Evening star., 1917-12-02

etnclency. moreover because tne Yer
mans had concluded that no attack was
likely in this field, they had not pre-
pared for a tank onslaught. In word.
the ground itself was favorable for the
tank and the enemy was unprepared to
meet a tank attack. AS consequences
possibility Of profit. but a surprise at
tack necessitated an advance without
artillery preparation, because this
would give the show away and en-
concentration.
Accomplished in Secret.
Thus we see that the dominant fea-
ture Of the first phase Of the battle of
Cambria was the element of surprise.
Byng on an enormous scale reproduced
at Cambria the achievement of Wash
ington at Trenton-an achievement. by
the way. on Washington's part also, at
the expense of German officers and
men. In its first phase the battle Of
Cambria was surprise; its real chance
centration of men and machines had
been accomplished secretly before a
thinly held portion Of the German line
1t Is rubbish to conclude that the sue
cess was due solely to tanks. and that
given tanks enough. the end of the
German front in France is in sight. 1t
! is ridiculous to argue that artillery
preparation has become obsolete. Nj
velle tried to advance without 1t in the
Afsne operations this spring and lost
summarily removed from command.
So much for the larger aspects of
the battle of Cambria. 1t was purely
and simply as the result of surprise
attack that Byng achieved bis initial
success. 1t is unlikely that he was
seeking a real penetration of the whole
German system of lines because there
are evidences that he had not the nee
may or may not have been ordered to
make the attack because of the Italian
situation. but 1t is clear that he was
ordered to attack at Cambrai because
conditions favored the assailant. Con-
ceivably the attack would have been
ordered even had there been no italian
disaster. since the opportunity existed /;
but this Is exceedingly doubtful. given
the lateness of the season and the bad
weather.
Now, as to the details: The sector
chosen for the attack had seen no con-
siderable fighting hitherto. In the
spring the Germans had retired to the
so-called Hindenburg line, and be-
of Arras. the British had merely fol-
lowed the retreating foe and dug in
facing his new position. Thence
forward this portion of the front did
not figure in the official reports wave
in the case of trench raids. All the
few miles from Cambrai the German
line ran behind the Scheldt river canal,
or the river and canal Less than q
dozen miles from this town the line
southern end of the Drocourt-Queant
switch line" of which we heard so
much a few months ago-that line be-
fore which Allenby was checked after
his success before Arras. Cambria
itself was just far enough behind this
line to be out of range Of British heavy
artillery.
The value of Cambria to the Germans
was the value of Lille and of Laon. 1t
was a great railroad center and also the
point of intersection of a great number
of good roads. With Lille and Laon, 1t
made the third important German base
between the North sea and the old Fran
co-German frontier. 1t was not fort
ress and not itself defensible To take it
would mean to disorganize the whole
German communications in this region
To approach within three or four miles
Of it would be to put 1t outside of the
game as a base, because it would be
commanded by British artillery, not
alone heavy guns, but even field artil-
lery.
Would Preak Base.
ABIDE from this Immediate result.
which was achieved. there was the larger
possibility. I have often pu,-ted out in
d
position in France is a salient. and that
If the sides of salient are threaten ed
the troops in 1t must retire or risk dis
aster. The othNr day the French had
side of the salient south of Laon. II
they could reach Laon, now five miles
away from their front lines, they would
break one side of the salient and seize
one of the two German bases. If the
British could get Cambria they would
aly ha nf he mi "
other considerable base of the Germans
in the whole a salient and henceforth
both bases are in constant danger.
When the British get Cambria and the
to retire out of the salient. If the Brit
ish should get Lille. or swing around
Lille fom the north, the Germans would
have to quit the whole salient from the
holds it will be one of the anchorages
of the salient: until it falls or is turned
the Germans. even If they have to retire
from that portion of the salient south
line from Lille to the Meuse at the
Franco-Belgian frontier.
The British attack at Cambria began
on Monday morning, November 10. 1t
began with a forward rush of tanks.
concealed by smoke clouds and them
selves camouf1aged. I saw a camou-
faged tank before Gen.. Rawlin-
sons headquarters at the Somme last
winter. and II neither reSemDled tank
nor, anything else under. the sun: II
was just n blur Of indistinct shades
which melted into the surrounding
ground at a short distance. Thanks to
both the smoke and the camouflaee.
the tanks got well started before the
Germans walked up. They had no ideo
that anything was on foot, and they
were comfortab bly, in their dugouts.
After the British had got started and
their infantry had followed the tanks
through the broken barbed wire the
British artillery began to fire. 1t put
down barrages that prevented the or
rival Of reserves and blocked the
German rearward communications.
This artillery fire was on a front of
thirty-two miles. from Queant almost
TO ST. Quentin. But the real operative
front was less than a third of this ex-
tent in the initial. stage. The actual
boundaries were the scheldt md Ats
canal, which come down to Cambrai
from St. Quentin, and the Canal du
Nord, which parallels these some ten
miles to the west. coming np from
Havrincourt toward Marquien and
crossing the Bapaume-Cambrai road
near Moeuvres. 80
Half way between Cambria and the
British front-line trenches was the town
Of Marcoing. situated just south OF a great
bend in the Scheldt canal. which comes
across the front. on which the British were |
advancing In a great "Z." turning west 1
ward at Crevecoeur and northward again |
at Marcoing. This was a considerable
military obstacle, but the British crossed