Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-29
LAST GERMAN DRIVE
NEARLY CRUSHED ALLIES
Was Most Critical Period of War
for England Says Marshal
Haig.

,cpi,ome of the dispatch received recently
by the War Office from Field Marshal Sir
Douglas Haig:
The dispatch deals with tho operations
Of the British Army in Franco from sep
tember. 1917. to April 80. 1918, one OF the
most critical periods that the British
nation has ever been called upon 10 face
The dispatch commences by pointing out
tho difficulties with which the Field Mar
shall had 10 contend during The winter
months of lal7-lS in resting, reorgani1lng
and training his battle-tricd troops PRIOR
10 the expected German offensive oWing
To the colapsc of Russia the Germans were
known TO be concentrating on the western
front their released eastern forces OF mon,
Guns and material This menace compel
led the British to change the policy gov
erninr the conduct of their operations
from an offensive to a defensive role.
New lines Of defense had 10 he orga-
n;zed in the country but lately wrested
from the enemy, and defensive lines pre-,
nared IN the rear. with railroads ana
communications 10 he made ana re-
paired. The Army Council ordered the
reorganization of divisions from 10
battalion to l0-battalon basis ana th'S
arrangement was not compltVn ui,'ii
February. 1918. Meanwhile Slr l,ougiaS
Hair at the request Of the French. had
--tNi
night Of the British line TO the village OF
Rar;sis south Of the River Disc. The very
;n,nortant instruction of the troops had |"
be thus subordinated to the construction
cf new works ~ the dCtument OF the
elaborate training necessary tor defensive
tactics.
Oncrations during the winter months
were limited 10 minor enterprises. ny
khc middle Of February II Was known that
the Germans bad transferred - lhIan'lN
divisions from the eastern thealre anu S'N
infantry divisions from the ltahan tneatiS
10 the western front. and by March = the
.eerp,ans hal concentrated lo2 divisions
on this front. -
In making his dispositions 70 meet inc
attack. SIR Douglas HaIg had to consider
three possible enemy ohlectivcs. /.
Thr Channel ports = The northern
coIlierles Of France. 8. The separation oi
The British and French Armies at their
junction before ((Sf4alens. BY the mddlc
of March II WAS evident that inc ''eF-
mans intended IL attack on = i'ne from 'i't,
Scnsee river to II Quentin. Is a ma(ttr OF
fact on this portion OF their front lIoln
Gouzcaucourt 10 Noy, 40 German ulNl-
siors were set in motion on March = tone
division 70 200 wards; and in all at
least 64 German divisions took part IN that
day's operations, 2 number conslderaoiv
exceeding the total forces composing inc
entire British Army in Franco. :,
The Germans favored by exceptionally
drv weather and thick white MIST 40,
yanced in dense masses and penetrated
the weakly held British lines like an m
corning tide The British fought gallantiy
and held up the advance tor two Gays;
during which time there were several
instances Of troops beng surrounded on
Ill SIDES snd fighting to the last man III
Gpder to gain time.
Tntil il was known that the enemy
main striking force had been committed
= the battle, il was not considered eN-
peslient TO employ reserves trom other
r,ortions az the front. as tho attack dc
welcomed. some eight divisions were col
lccted By drawing upon local reserves
and thinning out the fronts not ycf al
lacked. These reinforccncnts combined
with helm from thr French fought INC
battle to a standstlll on the Inc Of the old
.amiens defenseS, Aieucrcs NarcelfaNc'
and Hamel. not, however, before the main
line between Paris, Amiens and aiai9
had been cut at MontdldIer, and Anlen9
itself brought within range q enemy
artillery.
During the first eight day OF the battle.
many Of the British troops fought day
and night without ceaSlng and without
rest or sleep. With the failure Of the
eneulvs attacks on the fourth and tlith
Of April to divide the French and Brltish
armies at Hangarde, the enemy ofen-
sive on the Somme battlefront ceased lor
the time being.
On the 26th of March, the supreme con
srol of the operations Of the trencs and
British forces in France and Belgium,
rsssed into the hands Of General ioch-
kr- I . - "a
nj the British on 2 new front. Ont OF
General Haic'S army OF y divisions, 46 +
had been employed in the southern area.
and manv OF these had been retired 70 the
Tvs front to rcorganlZc with fresh drafts
from England.
On April Z, the British line from Lens
% Aruaentieres was boInbarded with gas
shells; this was continued on the 9th. and
on that dav, again IN the thick log, the
enemy commenced new attack on the
Portuguese front as II was beng relieved.
The attack developed and spread from
the La Bassee canal 10 B0ls GrcnIer
During subsequent days fighting the
enemv advanced his line to BaIlleul and
MervilIe and on April . captured Mt
KENNEL, seriously threatening the British
position on the 1pres salient and neces-
stating a withdrawal TO the west Of ,
Zfllebeke lake On April 28, the enemy
made desperate attempts to capture
Locre, but he suffered heavy losses and re-
ceived decided check and the month
closed with the enemy definitely held on
both southern and northern battle fronts
Sir. Douglas Haig speaks with adrnira-
ton of the young re-enforcements who,
without time To assinilate, were hurriedIy
thrown into the fight IN the Lys valley.
and who helped 20 bold up the advance Of
greatly superior fresh enemy troops The
splendid qualities displayed by all ranks
throughout the Somme and 1ys battles
made il possible 10 view with confidence
whatever further tests tho future might
bring.
After thanking The various branches Of j
the army employed under INN and paying
tribute to the French ana Belgian higher
commands, ~ir Douglas Haig concludes
bis dispatch By acknowledging the ready
manner IL which American engineer units
hive been placed al his disposal from time
t. time and the great value Of the assist
zee they have rendered. He SAYS Ameri-
can and British troops have fought
shoulder to shoulder Ii the same trenches
and have shared together the satisfaction