enemy troops within the salient are being chiefly supplied. The position of the large bodies of German troops holding the salient should now become extremely difficult, and it will not be surprising if the enemy forces south of the Marne meet the fate of the Austrians who rashly crossed the Piave. Whatever be the outcome, yesterday was the best day the Allies have had on the Western front for a very long time.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2018-07-18/register/mr-roosevelts-airman-son-killed-m9k3wgrs2

july 18, 2018

Mr Roosevelt’s airman son killed

Flight Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt, the youngest son of ex-President Roosevelt, was killed in an air fight and fell into the enemy lines. His cousin, Philip Roosevelt, witnessed the fight, and fall, from the trenches in the neighbourhood of Chateau-Thierry. Three other sons of ex-President Roosevelt are now in the Army. One of them, Captain Archibald Roosevelt, is in hospital suffering from wounds.
Mr Roosevelt, upon the receipt of the Press dispatches announcing the death, said: “Quentin’s mother and I are very glad that he got to the front, and had a chance to render some service to his country, and show the stuff that there was in him, before his fate befell him.” Mr Roosevelt stated that he would attend the New York State Republican Convention at Saratoga Springs tomorrow to deliver an address as arranged before the news of his loss reached him.

All Americans will sympathize with Colonel and Mrs Roosevelt in the glorious death of their youngest son. It will seem only a few years since the newspapers printed affectionate paragraphs about Quentin “swinging on the White House gates”. He was then the “baby” of the family. The Colonel was the unceasing advocate of the “strenuous life”. Twenty-mile tramps through rain and shine, arriving back at the White House wet and weary, were chronicled in the Press along with the vivacities of “Princess Alice”, the White House daughter, and the fulminations against “mollycoddles”, “pussy-footers”, and flabby scions of “malefactors of great wealth”. However weak was the pulse-beat of the nation in the fat years before the great storm, there was no moment when the Colonel was not pointing out the right direction to its growing manhood. Before America entered the war, photographs of the Colonel and his four sons were published as only too eager to try the “Big Stick” on the Hun, and all four have “made good”. To Americans it will be not more the going of Quentin than the going of all their “babies” — scores and hundreds of thousands of them — and the national heart will extend to Oyster Bay a national grief illumined by a national pride. Only last Friday there appeared in The Times an account of the late Lieutenant Roosevelt’s first air victory on the Chateau-Thierry front.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2018-07-17/register/pressure-on-reims-7lp9pzglz

july 17, 1918

Pressure on Reims

The main result of the first 16 hours’ fighting is that during the day the enemy succeeded in crossing the Marne west of Dormans, first by light bridges and boats, and then, when he had established a footing on the south bank, by six pontoon bridges about 30ft wide. Two of these were destroyed by French bombing squadrons, which were very active all through the day. A message taken from one of the enemy’s carrier-pigeons which fell into our hands described the passage of the river as worse than hell.
The fact remains, however, that they did get across, and the French and Americans in the advanced posts, though always keeping up a strong rearguard action, fell back before them to the line of resistance. Late in the day the Americans counter-attacked west of Fossoy and drove a number of the enemy back to, and even across, the river. East of Fossoy and south of Dormans the Italians fought very gamely and, with the French immediately on their right, clung tenaciously to the positions to which they withdrew on a front running south from Bouilly to Marfaux and west to Cuchery. Bouilly and Marfaux are only seven miles west of Reims, so the isthmus at the end of which the city lies has been narrowed. The greatest depth of the advance was at no point more than a couple of miles, so it was practically confined to the zone of the outposts, though in this sector the elaborate defensive system is of old standing, whereas the defences west of Reims had only been constructed since June. Taking the advance generally, it falls a long way short of the eight or nine miles which it is known that the enemy meant to cover in the first rush.

The enemy’s losses were also greater than they expected. One German division which ought not to have taken part in the fighting till the second day had to be thrown in at midday on the first. There was no further fighting during the night, though the guns on both sides were never silent, and the flashing of them was seen as far as Paris. How far the push is really checked it is difficult to say till the results of today’s fighting are known. The general situation is that in this sector, though the enemy have got well beyond the zone of outposts, they have not by a long way broken the French line of resistance.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2018-07-16/register/the-new-german-offensive-c936mg5gc

july 16, 1918

The new German offensive

Contrary to the expectation of some of the prophets, the enemy have delivered the first great blow of their long-expected offensive against the French, and not against the British. They have advanced on a front of about fifty-five miles east and west of Reims, and their right wing is operating on the line of the Marne. The enemy are known to be prepared for battle in several other sectors, and we shall probably see further developments elsewhere. But, whatever form it may ultimately assume, this is unquestionably the outset of Germany’s supreme effort during the present campaigning season.
The details so far received are scanty, and the precise object of the German Higher Command is still a matter for speculation. Their attack is split into two halves by the city of Reims, around which there is a “dead sector” of several miles, perhaps because the defences of Reims remain extremely formidable.

A movement in this area had been expected for some days — indeed, the French are said to have predicted it almost to the hour — and the Allied Higher Command were fully prepared. The attack was preceded by a violent bombardment, which began at midnight and was so intense that it roused the people of Paris. The enemy advanced to the assault a little before 4.30am. In the sector east of Reims they made comparatively little progress all day. Our gallant French Allies held up the German infantry along the whole of this front, and only three points were seriously threatened.
The Germans fared rather better west of Reims, and if they have Paris in view it is quite possible that their principal strength was concentrated on this side. They penetrated as far south as the village of Belval, which brought them within seven miles of Epernay, one of the principal centres of the champagne trade, crossing the Marne at two or three points.
American troops were holding the extreme left of the battle line, at Fossoy. Here, again, the Germans crossed the river, but according to the latest information they did not get very far beyond the southern bank. In a brilliant counter-attack the Americans took a thousand prisoners — a splendid omen which was received with immense enthusiasm when it was announced in the House of Commons.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2018-07-14/register/internment-of-enemy-aliens-hfn73jqx8

july 14, 1918

Internment of enemy aliens

There could be no more signal proof of the earnestness with which the general public of London regard the danger of allowing Germans to be at large in our midst than the demonstration in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon. It was the biggest crowd seen in the square since the outbreak of the war. It was also the most determined.
On each side of the plinth of the Nelson Column, which served as a platform for the speakers, were two large placards inscribed: “A clean sweep” and “Intern them all”. The following resolution was adopted with prolonged acclamations: That this meeting regards the proposals made by the Home Secretary on Thursday in the House of Commons as futile and useless to deal with the alien enemy, and refuses to accept any such compromise. It demands the immediate internment of all aliens of enemy blood, whether naturalized or un-naturalized, the removal of all such aliens from every Government and public office.

Mrs Dacre-Fox, the organizer of the meeting, read letters which included the following: The Lord Mayor: I deeply sympathise with the object of your demonstration. The danger is, I am assured, a real one.
Mr Rudyard Kipling: I am in entire sympathy with your resolution. I have long realized that the great body of public opinion will boil over in regard to this matter, and am very glad that steps are being taken to convince those in authority.
Mr Harry Lauder: My heart and soul are in your effort to put all aliens under lock and key. We are fighting a desperate enemy, and we must take desperate measures. I do not believe the alien is naturalized. I do not believe in being neutral. There are only two ways — for and against. We must take off our gloves for this fight and use our bare fists.

Sir Alexander Bannerman proposed the resolution. He said the laxity of the Government was incomprehensible (Cries of “Traitors”). Action against the alien should not be limited to little bakers and hairdressers in back streets (Cheers, and cries of “Begin at the top.”). There were two Germans in the Privy Council and one in the Cabinet (Groans). What did soldiers think of the fact that the Judge-Advocate General, who revised all the sentences of courts-martial, was a German? (“Shame, shame”).

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2018-07-13/register/australians-exploits-at-merris-j9l36f83h

 july 13, 1918

Australians’ exploits at Merris

An interesting adventure in patrol tactics is proceeding near Merris, where, in full daylight and without artillery or trench-mortar assistance, small groups of Australians carried forward our line within 500 yards of Merris over a front of 2,200 yards. They captured more than 150 men, including officers. Mere handfuls of men were employed in this success. In the morning two patrols, busy in maintaining our hold on No Man’s Land, were working along the railway when four of their number, separated from the rest, came upon some 40 Germans near a farmhouse and captured the whole group. The event caused some rivalry and further expeditions were organized, and during the whole day groups of prisoners were continually coming back to the cages. One sergeant was told that he would be excused some task which he disliked if he would fetch six German prisoners. He suggested that the number was rather excessive, but the officer was adamant. So, in company with a soldier from his company, he set out, and reported an hour or two later with a queue of eight Germans behind him. The reserve troops from whom the prisoners were taken had just relieved the Bavarian Division in which some indiscipline was recently reported. It would not be true to suggest that the moral of the better German divisions is obviously reduced, but there is no doubt that in this sector the enemy are cowed by the dash and originality of the Australian patrols. In the Merris sector, which is very different from the positions on the Somme, no strong, or even regular, line has yet been dug, but before this advance the enemy had a chain of fortified posts forming an awkward salient into our lines, and this is now completely straightened out.

The whole Air Service is in great grief at the loss of Major McCudden. He was on his way from Scotland to take up a new command, and flew over from England in his favourite single-seater. He landed at an aerodrome in Northern France, where he had business, and, after a short stay, set off again to join his squadron. While only a few hundred feet from the ground his machine side-slipped and crashed among trees. He was killed instantly. The official record of his victories is 45 enemy aeroplanes brought down and 13 driven down.