CHAPTERIX

chapterix

ludendorff'sgreatoffensivehadfailedandhadturnedtoruin.someofthetwenty-sixfreshdivisionsunderrupprechtofbavariawereputintothemelting-pottosavethecrownprince.thebritisharmy,withitsgapsfilledupby300,000newdraftsfromengland,theyoungbrothersoftheelderbrotherswhohadgonebefore,wasreadytostrikeagain,andonaugust8ththecanadiansandaustraliansnorthandsouthofthesomme,ledbymanytanks,broketheenemy'slinebeyondamiensandslowlybutsurelyrolleditbackwithenormouslosses.

forthefirsttimeinthewarthecavalryhadtheirchanceofpursuit,andmadefulluseofit,roundingupgreatbatchesofprisoners,capturingbatteriesofheavyandlightguns,andfightinginmanyactions.

“august8th,”writesludendorff,“wastheblackdayofthegermanarmyinthehistoryofthiswar.”

hedescribesfromthegermanpointofviewwhatiandothershavedescribedfromthebritishpointofview,andthegeneralnarrativeisthesame—aessionofhammer-blowsbythebritisharmies,whichbrokenotonlythegermanwar-machine,butthegermanspirit.itwasamarvelousfeatwhenthe19thdivisionandthewelshwadedatduskacrossthefoulwatersoftheriverancre,undertheheightsofthiepval,assembledunderthegunsoftheenemyupthere,andthen,wettotheirskins,andinsmallnumberscomparedwiththestrengthoftheenemy,stormedthehugeridgesfrombothsides,andhurledtheenemybackfromwhathethoughtwasanimpregnableposition,andfollowedhimdaybyday,takingthousandsofprisonersandsmashinghisrear-guarddefensesonebyone.

themostdecisivebattleofthebritishfrontinthe“come-back,”afterourdaysofretreat,waswhenwiththegallanthelpofamericantroopsofthe27thnewyorkdivisionourmenoftheenglishmidlands,the46thdivision,andothers,brokethemainhindenburglinealongthest.-quentincanal.thatcanalwassixtyfeetwide,withsteepcliffsrisingsheertoawonderfulsystemofgermanmachine-gunredoubtsandtunneleddefenses,betweenthevillagesofbellicourtandbellinglis.itseemedtomeanimpossibleplacetoassaultandcapture.iftheenemycouldnotholdthatlinetheycouldholdnothing.inadensefogonsundaymorning,september30th,ourmen,withtheamericansandaustraliansinsupport,wentdowntothecanal-bank,wadedacrosswherethewaterwasshallow,swamacrossinlife-beltswhereitwasdeep,orgotacrosssomehowandanyhow,underblastsofmachine-gunfire,byraftsandplankbridges.afewhoursafterthebeginningofthebattletheywerefaroutbeyondthegermansideofthecanal,withmassesofprisonersintheirhands.theamericansontheleftoftheattack,wherethecanalgoesbelowground,showedsuperbandrecklessgallantry(theyforgot,however,to“mopup”behindthem,sothattheenemycameoutofhistunnelsandtheaustralianshadtocuttheirwaythrough),andthateveningimettheirescortswithdrovesofcapturedgermans.theyhadhelpedtobreakthelastdefensivesystemoftheenemyoppositethebritishfront,andafterthatourtroopsfoughtthroughopencountryonthewaytovictory.

isawmanyofthesceneswhichleduptomonsandlecateauandafterwardtotherhine.somethingofthehorrorofwarpassedwhentheenemydrewbackslowlyinretreatfromthelandshehadinvaded,andweliberatedgreatcitieslikelilleandroubaixandtourcoing,andscoresoftownsandvillageswherethepeoplehadbeenwaitingforussolong,andnowweptwithjoytoseeus.theentryintolillewasunforgetable,whenoldmenandwomenandgirlsandboysandlittlechildrencrowdedroundusandkissedourhands.soitwasinotherplaces.yetnotallthehorrorhadpassed.incourtrai,inst.-amandbyvalenciennes,inbohain,andothervillages,theenemy'sshell-fireandpoison-gaskilledandinjuredmanyofthepeoplewhohadbeenunderthegermanyokesolongandnowthoughttheyweresafe.hospitalswerefilledwithwomengaspingforbreath,withgas-fumesintheirlungs,andwithdyingchildren.invalenciennesthecellarswerefloodedwheniwalkedthereonitsdayofcapture,sothatwhenshellsbegantofallthepeoplecouldnotgodowntoshelter.someofthemdidnottrytogodown.atanopenwindowsatanoldveteranof1870withhismedalonhisbreast,andwithhisdaughterandgranddaughteroneachsideofhischair.hecalledout,“merci!merci!”whenenglishsoldierspassed,andwhenistoppedamomentclaspedmyhandsthroughthewindowandcouldnotspeakforthetearswhichfelldownhiswhiteandwitheredcheeks.afewdeadgermanslayaboutthestreets,andinmaubeugeonthedaybeforethearmisticeisawthelastdeadgermanofthewarinthatpartoftheline.helaystretchedoutsidetherailwaystationintowhichmanyshellshadcrashed.itwasasthoughhehadwalkedfromhisowncomradestowardourlinebeforeabulletcaughthim.

ludendorffwritesofthebrokenmoraleofthegermantroops,andofhowhismensurrenderedtosingletroopersofours,whilewholedetachmentsgavethemselvesuptotanks.“retiringtroops,”hewrote,“greetedoneparticulardivision(thecavalry)thatwasgoingupfreshandgallantlytotheattack,withshoutsof'blacklegs!'and'war-prolongers!”'thatistrue.whenthegermansleftbohaintheyshoutedouttothefrenchgirls:“theenglisharecoming.bravo!thewarwillsoonbeover!”onadayinseptember,whenbritishtroopsbrokethedrocourt-queantline,isawthesecondgermanguardscomingalonginbatches,likecompanies,andaftertheyhadbeenputinbarbed-wireinclosurestheylaughedandclappedatthesightofothercrowdsofcomradescomingdownasprisoners.ithoughtthen,“somethinghasbrokeninthegermanspirit.”forthefirsttimetheendseemedverynear.

yetthegermanrear-guardsfoughtstubbornlyinmanyplaces,especiallyinthelastbattlesroundcambrai,where,onthenorth,thecanadiancorpshadtofightdesperately,andsufferedheavyandbitterlossesundermachine-gunfire,whileonthesouthournavaldivisionandotherswerebadlycutup.

generalcurrie,whomisawduringthosedays,wasanxiousanddisheartened.hewaslosingmoremeninmachine-gunactionsroundcambraithaninerbattles.iwatchedthoseactionsfrombourlonwood,sawthelastgermanrailwaytrainsteamoutofthetown,andwentintothecityearlyonthemorningofitscapture,whentherewasaroaringfireintheheartofitandthecanadianswereroutingoutthelastgermansfromtheirhiding-places.

thebritisharmycouldnothavegoneonmuchfartherafternovember11th,whenthearmisticebroughtustoahalt.forthreemonthsourtroopshadfoughtincessantly,stormingmanyvillagesstronglygarrisonedwithmachine-gunners,crossingmanycanalsunderheavyfire,andlosingmanycomradesallalongtheway.thepacecouldnothavebeenkeptup.thereisalimiteventothevalorofbritishtroops,andforatimewehadreachedthatlimit.therewerenotmanydivisionswhocouldhaveeredontonewattackswithoutrestandrelief.buttheyhadbrokenthegermanarmiesagainstthembyaessionofhammer-strokesastoundingintheirrapidityandintheircontinuity,whichineednotheredescribeindetail,becauseinmydespatches,nowinbookform,ihavenarratedthathistoryasiwasawitnessofitdaybyday.

elsewherethefrenchandamericanshaddonetheirpartwithsteady,drivingpressure.theillimitablereservesofamericans,andtheirfightingquality,whichtriumphedoverafaultyorganizationoftransportandsupplies,leftthegermanhighcommandwithouthopeevenforafinalgamble.

beforethemthegermantroopswereinrevolt,atlast,againstthebloody,futilesacrificeoftheirmanhoodandpeople.ablindinglighthadcometothem,revealingthecriminalityoftheirwarlordsinthis“greatswindle”againsttheirrace.itwasdefeatandagonywhichenlightenedthem,asmostpeople—evenourselves—areenlightenedonlybysufferinganddisillusionment,andneverbyesses.