The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1918-03-25
Greatest Bombmdment in History of Warfare
Crun,bled British Lines as Germans Attacked
~ PERRY Ros,NsoN

~ PERRY ROBINSON
(London Daily News War Correspon,
dent)
BRITISH HEADQUARTERS France
Friday March 22-(Delsyed.) - The
great battle has begun. After q win
ter Of intense preparations and long
suspense the Germans launched yes
tertiay the blow which they hope will
yield them that final victory in the
west which is to give them the tri-
umphant peace promised to their peo-
pie.
The weight with which the blow is
being delivered may be judged from
the fact that already nearly forty Ger.
man divisions, including four divisions
Of guards. have been identified in the
battle sectors on the British front. On
one sector of the front no fewer than
seventeen German divisions were in
course Of the day thrown against five
British divisions. y
From little below the Scarpe be-
hind Arras to Oise, distance Of
something like fifty miles the area Of
attack stretches but the weight Of it
is concentrated on specific sectors.
Below the sector south Of Croisilles
and to the eastward where seventeen
divisions were used on a front of
about 10000 yards. the attack was
much less heavy than that on the
main Cambrai front. where enormous
numbers Of troops were used.
Fight on Reserve Line.
In all something like one-third Of all
the formations in the German army
have been engaged along the fifty.mile
battle front. On considerable sections
of the front the enemy penetrated our
front line with the first attack. At
some other points, where we held him
completely throughout the day. we
drew back last night to reserve lines
to conform to the retirement else
where.
In general. the fighting today is 60
ing on along that reserve line, and let
me say at once that 1t has been gen.
orally recognized that II the Germans
attacked with extreme weight of guns
and men. they probably would sue.
ceed in breaking some sectors of our
front line. 1t is true that the Germans
have made some advance on a large
part Of the front attacked. but this
was anticipated. and nowhere, / be-
lieve, is there any feeling that their
initial success has been greater than
was foregone conclusion.
Therefore. we are satisfied with the
situation and we know the enemy
losses, as always when he attacks in
such strength. have been very heavy.
In places our machine guns were
trained on his masses as they ad.
vanced and did terrible execution. At
other points our field guns fired into
his solid ranks at close range with
open sights.
No German Tanks Appear.
So far, the German tanks of which
SO much has been heard have not yet
appeared.
Yesterday was day Of thick white
mist which made it impossible to see
more than 400 yards. Later in the day
the mist partially lifted. but always it
remained fairly dense. It made the
work of the aeroplanes very difficult.
This was much to our disadvantage,
but nevertheless our airsnen worked
throughout the day and in spite Of the
mist did valuable work. German air
planes were hardly in evidence except
at some points where a few enemy ma
chimes attempted, flying very low, to
use machine guns on men in our front
line trenches.
The bombardment which opened at
$3.50 o'clock along the whole front was
extremely heavy. On a large part Of
the front the Germans had an average
OF one gun every twelve or fifteen
yards, besides a great number Of
trench mortars, which were used to
cut wire and shell our forward posi-.
tions.
The bombardment of our front line
was probably as heavy as any seen in
this war and certainly the depth over
which shel!ing extended was quite un-
precedented, not only were the for
ward trenches, support and reserve
lines put under heavy fire, but the
whole area behind was shelled, back
even to the remote towns and villages
and open country, which could only be
reached by high velocity guns of large
caliber.
1t was probably the greatest artil.
lery concentration ever known. Its
taught the Germans-this smotheing
OF the whole front to be attacked with
an obliterating fire, and we knew, Of
course. that it was to come. During
the frst hour Of the bombardment
great numbers Of gas shells were
used on most parts OF the line, both
on the trenches and especially where
the enemy supposed our battery posi-
tions to be.
Some Of our gunners worked their
guns for four hours in gas masks and
infantry at places had their masks on
for eight hours.
British Fight Hard.
From $50 o'clock until nearly 10
O'Clock, q period of more than four
hours, the terrific shelling continued
without cessation. except on one small
part O: the front where an infantry
movement apparently anticipated the
general attack and there was short
lull soon after o'clock. On the front
as a whole the attack was not deliv-