The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-02
Germans F etake Part of the
Ground Captured in Cam
braiL riveand Take Prisoners
IRON DISCIPLINE SAVES
BRITISH FROM DEFEAT
Withdrawal Of Mos, Advanced
Troops Accomplished Bare
" in Time-French Drive
Back Violent Assault

London, Dec. l.-One hundred
thousand Teuton shock troops" every
one of them with song Of hate III
his heart, flung themselves against
General Byng's army in huge triple
attack before Cambria at dawn yester-
day.
All day long ragged the iercest bat
tie yet fought in this war between
Teutons and Britons.
Not until today was the result mads
known Both sides waited twenty
four hours for a decision. The Brit
ish admittedly suffered a setback.
But measured by the gigantic effort
Of the foe and the results manifestly
expected from 1t by him, the outcome
s regarded as relatively more than
satisfactory.
Driven back fully two miles by this
initial Teuton onslaught, Byng's army
rallied for strong couuterattaek and
1t snatched more than half a nils
back from the Germans. The end et
the days battle saw the Teutons IN
possession of $500 yards of reconquer-
ed ground. No attempt Is made here
to deny the German come back" cost
the British dearly In men, material
and ground. but the Germans, too,
paid a terrific toll for what they gain
ed. They did not resume their coun-
ter drive today. Heavy local lighting
continues, however.
Berlin officially announced the cap
ture Of 900 British and several bat
teries. The recapture of Come 49,
and Villers-G uislair villages and Of
the heights on the west bank of the
Scheldt on both sides of Banteux also
was reported by the German war
office. which asserted that the British
were thrown back to the Graincourt-
.Anneux-Cantaing line on the northern
rside of Bvng's original wedge in tho
German line.
Political considerations overshad
owed the immediate military strategic
motives underlying the German mass
ed assault. ii Is believed They were:
Ito impair British prestige at, the
Paris conference.
2. To help along the Teuton peace
drive designed to make Russia and
italy and ultimately all beiIigerents
quit the war.
: s. To back up the victory speeches
OF Chancellor Won Hsrtling and For
etgn Minister Won Kuehlmann In thu
reichstag, AT the same time putting
huge new war credit.
From military standpoint the Ger
man by their counter drive aimed:
q, !. To restore their lines and save
Cambria
; 2. To force continuance of the
main British effort here In order To
relieve the Flanders front
s. To restore German morale, seri-
ousiy impaired by Byng's recent sue
'cesses.
The attack was iaur ched after the
pet fashion Of the Teuton miiitar4
school--pincer tactics. BY tackling the
British at the two faaks-not the
Hanks of the advance haseIfne of the
salient, but where the two sides join
with the original British line--tha
German commander tried for bold
convergin., movement behind h q
British third army End thus TO cut IL
of and recapture thereby the entira
ground lost to Byne, gain between
ave and six miles deep on front Of
some eleven miles.
In this main object the Germans
failed They failed because Byng beat
them at their own Wanted gnme--iron
discipline For "Tsingo- Byng'' Is one Of
the school of British generals that
makes discipline the Alpha and the
Omega OF all Its teachings.
He has been nown for years as one
Of those who Insist on parade In tho
morning, parade in the afternoon,
parade in the evening
That sort OF training saved hi.
army yesterday. Grasping fash tho
trap the enemy was getting ready to-
spring he gave the command to his
main advanced forces: Draw back
They did not like 1t bit. His English
Seottish-W Welsh combination was as
full OF impetous fighting fervor as ever
and felt like hitting back on the In,
slant and yield not an inch But their
commanders doctrine had long become
religion with them and hack they
drew, fighting all the time of course.
Later when they heard what was go
ing on in the two flank sectors. they
thanked their stars for "Bingo-By
It was an exemplary fighting retire.
ment in point of order and destruction
of guns and materials that might have
fallen into the enemy's hands,
Sir Douglas Haig made only this
reference to the Cambria battle In his
day report:
ION the Cambrsi battle front tho
Germans during the night made TO
effort to renew their principal at
tacks."
Front dispatches, however, told 81
renewed bitter fighting ensuing in sue
eessipe british eeanter-attaek
Meanwhile the German heavy guns
have begun a strong bombardment in
the scarpe valley to thu north, indI-
eating perhans blow there aimed at
preventing the British from drawing
achievements from that front.
The tanks again took an important
part in yesterdays battle, particularly
when the British came back, They had
been swept out of LAteau wood. La
yacquerse. Gonnelieu,. yIllers- Gutslair
-