Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-05-04
The Great Allied Offensive Begins

'"'S ~ rH,b t'|N = 'SS'. SI.R y
ginning of what must he the 1oost mo-
mentous campaign of the present on
fllct and the most significant in
European history since Napoleon
started for Waterloo. After q full win
ter of preparation, the British armies
struck their lost blow on Monday,
April y, before Arras, and a week late.
the French began between scissors and
Rheims. On the outcome of the battle
now joined depends the question OF
peace by negotiation or by victory.
In present article | intend to dis
crss the British offensive. which is now
passing INTO d new phase, leaving for
another week amy detailed discussion of
inc FRENCH operation which is just be
ginning as i write, on Tuesday, April II.
The new campaign may be said to
nave begun ON February 6, when the
drew out of Grandcourt along
n Ancre. During the Month of I'ebru-
airy there wa a gradual retirement be-
Iofe the Sonme positions of the British,
and on the 18th of March this retire
ment suddenly %broadened into the great
retreat out OF the country between
scissors and Arras. BY this retreat the
Germans accomplished three things.
They escaped from positions which had
become difficult to hold, owing to the
successful advance of the French and
the British during the battle of the
Somme. They Strengthened their line
ana shortened it, saving a certain num-
Der of thousands of troops. And they
also temporarily frustrated all the plans
of the British and of the French to at
tack between scissors and Arras by
putting "A belt of 20 miles of devastated
country between the old positions of
the allies and the new German line.
This new German point, which has
been christened the Hindenburg line.
extended almost in a straight line from
ARR & hOfnvn INop ~ Ners --l
and east of st. Quentin to the Disc
river, n thence to LA Fere through
the forest OF ST. Gobain to the suburbs
of SCISSORS. On this line it enc
and still! seems, that the Germans had
chosen to meet the attack of the allies.
Iheir retreat along this front was one
OF the most successful operations in
military history and will remain a
model of military efficiency. The cap
lures OF prisoners and material by the
Allies were infinitesimal, and the Ger
mans reached the positions they had
intended to stand on in exactly the
manner they a expected. BY Easter
Sunday h retreat was practically
completed. and the Germans could re-
Ter with pride to the success of their
operation.
Meantime allied strategy had con-
formed to the new situation. All along
Hals and Nivelle had planned to strike
at the appointed moment Where they
mad to strike we do not know,
out 1t was clear as 500 as the German
retreat began hat it would no longer
be possible for several months to attack
between Arras and scissors and that
any Immediate offensive would have to
be made either north Or south of the
ex:reMities of hes o-called Hindenburg
line. This situation III allied con
manders accepted and chose as their
points of attack the two pivots of the
retiring German movement. which were
the Vimy ridge, north of Arras, and the
plateau. east of scissors. A
very simple figure ma serve to illus
trate the situation. The German retrea,
may be likened to the closing of the old
fashioned double barn door, swinging
inward on it's hinges. Before the retreat
began the German position somewhat
resenbled the angle made by the halves
partially ~ When the retreat was
completed the German position resem-
blcd the door closed. The allied attack
was directed at the hinges of the doors,
which swung on the Vimy ridge and the
Craonne plateau.
The British attack was one of the
most successful incidents of the whole
war and must email the measure of
the achievement of the British in maxi
ing a new army. After a bombardment
which reached it's eliminating fury on
Easter Sunday, British and Canadian
troops left their trenches early on Mon
day morning on a 12-mile front from
the old battlefield at the north end Of
the Vimy ridge. along the Deule river
to Henin. on the Cojeul. II miles south
east of Arras.
h chief obstacle Immediately before
the British was the famous Vimy ridge.
q little less than 500 feet high. rising
gently on the west side facing the
British and falling abruptly in the
great plain of northern France on the
east. Up this the troops of Foch had
struggled in the great battle OF Artois
in 1915, only to be driven back. A hun
0red Thousand ren casualties pal0
Tor the unsuccessful effort in this re-
e1on IN May n June. 1915. But this
time M attack was instantly success
!ui and In a few hours the Canadians
mad reached the crest OF the Vimy ridge
1t every point save Hill No. 40. at the
extreme northern enc Meantime the
6rltish center-the Canadians were the
!eit-moved out along both banks of
the Scarpe river from the suburbs OF
Arras, rapidly penetrated o sys
tens of German -intrenchments and
made an advance OF Upward of six miles
IN the next four hours. forcing their way
through all the old German lines and
making q greater total advance than
mad vet been made in western trench
warfare. Between the Scarpe and the
CoJeul the British right wing made cor
responding advances and by Tuesday
cleared the west bank Of the Co
jeul river.
=. This was the first phase OF the battle
oI Arras. In It the British took some
100 guns. many OF them heavy pieces:
vast amount Of material and at least
10.Voo prisoners. The single failure up
20 this moment had been in the effort
20 get control Of the northern end OF
b VIM ridge; but to balance this the
arttsh had reached the village Of
1onchy. six miles east Of Arras and