NowItCanBeToldCHAPTERIV

chapteriv

thebattlesofthethirdarmybeyondarraspeteredoutandonjune7ththerewasthebattleofmessinesandwytschaetewhenthesecondarmyrevealeditsmasteryoforganizationanddetail.itwasthebeginningofavastlyambitiousschemetocapturethewholelineofridgesthroughflanders,ofwhichthiswasthesouthernhook,andthentoliberatethebelgiancoastasfarinlandasbrugesbyacombinedsea-and-landattackwithshoregoingtanks,directedbythefourtharmy.thisfirstblowatthemessinesridgewascompletelyandwonderfullyessful,duetotheexplosionofseventeenenormousminesunderthegermanpositions,followedbyanattack“indepth,”divisionspassingthrougheachother,or“leap-ing,”asitwascalled,tothefinalobjectivesagainstanenemydemoralizedbytheearthquakeoftheexplosions.

fortwoyearstherehadbeenfierceundergroundfightingathill60andelsewhere,whenourtunnelerssawthegermanshadlistenedtooneanother'sworkings,racingtostrikethroughfirsttotheirenemies'galleriesandtouchofftheirhigh-explosivecharges.ourminers,aidedbythemagnificentworkofaustralianandcanadiantunnelers,hadbeatentheenemyintosheerterroroftheirmethodoffightingandtheyhadabandonedit,believingthatwehadalso.butwedidnot,astheyfoundtotheircost.

ihadseentheworkingofthetunnelersupbyhill70andelsewhere.ihadgoneintothedarknessofthetunnels,crouchinglow,strikingmysteelhatwithsharp,spine-jarringknocksagainstthelowbeamsoverhead,comingintogallerieswhereonecouldstanduprightandwalkateaseinelectriclight,hearingthevibranthumofgreatengines,themurmurofmen'svoicesindarkcrypts,seeingnumbersofmensleepingonbunksinthegloomofcavernsclosebeneaththegermanlines,andlisteningthroughaqueerlittleinstrumentcalledamicrophone,bywhichiheardthescuffleofgermanfeetingermangalleriesathousandyardsaway,thedroppingofapickorshovel,theknockingoutofgermanpipesagainstcharcoalstoves.itwasbythatlisteninginstrument,moreperfectthantheenemy's,thatwehadbeatenhim,andbythegrimdeterminationofthoseundergroundmenofours,whoseskinwasthecolorofthechalkinwhichtheyworked,whocoughedinthedampnessofthecaves,andwhopackedhighexplosivesattheshaft-heads—hundredsoftonsofit—forthemomentwhenabuttonshouldbetouchedfaraway,andanelectriccurrentwouldpassdownawire,andtheenemyandhisworkswouldbeblownintodust.

thatmomentcameathill60andsixteenotherplacesbelowthewytschaeteandmessinesridgeatthree-thirtyonthemorningofjune7th,afteraquietnightofwar,whenafewofourbatterieshadfiredinadesultorywayandtheenemyhadsentoversomeflocksofgas-shells,andbeforethedawniheardthecockscrowonkemmelhill.isawtheseventeenminesgoup,andearthandflamegushoutofthemasthoughthefiresofhellhadrisen.aterriblesight,astheworkofmenagainsttheirfellow—creatures...itwasthesignalforsevenhundredandfiftyofourheavygunsandtwothousandofourfield—gunstoopenfire,andbehindamovingwallofburstingshellsenglish,irish,andnewzealandsoldiersmovedforwardindensewaves.itwasalmosta“walk-over.”onlyhereandtheregroupsofgermansservedtheirmachine-gunstothedeath.mostofthelivingwerestupefiedamidtheirdeadintheupheavedtrenches,slashedwoods,anddeepestdugouts.iwalkedtotheedgeofthemine-cratersandstaredintotheirgreatgulfs,wonderinghowmanygermanbodieshadbeenengulfedthere.thefollowingdayiwalkedthroughwytschaetewoodtotheruinsofthehospiceontheridge.in1914someofourcavalryhadpassedthiswaywhenthehospicewasabigred-brickbuildingwithwingsandouthousesandalargecommunityofnunsandchildren.throughmyglassesihadoftenseenitsruinsfromkemmelhillandthescherpenberg.nownothingwasleftbutapileofbrokenbricks,notveryhigh.ourlosseswerecomparativelysmall,thoughsomebravemenhaddied,includingmajorwillieredmond,whosedeathinwytschaetewoodwasheardwithgriefinireland.

ludendorffadmitstheseverityoftheblow:

“themoraleffectoftheexplosionswassimplyering...the7thofjunecostusdear,and,owingtotheessoftheenemyattack,thepricewepaidwasveryheavy.here,too,itwasmanydaysbeforethefrontwasagainsecure.thebritisharmydidnotpressitsadvantage;apparentlyitonlyintendedtoimproveitspositionforthelaunchingofthegreatflandersoffensive.itthereuponresumedoperationsbetweentheoldarrasbattlefieldandalsobetweenlabasseeandlens.theobjectoftheenemywastowearusdownanddistractourattentionfromypres.”

thatwastrue.thecanadiansmadeheavyattacksatlens,someofwhichisawfromgroundbeyondnotredamedeloretteandthevimyridgeandtheenemycountrybygrenay,whenthosemenbesiegedalongchainofminingvillageswhichgirdledlensitself,whereeveryhousewasamachine-gunfortabovedeeptunnels.isawthemafterdesperateles,coveredinclay,parchedwiththirst,gassed,wounded,butindomitable.lenswasthetroyofthecanadiancorpsandtheenglishtroopsofthefirstarmy,anditwasonlyowingtootherbattlestheywerecalledupontofightinflandersthattheyhadtoleaveitatlastuncaptured,fortheenemytoescape.

allthiswassubsidiarytothegreatoffensiveinflanders,withitsambitiousobjects.butwhenthebattlesofflandersbegantheyearwasgettingpastitsmiddleage,andeventsonotherfrontshadupsetthestrategicalplanofsirdouglashaigandourhighcommand.thefailureandabandonmentofthenivelleoffensiveinthechampagneweredisastroustous.itliberatedmanygermandivisionswhocouldbesentuptorelieveexhausteddivisionsinflanders.insteadofattackingtheenemywhenhewasweakeningunderassaultselsewhere,weattackedhimwhenallwasquietonthefrenchfront.thecollapseofrussiawasnowhappeningandourpolicyoughttohavebeentosavemenforthetremendousmomentof1918,whenweshouldneedallourstrength.soitseemscertainnow,thoughitiseasytoprophesyaftertheevent.

iwentalongthecoastasfarascoxydeandnieuportandsawsecretpreparationsforthecoastoffensive.wewerebuildingenormousgunemplacementsatmalo-les—bainsforlong-rangenavalguns,camouflagedinsand—dunes.ourmenwerebeingtrainedforfightinginthedunes.ourartillerypositionsweremappedout.

“threeshotstoone,sir,”saidsirhenryrawlinsontotheking,“that'sthestufftogivethem!”

butthegermansstruckthefirstblowupthere,notofimportancetothestrategicalposition,butghastlytotwobattalionsofthe1stdivision,cutoffonaspitoflandatlombartzydeandalmostannihilatedunderafuryoffire.

atthistimetheenemywasdevelopinghisuseofanewpoison-gas—mustardgas—whichraisedblistersandburnedmen'sbodieswherethevaporwascondensedintoareddishpowderandblindedthemforaweekormore,ifnotforever,andturnedtheirlungstowater.isawhundredsofthesecasesinthe3rdcanadiancasualtyclearingstationonthecoast,andtherewerethousandsallalongourfront.atoastdunkerque,nearnieuport,ihadawhiffofit,andwasconsciousofaburningsensationaboutthelipsandeyelids,andforaweekafterwardvomitedattimes,andwasscaredbyqueerflutteringsoftheheartwhichatnightseemedtohavebutafeeblebeat.itwasenoughto“putthewindup.”ourmendreadedthenewdanger,somysterious,sostealthyinitsapproach.itwasoneofthenewplaguesofwar.