Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-04-18
cir starting place at ST. quentin.
Allied J%uncture Held.

Now tho German strategy had con-
ceived that, once a gap between the
British and the French had peer
opened. then the advance of the VIC
tors would be so rapid that there never
could be Il reunion between the two
ends of the allied armies. When this
reunion did occur. at Mintaidier on
March 81. the only chance of immediate
and complete German victory was to
break down the grip of the two armies
before ii had become fast. This ex-
planned the severe fighting from Mont
few days: Blu from Wednesday to
Monday the grip held N there was nc
further considerable. German push
westward.
Go backward to the Race 10 the
Sea and the parallel Illustrates. Then
the French and British armies were
pushing rapidly to the north toward
We're doing the same. Meanwhile "a Bel
gian army was coming south along
the coast TOWARD Newport. followed by
y tronser German army. The prob
lem then was whether or not the Ger
mans could interpose between the two
allied forces and prevent their TANKS
meeting TO form "a solid front from the
sea to Switzerland The Belgians, the
British and the French We're able to
join hands about Ypres and form the
line. Then because the line was very
thin, the Germans sought to break ii.
and almost succeeded in the desperate
battle OF Ypres.
If you think of the German method
and strategy in it's larger aspects as
confined to two purposes. first, tc
break a hole SO miles wide in the British
front. where it touched the French and
then. driving great masses through this
hope to separate the British and the
French permanently and drive this
British northward and away from The
French. you have the thing in it's sim
plest form, After six days the French
and British joined hands in front Of
the German wedge n it was stopped
To effect this reunion. after they had
saved themselves fromHmmediate ruin
incidental to British defeat and dis
purpose Of allied strategy.
BY h time the allies had restored
the continuity Of their line, the Ger
mans had advanced so fast aad so far.
outrunning their heavy guns and mu-
nitions. h a they were unable to break
the thin line. which held the two ends
of the allied lines together. From
Wednesday to Monday they tried this
necessarily, but only with local sue
cess and. meantime. the French re-
serves continued to flow up and the
line of the allies at the danger point
grew thicker and thicker But so great
a demand was made on allied reserves
that no ounter offensive was imme-
diately possible.
In all this time local. geographical
detectives had little, concern for the
German. He was not seeking to cap
ture any particular city or height. Even
Amiens was important only because
If he arrived at Amiens. he would be
on the flank Of all the British armies
and threatening their vital communica-
lions m their e and If he got to
Amiens first the rupture of allied lines
would be permanent.
Sought TO Destroy British.
The German was out to destroy the
British armies or, at the least. to deal
them sue a blow that they would be
pushed back upon the coast. north OF
the Somme, crippled for a long period
OF time and. ever If they escaped SUI
preme disaster, put out of the running
for h campaign. Once this were done
he could turf his attention to the
French, whose flank would be exposed
all the way to Paris. or. he could con-
tain the French and continue his blows
upon the beaten British. The decision
as between h British and the French
armies. he could let wait upon the mo-
ment when the two were separated and
the condition Of the British discloood.
RNA