The Washington herald., 1918-08-15
HUN ORDERS
SHOW INTENT
! WAS TO HOLD
Advance in Picardy Made
Despite Foes Plans
for Resistance.

Elaborate precautions taken by the
German general staff to stem the
Franco-British advance In Picardy
were all for naught The battle line
today shows this.
To give the lie. however. to the
German explanation that the retreat
was ordered, the French Embassy
yesterday made public a series of Ger
man orders. which were taken in the
offensive. These orders, given before
the present operations. depict the
measures set forth by the high con-
mand to repulse the offensive, which
it foresaw. They read as follows:
Energetic measures will be imme-
diately taken In order to insure that
the infantry in action resist the enemy
attacks at all costs, and that il be
prepared beforehand for all sacri-
fees.
"An infantry officers, and even
chiefs Of a higher rank. have to try
to bring their men to give proofs OF
sangfroid under all circumstances.
Must BE Ready to Resist.
"All chief officers in action supe-
rior to subalterns must continually
see to 1t that their men, following the
example OF their own calm and ex-
emplary attitude, are kept in a state
ready to Immediately resist or counter
attack.
"one must try to hold the FIRST line
with small detachments while the rest
of the troops will be placed in echelons
to a great depth. However, to avoid
all panic at night. and above all in
foggy weather, the garrisons Of the
first line will be reinforced and the re-
serves will be brought up nearer the
first line.
AT all times reserves will be care
fully dissimulated and skillfully dis
tributed over the ground in such a
way as to avoid useless loss.
Isolated farms, groves and valleys
will never be occupied. for the enemy
will surely lombard them.
What Artillery Was to Do.
'Tf the enemy should succeed in
penetrating into our positions, the
work Of the artillery is to cut him on
with barrage fire and annihilate the
reserves, which follow him. while en-
filade and front fire, delivered with
rifles and machine guns, is to be d.
reeted against the enemy foot soldiers,
who have penetrated our lines, in such
a manner as to prevent their advanc-
ing.
The difficult situation, in which
the enemy will there find himself.
must be exploited before attending
to others. The supporting troops
should Immediately counter-attack
and take back the positions. They
must go as far. in certain cases, as
to charge under the fire of the
enemy artillery. II the troops, who
are in the zone of combat. cannot
throw the enemy back. or hold him,
a combined attack of the general
reserves must be made while the
enemy is still engaged in fighting
in the middle of unknown ground
with local reserves for the posses
sion of fortified positions.
High Command to Be Told.
IF a general counter-attack by
the reserves does not succeed in
driving out or annihilating the
enemy who has succeeded in pen
etrating our positions. the high
command must be informed.
Retreat will be necessary for
positions in the rear, but only un-
der the orders of the chiefs of
armies. who will organize a method
ical attack to retake the lost
ground"
The dispatches received from
France add that despite these pre-
cautions. the allies were victorious.
and that they have gained another
victory in the fact that the period
OF recovery attack for the Germans
has passed without the latter ae-
complishing anything.