New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-04

assailing that part of the British front
where the old trench lines met the new
lines created by the advance toward Cam
brai. By Saturday We were informed
that the Germans had broken through the
permanent British lines on a considerable
front along the Peronne-Cambrai road
bgd taken the Bots Latcau, at the point
where the Peronne-C Cambria road meets
the St. Quentin Cambria road, had taken
La Vacquerie, had taken Gonnelieu' and
had driven the point of their wedge
through the village of Gouzeaucourt. This
was the furthest point Of their penetra-
ton, and had they been able to hold this
most of the British wedge driven toward
Cambria would have collapsed. Such &C
counts as we have Of the battle indicate
that the British troops were surprised
that something like the same situation
that existed in the German lines when the
British blow was delivered some ten days
ago now existed within the British lines.
We have here the novel instance Of a sue
cessful surprise attack by one army being
succeeded Immediately by an almost
equally successful surprise attack by the
other.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday were
occupied by very desperate British at
tempts to regain the ground lost, and par
ticularly to regain that portion of the
ground lost which represented the British
front before the opening of Byng's often
sive. In this they were largely, but not
wholly, successful. At the present time
the Germans still hold the Bots Lateau and
all of the Peronne-C Cambria road between
Masnieres and Gonnelieu, which includes
a small portion of the original British
front and all the high ground east of the
Peronne-C Cambria railroad. Thus the
wedge which the British originally drove
into the German lines has been narrowed
on its front by three or four miles, and is
now far less dangerous threat to Cam
brai than it was a week ago.
In sum, by the most determined and
successful counter offensive which they
have delivered against the British since
the Battle of the Marine, the Germans have
taken six thousand prisoners, captured one
hundred guns, reduced the British gain Of
ground of last week by approximately a
quarter and very materially diminished
the profits of the British victory. The
whole thing represents a skilful and sue
cessful local counter offensive. 1t is a
very brilliant military operation. 1t de-
monstrates the fact that the German armies
on the Western front are still capable of
very dangerous attacks and it very proba-
bly, insures a continued German stay in
Cambria. Probably the Germans will now
be able to hold Cambria until next spring
at the earliest, when the prospect of
general retirement seems good.
The most considerable profit for the
Germans, however, is not in the ground
regained and the prisoners and guns taken.
Bvng's original success was the most dam
aging blow to the prestige and morale Of
the Western German armies since Petain's
successful attack at Nerdun just one year
ago. 1t was impossible for the Germans
to permit this victory to stand, because its
effect upon their own armies and their own
public would have been disastrous. They
have now very materially changed the
character of the whole operation by their
own counter success. They have taken
more British prisoners and more British
guns than at any time in the war since
the Marine campaign and more than they
took in any single action in the Marne
campaign. Measured by the size of the
armies to-day, this is trivial 1t represents
the same kind of loss that the Germans
have suffered over and over again, but on
the moral side it interrupts long success
sion of German defeats at the hands of the
British by brilliant achievement and it
Enthusiastically ameliorates the local situa-
ton before Cambria, which had very grave
peril for the Germans weel; ago.
Foreign Medals for Our Fighters
TLo,e.rJs &c caseS will arise i'm the